A study finds the effective tax rate for the United States’ 400 wealthiest individuals is 24%, compared with 45% for top labor income earners. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Scotland passes the world’s first national “community wealth building” legislation requiring public finance to support local and sustainable development. / TFN Should
Ukraine and Russia end another round of negotiations with little progress, seeming more and more like political theater (for an audience of Donald Trump). / Politico A project documents actions, statements, and plans of Trump and his administration “that echo those of authoritarian regimes.” / Trump Action Tracker Davy Rothbart remembers the
Ukraine recaptured 78 square miles from Russia last week—nearly the equivalent to Russia’s gains in December. / France 24 Now entering its fifth year, the war has become Europe’s largest conventional conflict since World War II. / Foreign Affairs Brief notes on a drone strike on a crowded market
China is found to be rapidly growing and improving its nuclear arsenal. / The New York Times [$] European diplomats say Donald Trump has fundamentally changed transatlantic ties. / Politico Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledges that the White House has a list of Americans deemed domestic terrorists, including “antifa.” / The Intercept The Pentagon
A report says people in the United States bore 90 percent of the cost of President Trump’s tariffs in 2025. / CBS News Another consequence: Foreign countries reduced their future reliance on a US “that has increasingly embraced protectionism.” / Bloomberg [$] “The job market is cooked.” Gen Z explains why they
Reports say Russia can’t recruit enough soldiers to keep up with its losses in Ukraine, and its war spending may be maxed out. / Semafor, The Overshoot Inflation in Argentina accelerates for a fifth straight month in January. / The Associated Press When the US economy disproportionately rewards capital over labor,
Four stories of white-collar workers who left their careers to pursue blue-collar jobs. / The Wall Street Journal [$] San Francisco’s public school teachers strike for the first time in 47 years. / The San Francisco Standard In Europe, the Epstein scandal is taking down politicians, whose American counterparts remain
In 2025, the US job market posted the weakest growth outside of a recession since 2003. / CNN Also in 2025: The unemployment gap between workers with bachelor’s degrees and those with occupational associate’s degrees flipped. / The Washington Post [$] Regarding means testing’s true nature: Since Georgia implemented work
The White House’s military buildup in the Middle East continues, and experts say the risks of miscalculation are rising. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Spencer Ackerman: It has been haunting to watch the frictionless way President Trump appears set to enact or hasten some form of regime change in Iran.
In light of today’s national shutdown, a few links pertaining to strikes, protests, and helping one another. We’ll see you on Monday with the regular edition. Stay safe out there. Hundreds of events are planned across the United States today and tomorrow. / The Guardian “We’ve voted, we’
