“I grew up in Michigan, so even though I didn’t go to the University of Michigan (too rich for my blood), college football was all about the maize and blue. My dad loved Wolverines football and gave my brother-in-law all sorts of a hard time about his having gone to Michigan State (only way it could’ve been worse is if he’d gone to Ohio State). They’ve both passed away in the last couple of years, but the spirit of their love of their respective schools and their football teams lives on in our family. It’s getting, well, different now, however. When I was a kid, college sports were the audition for the pros and occasional scandals would see heralded universities across the country – including Michigan – penalized, both as programs and individual players for violating the NCAA rules.” [editor’s note: I wonder if Hunter’s opposition to government interference in sports extends to gender rules? – TLK] (06/02/26)
Source: Niskanen Center
by Claire Holba, Denise Bell, & Diya Abdo
“The American labor market is sending clear signals: Demand for workers is strong, but the systems designed to connect people to opportunity are struggling to keep up. An aging population, rapid technological change, and persistent mismatches between worker skills and employer needs are converging to create structural gaps that could impede economic growth for decades.” (06/02/26)
“As the American Israel Public Affairs Committee confronts a changing political landscape, one in which support for Israel has become a liability, powerful voices are coming to the defense of AIPAC and its hold on American democracy. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is one such voice. He addressed the issue in an interview with Politico. … Shapiro lamented what he described as the ‘weaponization’ of criticism directed at AIPAC, saying it was ‘being used cynically by some to try and silence certain voices.’ Pressed on whether he meant critics were erasing the distinction between opposition to AIPAC and opposition to Jewish donors, he said yes. Shapiro is recasting the lobby’s scorched-earth tactics against politicians who do not toe the line on Israel as an attack on Jews and their right to political participation.” (06/02/26)
“Though Angelinos started voting early in the mayoral race, today is L.A.’s election day. It’s a race watched with varying degrees of enthusiasm and alarm across the country. Polls show no candidate close to a majority, which means the top two will likely face-off in a November runoff. Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star, has run a study-worthy campaign and could finish close to the top. He’s a former Palisades homeowner. He now lives in a trailer on his property, upon which he cannot yet re-build after the fires that swept through the area in January 2025. And he’s built his campaign around the government’s absolute failure on every level to assist — or just get out of the way — of a recovery.” (06/02/26)
“Andrew Ross Sorkin delivers a tightly written, highly readable account of the 1929 crash, using strong storytelling and vivid detail to trace the panic and its aftermath.” (06/02/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“What connects Thailand’s surprisingly strong economic performance in the first quarter of 2026, and its simultaneous diplomatic push to reintegrate Myanmar into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)? On the surface, not much: one is an economic story centered on GDP figures, exports, and growing domestic demand; the other is a tense geopolitical story involving civil war, diplomacy, and regional security. Under the surface, however — and you don’t need to scratch much to get there — the two are closely connected. Thailand’s Myanmar policy is not only about ASEAN unity, but reflects a broader effort by Bangkok to stabilize the regional environment that remains more fragile than the headline figures suggest.” (06/02/26)
“Walgreens didn’t leave the South Side of Chicago because they hate Black people. They left because we made it impossible for them to stay. Just recently, another Walgreens shut down on Cottage Grove, and once again the public conversation turned in the wrong direction. People started blaming the company, blaming corporate greed, blaming everything except the conditions on the ground that made staying there untenable. But businesses do not keep stores open out of charity. They stay where people shop, where customers feel safe and where theft and disorder do not make daily operations a losing proposition. At that Cottage Grove Walgreens, the theft was off the charts. By local reports, the store lost more than a million dollars to theft in a single year.” (06/02/26)
“If natural selection rewards traits that maximize individual fitness, why doesn’t behavior collapse into constant defection? In a world shaped by selfish replicators, what explains the persistence of cooperation — and how is it sustained across animal communities and human societies?” (06/02/26)
