Even the most committed free-traders have to admit that tariffs and the threat of tariffs can prod other countries to make needed reforms. That outcome is still possible in the American trade war with China, and it’s the one to root for. But our thinking about this conflict suffers from misconceptions that bias us towards President Donald Trump’s tariff-centered strategy. ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just released its latest statistics on US births. Boring, you say. Not so. Historic birth patterns tell us a lot about where the country has been — and where it might be going. We are now experiencing some of the lowest birth figures ever. In 2018, US births totaled 3.788 million, ...

Bloomberg US equity futures dipped and European stocks fluctuated after a mixed session in Asia as investors digested the latest in the Sino-American confrontation over technology. Oil declined while the dollar and Treasuries were steady before the latest Fed minutes. Contracts on the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Industrial Average edged lower with Chinese equities after the White ...