Columns – The Columbian

McCloskey: Trump’s pattern of indifference

Abby McCloskey — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:01:53 +0000

‘I don’t care about the midterms,” President Donald Trump said last week. Conventional wisdom says he must. But maybe we should take him at his word.

Vora: U.S. should help contain outbreak

Dr. Neil Vora — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:01:03 +0000

Ebola is a diabolical disease. The virus, which can cause severe hemorrhaging, spreads through blood and other bodily fluids. Patients, as they grow sicker, become a ticking bomb, endangering anyone compassionate enough to provide hands-on care.

Jacobson: Immigration crackdown bigger, not better

Sheldon H. Jacobson — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:01:05 +0000

Funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies was at the epicenter of the recently resolved budget impasse. This roadblock, resulting in a record-long 75-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, was focused on how ICE was staffed and directed by the Trump administration.

McCray: Agreement is not understanding

Randi McCray — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:01:09 +0000

During a recent conversation, my 16-year-old son told me I did not understand him.

Drucker: Trump loses sway with ‘normie’ Republicans

David M. Drucker — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:01:56 +0000

President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party is slipping. Sort of. Because even though the president’s support among GOP voters has diminished, his demonstrable strength is still swaying the party’s primary contests.

Brownstein: Supreme Court reform will test Dems

Ronald Brownstein — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:01:56 +0000

Former Vice President Kamala Harris turned heads with a video last month in which she argued Democrats need an “expanded playbook” to explore structural reforms to the institutions of American government, including the Supreme Court.

Estrich: Trump uses DOJ as a personal weapon

Susan Estrich — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:01:33 +0000

President Donald Trump may be the smallest, meanest and most vengeful man to serve in the Oval Office. Every time I think he and his minions could stoop no lower, they surprise me. There is simply no limit to Trump’s hunger for vengeance, or the willingness of his minions to do his bidding, no matter how unethical.

McCloskey: Bring back 1990s summers

Abby McCloskey — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:01:33 +0000

For most moms I know, summer is a mixed bag. It’s not hard to understand why.

Westneat: Bezos missed the mark

Danny Westneat — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:01:24 +0000

Jeff Bezos, I’ve been told, is not just a smart guy. When it comes to business, he’s a full-on genius.

Other Papers Say: U.S. warship plan a boondoggle

Bloomberg Opinion — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:01:02 +0000

The U.S. Navy says it plans to buy 15 hulking “battleships” over the next 30 years. The number of such behemoths it actually needs comes closer to zero. The sooner Congress recognizes that fact, the better off American taxpayers, and indeed the Navy, will be.

Sharfuddin: Small businesses offer hope

Revana Sharfuddin — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:03:47 +0000

If splashy headlines are to be believed, artificial intelligence already is consigning new graduates to a life of unemployment. The anxiety is not unfounded. Entry-level roles are disappearing, and economists have yet to reach a consensus on how deep or lasting AI’s labor market effects will be.

Barabak: Survey of legal experts finds Trump’s actions endanger rule of law

Mark Z. Barabak — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:01:58 +0000

Sometimes it seems as though the only thing that stands between a functioning democracy and a full-on Trump autocracy is a thin, black-robed line.

Other Papers Say: Gas tax holiday bad economics

The following editorial was written by Bloomberg Opinion: — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:01:50 +0000

As the United States and Iran wrestle over an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, surging gas prices have turned the government’s attention to a perennially popular fiscal scam: Ease the pressure on household budgets with a gas tax holiday. In reality, such a plan to curry favor with voters would make them worse off. Responsible policymakers should have nothing to do with it.

Zagacki, Cherwitz: Hypocrisy can help save U.S. democracy

Kenneth Zagacki and Richard Cherwitz — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:01:38 +0000

The growing controversy over the Trump administration’s fund to financially assist political allies — reportedly including some January 6 defendants he pardoned — again highlights accusations of political double standards in American democracy.

Paz: Pope Leo takes on artificial intelligence

Christian Paz — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:01:12 +0000

On Monday, the Roman Catholic Church made its biggest foray yet into the discourse on artificial intelligence and the role it should play in human life as the technology develops.

Schrager: Small homes used to be norm

Allison Schrager — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:01:17 +0000

My Manhattan apartment is about 800 square feet, the same size as my upstairs neighbors’ — except they’re a family of four with a large dog. Much as that blows my mind, I also realize that, not so long ago, an 800-square-foot apartment for a family of four in New York would have counted as luxurious.

Calmes: Trump struggles to secure deal

Jackie Calmes — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:01:51 +0000

President Donald Trump, it’s well known, is into gold. Every day brings new evidence that he’s thoroughly enjoying the “golden age” he pronounced in his inaugural address — as few other Americans are — with stock trades, crypto profiteering and much more, even a new taxpayer-financed slush fund to reward his allies.

Estrich: What went wrong for Democrats

Susan Estrich — Tue, 26 May 2026 13:01:13 +0000

For months now, Democrats have been arguing about whether to release the “autopsy” the National Committee commissioned on what went wrong in 2024. The report was completed but then not released; under pressure, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin released the report last week, but only with the caveat that it didn’t meet the committee’s standards, whatever that means.

Millhiser: Packing Supreme Court a risky idea

Ian Millhiser — Mon, 25 May 2026 13:01:54 +0000

Recently, during a video event hosted by the advocacy group Win With Black Women, former Vice President Kamala Harris rattled off a long list of democracy reforms that could be part of an “expanded playbook” Democrats can use to reverse a series of policy losses, including the Republican Supreme Court’s decision repealing a 1982 amendment to the Voting Right Act.

Beauchamp: Corruption taken to a new level

Zack Beauchamp — Mon, 25 May 2026 13:01:37 +0000

Donald Trump’s self-dealing and profiteering from high office, a longtime subtheme of his presidency, has just become its defining story.

Brownstein: Vision for U.S. House inverted

Ronald Brownstein — Mon, 25 May 2026 13:01:36 +0000

To view the rapidly escalating redistricting war between the parties as a typical partisan squabble is to miss the full magnitude of what’s unfolding.

Westneat: Wilson a political unicorn

Danny Westneat — Mon, 25 May 2026 13:01:30 +0000

This is about a little thing. With time, though, it has a shot at becoming a big deal.

Other Papers Say: Most degrees still carry benefits

The Las Vegas Review-Journal — Mon, 25 May 2026 13:01:16 +0000

For many high school students, a career in the trades has become more attractive due to the soaring cost of a college education and the looming disruption of artificial intelligence in the white-collar world. This path is indeed a worthwhile choice given employment shortages in many trades and the myriad opportunities it offers for stability and financial comfort.

Local View: Plant-based diet saves money, improves health

Lunette Lott — Mon, 25 May 2026 13:01:03 +0000

Whether it’s at church, among neighbors and friends, or at grocery stores, I hear a lot of stories these days about how community members are struggling to feed their families healthy meals.

Columns – The Columbian

McCloskey: Trump’s pattern of indifference

Vora: U.S. should help contain outbreak

Jacobson: Immigration crackdown bigger, not better

McCray: Agreement is not understanding

Drucker: Trump loses sway with ‘normie’ Republicans

Brownstein: Supreme Court reform will test Dems

Estrich: Trump uses DOJ as a personal weapon

McCloskey: Bring back 1990s summers

Westneat: Bezos missed the mark

Other Papers Say: U.S. warship plan a boondoggle

Sharfuddin: Small businesses offer hope

Barabak: Survey of legal experts finds Trump’s actions endanger rule of law

Other Papers Say: Gas tax holiday bad economics

Zagacki, Cherwitz: Hypocrisy can help save U.S. democracy

Paz: Pope Leo takes on artificial intelligence

Schrager: Small homes used to be norm

Calmes: Trump struggles to secure deal

Estrich: What went wrong for Democrats

Millhiser: Packing Supreme Court a risky idea

Beauchamp: Corruption taken to a new level

Brownstein: Vision for U.S. House inverted

Westneat: Wilson a political unicorn

Other Papers Say: Most degrees still carry benefits

Local View: Plant-based diet saves money, improves health

Drucker: ‘It’s all rigged’ mantra is toxic