https://www.compactmag.com/p/8c46b73c-c5b5-4314-a4ad-e124c80f9cfd/

The Dark Ages Are Back

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2025/04/trump-academic-freedom/682648/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYUPtTlmFyAdcKchB-7yVaWU&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social

Read excerpts of @TheAtlantic’s April 24, 2025, interview with President Donald Trump:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/donald-trump-oval-office-interview-excerpts/682623/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYSW181jYmWBXfZZAcVlkM80&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social

Donald Trump’s remarkable political comeback has made him feel like he’s invincible. @AshleyRParker and @michaelscherer report from inside a White House where loyalty is the most important credential and the boss always gets his way:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/trump-second-term-comeback/682573/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYbCOqWdVH8xCygDDFfi76f8&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social

Paul Krugman

1

Cronyism, Capitulation and Utter Chaos

And what the hell was Scott Bessent doing briefing Morgan clients?

Hitting the road today, but I have time for a note on the news that moved markets yesterday. Bloomberg reports:

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit Tuesday that the tariff standoff with China cannot be sustained by both sides and that the world’s two largest economies will have to find ways to de-escalate.

That de-escalation will come in the very near future, Bessent said during an event hosted by J.P. Morgan Chase in Washington, which wasn’t open to the public or media. He characterized the current situation as essentially a trade embargo, according to people who attended the session.

https://open.substack.com/pub/paulkrugman/p/cronyism-capitulation-and-chaos?r=3azmy&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Trump Is Insatiable

The president is trying to pick off institutions (and people) one by one.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/opinion/trump-harvard.html?smid=em-share

Millions of dollars are being thrown at loneliness. But many of these start-ups aren’t even targeting the right problem, @fhill_official writes:

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/04/friendship-start-ups-success/682518/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYXSd7_iUfHFaQPFeNW1RTX8&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social

“These days I find myself rooting for the Democrats about 70 percent of the time,” @nytdavidbrooks writes of his migration to a new political party. “But my new suit is ill-fitting. I’m still not fully comfortable as a Democrat.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/trumpism-republican-party-exile-david-brooks/680243/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYVSMb20N-h1f1oV-6FVTD9g&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social