Iran war accelerates America’s breakup with the world President Donald Trump’s erratic moves aren’t helping.

America has left the world...
www.politico.com/news/2026/04...

Opinion | Why the Stock Market Makes No Sense Right Now

Why is the stock market shrugging off... everything? Well, maybe it's betting that AI will save it and that the government won't let AI fail. Call it the AI put. My new piece in NYT Opinion on the market's reliance on getting rescued:
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/o...

Emails show Amazon colluding with other firms to raise prices, California authorities allege The previously redacted messages were unveiled as part of an antitrust battle with California attorney general Rob Bonta

Emails released on Monday by California’s attorney general show Amazon allegedly colluding with other companies to raise the prices of pet treats, khaki pants, eyedrops and other products sold online

Russian economy faces 'financial disaster,' Sweden's spy chief warns as Moscow hides true deficit Stockholm believes that Moscow is "living on borrowed time," Sweden's military intelligence chief Thomas Nilsson said.

⚡️ Russian economy faces 'financial disaster,' Sweden's spy chief warns as Moscow hides true deficit.

Stockholm believes that Moscow is "living on borrowed time," Sweden's military intelligence chief Thomas Nilsson said.

Trump administration begins refunding more than $166bn in tariffs Claims system launches months after supreme court ruled Trump had no legal authority to impose tariffs

So you and I and everyone else are in effect now refunding American corporations for import tariffs, although we paid for most of them in the form of higher prices — which they won’t now lower because they have monopoly power to keep prices high.

The Art of the Deal.

Ukraine Has Finally Given Up on Trump Zelensky has written off the United States.

Haven't we all...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Wife of active-duty U.S. Army soldier detained by ICE in Texas at immigration appointment The wife of a sergeant first class was detained by ICE at an immigration appointment in Texas. He says he doesn't understand why, and "ICE is out of control right now."

Worst of the Worst...
www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-det...

Dismantling Orbán's 16-Year Grip on Hungary's Art World As a Hungarian curator living in the United States, I cannot help but see my country as both a cautionary tale and a source of hope for artistic freedom.

“I WILL NOT GIVE BIRTH UNTIL THE CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT!”
hyperallergic.com/dismantling-...

Harry Bertoia Gets His Moment As a sculpture long thought lost resurfaces in Detroit, the artist and designer’s alma mater sets its sights on a major retrospective.

Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus — “We hope for better things; it shall rise from the ashes.”
hyperallergic.com/harry-bertoi...

Time outdoors matters...
www.sierraclub.org/california/c...

In the Studio With Rama Duwaji Surrounded by her drawings and ceramics, we discussed her evolving art practice and new life as NYC first lady.

The First Artist of New York City...
hyperallergic.com/in-the-studi...

Deaths of migrants in ICE custody hit record high under Trump Twenty-nine people have died in ICE custody since October, the start of the federal government's fiscal year, already surpassing 2004's toll of 28, the previous record, according to government data.

They are eating the emigrants...
www.npr.org/2026/04/17/n...

Diplomatic cables show Iran war is damaging US on multiple fronts across the world The documents show the fallout for the US in Bahrain, Indonesia and Azerbaijan as it struggles to catch up with pro-Iran messaging.

Burning down the house...
www.politico.com/news/2026/04...

Mamdani to swap parking spots for more than 6,500 curbside Empire Bins across NYC It’s a major expansion in the rollout of the “trash revolution” that former Mayor Eric Adams started.

Now that's cleaning up the city...
gothamist.com/news/mamdani...

Is AI the greatest art heist in history? New technologies of reproduction are plundering the art world – and getting away with it

Art Heist Inc...
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...

Rawya El Chab Tends to the Wounds of Lebanon's Civil War The latest segment of her performance series “Crossing the Water” chronicles life under military occupation after the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

Occupation Lebanon...
hyperallergic.com/rawya-el-cha...

#StreetArt

Emphasis on the filth...

‘No alternative’: Yellen defends dollar dominance, calls to preserve China trade Former US Treasury secretary, in Hong Kong, discusses China’s ‘serious conflicts’ with other economies in trade, while warning of decoupling risks.

How about Janet Yellen for president...
www.scmp.com/economy/glob...

Trump’s push to cut interest rates has echoes of ‘banana republic’, says Yellen Former US Fed chair says lowering rates to reduce debt service cost can lead to inflation getting out of control

In more way than one...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...

The ultra wealthy pay less than ever under Trump's tax policies. You pay more through hidden mechanisms like tariffs and eliminated health credits. This system extracts from workers to fund billionaire slush funds. #TrumpRiggedYourTaxReturn

US Senate Republicans block latest bid to rein in Trump Iran war powers A majority of the U.S. Senate backed President Donald Trump's military campaign against ​Iran on Wednesday, voting to block a Democratic-led resolution aiming to stop the war until hostilities are ‌au...

The Dr. Jesus Party is all in on Iran war...
www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

Trump threatens to fire Powell, won’t halt probe of Fed renovations President Trump threatened Wednesday to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell if he doesn’t step down from the Fed in the coming weeks.

Probe the East Wing renovations...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Johnson backs Trump, Vance in criticism of pope House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was “taken a little bit aback” by recent comments from the pope.

The Holy Trinity...
www.politico.com/news/2026/04...

Trump and Hegseth Have No Idea What Gives America’s Military Its Power. The Resulting Damage Is Untold. Bravado is not helping.

The Brash Bully at the center of Quiet Professionals...
slate.com/news-and-pol...

Steve DiBenedetto’s Cosmic Sense of the Absurd He conceives of a painting as a search for a functional structure, a talisman that can aid viewers amid our collective sense of traumatic crisis.

Art in search of talisman to help us in our collective sense of traumatic crisis...
hyperallergic.com/steve-dibene...