• On PostEverything: pointing out the White House’s missed opportunity on the federal gas tax and looking at government gridlock and its damaging effect on social policy.

• On the Upshot: evaluating the benefits of regional price adjustments for a minimum wage increase that makes more sense.

• Analyzing the role of health spending in the latest GDP revision.

• Arguing that we can’t ignore the political realities that block thoughtful ideas that fight back against poverty.

• Providing context for the negative Q1 GDP revision.

• Pointing out the culprit behind the Kansas’s failed tax cut experiment.

• Fleshing out some lessons in recent macro debates re the causes of and cures for the Great Recession.

Music: featuring an uncannily take of an old classic from the blues kid — he’s got the moves, the sound, and even kills it on the harp in this week’s musical interlude.