Shahrzad Elghanayan / Getty Images; NBC News

The 'nice' one

Marcie Bianco Ellen DeGeneres' hypocritical legacy — and the dangers of performative respectability

Illustration of a mother vacuuming as her husband eats popcorn on the couch, and her daughter looks at superhero comic depicting the mom.

Cornelia Li / for NBC News

START SLACKING

If you want a world where our sons and daughters are equal, stop doing all the housework

Kids will later emulate what they see their parents doing now, no matter how few princess movies you let them see.

Stephanie Fairyington

Image: Smoke billows after an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City targeted the Ansar compound, linked to Hamas in the Gaza Strip on May 14, 2021.

Mahmud Hams / AFP - Getty Images

Cut off the allowance

Israel's destruction in Gaza shows it doesn't need U.S. military aid

As Israel inflicts a lopsided death count on the Palestinians, it’s clear that U.S. funds merely polish the armor of a regional Goliath in its contests with David.

Sébastien Roblin

Image:; Amy Adams as Anna Fox in \"Woman in the Window.\"

Melinda Sue Gordon / Netflix

BACK TO REALITY

'The Woman in the Window' asks if Amy Adams is an unreliable narrator, or if her meds are

Amy Adams stars in a film that is as much a "Rear Window" knock-off as a recreation of the side effects of trying to find the right psychiatric medication.

Sam Thielman

Brooke Palmer / Lionsgate

I WANT TO PLAY A GAME

This 'Saw' sequel has a new set of sinners for its serial killer's game: Corrupt cops

Chris Rock stars in the slasher franchise's newest entry, which takes on police violence but strangely ignores the role racism often plays.

Noah Berlatsky

Jim Pozarik / Getty Images file

THAT '70S SHOW

Biden risks repeating Jimmy Carter's mistakes

Sluggish economic growth and high inflation doomed the tradition of Democratic big spending that Biden is trying to revive. He needs to course-correct, quickly.

W. James Antle III

Here's what to hold onto post-pandemic

These lessons from the lockdown made our lives richer, healthier and more meaningful.

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Don't throw out your Covid masks

The pandemic has unequivocally proven the public health value of masks. Here's why they should stick around in certain situations.

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Can't touch this! And that's how I want it.

The pandemic has unshackled me from the casual touches that define interpersonal communication for most people.

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It's the dawning of a new era of resistance

The pinprick of light at the end of this dark tunnel is finally coming into view, and it will hopefully bring a new era of working-class resistance along with it.

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Covid gave me the best birthday party ever

It was a revelation. We could gather friends from earlier times and time zones in one virtual room.

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Outdoor dining should stick around

This era has shown us that going out to eat can mean more than an overstuffed booth and an overly fussy menu. It does almost everywhere else in the world.

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Moving home, I saw I'd got success all wrong

I always thought success meant living by myself as an adult. But the complexities of Covid made me rethink that, and my life is better for it.

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The surprising power of a random Covid walk

Covid-19 highlighted for me how the rhythms and necessities of office life had once paradoxically required me to move around. And how much even small periods of movement matter.

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Accepting our mortality helps us live better

Accepting our mortality allows us to consider what really matters in life and motivates us to act on our values.

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