Signal & Noise

Record diesel prices are raising transportation costs across the U.S., with potential ripple effects for groceries, shipping and consumer prices.

Prediction market odds can look authoritative, but what do they actually measure? Learn how market-implied probabilities work, who may be behind the trades, and what readers should consider before taking the numbers at face value.

Bill Gates warns "there is no plan" for AI's disruption to jobs and society — and the same week, Google moved its AI safety team into its lobbying division. Here's what Gates said, what Google did, and why the timing matters.

Are young Americans winning or losing from AI? New data shows Gen Z and millennials landing top AI jobs even while economic anxiety keeps rising.

Grocery prices have overtaken housing as Americans' top financial concern, pushing many to rely on credit cards, BNPL loans, and savings to eat.

Republicans are reviving Cold War-era attacks on communism as DSA-backed candidates gain ground in the 2026 elections. But voters may be responding to different fears.

As AI accusations disrupt book deals and author careers, publishing faces a basic question: what counts as AI writing, and what standards should authors be judged by?

Prediction markets are booming, and insiders keep cashing in. Here's who's winning - and losing.

Tech layoffs hit their highest single month in years in May, and roughly 120,000 tech roles have now been cut in 2026. Is that the real reason, or the most convenient one? Part 1 looked at whether the communities that host data centers actually see job growth from them. The answer there, based on Brookings research, was a qualified yes, but the fancy computers themselves barely employ anyone. So, do the companies pouring hundreds of billions into AI grow their own workforces