Source: Gideon’s Substack
by Noah Millman
“It’s far from unheard of in world history for leaders, faced with losing an election, to cancel said election, or falsify the results, or in other ways more or less openly admit that they are ruling without popular consent. So it’s good to know that Hungary has not become one of these. But there are two other possible lessons to draw from the Hungarian election that should be more sobering for opponents of the right-wing populist turn in politics, here in America and elsewhere in the world.” (04/13/26)
https://gideons.substack.com/p/can-you-beat-em-if-you-dont-join
Source: SFGate
“More than 17,000 American and Filipino military personnel will participate in one of their largest annual combat exercises in the Philippines that underscore the United States’ staunch commitment to Asia despite its preoccupation with the Middle East, a U.S. military official said Tuesday. During the April 20-May 8 maneuvers, called the Balikatan, Japanese forces will fire a missile in a ship-sinking exercise in northwestern Philippine waters facing the disputed South China Sea. Japan’s defense chief has been invited to witness the live-fire drill, Philippine military officials said. The large-scale combat drills between the U.S. and Philippines, which are longtime treaty allies, will expand this year to include other friendly forces, including those from Japan, France and Canada, which have signed visiting forces agreements with Manila, the Philippine military said.” (04/14/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/us-forces-to-join-combat-drills-in-philippines-to-22205418.php
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie
“The idea of the ‘property ladder,’ buying a starter home, then trading up over time to larger ones, was a huge part of UK culture from the late 20th century through the early 2000s. It has not disappeared entirely, but for many people it barely functions in the way that it once did. The average property now costs nearly eight times the average income, making it one of the toughest financial challenges of our time. According to the Resolution Foundation, it now takes the average first-time buyer about nine years to save for a deposit, and more than half of all first-time buyers under 35 rely on family help, the so-called ‘Bank of mum and dad,’ to enter the property market. Barclays research from 2025 found that many first-time buyers are no longer perceiving their first home as the start of a journey, but as the final destination.” (04/13/26)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/goodbye-to-the-property-ladder
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen, Emma Janssen & Whitney Curry Wimbish
“It may seem strange to focus on consequences while the war is still occurring, but the truth is that the die has already been cast when the Strait of Hormuz became a choke point rather than a natural waterway. This will have deep implications on economic security, technology, energy, and geopolitics, which we can now begin to chronicle, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the fighting between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.” (04/14/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/04/14/aftermath-plastics-clogged-in-persian-gulf/
Source: CNBC
“China has called the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz a ‘dangerous and irresponsible act’ that will further enflame tensions in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that the targeted blockade of the vital shipping channel, which began at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, coupled with an increase in U.S. military deployment, risks undermining an ‘already fragile ceasefire situation.’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press conference that only a full ceasefire can help ease the situation, adding that Beijing would make efforts to help restore peace and stability in the Middle East.” (04/14/26)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/14/china-us-strait-of-hormuz-war-donald-trump-oil-energy-crisis-conflict-middle-east-iran.html
