Nonrival

April 16, 2026

Human experts + AI summaries - on public policy, economics, and technology.

America's Democracy Is at Its Weakest Point in Decades, International Watchdogs Find

pew

• Three major democracy monitoring organizations all downgraded the U.S. in 2025, with some measures falling to their lowest levels in over 100 years
• The U.S. now ranks below all other wealthy G7 democracies and has been reclassified from a "liberal democracy" to an "electoral democracy" by one leading index
• Nearly 70% of Americans are dissatisfied with how their democracy is working, with most saying the U.S. used to be a good example for other countries but no longer is

Wildfires Are Burning Too Hot and Fast for Even Fire-Adapted Forests to Survive

wri

• Forest fires burned 13 million hectares in 2024 and emitted 4.1 billion tons of greenhouse gases — more than four times global aviation emissions — as fires become more frequent and intense due to climate change.
• While some forests like Canada's boreal forests evolved thick bark and heat-resistant seeds to survive periodic fires, even these adapted ecosystems are failing when fires burn too frequently or intensely, sometimes converting forests permanently to grasslands.
• Tropical rainforests like the Amazon, which never adapted to fire, are especially vulnerable to catastrophic damage from even low-intensity fires, threatening to turn forests from carbon sinks into carbon sources.

GLP-1 weight loss drugs are everywhere online, but most aren't what they claim to be

the_conversation

• Online ads for cheaper GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic alternatives are flooding the internet, but most are "compounded" versions that aren't FDA-approved and may contain different ingredients or dosages than the real medications.
• The FDA has received over 1,000 reports of adverse events from compounded versions, including serious side effects like pancreatitis and gallstones, because drug concentrations can vary significantly from what's labeled.
• To stay safe, consumers should only buy from official manufacturer websites like Novocare or LillyDirect, verify that any pharmacy is U.S.-licensed and FDA-registered, and avoid sites that don't require proper medical evaluation.

In the News

The U.S. Should Focus Its Trade Investigations on China, Not 16 Countries at Once

itif

• The U.S. Trade Representative is investigating 16 countries for "excess capacity" in manufacturing, but this broad approach dilutes focus from the real threat: China's deliberate strategy to dominate global technology markets.
• Unlike other countries that simply export more than they consume domestically, China uses government subsidies and below-cost pricing as weapons to destroy foreign competitors and capture market share in strategic industries like electric vehicles and displays.
• The U.S. should narrow its trade policy to counter China's techno-economic dominance rather than treating routine trade irritants with allies and China's systematic mercantilism as equivalent problems.

Analysis

Why the AI Revolution Is Making Inequality Worse Than Past Technology Booms

voxeu

• New research shows that rapid technological progress creates more inequality than gradual innovation, both between different time periods and geographic regions
• Unlike slower technological changes that allow workers and regions to adapt, fast-moving advances like AI concentrate benefits among a small group of early adopters
• The speed of modern innovation may explain why recent decades have seen widening gaps between tech hubs and other areas, as well as between high- and low-skilled workers

Also Worth a Look

• New homeowners are spending 26% of their income on housing while existing owners pay just 20% (eig)
• Rural Americans vote Republican even though GOP policies make their health worse (niskanen)
• Military Rule Is Back in South Asia as Armies Replace Democratic Backsliding as the Biggest Threat (carnegie)
• Catholic Schools Challenge Colorado's Universal Pre-K Program Over LGBT Nondiscrimination Rules (scotusblog)
• Mexico's Free Health Insurance Program Reduced Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs by 40% but Didn't Improve Health Outcomes (voxeu)
• AI Companies Are Racing to Shape Their Own Regulation Before Politicians Do It for Them (ai_now)
• Anthropic's 'Safety First' AI Claims Face Scrutiny Over Lack of Independent Verification (ai_now)