What happened On Valentine’s Day, First Lady Melania Trump visited The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health. She spent the afternoon with children who are in clinical trials, their families, and staff. The visit included arts and crafts, conversation, and a small celebration meant to bring a break from hospital routines and the hard work of medical care. Where this took place The Children’s Inn is a nonprofit residence connected to the NIH Clinical Center. It offers a free place to stay for families whose children are taking part in biomedical research. The goal is simple: reduce the burden of travel and lodging so families can focus on care and recovery while researchers study treatments. Why it matters Visits like this are part feel-good moment and part reminder that clinical trials rely on real families. The Inn supports kids with rare and serious conditions who need long or repeated visits to the hospital. That kind of logistical support does not make headlines often, but it makes a difference for families juggling tests, caregiving, and life at home. The rose moment An 11-year-old girl handed Mrs. Trump a bouquet of roses when she arrived. It was a quiet, human…

The one number the media loves Headlines ran with a Tax Foundation estimate that President Trump’s tariffs added roughly $1,000 to the average household’s costs. That is an eye catching figure, and it is worth reporting. But a single number makes for tidy headlines and messy policy debates. The study measures one channel of costs. News outlets treated that channel as the whole road. What the headlines left out Tariffs are only one policy lever in a bigger economic machine. The administration points to tax changes, new investment deals, and rising factory spending that it says offset tariff effects. Those items can shift household finances in ways a simple tariff price tag does not capture. If you only read the morning splash, you miss the credits on the back of the receipt. Manufacturing and investment claims The case for tariffs is partly about bringing manufacturing back. Automakers announced new U.S. plants and expansions, and officials say both foreign and domestic firms have boosted capital spending. That kind of investment can create jobs and domestic supply. Whether those gains fully compensate every pocketbook depends on timing, location, and which firms follow through on their plans. Tax changes that matter at payday…