On the menu today: Starting sometime Friday — perhaps as early as just after midnight — U.S. freight-rail workers could go on strike or experience a lockout, and the economic consequences could be far-reaching. What Americans may only be realizing now is that in some ways, the effects of a strike are already here, as freight companies have already halted certain shipments in preparation for a potential strike, and Amtrak has suspended certain routes. Your commuter rails may not be running Friday morning. Also, a farewell to Ken Starr, and a long, fun talk with an old friend.
Why You Should Care about a Freight-Rail Strike
We live in a country where the (currently) ruling political party and most of the national media have a symbiotic relationship. (Jen Psaki started work at NBC News this week.) One of the problems with this dynamic is that when the ruling class decides something is important — say, emphasizing the issue of abortion as the midterm elections approach — it tends to squeeze out everything that the ruling party ...