Source: Washington Post
“On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel initiated strikes on Iran. What comes next? Host Megan McArdle sits down with Washington Post Columnist David Ignatius to discuss Iran’s response, whether the U.S. can sustain a prolonged conflict, what the war signals to adversaries like China and the economic risks of a closed Strait of Hormuz.” (03/04/26)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/impromptu/what-comes-next-in-iran
Source: The Daily Economy
by Peter C Earle
“Risk migrated outside traditional banks, but insolvencies and widening credit spreads are raising questions about leverage and liquidity strain system-wide.” (03/04/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/worries-spread-in-private-credit-markets/
Source: Foreign Policy
by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj
“On Sunday, a fire broke out at a data center in Dubai belonging to Amazon Web Services. The facility was stuck by an object, likely shrapnel from an Iranian drone intercepted by the United Arab Emirates’ air defenses. The incident, which may mark the first time in history that a major company’s cloud data center was damaged in a war, is emblematic of the unprecedented nature of the conflict now unfolding in the Middle East. Far from just another war in the Persian Gulf, this is the first conflict since the Second World War to directly impact cities and facilities that serve as hubs in the globalized economy.” (03/04/26)
Source: Times of Israel [Jerusalem]
“Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Wednesday called on the High Court of Justice to order that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fire National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from his position, unless the premier explains why he hasn’t done so. In a new legal filing, Baharav-Miara accused Ben Gvir of violating court rulings and showing ‘contempt for the rule of law’ while ‘systematically undermining the independence of the police.’ … In February, the High Court ordered Netanyahu to explain why he hasn’t fired Ben Gvir amid an ongoing court case over the far-right politician’s practices and policies in office.” (03/04/26)
Source: New York Times
“A New Media Empire.” (03/04/26)
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Charles Goyette
“Benjamin Franklin said it best: ‘There never was a good war, or a bad peace.’ Now that war is again underway — the third attack on Iran in two years — people of healthy human consciousness must pray that the destruction and carnage is limited. Yet the trajectory appears to be grim. Wars often progress in unexpected ways. The Persian Gulf region is a tangled spaghetti plate of interests including economic, religious, cultural, and geopolitical. None of our politicians have proved capable of comprehending those interests and foreseeing the consequences of their elective wars.” (03/04/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-empire-of-lies-comes-for-iran
Source: Common Dreams
by Medea Benjamin & Michelle Ellner
“On International Working Women’s Day in 2025, Cilia Flores, the wife of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, read a poem she wrote highlighting the historic role played by Latin American women in the fight against imperialism: ‘We’re not flowers the wind can pluck, / we’re roots of rebel and loyal land, / we’re grandmothers, mothers, daughters, granddaughters; / we are woman. / Our blood pulses with the Manuelas, / Luisas, Josefas, Juanas, Cecilias, / Apacuanas, Bartolinas, Eulalias, / Martas, Anas Marías, Barbaritas / and so many others who legacy inspires, / commits, and strengthens us / to continue walking and traveling our path. / And in our hands and chests / a light is on that nobody will ever turn off: / love, peace and liberty.’ One year later, she languishes in a cell in New York City, having been dragged out of her room and kidnapped by US forces on the January 3 attack on Venezuela.” (03/04/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/cilia-flores-first-lady-in-cell
Source: Orange County Register
“Lawmakers in at least eight states this year are aiming to reel in wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills. The legislation introduced in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington builds on efforts made in other states in past years. This latest push for patient protections comes as the Trump administration has backed away from federal debt protections, health care has become more costly, and more people are expected to go without medical coverage or choose cheaper but riskier high-deductible insurance plans that could lead them into debt. … Wage garnishment is one tool creditors can use in most states to recoup money from people with unpaid bills. In many states, they can garnish someone’s bank account or put a lien on their home, too.” (03/04/26)
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/03/04/state-lawmakers-wage-garnishment-medical-debt/
Source: Reason
“Jonah Goldberg discusses the Iran war, Trump’s governing style, the rise of the populist right, and why he believes the GOP is drifting away from conservatism.” (03/04/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/03/04/jonah-goldberg-the-gop-is-becoming-anti-conservative/
Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye
“No, but the rate of growth of spending increases has slowed.” (03/04/26)
https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/has-trump-really-cut-federal-spending