Alexandra Petri’s shoes pivoted to AI. She needed some coffee to deal with this, but the coffee shop had pivoted to AI. She sat down on a bench, but the bench? Pivoted to AI. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2026/04/ai-everywhere-allbirds-sneakers/686833/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYYecwW22sbHIFkqftY6iD8E&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
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Kim Lane Scheppele on Hungary
**** A Pillar of the Economics Establishment Admits That It Was Wrong
The World Bank—which derided government intervention in the market for decades—has now admitted that a helping hand from the state, when done right, “can actually be an essential ingredient of economic success,” Rogé Karma argues: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/world-bank-industrial-policy/686820/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYUZBTJeONiQswhjA1Y4gNLI&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
****** NYTimes.com: Why Aren’t the Kids Out Protesting Against Trump?
Why Aren’t the Kids Out Protesting Against Trump?
The lack of a thriving youth movement in opposition to Trump is a canary-in-the-coal-mine warning of the deterioration of American exceptionalism.
**** NYTimes.com: Why Aren’t the Kids Out Protesting Against Trump?
From The New York Times:
Why Aren’t the Kids Out Protesting Against Trump?
The lack of a thriving youth movement in opposition to Trump is a canary-in-the-coal-mine warning of the deterioration of American exceptionalism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/opinion/trump-protest-ai-phones-social-media.html?smid=em-share
**** An Oligarchy of Old People
Gerontocracy has always thrived in undemocratic places, @imkahloon writes, and over the past several decades, it has taken root in the United States. How did America come to be ruled by an oligarchy of old people? www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/05/gerontocracy-wealth-power/686585/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYWU8LHQivZny4NOgbUHyRzc&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
***** An Oligarchy of Old People
Gerontocracy has always thrived in undemocratic places, @imkahloon writes, and over the past several decades, it has taken root in the United States. How did America come to be ruled by an oligarchy of old people? www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/05/gerontocracy-wealth-power/686585/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYWU8LHQivZny4NOgbUHyRzc&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
NYTimes: The Affordable Car Is Dead. What Happened?
The Affordable Car Is Dead. What Happened? www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/04/13/opinion/affordable-car-cost.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
NYTimes.com: Teaching in an American University Is Very Strange Right Now
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.
Teaching in an American University Is Very Strange Right Now
We’re supposed to give students a map. I don’t even know the terrain.