8 of our top opinion columns this week: ICYMI

In today's fast-paced news environment, it can be hard to keep up. For your weekend reading, here are some of this week's top Paste BN Opinion pieces, most of them dealing with aspects of the coronavirus pandemic. As always, thanks for reading, and for your feedback. And be safe.

— Paste BN Opinion editors

1. Trump is our biggest obstacle to coronavirus recovery

By Jason Sattler

"More than anything, we are where we are now because Trump prioritized his own interests above the well-being of the United States. And our response will always be limited by his addictions to adulation and political gain."

2. If you don't believe Biden, should you vote for him anyway?

By Kirsten Powers

"Whether people like it or not, it’s now a zero-sum game: Trump versus Biden. Even if you believe the accusation against Biden, Trump far outstrips him in the sexual assault accusation department."

3. Partisans might use pandemic to subvert election

By Alan Charles Raul

"It is not out of the question that hyper-partisans, including the president, would try to delay the election, manipulate voting options, call its outcome into question based on specious COVID-19 arguments, or maybe just exploit a weary and vulnerable electorate."

4. We know who'll pay for premature COVID reopening

By Dr. Richard E. Besser

"Many of the plans being rushed out now are almost certain to fall hardest on those people who will not be able to protect themselves or their families."

5. Painful contrast: Canada bans assault weapons

By James Alan Fox

"As many have argued, assault weapons are not unlike most semi-automatic firearms except for their scary appearance. The real culprit when it comes to lethality is the large capacity magazine accessories that allow these rifles and certain handguns to fire dozens of rounds without reloading."

6. No need to feel guilty about binge-watching

By Ri Pierce-Grove

"Just a few months ago, screen time was a source of concern. Now that the pandemic has forced many into social isolation, it is a lifeline. For those of us who have the luxury of staying home, screens are now our only bridge to one another."

7. What we've learned so far from the coronavirus

By Glenn Harlan Reynolds

"An MIT study found that NYC subways were a 'major disseminator' of the coronavirus in New York. This is unsurprising: New York City subways are crowded, poorly ventilated and filthy. The city is only just now starting to clean them every night. (A bit late.) Cars come with built-in social-distancing: With a car, you’re riding in a metal and glass bubble with filtered air. Subways and buses, not so much."

8. Don't just count COVID victims. Mourn them.

By David Colton

"Doesn't our national loss deserve more than just checking the number on CNN every hour, and shaking our heads as the death toll tops 50,000, then 67,000 and beyond?Media coverage of the death toll seems clinical and for-the-record when it needs to be somber and shared."