'Republicans are no longer a political party'
David A. Graham in The Atlantic
The GOP is nearing "its end as a functional party," says David A. Graham. Donald Trump made the Republican National Committee a branch of Trump Inc. by deposing Ronna McDaniel and endorsing "loyalist" North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to replace her, with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair. This is "good news" for Trump. "Given what we know about the Trump Organization and the Trump White House, it is unlikely to be good news for the party."
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'What Biden should do at the border'
Daniel Di Martino at National Review
If President Joe Biden wants to show Republican lawmakers he is "acting in good faith," he should do everything "in his power to solve the border crisis," says Daniel Di Martino. He can start by placing "every migrant encountered on the southern border into expedited removal proceedings" instead of paroling them. This would subject asylum seekers to a "credible-fear interview." Only half pass this credibility test. Maybe then Republicans would recognize it will take "congressional action" to fully secure the border.
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'Why giving roses on Valentine's Day — or any day — is really a bad idea'
Amanda Shendruk in The Washington Post
This Valentine's Day, we need to ask the "unromantic question," "Can we live without roses?" says Amanda Shendruk. "The daily, nonstop, global race to get just-cut roses from greenhouses to your front door makes them punishing on the environment." They are spirited to us from "climate-controlled greenhouses" via "refrigerated trucks and a long, chilled flight," giving them a huge carbon footprint. Pay a little more for a favorite flower that's in season and grown locally. "Romance doesn't need to be limited to roses."
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'Biden's commitment to reducing student debt offers hope to millions'
Diego Garcia in The Miami Herald
President Joe Biden's determination to ease "student loan debt burdens has given millions of Americans a glimmer of hope" in an uncertain world, says Diego Garcia. In January, Biden approved canceling debts for another 74,000 student loan borrowers, bringing the total number benefiting from his student debt relief initiatives to a "staggering 3.7 million." This shows a commitment to a "fairer, more equitable economy" that "should grow from the middle out, not the top down."
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