Mitch McConnell has some explaining to do
Youre reading the Todays Opinions newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox. In todays edition: It reads like a dystopian novel: I have told my kids that if they see smoke coming from the forest ... just go, run, fly on your bikes. Ill find you. But A.E. Stallingss essay reads like an idyll, too . The American poet living in Athens describes the little island her family escapes to in the summer, with its pine trees and peacocks and hum of wild bees in the thyme. This is the evil of climate change: ruining beauty, transforming a retreat into a risk zone. Stallings writes of how so many parts of Greece (and the world) have been ravaged by fires unlike any of the ones Homer knew. Each detail of her lyrical text is wrenching. Devastation hasnt washed over her little island yet, but she worries its only a matter of time. Meanwhile, activists the world over are taking the fight against climate change to court. A column from Bina Venkataraman and Amanda Shendruk surveys the global legal status of the right to a pristine environment . Many countries guarantee some form of this right in their constitutions, as do some U.S. states. And, of course, when that right is abridged, legal recourse can follow. A state court ruling in favor of a band of Montanans aged 5 to 22 holds particular promise for the generations who will inherit the changing climate. Chaser: Yes, a whole book! Kim Stanley Robinsons The Ministry for the Future is a terrific speculative exploration of future generations legal standing vis-a-vis the environment. (Heres a taste of his writing: an op-ed on why a declining global population is not a problem.) Covid-19 hit contributing columnist Ramesh Ponnurus household over the past few weeks (as it did ours thank you to the friend who sent a full hot pot kit). Thats because coronavirus caseloads are rising again across the United States. Ramesh writes that our worries shouldnt rise with them. Part of his reasoning is that a freak-out would be fruitless; frankly, the public is not going to accept restrictive coronavirus mitigation measures again. Contributing columnist Leana Wen also sees no cause for concern yet, even though rising cases are accompanied by yet another new variant, BA.2.86. Who can keep up? Her latest newsletter (which you can sign up for here ) argues that until and unless BA.2.86 proves to be way more virulent, transmissible and booster-resistant, theres no need to think about mask mandates and whatnot. Those measures should be reserved for a true emergency, Leana writes, which we currently do not have. And thank God for that, because, based on his op-ed , it might legitimately undo poet Ross Gay to again give up one of his greatest delights: hugging. Now, before you go dreaming about your mosquito-less Memorial Day 2043, listen to Dana Milbanks warning : If this mass extinction of insects isnt reversed, it will decimate the entire food chain, threaten crop pollination and generally cause havoc. Danas essay is the latest in his chronicle of becoming a responsible landowner in rural America, and this phase is one of the toughest steps yet for him: He hates bugs. (Theres a fun anecdote from years back about lacing his bushes with garlic to ward off the bloodsuckers.) But after educating himself via plenty of experts, Dana reaches a freeing conclusion: The problem isnt that we have too many bugs in cities and suburbs; the problem is that we dont have nearly enough after fighting them tooth and nail for decades. Out in the country, the bugs dont bite; there are more of them, yes, but a smaller proportion with a hankering for human blood. Dana argues that a man-bug truce could return to that balance in cities, too. Put away the DEET and, come 2043, you might welcome the skeeters to your cookout as you would any other guest. Chaser: Have you looked at a moth lately? Look again! Akito Kawahara and Carla Rhodes show just how spectacular they are. It brings me no pleasure to report that this section involves Ronald Reagans colon. As contributing columnist Jim Geraghty remembers , the nation was treated to diagrams of polyps in the Gippers innards as he was having them removed. We could use at least a soupcon of that transparency when it comes to contemporary politicians health President Biden , Donald Trump , Dianne Feinstein and, most keenly right now, Mitch McConnell. The Senate minority leaders second public freezing incident is even more worrisome than the first, Jim writes, and merits more than a rote statement from Congresss doctor. Maybe not a hemorrhoid chart, but Jim names the reassurances that would fit the bill. Its a goodbye. Its a haiku. Its ... The Bye-Ku. Little millipede You have been wronged these long years Thousandfold handshake Plus! A Friday bye-ku (Fri-ku!) from reader John P.: Just open: Senate Memory Care Day Unit Rest here between votes! *** Have your own newsy haiku? Email it to me , along with any questions/comments/ambiguities. Have a great weekend!