"The end of race-based districts does not diminish Black political strength — it invites its expansion on firmer, more principled ground," writes Curtis Hill, a former attorney general of Indiana, in a letter to the editor.

"President Trump’s trade policies have punched farmers in the mouth," Marc Short writes. "And this time there’s no global pandemic to blame."

"While most Americans returned to the office years ago, government workers are fighting to maintain their special treatment," the Editorial Board writes.

"Potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders would be appealing subjects for a Pulte-directed data dive in the National Security Agency’s trove," Jason Willick writes. "No probable cause required." https://wapo.st/3RNMJhL

"Californians deserved to know the results of their jungle primary by Wednesday morning," the Editorial Board writes. "The snail’s pace at which votes are counted after every election is a national embarrassment and a damning indictment of blue-state governance."

Our new spy chief has zero intelligence experience but a stellar record as a political loyalist to Trump. Even by Trump administration standards, the appointment of Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be acting director of national intelligence was a stunner.

Was Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” doomed to fail from the start? In this episode of @themimsshow.bsky.social, Kate Andrews, Jason Willick and @dmarusic.bsky.social discuss the rise and fall of the $1.776 billion fund.

"Inflation, the ultimate stealth tax, is a corrosive and daily reminder that government creates many of the barriers holding back the economy," the Editorial Board writes.

"The only surprising aspect of ExxonMobil relocating its legal domicile from New Jersey to Texas is that it took this long," the Editorial Board writes.

The average wedding now costs $36,000, and many couples feel like they are being taken for a ride. @mcmegan.bsky.social explores why modern weddings have become so expensive:

“Central planning, which is where government ownership of corporations inevitably winds up, is a surefire way to destroy wealth, not create it,” the Editorial Board writes. “That’s true no matter what the intentions of the politicians.”

“The ‘buy, borrow, die’ myth is part of the overarching fallacy that wealthy Americans are nothing but tax cheats,” the Editorial Board writes.

“Unqualified,” as drawn by Michael Ramirez. 🎨

The campy vibe on Broadway may be a reaction to the Trump administration, Richard Zoglin writes. "But the facetious, self-referential tenor of so many new shows also strikes me as a vote of no confidence in the musical form itself." https://wapo.st/49Ev0iW

"While the White House is keen to make a show of finding new ways to impose tariffs, many of the president’s advisers privately recognize that they are a drag on the economy," the Editorial Board writes.

"Progressives, who went all in on 'believe women' just a few years ago, have in many cases decided that certain exceptions apply," Ramesh Ponnuru writes.

"There’s reason to be skeptical about the administration’s nothing-to-see-here attitude," the Editorial Board writes.

The World Cup is a mess, and it hasn’t even started yet, @williamfleitch.bsky.social writes. “But it’s still the World Cup, and it’s just a very, very hard event to screw up.” https://wapo.st/43gjQNy

"More mock-ups for Trump's $250 bill,” as drawn by Edith Pritchett. 🎨

"South Carolinians have always had a soft spot for eccentrics," Kathleen Parker writes. "They do not, however, elect their 'interesting' aunts and uncles to public office." https://wapo.st/49IKiDe

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's speech was an early glimpse of a governing party preparing its electoral narrative for 2027, @leonkrauze.bsky.social writes. “This is a recipe for lasting democratic erosion.“ https://wapo.st/4uOThuT

"A new report estimates that 6 million people are improperly enrolled in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, costing taxpayers $25 billion annually," the Editorial Board writes. "The scale of the fraud might seem implausible, but the evidence supporting it is compelling."

"The sheet of ice suffocating politics represents a balance of negative partisanship," George F. Will writes. "Millions of voters have mild, flickering affection for their party, but detest the other one." https://wapo.st/4e48PUF

"After the federal government spent years subsidizing the purchase of electric vehicles, the pendulum is now swinging in the other direction," the Editorial Board writes.

“Putin’s twin theories of victory were that Ukraine was weak and that the West would tire,” Fareed Zakaria writes. “Both have collapsed. This is Trump’s opportunity.” https://wapo.st/4vsXQuR

Maryland has severed its decades-long relationship with Moody’s after the national bond rating firm downgraded the state’s credit last year. "It’s always a bad look to shoot the messenger," the Editorial Board writes.

"New York Gov. Kathy Hochul this week undid what had been a rare act of fiscal discipline in her state," the Editorial Board writes. "Taxpayers will now be on the hook for this multibillion dollar mistake."

Bill Pulte has no intelligence experience, David Ignatius writes. But he has proved he’ll target the president’s foes. https://wapo.st/4x606Kl

"Congress did something extraordinary this week," the Editorial Board writes. "By a unanimous voice vote, the House passed a bill that would ease government barriers to unlock geothermal energy."

“Shell game,” as drawn by Michael Ramirez. 🎨

“June marks the modern American tradition of arguing over who gets to wave what flag and where,” Jim Geraghty writes.

"Trump, who prides himself on sensing and taking advantage of weakness in his international counterparts, is not playing his hand well when it comes to Putin," the Editorial Board writes. https://wapo.st/4a2FY1D

. @mcmegan.bsky.social recently spoke with Dr. Leana S. Wen about whether America is better prepared for the next serious outbreak. Check out their conversation on Reasonably Optimistic:

"It’s impossible to understand the rise of food delivery while ignoring another way that many customers use DoorDash," Dominic Pino writes. https://wapo.st/4vpdJT1

“The Ebola crisis in Africa will spin out of control without a significant shift in the international response,” writes Anthony Banbury, who led the U.N. response for the 2014 Ebola crisis. “30 to 50 percent of those who contract the virus will die.” https://wapo.st/3Sk5YiW

“Mail theft is not just a sideshow in the United States’ fraud epidemic — it is a primary engine,” Frank Albergo writes.

"Without the Army’s capacity for theater-wide logistics, long-range fires, and command and control for distributed forces, the U.S. military cannot sustain a major combat operation, let alone win one." The latest from Ryan D. McCarthy, who served as the 24th secretary of the Army:

"John, the younger brother of the president’s father, Fred, played a crucial role in the development of radar for D-Day and World War II." The latest from Timothy Chu and Drew Endy: https://wapo.st/3PXnCZg

Is Trump's humor hilarious or concerning?

China's ‘zero-tariff’ policy is a challenge to the U.S.

An editorial guest cartoon by Robert Thompson. 🎨

"Infant and toddler care is extremely expensive to provide because of staffing ratios and care requirements." The latest from Raúl Echevarria, co-founder of CommuniKids Preschool:

Like evolution before it, AI may force a rethink of what makes humans special, John MacCormick writes in the Superintelligent newsletter.

"Trump subscribes to a teleological moral code in which the rightness or wrongness of an act depends on the consequences of the act," a reader writes in #PostLetters. https://wapo.st/432saR6

Alaska is the latest example of a state trying to utilize pharmacists' medical expertise, the Editorial Board writes. https://wapo.st/4uGvptB

The New York Knicks are on the cusp of history, @williamfleitch.bsky.social says. "If the Knicks can win a championship, any team — even your team — can too."

Did Trump kill late-night television shows, or did comedy podcasts simply beat them at their own game? In this episode of @themimsshow.bsky.social, James Hohmann, Carine Hajjar and Damir Marusic explore the massive cultural shift in comedy during the Trump era:

"The six state primaries Tuesday brought few surprises but taught two important lessons." The latest from Henry Olsen in the Margin of Victory newsletter: https://wapo.st/4ujdF6D

What people get WRONG about Christian nationalism

What’s a Bishop’s role in politics?