Source: The Daily Economy
by Matthew Blakey
“By redefining inflation as consumer prices, we distort how we interpret policy, inequality, and markets.” (04/07/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/redefining-inflation-to-obscure-its-origins/
Source: Gideon’s Substack
by Noah Millman
“Betting markets now suggest the Democrats are strongly favored to take the House, and it’s a coin flip whether they’ll take the Senate. In consequence of these developments, debates between moderates and left-wingers about how the party needs to run have been largely shelved in favor of a comforting consensus that ‘we’re not Trump’ will be enough in 2026, and possibly in 2028 as well. … Democrats might well win in 2026 and even in 2028 without having had any serious discussion about what they want to do, or having determined whether what they want to do has anything to do with what the electorate wants or the country needs. And if that is how they win, then what happens after they do?” (04/07/26)
https://gideons.substack.com/p/do-the-democrats-know-what-time-it
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Did Trump Just Threaten To Nuke Iran?” (04/07/26)
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jon Duffy
“The problem in Iran is not that the military has failed to destroy things. It is that destruction is not the same as control. Wars must be judged by the political conditions they produce, not simply by the targets they hit. The Iranian regime still holds its core position. It is still imposing costs and shaping the terms under which other nations, including the U.S., must operate. Tactical violence has not produced durable strategic effect. The administration’s justifications have shifted repeatedly, and its claims of victory have grown more theatrical as the war’s practical results have grown less convincing. … The president launched this war in the name of defending America from imminent threats. He is now applauding limited relief from a coercive order the war itself helped create. What began as a show of force is now a search for smaller and smaller signs of progress.” (04/07/26)
Source: Independent [UK]
“A massive explosion under the Bridge of the Americas has killed one person and injured two, temporarily closing the vital crossing over the Panama Canal. Smoke and flames engulfed part of the bridge, footage on social media showed, after a fuel tanker truck exploded in the area of La Boca, under the 5,400ft-long bridge. Cars and buses sped up in order to move past the explosion. … The Bridge of Americas spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, a vital waterway for commodities connecting the Panama Sea with the Pacific Ocean.” (04/07/26)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Things Just Keep Getting More Bizarre.” (04/07/26)
Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker
“Let me be straight: the March jobs report was much better than I had expected. I always give my wife my predictions just before the report comes out, because that’s when I have all the data I’m going to have. My pre-release numbers were 40k jobs and 4.5% unemployment. The actual numbers were 178k jobs and 4.3% unemployment. That’s a big miss. Okay, so what did I get wrong?” (04/07/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/07/the-march-jobs-report-and-time/
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“Suppose you’re a juror on a murder trial. A witness testifies that he saw the accused hack the victim to pieces with an ax. When the defense lawyer cross-examines the witness, his only challenges are: ‘Prove it wasn’t a dream’ and ‘Maybe you’re a brain in a vat.’ The correct reaction for the jurors is not to peruse philosophy journals for the latest replies to these classic canards. It is to summarily declare, ‘Bah.’ If that’s your lawyer’s best defense against the charge of murder, the jurors should convict you. If ‘Bah’ seems dogmatic, my response is: ‘I’m not dogmatic; you’re gullible.’” (04/07/26)
Source: Paul Krugman
by Paul Krugman
“When a political movement believes that ignorance is strength.” (04/07/26)
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/maga-is-winning-its-war-against-us
Source: Politico
“Clock ticks on Trump’s deadline.” (04/07/26)