“The key to a slowdown being worthwhile is if it helps get inflation under control. In that sense, news of slowing in labor markets and consumer spending is good news, even if slowing is in and of itself anxiety-inducing.” Wendy Edelberg discusses what a manageable slowdown of the U.S. economy could look like and warns that there are reasons to fear that a more painful economic contraction could be on the horizon.

Though some analysts continue to accept Vladimir Putin’s argument that lays blame for Russia’s aggression on NATO’s shoulders, history does not support that argument. Steven Pifer explores some of that history and Putin’s real motivations for the Ukraine invasion.