opinion

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Who's to Blame for High Health Care Costs? 2 Takes

Journalist points to overpaid doctors, doctor to the 'waste' of private insurance

(Newser) - One of the most talked-about policies in the national conversation around insurance is Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's decision in Connecticut, New York, and Missouri to deny claims for anesthesia for surgeries that went longer than a set time limit. It was greeted with huge uproar before the insurer...

Guys, Welcome to the 'Pink Collar' Workforce
Guys, Welcome to the
'Pink Collar' Workforce
OPINION
Dec 12, 2024 9:45 AM CST

Guys, Welcome to the 'Pink Collar' Workforce

We should embrace men taking on caregiver jobs traditionally done by women, per NYT op-ed

(Newser) - When it comes to evolving over the past six decades or so, "Plastic Woman" ("American women who made miraculous social progress in the 20th century") outpaced "Cardboard Man" ("American men who stalled out"), according to two archetypes described by Jessica Grose in an op-ed...

Pelicot Wore Sunglasses 'to Protect Herself.' No More

BBC essay describes Frenchwoman as 'global icon of courage and defiance' as husband stands trial

(Newser) - Throughout the rape trial of Gisele Pelicot's husband, Dominique Pelicot , and the dozens of other men of sexually assaulting her while she was drugged unconscious, the world has seen the Frenchwoman go through a series of stages—from "serene grandmother, to anguished and shame-haunted rape victim, to fearful...

Paul Krugman's Final Column: We're in a 'Grim Place'

Nobel-winning NYT economist laments losing optimism of the past, says to rebuff 'kakistocracy'

(Newser) - After nearly a quarter century, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has decided to wrap up his opinion column in the New York Times, with a final one dropping on Tuesday —and he's using it as "a good occasion to reflect on what has changed over these past...

In Academia, 'Professors Are Bad at Politics'
College Professors Need
to Back Off of Activism
OPINION
Dec 9, 2024 11:29 AM CST

College Professors Need to Back Off of Activism

Case Western Reserve instructor Michael Clune says that 'professors are bad at politics'

(Newser) - For the past decade, Michael Clune has "watched in horror" as professors in higher education have hurtled toward what he calls an "existential crisis"—academics who've morphed into what he calls activists, with "nearly every scholar now [justifying] their work in political terms." Writing...

A Millennial Admits: Sappy Christmas Films Aren't Terrible

NYT columnist Amanda Hess is surprised to find she's 'aged into the bad Christmas movie'

(Newser) - If you've ever scoffed at the treacly looking Christmas movies churned out annually by the likes of the Hallmark Channel and Netflix, refusing to become an old cat lady (or lad) sobbing over a rom-com, take comfort that "old" isn't the only demographic that these type of...

'If Ever There Was a Case for Clemency, This Is It'

Hugh Hurwitz calls for pardons for those on home confinement under CARES Act

(Newser) - As President Biden considers pardons for more perceived targets of President-elect Trump, he should not forget the 1,500 vulnerable former federal inmates on home confinement, who risk returning to prison under Trump. That's according to Hugh Hurwitz, former assistant director at the Bureau of Prisons, who was involved...

He Picked Up a Gun at Age 11: 'Biggest Regret of My Life'

Writing for NYT , inmate Christopher Blackwell says that regret he's felt has helped move him forward

(Newser) - The New York Times' latest guest essayist isn't a high-powered politician or CEO—Christopher Blackwell is an inmate serving a 45-year sentence for robbery and murder, a consequence for a life of crime and violence that he now traces back to the first time he picked up a pistol...

Brooks: We Need to Rethink the College 'Meritocracy'

Atlantic writer David Brooks says we need to rethink our current admissions system

(Newser) - For two decades during the World War II era, James Conant was president of Harvard, which is when he and other college administrators decided to eliminate "admissions criteria based on bloodlines and breeding and replace them with criteria centered on brainpower." The resulting "meritocracy" isn't without...

People Are Bidding Adieu to 'Long Boozy Nights'
People Are Bidding Adieu
to 'Long Boozy Nights'
OPINION
Nov 30, 2024 8:00 AM CST

People Are Bidding Adieu to 'Long Boozy Nights'

Writing for WSJ , Katie Roiphe says this new 'sober-ish' lifestyle may not be such a bad thing

(Newser) - Say goodbye to those "long boozy nights" of yesteryear. That's according to Katie Roiphe, a college professor who observes for the Wall Street Journal that, as we head into the holiday season, she's noticed more "sober-ish" people around of late—meaning folks who haven't gone...

Mom Discovers Phone Rules for Child Apply to Her, Too

Slate's Molly Mulshine doesn't let her toddler use devices, but her own use was becoming an issue

(Newser) - Molly Mulshine tries hard to limit the screen time her 1-year-old baby is getting, citing various studies that indicate how bad too much time on phones, iPads, and other electronic devices are for kids and teens. But in her new essay for Slate , Mulshine reveals that she was the one...

Teaching Not a 'Sustainable' Job for Parents
Teaching Not a 'Sustainable'
Job for Parents
OPINION
Nov 12, 2024 3:08 PM CST

Teaching Not a 'Sustainable' Job for Parents

So says Lauren Quinn in LAT op-ed, writing she had to quit her career to prioritize her own child

(Newser) - Being a teacher these days seems to be an exhausting, frustrating lot, at least according to the record-high turnover rate and low job satisfaction that Lauren Quinn cites in her op-ed for the Los Angeles Times . Quinn herself recently left her job as a high school English teacher, but it...

WSJ Editorial Warns Trump About Overreach on Border

Public is with him, unless he goes too far, the editors write

(Newser) - The conservative editorial page of the Wall Street Journal is all in favor of President-elect Trump cracking down on illegal immigration. But a new editorial warns him against going too far. Trump promised on the campaign trial to implement the biggest deportation plan in US history, and "how it...

Trump's Win Will Have Big Implications for Ukraine
What Trump's Win
Could Mean for Ukraine
OPINION
Nov 6, 2024 10:55 AM CST

What Trump's Win Could Mean for Ukraine

A shift is coming; what it will be is unclear

(Newser) - In mid-October, Donald Trump made his thoughts on Russia's invasion of Ukraine clear: Volodymyr Zelensky "should never have let that war start." More fully, he said: "I think Zelensky is one of the greatest salesmen I've ever seen. Every time he comes in we give...

This Is Biden's Fault
This Is Biden's Fault
OPINION
Nov 6, 2024 10:30 AM CST

This Is Biden's Fault

Columnists try to suss out what drove the return of Donald Trump to the presidency

(Newser) - As the world reacts to the news that Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States, columnists are weighing in on how Kamala Harris could've lost to a twice-impeached former president with dozens of criminal charges to his name. There's no shortage of theories:
  • '
...

Beware These 'Toxic Zombies' in Your Kitchen
Beware These 'Toxic
Zombies' in Your Kitchen
OPINION
Nov 1, 2024 4:40 PM CDT

Beware These 'Toxic Zombies' in Your Kitchen

Atlantic writer urges people to toss their black plastic spatulas

(Newser) - Toxic-Free Future's Megan Liu has a warning for us about the kitchen utensils we use: Beware plastic ones, especially black versions. That's because black plastic is likely to have been made with recycled electronic waste (e.g., TV and computer casings), in a process that often sees little...

Op-Ed: Bezos Is Compromised. He Needs to Give the Post Away

Steven Waldman suggests Washington Post owner should donate the paper to a charity or trust

(Newser) - Jeff Bezos' decision to quash a Kamala Harris endorsement from the Washington Post editorial board had nothing to do with restoring trust in the media , writes Steven Waldman at the Columbia Journalism Review . In truth, Bezos' companies have "so much riding on the decisions of the federal government" and...

Anita Hill: Facing Disrespect, Harris Chooses Dignity

With unwavering respect for others, Kamala Harris 'creates chances for more dignity for everyone'

(Newser) - No matter what happens next Tuesday, Kamala Harris can pat herself on the back for having kept her dignity through an election campaign in which she faced "various and sundry racist, misogynist and sexist insults" as well as efforts to deny her "integrity, competence and accomplishments," Anita...

In a World Run on 'Vibes,' Undergrads Balk at Reading

And it doesn't seem as if this writing professor blames them, per his op-ed for the New York Times

(Newser) - Jonathan Malesic teaches writing at Southern Methodist University, and in the early 2010s he was assigning his students nine books a semester to read. Now, more than a decade later, after COVID and the full-fledged arrival of AI, "that reading list seems not just ambitious but absurd," he...

Weatherman Who Lost It Over Milton: We Need to Talk

John Morales, who broke down on camera before big storm hit, begs for more talk on climate crisis

(Newser) - It was the weather forecast that sent dread through viewers, with South Florida meteorologist John Morales becoming emotional while describing Hurricane Milton before it made landfall in the Sunshine State earlier this month. "It's just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane," he said, losing his composure . "This...

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