My biweekly sojourn in Metro addresses the hair-trigger panic that seems to be gripping us (and if Krugman is to be believed, probably isn’t going away on its own any too soon):

The Defense Department bright lights who decided to swoop Air Force One low over Manhattan last week, it’s now clear, did us all a favor: By panicking an entire city about the prospect of another 9/11, they gave us a welcome respite from panicking about swine flu.

Panic, in fact, is the default mode these days, whether what’s setting it off is the threat of global pandemic or merely of our car warranties not being honored… [read more]