10 Monday AM Reads
My back-to-work morning reads: • The 2026 Midterm Elections: What We Learned & What Comes Next: Mehlman Consulting’s post-mortem deck calls it a “hundred-year flood,” not a blue wave: most Democratic governors in 33 years, biggest House majority in 35, most state trifectas in 42 and the largest popular-vote margin in 50. For the first time in… Read More The post 10 Monday AM Reads appeared first…
1. Mehlman Consulting's post-mortem analysis of the 2026 Midterm Elections reveals a "hundred-year flood" of Democratic gains, with the largest House majority in 35 years, the most state trifectas in 42, and the biggest popular vote margin in 50 years. Notably, a party holds zero crossover districts for the first time in at least 150 years.
2. The Atlantic's analysis of Donald Trump's political track record shows a series of defeats, including a loss in the 2016 popular vote, a major setback in the 2018 House race, and a near-defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Now, Trump's dominance and mastery appear to be fading.
3. Republican incumbents across the nation lost to the Democratic wave during the midterms, and analysts in The Wall Street Journal suggest that the MAGA movement may no longer be a major force in future elections.
4. A Morningstar study finds that index funds outperformed active funds over the past decade, with the asset-weighted average index fund costing 0.05% compared to 0.59% for the average discretionary active fund.
5. Anthropic's new Personal Finance tool for Claude allows users to connect their bank and credit card accounts through Plaid, enabling them to ask questions about their finances. The tool is read-only, meaning users can access their information but cannot make changes.
6. According to WSJ research, over the past 40 years, the S&P 500's annualized return has consistently outperformed housing investments in every state and local market on an after-tax basis. The best housing market during this period was Seattle at 6.22% a year, while the S&P 500's annualized return was 16.5%.
7. Jason Furman, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama, suggests he would "regretfully and sadly" use AI systems instead of hiring 20 human economists if he were running the CEA today. He acknowledges that while the chair's job is safe, the profession itself may be facing challenges from AI advancements.
8. A new Slate article highlights the growing popularity of shingles vaccines for people in their 30s, citing new research that supports the benefits of vaccination at a younger age.
9. After the largest midterm defeat since Watergate, Vice President Michael Pence released a lengthy X essay blaming the administration and the president for the Iran war. Pence, as a potential 2028 hopeful, is trying to distance himself from the GOP's bloodbath by shifting blame onto his boss.
10. In an interview, Bernie Taupin, the lyricist behind Elton John's hits, discusses his life and career, including his experience with golf and his current solo album. Taupin, known for co-writing "Rocket Man", reflects on anonymity in his 50s and his connection to LA's drinking gang.
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