10 Monday AM Reads
Welcome to November! Kick it off strong with our pre-election day morning reads:
• What has caused the bad economic vibes, and does it actually matter? University of Michigan’s widely tracked index of American consumer sentiment this summer hit its lowest ever level, surpassing the lows seen in 2022, the global financial crisis of 2008, the oil price shock and recession of 1990, and the early 1980s economic downturns — when unemployment peaked at over 10 per cent. And it remains at around this depressed level — in spite of booming consumer spending, inflation falling dramatically since the 2022-23 highs, and an economy that by virtually every measure looks pretty. ( Financial Times )
• Why daylight saving time should be eliminated entirely : Here is why sleep experts, doctors and scientists endorse ending Daylight Saving Time. Clocks fell back this weekend. The House passed permanent-DST legislation in July with Trump’s support; the Post argues the better option is to scrap the whole thing. ( Washington Post ) see also The origin of Daylight Saving Time is all about business — not farmers : Farmers actually hated Daylight Saving Time. But it was and always has been good for one thing: selling stuff. ( Quartz )
• The Beleaguered Chip Sellers Getting Their Revenge on Apple : Rolfe Winkler on the memory-chip makers who spent years getting squeezed by Apple. The iPhone maker for years bullied flash-storage makers into steep discounts—until AI hyperscalers bid up prices and gobbled up supply. ( Wall Street Journal )
• Here’s How Much You’re Paying for Trump’s Tariffs and Iran War : The global trade war Trump promised would usher in a golden age has largely hurt Americans, making many things more expensive. His tariffs have added an additional $1,100 bill to household expenses, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University. Meanwhile, Trump’s decision to join Benjamin Netanyahu in launching a surprise war on Iran has inflated gasoline and diesel prices, costing each US household more than $1,120 , Brown University estimates. ( Bloomberg )
• TV Ratings: Why Fox News Suffered Its Largest Pre-Election Month Drop in the Past Decade : Fox still leads CNN and MS NOW handily, averaging 1.68 million viewers in October, but it posted the biggest year-over-year pre-election ratings drop in 10 years. ( Hollywood Reporter )
• How Trump Unwittingly Boosted Green Energy : Michael Sonnenfeldt’s guest essay on the clean-energy side effects of the administration’s policies. ( New York Times )
• Is This the End for Trump’s Princelings? Or Just the Start? : Noah Shachtman: America has always had oligarchs, but for a century they steered quietly. Now tariffs, prosecutions and regulations all run on one man’s whims, and business leaders are asked to underwrite government projects. ( New York Times ) see also A Damning Account Alleges Jared Kushner Conducted Diplomacy for Profit : Fintan O’Toole reviews Matthew Cole’s new book, which connects $2 billion in slush funds from Gulf leaders to the president’s son-in-law. The new book by the reporter Matthew Cole connects $2 billion in slush funds from Gulf state leaders to Trump’s son-in-law in an effort to influence U.S. policy. ( New York Times )
• They Fled Trump’s America. Now They Regret It : The internet told them Europe was a social paradise. Turns out the trains are awful, the health care isn’t free, and people can be really mean. Wired on the Americans who took the overseas job offer in 2024 and found the grass was not greener. ( Wired )
• Bob Woodward spills his ‘Secrets’ In a new memoir, the legendary reporter names a parade of confidential sources who enabled monumental scoops in The Washington Post and his blockbuster books. ( Washington Post ) see also Bob Woodward Thought Jeff Bezos Had His Back. Now He Feels Disillusioned . Six takeaways from a new memoir by Mr. Woodward, the star Washington Post reporter, including his disappointment with the newspaper’s billionaire owner. ( New York Times )
• Noah Wyle Is the Sexiest Man Alive! No Second Opinion Needed. Smoldering intensity, leading-man looks and he loves to do the dishes? No wonder the ‘Pitt’ star has fans swooning — and his wife singing his praises ( People )
Video of the day : Give me 15 minutes and I’ll make you dangerously confident (Charles Duhigg)
Be sure to check out our Masters in Business this weekend with Rich Steinmeier , Chief Executive Officer of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA), the largest independent broker-dealer in the country. 32,000 advisors and $2.4 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets. CEO since October 2024.
How Claims of Widespread Noncitizen Voting Fall Apart
Source: New York Times
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