A mix of bad economic signals for Americans — rising health costs, an unfixed Social Security shortfall, and foreign buyers growing wary of US debt — while Washington focuses on spectacle.

• US workers are paying more for health care, with double-digit increases coming next year.
• Social Security is heading toward insolvency and Congress is barely debating fixes; the main Republican idea floated is funneling offshore oil lease money into the trust fund.
• Trump's "economic D-Day" threat against Iran looks like a bluff, since squeezing Iran further would mean sanctioning major Chinese banks — something the US has almost never done and that would hurt global markets too.
• Foreign holders of US debt are getting more skeptical, driven by the deficit path, heavy AI spending, and the Iran conflict, not just the last few days.
• China is courting South Korea with friendly diplomacy while Trump surprises Seoul and the Pentagon by announcing military-exercise cuts on social media.

Outlook: With midterms two months out and the bond market jittery, expect more loud threats than real action against Iran or China.