Commentary

Comment: You know whose deposits aren’t safe? The unbanked.

Some 6 million Americans have no access to bank services. A new federal program is working to change that.

Bloomberg
Two images of Pope Francis show a faked photo (left) of the pontiff in a puffy coat and (right) in a news photo taken of the pope last May at the Vatican.

Comment: AI, deepfakes may offer advantage to old-school media

With deepfakes raising doubts about social media, the is ‘legacy’ media’s chance to regain lost ground.

Bloomberg
Two images of Pope Francis show a faked photo (left) of the pontiff in a puffy coat and (right) in a news photo taken of the pope last May at the Vatican.

Comment: Nonprofit offers access to free, low-cost medications

A program, created by the state Legislature, assures low- and moderate-income patients get the medications they need.

Comment: State must bolster poorly funded public defense system

Sixty years after the Gideon decision, funding and support for the right to counsel is failing in Washington state.

Comment: McCarthy pushing U.S. closer toward debt ceiling cliff

The House Speaker’s vague letter to President Biden seems to want Biden to guess at GOP demands.

Comment: What corporate America gets about ESG that GOP doesn’t

A credit rating agency may soon downgrade companies that aren’t prepared for climate change. It’s all about business.

Comment: Another shakeout is coming for shopping malls

Problems for regional banks could make things more difficult for debt-laden mid-tier malls.

Comment: The kids are not all right; improve mental health care

More teens and pre-teens are being admitted to acute care facilities at a time of shrinking resources.

Comment: Israel’s democracy faces more tests ahead

Protesters, institutions and business have shown democracy’s strength, but Palestinians are still left out.

Comment: Twitter’s ‘Chief Twit’ taking gamble by not paying rent

A company that stops paying its bills — such as $14 million in back rent — takes a significant hit to reputational capital.

Comment: Lawmakers risk second lawsuit over special education

Legislative funding proposals for special education fall far short of what school districts are due.

Comment: SNAP food aid needs reforms; work mandate isn’t one

Adding older Americans to its work requirement won’t save much money and won’t prompt many to find work.

Comment: UN should call out Putin’s move of nukes to Belarus

China’s Xi, who just met with Putin, can’t be happy that Russia is escalating the stakes over Ukraine.

Comment: Republican’s patience with Trump may not be assured

Depending on which charges he faces and the reaction to them, his support could ebb, starting with independents.

Comment: We need to stop trying to beat computers at their game

We can’t match the machines on output or speed. And we shouldn’t try. Let humans do the human stuff.

Comment: Why Trump’s detour in the bosom of chaos matters

Porn star Stormy Daniels may come out of this with more integrity than Trump could ever muster.

The sun turns a deep red as it sets beyond the Port of Everett and the Olympic Mountains on a hazardously smoky evening on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, in Everett, Washington. Following the start of the Bolt Creek Fire and other wildfires in the region, air quality in Snohomish County was seemingly always hazardous through September and October. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Comment: Yours is not your father’s climate change

Your experience of climate change depends on your generation and that of your children and grandchildren.

The sun turns a deep red as it sets beyond the Port of Everett and the Olympic Mountains on a hazardously smoky evening on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, in Everett, Washington. Following the start of the Bolt Creek Fire and other wildfires in the region, air quality in Snohomish County was seemingly always hazardous through September and October. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Comment: Hydro remains key to our next ‘Great Electrification’

Moving to a carbon-free electrical grid will rely on all sources of clean energy, especially hydropower.

Comment: Legislation could threaten access to telehealth

A bill to protect consumers’ health data could inadvertently undermine teleheath services.

Comment: Arkansas makes it easier to hire kids at slaughterhouses

When teens as young as 13 were found cleaning meatpacking plants, Arkansas eased its child labor laws.