Reasonably Optimistic

President Trump is warning Americans that they might need to give up some new dolls and pencils as his tariff plans upend the world economic order. But as people brace for the trade wars to hit their pocketbooks, there’s still a question of whether Trump will back down. Dana Milbank, Catherine Rampell and Eduardo Porter discuss the broken calculations on both tariffs and the Republican budget bill...

With tuition costs rising and student debt weighing many Americans down, how valuable is higher education in this day and age? The answer is complicated. On average, people with a college degree earn much more, and there’s social benefits, too. But it doesn’t pay off for everybody, and with AI encroaching on white-collar work, the decision becomes even trickier. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Heath...

Read more from our columnists: Dana Milbank: For the Trump administration, it’s amateur hour Philip Bump: The bubble that created Trump is the reason he’s stumbling Monica Hesse: If Kilmar Abrego García is doomed, we all are Subscribe to The Washington Post here .

Americans have been turning away from organized religion for decades — but recent research suggests that trend might be stalling out. And studies do show that people affiliated with a religion tend to be happier and healthier. So should more people be joining up? And are there ways to make some of the most ancient religions a little more modern, or at least more open to progressive ideas? If not,...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure as HHS secretary has been every bit as troubling as many feared. He won’t outright support vaccines, despite a measles outbreak. He’s insulted autistic people by saying the disorder is preventable. And he’s losing scientists who might be able to actually help with his promises to fight chronic disease and get Americans to eat healthier. Dana Milbank, Leana Wen and Ro...

Bill Maher’s visit to the White House appears to mark a shift in how some comedians and late-night hosts will approach the second Trump presidency. But what role should political and subversive humor play during these very serious times? Can it bring Americans together — or just offer a form of escapism? Post Opinions’ Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Theodore R. Johnson discuss the current landscape...

President Trump appears to be thumbing his nose at the Supreme Court by defying its rulings on deportation. And he escalated the issue this week during a visit from El Salvador’s president, when both leaders refused to try to return a Maryland father mistakenly deported to a notorious prison. Columnists Dana Milbank, León Krauze and Jason Willick discuss whether defying the rule of law could final...

Global travel has boomed in recent years, sometimes to the point of annoying locals. But with all that’s happening with U.S. foreign policy, might we soon be begging for tourists to return? Post Opinions’ Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Catherine Rampell discuss the impact of Trump’s policies on travel, and how local economies and tourists are often bound to each other, whether people like it or not...

Additional reading by our columnists: Dana Milbank: The economy. The Constitution. Is there anything Trump won’t destroy? Philip Bump: What America could look like a decade from now Heather Long: Something worse could be coming for the economy than a recession Subscribe to The Washington Post here .

Is nothing safe from the culture wars? President Trump has found a new battleground: the nation’s museums. He’s demanded that art and stories that he says divide people based on race be removed from the Smithsonian's dozens of institutions. The Post’s Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse discuss what’s at stake when our history is papered over, and how art can make us uncomfortable or overwh...

President Trump keeps losing in court. A few Republican senators have started to criticize his administration’s actions, albeit mildly. And consumer confidence and the stock market are plunging with news of more and more tariffs. Are we starting to see some cracks in the MAGA unity that’s held strong since Trump’s victory in November? Columnists Dana Milbank, Karen Tumulty and Jason Willick discus...

A fitness influencer posted a video of his over-the-top morning routine that’s racked up nearly a billion views. What does the video’s popularity tell us about our culture’s obsession with so-called wellness? Are people just searching for meaning in a world that can feel out of control? Columnists Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Ted Johnson talk about our culture’s endless appetite for wellness fixe...

Since Republicans took over government in January, Democrats haven’t been able to find a unified message or opposition strategy. While Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tour the country speaking to massive crowds about fighting billionaires, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is taking heat for supporting a Republican-led budget plan. How can the Democrats get out of the wild...

Why are so many people talking about two escapist, engrossing TV dramas that let us slip away from our reality for an hour each week? Is it just that this kind of complex, big-budget television show is so rare these days? Columnists Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse talk about the valley on the other side of “peak tv” — and how sometimes you just need shows you can watch while folding lau...

The Trump administration is taking its immigration attacks beyond the border. Federal officials have detained green card holder and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, and have picked up other legal immigrants returning from travel abroad. What does all of this mean for the legal immigration system? Columnists Dana Milbank, Eduardo Porter and Shadi Hamid discuss the chilling effects of thi...

You think you’ve heard all you need to about daylight saving time, but we promise you haven’t heard it quite like this. Most people hate changing the clocks back and forth each fall and spring, but they can’t seem to agree on how we could do it better. In this episode, Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and David Von Drehle take us on a journey of DST through history and around the world. They also pitch s...

As President Trump stays bullish on tariffs, sending markets spiraling and personal anxieties soaring, the Republican-led Congress is trying to pass a budget. Do Democrats have any levers to pull, or should they just let Republicans own whatever happens next? Dana Milbank, Heather Long and James Hohmann talk through the negotiations in Washington this week and how Trump’s unclear messaging could h...

When a few dozen women in pink suits strode into the House for the joint address to Congress last week, something felt a little, well, off. Partly, it seemed taken from a tired old playbook. Partly, it sent a garbled message. But mostly it pointed to the fact that many liberal women don’t know what to do in this post-resistance era. Columnists Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse speak with contributor...

President Trump’s address to Congress was historically long and unusual in its style. Some Democrats booed and heckled him, and Trump did his own trolling of Democrats too. What does this address tell us about our politics and the future of Trump 2.0? Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Ramesh Ponnuru get into it. Dana Milbank: In just five days, Trump has set the country back nearly 100 year...

This year’s top Oscar-nominated films are an eclectic mix, but share some common themes. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Alyssa Rosenberg discuss the not-so-straightforward heroes and villains in this year’s top movies, the limits of trying to transform oneself and what all of this says about the current moment. Subscribe to The Washington Post here .

President Trump has elevated a podcaster who’s bragged about “owning the libs” to a top position at the FBI, after firing six top generals at the Pentagon last week. Meanwhile, Elon Musk continues to make confusing demands of federal employees. Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Philip Bump discuss whether this is all about loyalty and subservience to the president, or if there’s perhaps a b...

Names are important symbols, and President Trump is trying to change, or change back, quite a few. There’s the “Gulf of America” of course, but also the reversion of a military base from Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg, and efforts by his administration to erase the “T” in LGBT on government websites. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Theodore Johnson discuss what names say about our cultural values, and w...

President Trump is trying to make good on his campaign promises to end wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and he has brought his shock-and-awe strategy to the world stage. Ruth Marcus talks to David Ignatius about the chaotic past week in Europe, whether Trump will sell out the Ukrainians in a deal with Russia, and how Trump is refusing (for now) to join Israel in bombing a weakened Iran. ...

The penny costs more to make than it’s worth, but why is it so difficult to stop making them? Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Megan McArdle talk about whether there’s a case for continuing to make pennies — and if we should ditch some other coins weighing down our pockets while we’re at it. In fact, how much life is left for cash at all?

As the Trump administration challenges Congress’s “power of the purse” and grumbles at court orders slowing down its deluge of executive actions, it seems like a showdown among the three branches of government is brewing. But is this panic warranted, or will President Trump and his allies do what the courts say? Columnists Ruth Marcus, James Hohmann and Jason Willick get into it.  Additional...