Brexit. Trump. Populism. Nationalism. Is there one story that can provide a single unified explanation for the trends taking hold across the globe? Maybe not. But if you had to choose one, it would be the economic divide. And it’s not just about the 1% and everyone else. It’s about a split that’s as evenly divided as most American elections. Here’s the NYT on America’s haves and half nots. “This group — the approximately 117 million adults stuck on the lower half of the income ladder — ‘has been completely shut off from economic growth since the 1970s, … Even after taxes and transfers, there has been close to zero growth for working-age adults in the bottom 50 percent.” (It’s worth noting that, contrary to popular opinion, this story has been anything but ignored by the media.)

+ “Their jobs were routine and the easiest to replace with automation. The first thing to do is accept the 21st–century reality that no matter what you do, these jobs aren’t coming back.” A Quartz Q&A: Brace yourself: the most disruptive phase of globalization is just beginning

+ Larry Summers: “If foreign companies are allowed to run production chains that include Mexico and American companies are not, won’t American employment ultimately suffer?”

+ Brookings: Technology, not international trade, is the primary force behind lost manufacturing jobs. (The misunderstanding of this fact has created a lot of misplaced rage against workers in other countries — and “others” in general. But I guess it’s pretty hard to get pissed at a robot.)