Historical Perspective: Technological Revolutions

AI Isn’t a Revolution – Yet
https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/30/artificial-intelligence-ai-revolution-technology-history-luddites/
Just as British people did with steam power, the American public can shape how this technology spreads. 

Financial Health of Renters

America’s renters are in serious trouble
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/11/03/americas-renters-are-in-serious-trouble
Several gauges of their financial health are flashing red. 

A Punishing Housing Market Is Squeezing Renters
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/business/housing-market-rent-pressure.html
Higher mortgage rates and slowing residential construction are again giving landlords the upper hand.  

On Prediction Markets

Why Gen Z is turning to prediction markets for a financial edge
https://www.reuters.com/markets/on-the-money/why-gen-z-is-turning-prediction-markets-financial-edge-2026-11-05/
For young adults, betting platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket present an opportunity for quick gains. One user tells us how he’s in it for the long run. 

How Accurate Were Prediction Markets at Picking Midterm Winners?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/11/06/business/polymarket-kalshi-prediction-markets-midterm-elections-accuracy.html
The midterm elections were a referendum on the predictive power of election forecasts.

Prediction Markets Are Calling It Early 
https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2026/11/prediction-markets-election-outcomes-polymarket-kalshi/689322/

Stock Market Expectations - Unrealistic?

Are Investors Expecting Too Much from the Stock Market?
https://www.morningstar.com/markets/are-investors-expecting-too-much-stock-market
Stocks have posted outsized returns, and analysts caution that it’s time to tone down expectations.
 
The Election Day Revolt That Threatens America’s AI Boom
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/the-election-day-revolt-that-threatens-americas-ai-boom-03a53b52
Americans’ vote for anti-data center candidates and ballot measures could rein in AI’s expansion and hobble economic growth. 

Voters Dislike Inflation

Republicans fall victim to the same issues that destroyed the Democrats in 2024 – inflation and affordability
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/11/06/the-economic-president-killer-that-doomed-trump/

'It's the economy, stupid' and these charts prove it
https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-and-cost-of-living-shaped-2026-midterm-voter-priorities-2026-11

Stefanie Stantcheva: Why do people dislike inflation?
https://youtu.be/orXTKWsP74o 

Morality, Politics, and Institutional Quality

Good Institutions Require Good People
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/societys-health-rests-on-people-ethics-not-institutions-by-deirdre-nansen-mccloskey-2026-11
Well-designed laws, courts, catechisms, extrinsic motives, social approval, and even a few good and decent people are of no avail if too many people do not behave like self-respecting and other-respecting adults. Childish pride and envy, grabbing more of the sweets, Donald Trump-style, do not make for a good society. 

It was indeed the corruption, stupid
https://spectator.com/article/indeed-corruption-stupid-2026-midterms/
“Corruption is a bipartisan issue, nothing ever hits 90 percent in any survey unless it resonates deeply with people,” says Harry Enten, CNN’s chief data analyst. “The fact that corruption has been linked with the struggles people are having with affordability is devastating for Republicans.”

William Nordhaus and the Carbon Tax Debate

He Pioneered a Groundbreaking Idea and Was Met with Corporate Wrath
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/02/climate/william-nordhaus-carbon-tax-american-business.html
Economist William Nordhaus said putting a price on pollution was the best way to reduce climate change. Then came the fossil fuel lobby and the anti-tax movement. 

William Nordhaus, favorite economist of the right and the left
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/11/05/william-nordhaus-favourite-economist-of-the-right-and-the-left
The Nobel-prizewinner was fascinated by what happens when markets fail.