‘Food tourism is dead, but something more interesting is emerging’
Brian Lee at The New York Times
People can now “observe food cultures develop in real-time, shaped by migration and internet connectivity,” says Brian Lee. The “old model of chasing cultural cachet by traveling to specific destinations for ‘authentic’ local cuisine is fading fast,” and the “real cutting edge of culinary exploration lies not in destination traveling but in the next wave of third-culture cuisines.” The “world’s next great cuisine” is “being created right now, in the spaces where cultures, traditions and technologies mingle.”
‘Adoption changes lives. We owe it to families to make it easier and less expensive.’
Mandi Genord at USA Today
Adoption is a “daunting dollar amount for many families,” but politicians can “help alleviate this adoption deterrent by making the adoption tax credit refundable,” says Mandi Genord. This “would help kinship and fixed-income families in particular afford adoption and care that often comes post-finalization.” It is “time for lawmakers to alleviate some of the financial pressure involved in adoption and encourage more families to welcome children into their home — instead of allowing children to languish in institutions.”
‘India is shooting itself in the foot on trade — again’
Mihir Sharma at Bloomberg
The “real problem with India’s trade policy lies in a seemingly innocent administrative procedure that doesn’t sound half as dangerous as tariffs,” says Mihir Sharma. Most Indians “don’t complain about import taxes so much as they do about non-tariff barriers to trade.” If India “actually wanted to protect consumers, then it would — like many other nations — simply exempt goods from this requirement that had cleared regulatory and quality barriers in tightly monitored markets.”
‘Is Trump’s bombast good diplomacy?’
Doug Bandow at The American Conservative
Donald Trump’s “bombast, while a MAGA fan favorite, is undercutting American interests,” says Doug Bandow. His “rhetoric makes resistance more likely, and if his targets don’t give in, he will look like the proverbial paper tiger. America would be “better served by restraint, more like Teddy Roosevelt’s ‘speak softly and carry a big stick.'” A “MAGA warrior should realize that while bombast can serve a purpose, it isn’t normally the best way to pursue America’s ends.”