Trump officials are promising a 2026 economic boom—but as @ENPancotti warns, cutting rates and pumping out tax refunds “doesn't unlock a bunch of growth — it unlocks a bunch of inflation.”
@ddayen & @matthewstoller get lessons in agentic programming & surveillance pricing from guest @owenslindsay1 who also explains how Google plans to use these & other tech to make sure you pay the most for everything you buy!
Link in reply.
Elon Musk’s DOGE has:
❌ Forced out 7,000 of the Social Security Administration workers
❌ Abused the Social Security database to falsely mark people as dead
❌ Put the entire Social Security database on an insecure server
🚨The health of the economy increasingly depends on rich people spending money.
That’s bad news for everyone else: When growth depends on a small slice of Americans, everyone else is left one paycheck away from disaster.
This chart explains how the economy can continue to grow, even as many Americans struggle to make ends meet: the richest fifth of Americans account for more than half of spending.
cc: @axios
Talking about affordability isn’t the same as delivering it. As our @AlexSJacquez puts it: “People’s costs will actually need to go down.”
Working families don’t get relief from speeches to billionaires—they need lower bills, not empty rhetoric.
Google’s latest AI announcement should raise alarm bells for anyone worried how their data can be used against them.
NEW from @thelever: There are several reasons to see what Google is doing as ominous—and @owenslindsay1 explains how this is just another cover for the tech giant
For working families, tariffs feel like a hole in their pockets. Prices rise, paychecks don’t keep up, & the cost of living keeps climbing.
Research confirms what families already know: Trump’s trade war is making everyday life more expensive with everyday Americans footing the
It doesn’t have to be this way. Some airports require street pricing so travelers aren’t forced to overpay. But too many allow inflated prices that a $12 voucher can’t come close to covering.
As @AlexSJacquez warns, without stronger rules, consumers will keep footing the bill
People are being evaluated by AI in hiring and at work - and they don’t have a clue. This is one of the first major lawsuits to try to force this stuff out into the open
In our increasingly unequal economy, the top 20% of earners power 59% of consumer spending.
Everyone else accounts for 41% of spending.
Our economy is rigged and new data from @Oxfam proves it‼️
Billionaire wealth is now at its highest level in history—$18.3 trillion—growing at a rate 3x faster than the past 5-year average.
All while nearly 50% of the world's population lives in poverty & 25% regularly don’t
President Donald Trump hit a record-low –28 net approval rating as Americans grow increasingly pessimistic about the economy.
NEW: Inflation in the past year has cost working families an average $1,625. The price hikes are across the board:
🥚 Groceries cost $310 more
🏡 Housing costs are up 3.2%
💡 Electricity prices are up 6.7%
Ken Griffin: 'Unfortunately, the most recent research indicates the tax been borne by both American consumers and by American businesses. So the money raised by Washington in the tariffs has really come at the expense of the American people'
