News about Bret Stephens

Sorry. I've seen this movie before. Or rather, both of these movies. Last year. On one side, it's: 'I'm a Barbie girl in a Barbie world.' And on the other, it's: 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' Except that this isn't Barbie versus Oppenheimer , the great moviegoers' dilemma of 2023. It's the presidential election of 2024, the nationwide executive search for the leader of what we once called the free world.

Since releasing an opinion piece arguing that mask-wearing during the pandemic was a 'fool's errand,' the New York Times has put itself in jeopardy. Bret Stephens (left), a columnist, cited a 'gold-standard' study, which concluded that face masks made "no difference' in preventing covid infections or monitoring death rates. Mask-wearing has risen to the forefront of a culture war in the United States, with right-wing libertarians more likely to protest mandatory wearing of masks. In its news coverage, the New York Times, a left-leaning publication, has consistently promoted the benefits of face masks, repeating the message sent by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The newspaper published a story headlined: 'It's Time to Wear a Mask Again,' Health Experts said.' This week, the journal shifted its tone as it introduced an opinion piece titled 'The Mask Mandates Did Nothing.' Will Any Lessons Be Learned?'