Reading List

The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.

The Supreme Court is about to confront its most embarrassing decision

Judges rarely complain openly about the Supreme Court, for the same reason that most people do not publicly chastise their bosses. Attacking your boss is a good way to ensure that your own work will be discounted — or worse. So it’s remarkable just how many judges have published opinions criticizing the Supreme Court’s decision […]

The enormous stakes of Donald Trump’s fight with Jerome Powell

On Sunday night, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell gave a surprise video statement declaring he was under threat of criminal indictments, having been served with grand jury subpoenas from the Department of Justice. On paper, the matter was over cost overruns for renovations to historic Federal Reserve buildings and Powell’s related testimony to Congress. But […]

A world without flu is possible

Let’s start with the bad news. There’s a decent chance, perhaps as high as 11 percent if you’re unvaccinated, that some time over the course of this winter, you’ll be overcome with chills, followed by extreme fatigue, body aches and cough, and culminating in a sudden spike in fever. Congratulations: you have the flu. Every […]

Trump vs. the Fed, briefly explained

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on the independence of the Federal Reserve, with potentially dire consequences for the US economy. What happened? On Sunday […]

The Supreme Court made Trump’s attack on Jerome Powell possible

On Sunday evening, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell revealed that the Trump administration has opened a criminal investigation into him, nominally because of a dispute over a renovation of the Fed’s headquarters. The real reason for the investigation is almost certainly that President Donald Trump wants to push Powell out of office and make room […]