Source: TomDispatch
by Tom Engelhardt

“Having reached a certain age and long been fascinated by obituaries, I sometimes think about both Donald Trump’s and my own. At 79, he’s just slightly less than two years younger than me, though of course I wasn’t the 45th president of the United States or the 47th one either. And eight chaotic years (or more?) as president (assuming he makes it that far) guarantee him a monster (and I do indeed use that word advisedly) set of obituaries when he dies, whereas almost a quarter-century at TomDispatch guarantees me nothing at all.” (01/29/26)

https://tomdispatch.com/reading-obituaries/

Source: Bitcoin.com
by Jamie Redman

“As gold and silver reach historic price levels in early 2026, two specific analyses offer sharply different interpretations of what the U.S. dollar’s recent movement signals about U.S. policy, capital flows, and global markets.” (01/29/26)

https://news.bitcoin.com/is-the-us-dollar-dominant-or-doomed-analysts-read-the-same-data-very-differently/

Source: Washington Monthly
by David Austin Walsh

“The MAGA movement is fracturing between donors, intellectuals, influencers, and an increasingly radical base.” (01/29/26)

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/29/the-unraveling-right/

Source: Cato Institute
by Colin Grabow

“In a year dominated by sharp partisanship, numerous lawmakers improbably united around the revival of America’s commercial shipbuilding industry. Congressional legislation that would channel billions into shipyard subsidies and new trade restrictions attracted scores of cosponsors. The White House issued an executive order aimed at maritime revitalization, and a trade pact with South Korea includes a pledge to invest $150 billion in U.S. shipyards. But expectations of a genuine American shipbuilding renaissance should be kept in check. The United States is ill-suited to quickly transform from a virtual non-participant in commercial shipbuilding to a competitive producer of large cargo vessels. More likely is another round of costly subsidies, continued shipbuilding dysfunction, and little progress toward addressing the country’s key maritime challenges.” (01/29/26)

https://www.cato.org/commentary/washingtons-misplaced-shipbuilding-obsession

Source: Fox News
by Ben Lieberman

“President Donald Trump has sharply diverged from his predecessor on nearly every issue, perhaps most of all concerning federal home appliance regulations. The Biden administration loved regulating appliances, imposing new requirements for stoves, dishwashers, furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters, light bulbs, refrigerators, washing machines and more. Trump wasted no time targeting such meddling with an Inauguration Day executive order reconsidering these regulations, and his administration is making progress on this priority. Here is an overview of what the administration achieved in year one on home appliance regulations — and what remains undone.” (01/29/26)

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trump-successfully-turns-off-crazy-biden-era-regulations-your-home-appliances