'In Ukraine, sadly, promises are hard to keep'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'Wisdom in foreign policy is found in making credible commitments'
Michael Brendan Dougherty at National Review
President Joe Biden promised to support Ukraine's fight against Russian invaders for "as long as it takes," says Michael Brendan Dougherty at National Review. But Germany's Bild magazine reported last week that, as the war dragged on, "Biden was going back on his word," joining Germany to "softly pressure" Ukraine to negotiate with Moscow. Ukraine might have to accept its "continued existence" as a victory, and forget about "retaking the Donbas and Crimea, let alone toppling Putin."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Biden has virtually abandoned "Bidenomics"'
Walter Shapiro in The New Republic
President Joe Biden has stopped touting "Bidenomics," says Walter Shapiro in The New Republic. Inspired by the "political success of 'Reaganomics'" in the 1980s, Biden embraced the term in June to shake voters "from their conviction that these are dire economic times." Folks in "Biden-land" hoped reminding people unemployment is low and inflation has been worse would do the trick. It didn't work. You can't convince people "they've never had it so good" when they're hurting.
'Neither of them won the debate'
Frank Bruni in The New York Times
We were all losers in the red-state, blue-state debate between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, says Frank Bruni in The New York Times. DeSantis, a Republican, and Newsom, a Democrat, have sparred for months. Thursday's showdown could have been "climactic." Instead, their sniping reflected "just how little quarter each side will give the other" in this hyper-partisan era. There's no longer room for "grace," or even "constructive and civil dialogue."
'People hate inflation, just not enough to spend less'
Annie Lowrey at The Atlantic
"Sticker shock is real," says Annie Lowrey in The Atlantic. During the pandemic, supply-chain bottlenecks and stimulus checks sent prices sky-high. More recently, the "strong labor market" has kept costs rising. So, you might think "Americans would have tempered their enthusiasm for shopping of late." But consumer spending is still rising, which only adds to upward price pressure. Americans are angry about inflation, but, in some ways, they "have nobody to blame but themselves."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
-
Penn wipes trans swimmer records in deal with Trump
speed read The University of Pennsylvania will bar transgender students from its women's sports teams and retroactively strip a trans female swimmer of her titles
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
'Trucking is a dangerous business'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'More must be done'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'If smoke can affect health early in life, it also can affect life's end'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'The arts are not just expressions of creativity'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'Alligator Alcatraz will be a blight on the Everglades'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
'HBCUs have always had to think more strategically'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The ambiguous legal state of ectopic pregnancy care
The Explainer Rep. Kat Cammack's accusations of 'fearmongering' are the latest example of how mixed messages are complicating the debate around abortion