One big headline from Friday’s initial report on first-quarter U.S. gross domestic product is the boost growth received from the fallout of President Donald Trump’s trade wars. Yet below the surface are signs of how his disruptive approach to trade is also dampening growth in a way that may be more worrying for the long term.

The enduring importance of geography in American politics. Many argue that partisan gerrymandering causes cities to lose to rural areas in countywide, winner-take-all elections. That is too simple an explanation, writes Rodden (Political Science/Stanford Univ.; Hamilton’s Paradox: The Promise and Peril of Fiscal Federalism, 2005). Much more important is the geographical location of a political party’s base. 

Among Democratic presidential candidates, student loan debt offers sweet opportunities to pander. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has the boldest plan, promising to help 95 percent of those with such obligations. Sen. Kamala Harris of California favors a “commitment to debt-free college.” Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont says action is needed because “we don’t punish people for the crime of getting a higher education.”

I’m going with a friend to see Jordan Peterson speak in San Francisco on Thursday. This morning when I was surfing YouTube, I found a 4-minute segment in which he had an interaction with an audience member in Australia.