Voices Today: Power, Accountability, and Efficiency

As the fiscal year concludes, we are forced to reckon with the real-world consequences of treating public service like a private laboratory. When corporate magnates attempt to slash federal budgets under the guise of 'efficiency,' we must ask whose interests are actually being served and what essential protections are being eroded in the process.

True progress requires moving beyond performative cuts and punitive measures. Whether we are discussing the integrity of our civic symbols or the way we seek justice for survivors of harm, our focus must remain on building systems that prioritize human dignity and collective well-being over raw power and administrative convenience.

What the columnists are saying today

The Journalist and the Manipulator

The Atlantic — An exploration of Janet Malcolm’s complex relationship with literary ruses and the ethics of journalistic storytelling.

Why Did DOGE Exist? Now We Know.

The New Republic — A critical look at the motivations behind Elon Musk’s attempts to slash the federal budget and its impact on public spending.

Pity the Poor Passport

The New Yorker — Adam Gopnik examines the aesthetic and symbolic shifts in U.S. passports following recent executive mandates.

My Mom Ran Over a Key Part of My Daughter’s Halloween Art Project. Not This Again.

Slate Magazine — A personal reflection on intergenerational dynamics and the larger patterns of behavior within family caregiving.

“We Can’t Punish Our Way Out of This”: A Conversation on Meaningful Accountability After Cornell

Thenation.com — Rebecca Solnit and Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg discuss transformative justice and meaningful accountability for survivors of sexual assault.

What does real accountability look like to you in our current political climate? Share your thoughts with us as we continue to advocate for a more just society.