Some Reads that Show-Up in My In-box from Time to Time

I believe you can access the Reads at these sites. I subscribe to them. They are rather informative and offer up various views. I sometimes use them at Angry Bear. Just something different than my boring you with various writings, my interpretation, etc.

“Signs of Stability, Signs of Strain,” Claudia Sahm: April’s Jobs Day is Friday. The labor market is stabilizing, but higher energy prices are eating into paychecks — and a new Fed Chair will soon have to make sense of both.

“Americans Oppose US War with Cuba by 64% to 15%, New YouGov Poll Finds,” CEPR: Taking a war to Cuba is ridiculous. There is very little they could do to the United States. Of course, this is the perfect place for Trump to start a fight. Small enough and close enough country for him to show off his machismo. In and out of Cuba for nine months with 8th Marines.

“Epic Lies,” by Dan Rather and Team Steady – Steady: On Thursday, the Washington Post reported on a confidential CIA assessment that says Iran can withstand between three to four more months of hostilities. The report, which has been given to the White House, states that Iran has retained more than 70% of its pre-war stockpiles of missiles and mobile launchers.

“Viewer Beware!” Robert Reich: Our media is controlled by just a handful of billionaires and their corporations. And Trump is making it worse.

Trump’s FCC just approved a massive merger that would let one huge media company control what over 80 percent of American households see. One of these merging companies, called Nexstar, tried to silence late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

“US violent crime is at its lowest in more than a century – but the funding that helped reduce it is disappearing,” THE CONVERSION. The United States is experiencing one of the steepest declines in violent crime in modern history, including a murder rate at its lowest point in more than a century. And Trump is taking the funding away.

“The Trump administration comes to Big Oil’s rescue in Minnesota,” ExxonKnews. The Trump administration is suing the state of Minnesota to try to stop its consumer fraud lawsuit against ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute, and Koch Industries, before it can reach trial. It’s the administration’s latest effort to shield the fossil fuel industry from climate accountability cases that could cost oil companies billions of dollars, make them change their marketing practices, and expose internal documents that could alter their public image forever.

“Affordability Still Dominates Americans’ Financial Worries,” GALLUP: The high cost of living continues to top Americans’ list of the most important financial problems facing their families. The 31% citing it in an open-ended question is below the 41% peak in 2024 but similar to a year ago and among the highest in Gallup’s more than 20-year trend.

“Retaliation is Not a Strategy, The Cienfuegos Ghost, & The Silence of NASA,” Kareem Takes on the News. What I’m Discussing Today? “We forgot all too soon the things we thought we could never forget.” Joan Didion

“Why Presidents Can Wage Illegal Wars,” Jack Lessenberry Politics and Prejudices and other musings: Congress let it happen in 1964, and we’ve been paying for it ever since.