How US Higher Education Became a Joke

60 Percent of Grades at Harvard Were A’s. Enough Is Enough.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/opinion/harvard-easy-a-grades.html
 
Parents Are Fuming About Other Peoples’ Kids Getting Extra Time on the SAT
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/parents-are-fuming-about-other-peoples-kids-getting-extra-time-on-the-sat-2daeea8c
Special accommodations for irritable bowel syndrome? Families are getting creative, and spending big, in pursuit of an edge. 

What is the Bond Market Signaling?

The Dangerous Brew That’s Rattling Bond Markets
https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/the-dangerous-brew-thats-rattling-bond-markets-b46def14
A mix of debt, inflation and populism has changed the interest rate landscape since 2020. 

Is the Bond Market Signaling Danger or Opportunity? Or Both?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/business/bond-market-investing-global-treasury.html
Interest rates for long-term Treasury bonds have surged to levels last seen in 2007, before the great financial crisis.

See How the Global Government Debt Binge Is Rippling Through Markets
https://www.wsj.com/articles/see-how-the-global-government-debt-binge-is-rippling-through-markets-cb9ce3ca 

Britain’s politicians need to worry less about the bond markets – and more about the Bank of England
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/21/politicians-bond-vigilantes-markets-gilts-bank-of-england

Myth of the Deserving Billionaire

The Myth of the Deserving Billionaire
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/opposition-to-wealth-taxes-rests-on-a-flawed-assumption-by-teresa-ghilarducci-2026-05
While 55% of Americans say their financial situation is deteriorating, the wealth of the top 1% is reaching record highs. Against this backdrop, defending billionaires from “oppressive” taxation is politically convenient nonsense. 

A Dangerous "Ally"

Why Would Anyone Trust Pakistan to Mediate with Iran?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/why-would-anyone-trust-pakistan-to-mediate-with-iran-b5e8934c
We learned in the 2000s that Islamabad’s interests are in many ways the direct opposite of America’s. 

Depreciation Cost

The Typical U.S. Home Is 44 Years Old—And Needs Tons of Work
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/the-typical-u-s-home-is-44-years-oldand-needs-tons-of-work-a1fd89ea
The costs of home maintenance and upgrades on America’s aging housing stock are vast and rising fast. 

Demographic Cliff and College Enrollments

The Enrollment Cliff Is Here. Which Schools Will Survive It?
https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/the-enrollment-cliff-is-here-which-schools-will-survive-it  
As the number of new high-school graduates drops, colleges will close, some will merge, and others may change beyond recognition. 

The AI Mania

Nvidia’s Profit Hits $58.3 Billion as A.I. Boom Gathers More Steam
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/business/nvidia-earnings.html
The chip maker said its profit in its most recent quarter jumped 211 percent from a year earlier thanks to extreme demand from other big technology companies.

A Booming Shadow Market of Sketchy A.I. Investments
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/a-booming-shadow-market-of-sketchy-ai-investments
As OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s valuations soar, Silicon Valley outsiders are rushing to secure a small slice however they can.

A Cold Shower for the AI Mania by Raghuram Rajan
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/ai-mania-ignoring-risks-compute-shortages-model-plateau-political-backlash-by-raghuram-g-rajan-2026-05
Although generative AI tools have improved rapidly and now outperform humans across many tasks, the market's current euphoria may not be justified. With AI firms increasingly resorting to debt financing, it is worth pausing to consider all the things that could go wrong.
 
Accessible Version:
https://www.interest.co.nz/technology/138615/raghuram-rajan-sees-multiple-reasons-not-least-mounting-debt-worry-current-market