Politics
/ArcaMax

Commentary: School choice does not equal education freedom. It drains public resources
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at expanding school choice. The order directs federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education, to issue guidance on how states can use federal funds to expand “educational choice” initiatives and encourage “education freedom.”
This order was signed alongside ...Read more

Commentary: Why does the success of Chinese AI invention DeepSeek elicit fear?
The artificial intelligence boom led by American tech bros needed one instance of serious competition from China, namely DeepSeek, to shiver in fear and lose $94 billion of wealth in a single day.
This cannot be because the AI industry is afraid of more players entering the game. There is already healthy competition among prominent AI ...Read more

Editorial: The price of eggs? Just one sore spot in a food economy that has Americans on edge
It’s getting painfully expensive to eat.
We realize that’s not a news flash, but it’s what’s on Americans’ minds. No wonder. Among the necessities of life, food — sustenance — is close to the top.
President Donald Trump took office promising “on day one” to reduce grocery prices that were a significant factor in voters’ ...Read more

Commentary: California needs more homeless shelters, especially in the face of climate-driven disasters
As a native Californian and a passionate homeless advocate, my heart shattered when I witnessed the devastating wildfires that ravaged the state I call home.
For those already vulnerable, facing homelessness or housing insecurity, the wildfires are a cruel reminder of how fragile stability can be. The Los Angeles fires have forced evacuations ...Read more

Michael Hiltzik: Trump's all-out assault on transgender rights isn't a sign of strength, but cowardice
It was easy to think that the diatribe about school transgender policies Donald Trump voiced during his presidential campaign was his most "deranged and despicable," as I described it at the time.
Do you remember? At an event with Moms for Liberty, the far-right gang of book-banners, Trump said the following: "Think of it. Your kid goes to ...Read more

Noah Feldman: Attorney general's DEI memo isn't what it seems
On her first day in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo calling for a report on how the Department of Justice can target big companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The memo is unlikely to generate a significant number of lawsuits against real-world companies. But it will speed up the already-underway process of ...Read more

Editorial: As Trump and Musk tear through democracy, we can't just stand by
Stand up now or risk losing it all.
It is time to recognize this nation faces a constitutional crisis. Those with political power are unwilling to do anything about it. Everyday people, anxious and concerned, must cast aside hesitation and do more than quietly lament democracy's passing.
According to the Cook Political Report, President Donald...Read more

Commentary: African American literature matters
This year's observance of Black History Month carries forward the centennial anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. However, in this reflective season, we find ourselves at a crossroads that would be painfully familiar to those pioneering writers and artists of the 1920s.
The significance of African American literature has never been more ...Read more

Editorial: Duffy off track by tying transportation $$ to birth rates
It’s a swing and a miss from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has directed his department to prioritize projects in communities that have birth rates higher than the national average.
In an undated memo, Duffy said any Department of Transportation-supported or assisted program — including all grants, loans, and contracts — ...Read more

Shuli Ren: Xi has squandered his most powerful trade war weapon
The tables have turned. As U.S. President Donald Trump reignites his trade war with China, he’s got all the bargaining chips.
The growth trajectories of the world’s two-biggest economies have diverged sharply since Trump’s first term. While global investors are doubling down on U.S. exceptionalism, keeping faith that the dollar and ...Read more

Commentary: Foreign aid delivered by USAID is for our nation's benefit -- including our farmers
It comes as little surprise that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was the first victim of the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE.
After President Donald Trump’s administration announced a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance, dozens of senior USAID officials were put on administrative leave, and thousands ...Read more

John M. Crisp: Are you sure this is what you voted for?
No one can fault Donald Trump for failing to accomplish at least one of the things he promised while he was a candidate: disruption.
But is it too much? A MAGA friend assures me that Trump’s 77 million voters approve of his actions so far and that they are not having second thoughts.
But I wonder. If, before the election, Trump had described...Read more

Doyle McManus: Trump isn't an isolationist. He's a bully -- and that's hurting US influence in the world
WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump announced last week that the United States will take over the war-blasted Gaza Strip, expel its Palestinian population and build a high-end beach resort, most of the reviews ranged from disbelief to outrage.
"The craziest and most destructive proposal any administration has ever made," said Aaron ...Read more

Commentary: Will children's right to equal education prevail?
Immigrant children are facing a new form of playground bullying: The Trump administration and its allies are trying to scare them away from school.
One of the Trump Department of Homeland Security’s first actions was to discard a core restraint on immigration enforcement. For decades, Democratic and Republican administrations have abided by ...Read more

Steve Lopez: Slow the spread of fire? 'We have to get rid of the palm trees'
Kathryn Barger's mother used to tell her that "trees do make a community."
But given the flammability of Southern California, which will soon be rebuilding and replanting after massive destruction from the recent fires, what kind of trees are safest?
I have some answers, because tree-loving readers have been responding to my column in which ...Read more

Mary Ellen Klas: Florida orange juice could be tariffs' most iconic casualty
President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada is on hold for now but, if it resumes, it could deliver a fatal blow to one iconic American industry: Florida orange juice.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to forgo “Florida orange juice altogether” as he slapped a (now-paused) 25% tariff on American exports from “red...Read more

Commentary: A mass exodus from civil service would be disastrous for our communities
Civil service is another term for “professional workforce” and we want this in government, right? And yet, as I write this, our government is being taken over by the opposite kind of worker.
The uncredentialed Elon Musk is running a massive government operation. His team of similarly-unaccredited private-sector tech wonks have taken control...Read more

Commentary: After the Assad regime's fall, will Syrian refugees return?
The sudden fall of Syria’s Assad regime in early December has raised an important question: Can the 6 million who became refugees during the 14-year civil war now go home?
Officials in Turkey, Austria, Denmark and Bulgaria have started publicly discussing plans to repatriate the Syrian refugees in those countries. Others — including France...Read more

Justin Fox: The blue state-red state tax divide isn't really that fair
The Trump administration’s many attempts over the past couple of weeks to halt federal spending have met mostly with approval from Republicans on Capitol Hill and outrage from Democrats.
That’s sort of what one would expect given that Trump is a Republican, but also kind of weird in that states and congressional districts that vote for ...Read more

Editorial: Managing health records shouldn't be this maddening
The U.S. health-care system exchanges tens of millions of patient records a day. Thanks to recent technological advances, the ability to analyze such large amounts of data has improved markedly.
Why, then, are patients still filling out clipboards of redundant information, or juggling multiple passwords and portals to make a doctor’s ...Read more