Which state should vote first in the presidential primaries? @mcmegan.bsky.social, Jim Geraghty, Ramesh Ponnuru, @jamesdesio.bsky.social, James Hohmann and Robert Gebelhoff share their picks:

Opinion | Which state should vote first? Six writers make their picks.

Post Opinions writers nominate states to kick off the electoral process.

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"For three days in June, I was a danger to all mammals," Rachel Manteuffel writes. "I hid out in a dingy motel room, like a 1930s desperado on the lam from the law."

Opinion | I was a human biohazard. So I hid at a motel.

I had to isolate from mammals — and avoid killing strangers.

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Being pro-religion is easy, Ryan Burge writes in the Awakenings newsletter. Real devotion isn’t. This link will show you an offer to access this article without committing to a subscription:

Opinion | America is undergoing a vibes revival

Being pro-religion is easy. Real devotion isn’t.

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“Movie attendance hasn’t dropped in the past few years because young people have stopped going. It has dropped because older ones have.” The latest in Fanfare With @williamfleitch.bsky.social:

Opinion | Kids are still going to the movies. It’s their parents who quit.

Film nostalgia is strongest among older generations. It’s keeping them from great movies.

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"Even if you find the staples of romance off-putting, anyone who loves books — any books — owes a debt of gratitude to the genre for keeping the publishing industry afloat." This link will allow you to access this op-ed by Christine Larson for $2 — no subscription required:

“Children don’t need school to become more like the digital world. ... That isn’t resisting the future; it’s preparing children to be fully human.” This link will allow you to read Sarah Schneider Kavanagh and Katie A. Danielson's op-ed for $2 no subscription needed:

Opinion | What elementary schools are slowly learning about screens

Technology came to “optimize” education. Young children pay a heavy price.

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Is the rise of democratic socialism helping — or hurting — the Democratic Party? In this episode of @themimsshow.bsky.social, James Hohmann and Ruy Teixeira discuss the party’s continued struggle with working-class voters:

Opinion | Ruy Teixeira: Why Democrats keep losing working-class voters

The latest from “Make It Make Sense” on changing politics.

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"There are photographic collections lying in wait in bedroom closets, community hands and institutional file cabinets," Sarah Stacke and Brian Adams write. "Every collection represents lives lived, and the stories those lives make possible."

Opinion | The photographs that complicate America’s most enduring myth

From portrait studios to tintypes, Native photographers reveal a history rarely told this way.

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“No one wants to wake up to a city besieged by a genetically modified pathogen,” Annie Jacobsen writes.

Opinion | The only plan after a biological attack is survival. That means Devolution.

You’ve heard of Defcon 1. Here’s another worst-case scenario.

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“Kamala Harris’s empty platitudes can be enjoyed by all, so vacuous that they can be savored with no danger of compromising one’s political leanings.” The latest from Kate Andrews: https://wapo.st/4bt8XfQ

"Schools must be allowed to enforce discipline and preserve safe learning environments without the constant threat of federal punishment solely over statistical disparities in punishment," Linda Chavez, chair of the Center for Equal Opportunity, writes.

Opinion | What should drive civil rights law enforcement?

The Education Department's new civil rights enforcement guidelines and more, in readers' eyes.

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“Pirro is a deeply flawed choice for U.S. attorney for the District, but in this case, she did the right thing," Jim Geraghty writes.

Opinion | What ruined the Reflecting Pool? Jeanine Pirro had a choice.

Despite Trump’s claims, there was no evidence of vandalism.

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“No wonder much of America is rooting for Jimothy,” Samuel I. Zeveloff writes.

Opinion | Jimothy, Seattle's viral raccoon, belongs to a great American tradition

The masked bandit makes an excellent American mascot because it's resourceful and figures things out.

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“Washington took solace that the pain it had inflicted on Tehran was worth any damage it incurred,” Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies writes. “This flawed arithmetic allowed Iran to close each round having saved face.”

Opinion | Iran’s missile attack was a surprise. It should not have been.

Years of muted U.S. responses taught Tehran what it could get away with.

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"Policymakers in Virginia and elsewhere should understand that the justices are serious about not allowing the Second Amendment to be treated like a second-class right anymore," Clark Neily writes. https://wapo.st/4yOve1D

Opinion | Policymakers should heed the lessons from Virginia’s AR-style rifle ban

Virginia’s AR-style rifle ban, cannabis policy and more, in readers' eyes.

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“The pattern is familiar,” Keith B. Richburg writes. “A military man seizes power. Opponents are jailed or forced into exile. A sham election is held.”

Opinion | Don’t fall for Myanmar’s election of generals

A coup leader in a suit and tie is still a dictator.

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“As the government’s portfolio grows, conflicts of interest grow with it,” the Editorial Board writes.

Opinion | The hidden cost of the government’s corporate buying spree

With $4 billion spent on equity stakes since December, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is increasingly entangling the U.S. government in the private sector.

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“The on-again, off-again deal,” as drawn by Michael Ramirez. 🎨 https://wapo.st/4yQqPeB

"As artificial intelligence supercharges the cyber capabilities of nefarious actors, Americans cannot afford operators to be asleep at the pump," the Editorial Board writes. This link will allow you to access this editorial for $2 — no subscription required:

Opinion | Another wake-up call on cyberthreats

Breaches into water systems in at least seven states show the vulnerability of U.S. infrastructure.

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"This is a good outcome," the Editorial Board writes. This link will allow you to access this editorial for $2 — no subscription required: https://wapo.st/4hN42KB

"What’s happening in D.C. underscores how spending more money does not necessarily improve the quality of public services," the Editorial Board writes.

Opinion | D.C. has a serious problem with city workers going AWOL

Audit highlights wasteful overtime at four public safety agencies.

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“War does not reward perfection,” Denys Shtilerman of FirePoint writes. “It rewards speed and reliability.”

Opinion | What Ukraine’s drone makers know that the Pentagon doesn’t

Modern war rewards speed and redundancy, not perfect weapons from a single supplier.

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"Fifty years later, I still give talks about my Air Force experience to service clubs, university classes and retirement communities." This link will allow you to access these #PostLetters for $2 — no subscription required:

Opinion | I attended an elite university. Here’s why I never worried about the cost of service.

Military service and the Smithsonian, in readers' eyes.

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Why are so many people convinced that life was better in the 1950’s? @mcmegan.bsky.social says that the demand for nostalgia through movies and TV, along with a growing glamour industry, largely contribute to the impression most adults have of the decade.

Stop Romanticizing The Past

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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“If there ever were an issue on which Democrats and Republicans could agree, it should be that socialism is bad and capitalism, with a little tweaking, is good.” The latest from Kathleen Parker:

Opinion | Wanted: A voice of reason on socialism

Capitalism has flaws, but utopian economic experiments always end in misery.

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An invaluable new book tells the story of two ships that were once central to the nation’s debates. The latest from George F. Will:

Opinion | How America overcame its Puritan vs. Cavalier divide

An invaluable new book tells the story of two ships that were once central to the nation’s debates.

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"Cyberspace oddity" as drawn by Michael Ramirez. 🎨 https://wapo.st/4yUhhiY

Opinion | Cyberspace oddity

Michael Ramirez cartoon on artificial intelligence.

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"Investment firm Blackstone bought 80 percent of Jersey Mike’s in 2024. Most customers probably didn’t notice. The chain’s existing sandwich offerings hardly changed," the Editorial Board writes. "What did change was the way the company was run." https://wapo.st/4yKpSo5

Opinion | Jersey Mike’s is growing. Thank private equity.

Blackstone made the business stronger and then took it public.

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Even the best system tends to lapse into bureaucratic inertia if it is not regularly updated, the Editorial Board writes. American science funding is no exception.

Opinion | A smarter way to fund scientific discovery

Spurring innovation requires more than federal research grants.

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"What is gained by embarrassing Fauci over his starstruck diary entries?" The latest from @mcmegan.bsky.social:

Opinion | The nation needs a pandemic inquiry. Not a diary investigation.

Releasing Fauci’s personal notes fuels grudge match instead of reform.

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