‘School choice revs up again in the states’
The Wall Street Journal editorial board
School choice has been “on a roll in Republican-led states, and the momentum is continuing this year,” says The Wall Street Journal editorial board. That’s “all the more important after the demoralizing recent national test score results.” School choice is “crucial to free parents and children from the monopoly control of unions that care first about dues-paying teachers.” Republicans can also “use the recent national test results to press for more accountability on curriculum, attendance and graduation rates.”
‘Is Congress fine with giving up its war powers?’
Daniel DePetris at the Chicago Tribune
There’s a “fundamental power that Congress as an institution has largely deferred to the executive without so much as a protest: the power to declare war,” says Daniel DePetris, but “successive U.S. presidents have repeatedly proffered expansive theories on why the president as commander in chief possesses the right to take military action without congressional approval.” This “does the nation a grave disservice by upending the Constitution, removing the guardrails so critical to stopping bad decisions.”
‘Pope Francis is ready to take on MAGA’
Theo Zenou at Foreign Policy
Pope Francis “clearly doesn’t think that Trump has been anointed by God and is more likely to be praying for his failure than his success,” says Theo Zenou. The “pope has a history of opposing the U.S. leader.” Francis “might look like an easy target,” but “unlike other heads of state, Trump can’t browbeat him. The reason is simple: The president has no leverage on the pope.” Trump “can’t slap tariffs on Vatican City.”
‘Why voice notes are a small act of love’
Rainesford Stauffer at Time
Based on how many people “describe getting a voice note as a personal, mini-podcast, getting to listen to each other is a meaningful way to stay in touch that liking an Instagram story just isn’t,” says Rainesford Stauffer. But “voice notes remain somewhat divisive: Though many apps have a transcription feature for voice notes, communicating this way isn’t accessible to everyone.” It’s a “small act of love” to “want to talk to someone — however you choose to.”