'Ending Israel's Gaza operation is also the surest way to avoid a regional war'

'The United States can and should distance itself from the Gaza debacle and the extremism of Israel's leaders'

Daniel Levy in The New York Times

The Biden administration should "distance itself" from Israel's "callous" Gaza military campaign, says Daniel Levy in The New York Times. Washington pledged "early and unwavering support to Israel following Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks." That has let Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "slow-walk" Washington's requests for restraint to protect Palestinian civilians, hampering U.S. efforts to prevent a broader war. It's time to use America's "very real diplomatic and military leverage," starting with embracing calls for a cease-fire.

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'It's fair to say DeSantis is probably done'

John Daniel Davidson in The Federalist

The "big news" in Iowa this week wasn't former President Donald Trump's "massive win," says John Daniel Davidson in The Federalist. It was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' "spectacular defeat." DeSantis entered the race with "every advantage" as "a popular governor of a large state" who was "adept at punching back at hostile corporate media." His "flame out in Iowa," where he "went all-in" but placed a distant second, sounded the "death knell for his campaign."

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'The Ozempic plateau'

Sarah Zhang in The Atlantic

Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy are "game changers for obesity," says Sarah Zhang in The Atlantic. But they're similar to dieting, bariatric surgery, and other methods in a crucial way. "They work only to a point." After losing a certain percentage of weight, we "plateau," and our bodies, genetically programmed to avoid starvation, fight further slimming. "You become hungrier." The next new treatments, like Zepbound, promise to trick our guts into letting us lose even more weight.

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'Biden needs to govern like the polls are right'

Alexander Sammon at Slate

The White House can grumble all it wants about polls showing President Joe Biden's support "cratering" among young, Black, and Hispanic voters, says Alexander Sammon at Slate. Maybe the polls are wrong. But Team Biden needs to start acting like they're right and "governing like there's no tomorrow." Biden should use what's left of his term "to push through whatever remains of the Democratic agenda" and "minimize the damage of another Trump term."

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