'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
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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."
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.
-
What to know before turning to AI for financial advice
the explainer It can help you crunch the numbers — but it might also pocket your data
-
Book reviews: 'The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction—and a Search for Relief' and 'Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run'
Feature The search for a headache cure and revisiting Springsteen's 'Born to Run' album on its 50th anniversary
-
Keith McNally' 6 favorite books that have ambitious characters
Feature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
-
Pomp but little progress at Trump's Ukraine talks
Feature Trump's red carpet welcoming for Putin did little to advance a peace deal with Ukraine
-
'The question is what it does for the ecosystem'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'America is simply not investing at the level the crisis demands'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Gavin Newsom's Trump-style trolling roils critics while thrilling fans
TALKING POINTS The California governor has turned his X account into a cutting parody of Trump's digital cadence, angering Fox News conservatives
-
'It's our financialized economy in miniature'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
'That message may seem unimpeachable'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day