One of my favorite parts of publishing The Rundown is reading your feedback. Every week, your emails expand the conversation, challenge assumptions and sometimes send us down entirely new paths.

While we can’t print every response, we always read them.

Over the second quarter of 2026, more than a few responses stood out — not because they all agreed, but because they reflected the thoughtfulness that makes our community what it is.

For example, reader Charles S., 87, shared how dramatically the tone of public life has changed during his lifetime:

“I can remember when we didn’t even care what political party our friends ascribed to. We didn’t discuss it. We were friends because of who we were — not because of which political party we belonged to.

“I recently had someone tell me they check which party a workman is registered with before hiring them. That is a terrible state of affairs!”

Charles G. made a distinction I suspect many readers can appreciate:

“I believe Americans still believe in America. I also believe we recognize the failed leadership that has put the almighty corporation at a much higher premium than the people of this country. I didn’t believe in trickle-down economics, and I no longer trust our leaders.”

Not every note struck a pessimistic tone. R.J.S. offered perhaps the simplest perspective of all: “No other country in history has had so many people risk their livelihoods — and even their lives — to come here.”

Tom C. acknowledged America’s frustrations while refusing to give up on its promise:

“America still holds the potential for greatness... Our family hasn’t given up on America, but I can also understand why so many of us are conflicted. We can and should do better.”

And Todd R, whose family history stretches back to the Revolutionary War, wrote that his favorite holiday has always been Independence Day.

“My hope and prayers are for our country to move past the divide and get back to the basics of appreciating our heritage and who we are as Americans.”

Your Rundown for Monday, July 6, 2026...

“Go Mow Your Lawn”

Not every email centered on politics and patriotism. Some of my favorites focused on the practical realities investors face every day.

After a particularly rough trading session, Gary D. didn’t mince words:

“My invested assets dropped by more than $55,000 yesterday. This market is being driven by gamblers who treat it like a casino. Leave the market to investors — the adults in the room whose vision lies far down the road rather than to the corner intersection.”

Whether you’re watching the stock market, economic data or simply paying at the checkout counter, inflation remains one of the topics readers feel most passionately about.

On interest rates, Kevin H. argued that today’s inflation requires more nuance than simply hiking borrowing costs:

“If oil prices return to pre-war levels, Fed chair Kevin Warsh should cut rates. The labor market is solid, but not overheated. Lower rates would also help revive housing.”

Howard H. shared a recent conversation: “I just spoke to a butcher at my local grocery store and he said meat prices are up about 12% this year and gas is up about 25% here in California. Kevin Hassett is just repeating the party line.”

Manufacturing also generated feedback. Reader Arthur M. reminded us that rebuilding American industry requires more than renovating old factories:

“I trust that the renovated Pittsburgh plant will be producing the high-strength, flexible steel that China is making in enormous quantities.

“In the late 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. steel industry let the Europeans and Koreans use new technology while we stayed with pre-WWII technology. The result: the demise of American steel for the past 60 years.”

And because our readers rarely stay in one lane, Lucille M. offered her prescription for the dangers of delivery apps:“Wake up! Go mow your lawn, cook healthy food, clean up after yourself and start feeling human again.”

Finally, two readers responded to a piece that meant a great deal to me personally.

A retired Army lieutenant colonel wrote after my Memorial Day column:

“As a combat veteran who did come home, I appreciate your thoughtfulness and insight into any military success being about good people making those victories happen.”

Another reader, Bart D., shared a piece of history I didn’t know:

“The holiday we now call Memorial Day didn’t begin with an act of Congress or a presidential proclamation… It began with formerly enslaved Black Americans in Charleston, South Carolina” — who honored fallen Union soldiers by giving them proper burials just weeks after the Civil War ended.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to write.

Whether you agreed, disagreed, challenged an argument or simply shared a story from your own life, your emails continue to make The Rundown better. Keep them coming.

We read far more than we’re able to publish — but chances are, your note could appear in a future edition.

Market Rundown for Monday, July 6, 2026

S&P 500 futures are up 0.41% to 7,559.

Oil is down 0.55% to $68.31 for a barrel of WTI.

Gold is up 0.65% to $4,152.50 per ounce.

And Bitcoin is down 2.86% to $61,771.80.