Fear and Loathing in Palo Alto
Never miss an article!
Sign up for our daily newsletter to get two stories in your inbox every weekday, plus a best-of-the-week roundup on Sundays. Opt out any time.
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from the Washington Monthly
Support the Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly has an honest desire to make government work and a willingness to ask uncomfortable questions. Please make your tax deductible donation now!
Spring 2026 Print Edition
In this issue
How Amazon’s AI Algorithms Raise the Prices You Pay
Crabs, A Helicopter, and One Town’s Fight Against ICE
Gavin Newsom’s Tragic Mistake on Homelessness
Education
How to Fix Childcare for Families and Workers
Washington is finally demanding that colleges answer for what their graduates earn. In early childhood education, the low wages aren’t the college’s fault—but the pressure may finally land in the right place anyway.
Politics
Michigan’s Democratic Senate Primary Needs a Non-Aggression Pact
Polls show the three-way slugfest between Abdul El-Sayed, Mallory McMorrow, and Haley Stevens is dragging them all down and creating a pickup opportunity for the GOP.
Podcast
Get Ready for the AI Crash
Overinvestment and risky financial engineering have made an AI crash more likely, says Vanderbilt’s Asad Ramzanali. Congress should take steps now to soften the blow.
Get ready for the AI crash | Asad Ramzanali – Washington Monthly
Law and Justice
James Comey Is Insufferable. The Trump Charges Against Him Are Absurd
The former FBI director has been indicted for a threat spelled with seashells. Why this lawfare will falter.
The Monopolized Economy
How to Think About Spirit’s Failure—and the Airline Crisis
If the only way for airlines to survive is to constantly merge or get bailed out by the government, then it’s time to admit that the industry is more like a public utility than a competitive market.
Health Care
Profiting From Inflated Hospital Prices
This week’s CPI report shows hospital prices continue to race ahead of price increases in other health care sectors. In the past year, so have hospital profits.
Russia’s War on Ukraine
Ukraine: Requiem for a Citizen Soldier
My friend, an entrepreneur turned exemplary officer, was killed in action in eastern Ukraine this year. Like his comrades, he knew what he was fighting for.
Books
The Affordability Crisis Is a Wage Crisis
An economist’s answer for why you deserve a raise and why a higher minimum wage won’t hurt the economy.
Higher Ed Q&A
The Washington Monthly’s “Higher Ed Q&A” is a Special Advertising Section, where leaders in higher education answer questions on different topics that are challenging universities and colleges across the country, with solutions that are working for their schools and students. Click here to learn more.
