The Surging Stock Market

War, inflation and Trump’s tariffs have shaken the US. Why does the stock market keep going up?
https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2026/may/14/us-stock-market-war-inflation-tariffs-trump
Wall Street has proved incredibly resilient to instability, and while consumer confidence has dipped, shares have soared. 

Why It’s So Hard to Spot a Stock-Market Bubble
https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/why-its-so-hard-to-spot-a-stock-market-bubble-63f40a1c
A sudden surge in share prices makes us all think we know what’s coming next.

Why Stocks Keep Going Up
https://www.theatlantic.com/economy/2026/05/stock-market-iran-war-bullish/687041/
The boom is not as untethered from reality as it may look. 

Markets are banking on the ‘Bliss trade’
https://www.ft.com/content/60f60089-9486-481c-859c-f29b8ccbbd90
A belief in resilience underwritten by big lasting state support is keeping stocks high.

The Sorry State of Political Leadership in Europe

Starmer is not alone. It is hell to be a leader in Europe today
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/05/15/starmer-not-alone-hell-to-be-leader-europe/
The PM’s Continental peers are similarly unpopular – and Britain’s economy is not in bad shape. 

Sweden’s Capitalist Makeover

The World’s Most Surprising Capitalist Makeover Is Under Way in Sweden
https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/the-worlds-most-surprising-capitalist-makeover-is-under-way-in-sweden-a7830619
Total public social spending is falling, its economy is outpacing European peers and taxes have been cut three years running. Not everyone is happy. 

The Powell Era

How Eight Tumultuous Years Pushed Jerome Powell and the Fed to the Limit
https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/how-eight-tumultuous-years-pushed-jerome-powell-and-the-fed-to-the-limit-96388c46
The pandemic, inflation and White House pressure tested the central bank’s leader as never before. 

Jerome Powell’s Mixed Legacy
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/powell-legacy-fed-defender-but-also-policy-mistakes-by-mohamed-a-el-erian-2026-05

AI and the Grade Inflation Problem

‘A’ Grades Are Everywhere Since the Arrival of ChatGPT
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/a-grades-are-suddenly-everywhere-since-the-arrival-of-chatgpt-845baae7
AI is accelerating grade inflation, research indicates and making it harder for employers to assess college grads. 

How Buddhism Transformed Asia

The Unlikely Story of How Buddhism Transformed Asia
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/t-magazine/nepal-buddha-kathmandu-buddhism.html
Starting in Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha, we trace how the religion spread across the continent, changing it forever. 

The Case for More Competition

U.S. Airlines and Carmakers Need to Go Global
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/u-s-airlines-and-carmakers-need-to-go-global-8f76109a
Policies that insulate them from competition created the conditions that led to bailouts and bankruptcies.