'In a fight, spectacle matters'
'With his marathon speech, Cory Booker showed us how to fight'
Karen Attiah at The Washington Post
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) "displayed a historic level of legitimate cardio — stamina — speaking on the Senate floor," says Karen Attiah. To "stand for 24-plus hours is an honorable display of physical and mental strength," and we "need to see way more fighting spirit from the Democrats." This is "where Booker's spectacle and persuasion matter the most: to stir the masses." What he did "will live on for the history books, but we need bodies on the line."
'What it's like to be a U.S. historian right now'
Thomas A. Foster at The Hill
The "current cultural climate is filled with historical consciousness, but also with widespread misunderstandings and misrepresentations of history," says Thomas A. Hill. Historians are "often distanced from this sensation because we know how past events turned out," but "living through history in real-time makes that sense of unpredictability palpable in a way that is rarely captured in historical narratives." Adding to this "uncertainty is the intense battle over our national narratives and historical identity."
'50 years after fall of Saigon, Vietnam can't heal by erasing half its past'
Nghia M. Vo at USA Today
April "marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon, and the wounds of the Vietnam War remain open — not just for Americans who fought there, but also for those who lost everything when the war ended," says Nghia M. Vo. For "those who fought alongside the United States, the past five decades have been defined by discrimination and erasure under Vietnam's communist regime." The "Vietnamese government must acknowledge the suffering of those who had fought for South Vietnam."
'For beauty products, natural isn't always better'
Joshua Britton at Time
Many "people believe that natural ingredients are always preferable in beauty products," but this "ignores fundamental truths about the toll of global ingredient harvesting," says Joshua Britton. Earth "cannot keep up with consumer demand for natural ingredients in beauty," as its "cultivation is hugely water and energy-intensive, necessitating pesticides and other agrochemicals." We "need to find another way and biotechnology offers a solution. It "reduces our dependence on unsustainable ingredient extraction and addresses our enduring love of naturals."