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US Weekly Jobless Claims fall; Tight Labor Market Underpinning Economy (Maria)
The author writes, “The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to continued tightness in the labor market even as job growth slows. Labor market tightness is underpinning the economy, with data this week showing a solid increase in retail sales in July and a surge in single-family homebuilding, which prompted economists to raise their growth estimates for the third quarter.”
As Xitter’s Lawyer Stalled DOJ, Elon Musk Met With Jim Jordan (Twice!) and Kevin McCarthy (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “Elon Musk has been eerily quiet about being held in contempt by Beryl Howell since the DC Circuit opinion was first released on August 9. It’s not like him to pass up the opportunity to make an obnoxious comment. Which is why I’m interested in what Musk was doing during the period when Xitter’s counsel was stalling on the DOJ request — including a visit to Kevin McCarthy on January 26.”
In Argentina, a New Trump Rises (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “The comparisons write themselves. A brash outsider bursts onto the national scene, vowing to dismantle the failed establishment and to kick the ruling ‘caste’ out on ‘their asses.’ His relatively short political career is powered by his popularity (and notoriety) as a television act, a celebrity secured through outlandish showmanship, tawdry innuendo and the curious coiffure that’s settled on his head. His supporters see him as a powerful rebuke to years of sclerotic, hapless governance. His critics see, in his extreme rhetoric and views, a deadly threat to democracy. And then there are the more overt links between Argentine presidential candidate Javier Milei and former U.S. president Donald Trump.”
How Rep. James Clyburn Protected His District at a Cost to Black Democrats (Al)
From ProPublica: “Facing the possibility of an unsafe district, South Carolina’s most powerful Democrat sent his aide to consult with the GOP on a redistricting plan that diluted Black voting strength and harmed his party’s chances of gaining seats in Congress.”
The Panama Canal Has Become a Traffic Jam of the Seas (Sean)
From The Wall Street Journal: “A flotilla of ships are stuck on both sides of the Panama Canal, waiting for weeks to cross after the waterway’s authorities cut transits to conserve water amid a serious drought.”
Thousands of Microplastics Discovered in Human Heart Tissue for First Time (Russ)
The author writes, “Microplastics have been discovered in the human heart and its innermost tissues for the first time. While the health consequences of this are still unknown, the new study is yet another grim reminder of how pervasive the world’s plastic problem has become within just a century.”
Why Your New Electric Car Won’t Have a Spare Tire. And Why You Probably Don’t Need One (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Car manufacturers have been ridding their sedans and smaller SUVs of full-sized spares for some time. In 2018, Consumer Reports said, 60% of the vehicles it had tested over the previous five years came with small-sized temporary tires (‘doughnuts’), and only 10% came with full-sized spares. Increasingly, however, cars are skipping the doughnut in favor of run-flat tires (tires you can continue driving on after a puncture), puncture kits, roadside assistance or … nothing.”
