The Morning Call
04/12/2026
In a recent Cabinet meeting, President Trump praised himself for using custom Sharpies instead of $1,000 pens in the White House, saying: “I love the government like I love myself, economically. I want to save money.”
In other news, according to The Nation, the estimated cost of the first 12 days of the Iran War is $16.5 billion.
Research by The Institute for Policy Studies shows the daily cost of the war could cover the daily costs of Medicaid for 4 million Americans, or food stamps for more than 9.5 million Americans — programs that had funding cuts to help pay for President Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax bill, resulting in millions at risk of going hungry and without health care. The Congressional Budget Office projects the bill will increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion.
America might have $1.78 trillion in student loan debt. And an average of $11,500 of household credit card debt. And houses might cost five years of the median salary for someone working in the U.S. But at least we’re saving money in that switch from pens to Sharpies. We’re on the right track.
— Chris Lang, Bethlehem
