Iran War Exposes America’s Unfixed Supply Chains

Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen

“One of the more fascinating sidelights of our war of choice in Iran is how it has reinforced the devastating consequences of our hollowed-out industrial base, consolidated commercial sector, and overreliance on long intermediated supply chains. For example, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz carries implications for not only oil but also fertilizer, right at the height of the spring planting season. About one-third of the world’s fertilizer ships through the strait, and without access, prices have jumped and farmers are anxious. Yet there are enough natural resources in the United States — nitrogen, phosphate, potash — to serve all our fertilizer needs; in fact, in the 1930s and ’40s one of the largest fertilizer producers in the world was the Tennessee Valley Authority.” (03/12/26)

https://prospect.org/2026/03/12/iran-war-trump-military-america-israel-ukraine-bombs-supply-chains/

Steve Trinward

Customer sues Costco for tariff refunds

Source: BBC News [UK state media]

“A Costco customer in the US has taken the retailer to court, demanding that the company use potential tariff refunds to return money to shoppers who paid more due to the levies. In a proposed class action lawsuit, customer Matthew Sockov argues that Costco is in the position to potentially recoup its tariff costs twice, ‘from customers through elevated pricing and from the government.’ He says that amounts to ‘unjust enrichment’ and asks the court to order the firm to refund shoppers. The legal battle is a sign of the complexities looming over the roughly $166bn (£124bn) in tariff refunds the US owes to companies since the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s tariffs last month.” [editor’s note: Gotta throw the BS flag on this one, unless Costco expressly itemized a “tariff” line on its invoices/receipts – TLK] (03/12/26)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxz3xe04yo

Thomas L. Knapp

The Economics of Uneven Intelligence

Source: Cobden Centre
by Elias Sanchez

“The AI boom seems unstoppable, but its long-term sustainability is uncertain. AI can quickly write a legal memo, but it might also invent a case citation. This inconsistency is called jagged intelligence. Courts and lawyers have warned that AI can fabricate legal citations, and lawyers have been sanctioned for submitting briefs that cite non-existent cases generated by AI. Because AI is not always reliable, it increases the need for checking and judgment, which limits how much it can replace human discovery in business. Still, investors are not discouraged, and capital markets remain eager for higher returns. Markets handle countless trade-offs every day, often imperfectly but by choice. Now, AI is part of this process.” (03/12/26)

https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/03/the-economics-of-uneven-intelligence/

Thomas L. Knapp

Gun Control’s Endgame: No Guns for Anyone

Source: RealClearPolitics
by John R Lott Jr.

“If firearms are bad per se, it should be easy to find places where either all guns or all handguns have been banned and murder/homicide rates have gone down. One would think out of randomness there should be at least one place where murder rates have gone down or at least stayed the same, but every single time, even for island nations, murder rates have gone up immediately after the ban. A simple logic is at play here: Who is most likely to obey the law? While such statutes may take a few guns from criminals, they primarily disarm the most law-abiding citizens, making it easier for criminals to commit crimes. Similar problems exist for police. Taking away the guns that both civilians and police have doesn’t mean that criminals will readily forfeit their weapons.” (03/12/26)

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/03/12/gun_controls_endgame_no_guns_for_anyone_153934.html

Thomas L. Knapp

US Senate passes bipartisan housing bill to improve access and affordability

Source: SFGate

“The Senate passed a broad bill on Thursday to make U.S. housing more accessible and affordable, a rare bipartisan effort in Congress to address a growing national problem. The bill, which passed 89-10, would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors and expand how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals. It will now head back to the House, which passed a similar bill earlier this year. ‘We have a housing shortage all across America,’ said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who worked with Republicans to win overwhelming support from both parties for the legislation. ‘We need more housing of every kind. More housing for first-time home buyers, more housing for renters, more housing for seniors, more housing for people with disabilities, more rural housing, more urban housing, more, more, and more.’ The legislation, she said ‘will help drive down prices.'” (03/12/26)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/senate-passes-bipartisan-housing-bill-to-improve-22073042.php

Steve Trinward

The Ghosts of Regime Change

Source: Law & Liberty
by Max J Prowant

“Before examining the Iran case, it’s worth considering the United States’ disquieting record with militarily imposed regime change, both to contextualize the current operation and to shed light on the factors most conducive to its success. The scholarship on the subject is highly contested, but if there is any consensus, it is that regime change is a herculean task that seldom goes well. Especially when led by foreign militaries, efforts to install new governments rarely produce stable, friendlier regimes, to say nothing of democratic ones. It is more likely, in fact, to create political vacuums, civil war, and general political instability. This was our experience in Somalia, Haiti, Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan in recent memory.” (03/12/26)

https://lawliberty.org/the-ghosts-of-regime-change/

Thomas L. Knapp