Austin is living a fundamental paradox this week: the city solved its housing crisis through deregulation and free markets—50,000 units built in three years, rents down 22%—while simultaneously wasting a quarter-billion dollars on consultant contracts nobody can account for. The first story proves our audience's faith in markets actually works at scale. The second explains why government spending deserves skepticism. Layered on top: macro uncertainty from the Iran conflict is heating energy pric