All things being equal, burning gas isn’t the best way to cook. Not only are newfangled electric induction burners faster, but research suggests a correlation between the old blue flames and higher rates of asthma. Then there’s the global emissions problem. All of which is to suggest that, if money and labor and energy were unlimited, New York would be wise to wave a wand and switch to electric ovens (and electric heat-pumps to warm buildings, while we’re at it, but that’s another editorial).

Like the hockey-masked villain in some cheesy horror flick, the GOP’s debt ceiling caucus just keeps coming back. Once again, the party’s more radical members are threatening to hold America’s full faith and credit hostage by refusing to raise the nation’s debt limit. The Treasury hit that $31.4 trillion limit Thursday, meaning it will have to be raised — as it routinely has been over the years, under both parties, to cover expenses incurred by both parties.

As we approach the midpoint of President Joe Biden’s first term, there is little doubt that he deserves a solid “A.” He has turned the economy around, gotten the pandemic under control, gotten inflation under control and laid the basis for a rapid transition to clean energy. No president since Lyndon Johnson has as much to show for their first two years in office. Unlike Johnson, Biden managed to push through key legislation with a tiny majority in the House and the thinnest possible margin in the Senate.

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed an imminent ban on noncompete contracts. Prohibiting these contracts is an important step toward assuring we still have access to the American Dream. It will help businesses innovate in our tight labor market, ensure workers are not stuck in dead-end jobs and make the United States more competitive with regards to our foreign counterparts.

The Biden administration recently declared that no one should be in jail for using or possessing marijuana and that individuals convicted of simple possession at the federal level shall be pardoned. This ruling is consistent with the decades of scientific studies that have established the need for serious reform of marijuana policies. Clearly, our nation’s approach to substance use and addiction should always be conceived of through a public health rather than criminal justice lens.

The Biden administration has reached its halfway point, and a review of its foreign policy decisions suggests an administration touting the return of diplomacy while failing to meaningfully deliver on this tenet in many ways. The opposite of big-stick diplomacy, Biden and his administration are happy to speak harshly against our adversaries while failing to follow through with the necessary hard actions — big “schtick” diplomacy.

The U.S. Supreme Court last year issued a potentially devastating ruling for communities beleaguered by gun violence, striking down New York’s law regulating concealed weapons in public. The ruling employed the controversial legal theory of constitutional originalism: interpreting the Constitution based strictly on the original understanding of its text at the time it was adopted.

America’s vast and unchecked personal arsenals of guns have given us a shameful distinction: We are the only developed nation that now teaches its kindergartners how to wait in line for the bathroom and hide under desks for a mass shooting.

It will be up to the two special counsels to investigate and weigh the handling of secret documents by President Biden and former President Donald Trump. But the current questions should not obscure an enormous problem that has been festering for decades and threatens national security, democracy and accountability: The classification system for managing secrets is overwhelmed and desperately needs repair.

The biggest story of the year — the story we should all be paying attention to — is the increasing power of artificial intelligence. Computer code can write itself, chatbots can generate academic papers, and, with a few keystrokes, a website can produce an image worthy to be framed on any wall. Everywhere we turn, AI is outputting text and images that mimic (and often surpass) humans’ abilities.

The White House drove the country into an inflation mess because it refused to listen to economists and others who predicted the administration’s massive multitrillion-dollar spending spree would overheat the economy. Next time — let’s hope there isn’t a next time, but … — such willful ignorance may be more difficult to maintain thanks to a change in how the House scores legislation.

For the record, allow me to state that I am a Democrat, a former Hawaii County Council member (districts 7 and 6) for eight years, and a resident of Hawaii County for 27 years, and I understand legislative procedural processes. I am NOT opposed to having Hawaiian names for most of our civic buildings, parks, and places, etc. I understand why some Hawaiians, if not most, dislike the name and actions of “Captain Cook.”

One of the many problems with having former President Donald Trump around is that it becomes extremely difficult to assess normal misbehavior. It’s a significant reminder of how Trump continues to corrupt the nation’s politics.

Mark Twain is right that a lie travels around the world before the truth can put its pants on, but the truth has raced back to bite George Santos in the rear. That became clearer than ever Wednesday as leading New York Republicans demanded the new congressman resign immediately. Among them were state Republican Chair Nick Langworthy, Nassau County Chair Joseph Cairo, former Sen. Al D’Amato and Rep. Anthony Esposito. It is damning indeed when the party of Donald Trump in Trump’s native state considers a politician’s fabrications disqualifying.

If the border always looked like it did when President Joe Biden visited, he wouldn’t have needed to make the trip.

The Biden Administration’s rule by regulation is gaining speed, and the latest example is the Federal Trade Commission’s plan to ban non-compete employment agreements. In a flash, Lina Khan’s bureaucracy will rewrite labor contracts for 30 million workers.

Through a phenomenon called “linked fate,” small or marginalized groups tend to vote more as a unit rather than as individuals, assuming that without doing so they may not have a loud enough voice in the political system. However, exhaustion from a series of broken promises is breaking up these long-held strongholds.

As another Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday approaches, our nation has much to celebrate as we strive toward MLK’s dream of a colorblind society.

The person who deserves a standing ovation after this week’s House speaker chaos is clerk Cheryl Johnson. She has been the calm presence at the front of the House chamber, keeping order with a gavel, a poker face and a lot of dignity. Without a speaker in place, she was temporarily in charge.