Reading archive 2026-03-06

America Cannot Withstand the Economic Shock That’s Coming - "This can start with tearing down the wall between the business and education communities. I saw this firsthand as secretary of commerce when implementing the CHIPS Act, which put billions of dollars toward semiconductor development and production. Working intensively with TSMC, the Taiwanese chipmaker, my team learned new chip plants were stymied by talent gaps in tool maintenance, electrical engineering and pipe fitting. TSMC used these findings to lobby states, employers and schools like Maricopa Community College to build accelerated certificate programs to train people to fill these specific talent gaps."

Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say: The targeting information has included the locations of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the officials said.

The U.S. labor market lost 92,000 jobs in February in warning sign for economy: With the unexpected setback, the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4 percent, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Trump administration wants to streamline federal worker layoffs: The union for federal workers has argued the proposed changes would remove protections that are in place to prevent “politically motivated layoffs.” - "The administration has also proposed transferring responsibility for reviewing federal employee appeals of proposed layoffs. The rule would move that job from an independent panel that reviews challenges, called the Merit Systems Protection Board, to OPM, giving the administration more control over the appeals process. 

"OPM said the change would speed up the process after MSPB has seen a growing backlog in cases. The backlog grew last year after the board lost its quorum when President Donald Trump fired its Democratic members."

Kenyan McDuffie seeks to ramp up D.C. mayoral campaign amid early jitters from supporters

U.S. Capabilities Are Showing Signs of Rot: When a military force begins to decline, the first symptoms may be subtle. - "The U.S. military's supremacy over foreign rivals is built on intensive training and the manipulation of advanced technology. By contrast, Hegseth has been stressing lethality and a warrior ethos instead of learning and reflection, to the point of blocking U.S. military personnel from taking courses at the most elite American universities. Yet the events of the past week underscore how shows of force alone may not defeat even militarily inferior enemies. 

"In Bahrain, a lone Iranian drone penetrated the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which oversees 2.5 million square miles of the world's oceans. The incoming weapon destroyed an AN/TPS-59 radar unit intended to provide 360-degree air surveillance for U.S. forces. In a moment, Iranian equipment that cost perhaps $30,000 devastated a piece of U.S. military hardware estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars."

Things Are About to Get Ugly in Texas: A runoff, resentments, and the question of whether a Democrat can win statewide

10 severely malnourished dogs rescued from Southeast DC apartment: The Humane Rescue Alliance said they were found in "various stages of starvation, physical injury, and neglect."

Tesla’s Secret Weapon Is a Giant Metal Box: Elon Musk’s car company is quietly poised to power the AI boom.