“Vera,” said the countess, turning to her older daughter, obviously not her favorite. “How is it you have no notion of anything?” Excerpt From War and Peace Leo Tolstoy, Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky https://books.apple.com/us/book/war-and-peace/id460819556 This material may be protected by copyright.

“I often think how unfairly life’s good fortune is sometimes distributed. Why has fate given you two such nice children (excluding Anatole, your youngest, I don’t like him),” she put in peremptorily, raising her eyebrows, “such lovely children? And you really value them less than anyone and are therefore unworthy of them.” And she smiled her rapturous smile.” Excerpt From War and Peace Leo Tolstoy, Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky https://books.apple.com/us/book/war-and-peace/id460819556 This material may be protected by copyright.

“The count is suffering both physically and morally, and it seems you have taken care to cause him as much moral suffering as possible.” “May I see the count?” Pierre repeated. “Hm! … If you want to kill him, to kill him outright, you may see him.” Excerpt From War and Peace Leo Tolstoy, Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky https://books.apple.com/us/book/war-and-peace/id460819556 This material may be protected by copyright.

I’m reading War and Peace, and you know, probably a lot more people would read it if they knew just how extremely cunty the dialogue is

Young, innovative firms often struggle to grow in Europe, and access to finance is a key issue. Now the EU is setting up a €5bn public-private fund: The Scaleup Europe Fund.

In my new policy brief, I discuss whether this is a good idea and how the fund should be designed.

Main takeaways 👇

For years, but especially in the last few months, I have been trying hard to imagine what it will feel like seeing Orban decisively defeated. I just couldn't. And yet here we are: it is truly and well over. I have more reservations about Peter Magyar than I could say in 300 characters or a thread...

Strenghtening tax gap analysis across Africa!

Starting on 14 April, UNU‑WIDER is leading 4 training sessions on tax gap analysis in 2026 for the members of the African Tax Administration Forum.

Find out more go.unu.edu/fwmyf

The top part of the Moon is illuminated. The gray cratered surface stands out against the blackness of space. The Earth appears in the far distance as an upside-down crescent moon shape. There is some lens flare in the top part and center of the image. Credit: NASA

okay i change my mind, THIS is one of the best and most beautiful images from artemis ii

The facts of the European (EU27) income convergence How is Europe becoming more equal

Europe - specifically the current 27 EU MS - has become more equal over the last 30 years. But this is due only to narrowing between-country inequality, not within-country inequality; the latter has increased slightly.

branko2f7.substack.com/p/the-facts-...
by
@brankomilan.bsky.social

1/ 🌍 New research from the ITO by @alice-chiocchetti.bsky.social, @nmoreaukastler.bsky.social, @qparrinello.bsky.social &
@giuliavaraschin.bsky.social shows that commodity booms generate massive windfall profits, but a growing share ends up in tax havens 🧵⤵️

taxobservatory.world/publication/...

Corporate profits are booming. Your paycheck isn’t.

That’s not the market working. That’s power.

This week, Nick and Goldy talk with @arindube.bsky.social about who really decides what you get paid—and why most workers don’t have the leverage to change it.

🎧 New episode out now: buff.ly/5LcZi46

ECB to European governments: Please please invest in renewables, it’ll make our job so much easier. Plain as day.

Featured in the latest Digest: China's Rise in Global Research

www.nber.org/digest/20260...

Golden times for PhD students in economics looking for research topics

Bar chart showing firms audited once report 12M UGX VAT, while firms audited multiple times report 362M UGX, indicating higher VAT with repeated audits.

Chart showing 15% of Uganda’s tax revenue comes from regular filers, with 1 in 3 of these filers audited more than once.

How does tax audit frequency affect compliance?

Our latest working paper finds that companies subjected to multiple audits increase their VAT liabilities. Repeated interactions are essential to foster durable compliance in developing economies.

🔗Learn more: go.unu.edu/deloj

Venn diagram

Venn diagram

#ott #offtopictuesday

The 2025 numbers are really striking.

www.kielinstitut.de/fileadmin/Da...

Next up at the #LunchSeminar: Jeanne Bomare (LSE)

“Death and Taxes: Inheritance Tax Planning and Unexpected Mortality”

🗓️ April 3 | 12:00
📍 @pse.bsky.social or via Zoom

More info about the seminar ⤵️
taxobservatory.eu/event/eu-tax...

GOAT

No AI in English Wikipedia, "with exceptions for copyediting one's own writing and machine translation from another language's Wikipedia". There is a lot here for universities and academic journals to learn from.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artific...

Scientists Filmed a Whale Birth. The Surprise: Mom Had Many Helpers.

This is great.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/c... (free link)
"Notably, half of the whales attending were not related to the mother."
"The calf was rarely left untouched, and it was usually being touched by at least two whales simultaneously."

A Phone-Free Childhood? One Irish Village Is Making It Happen.

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/r...

Chart showing estimated fall in GDP per person resulting from Brexit (based on different specifications in a synthetic control model): UK, Q1-2026 to Q2-2025

Brexit has likely done more economic damage than feared.

Recent evidence suggests the economic cost of Brexit may be approaching twice the 4% impact assumed by the OBR.

The Chancellor has signalled a shift in approach to EU trade, but the effect will depend on how far the govt goes on alignement.

Incredible scenes from today's pro-Magyar, anti-Orban rally in Budapest. Only 4 weeks left until the most consequential election in the EU this year

🇪🇺🇭🇺

Billionaires’ % share of federal election spending in:

2008: 0.3%

2024: 19%

@nytimes.com #GildedAge
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...

Why didn't the Biden administration get more credit for its investments? In part, because they didn't raise wages or create jobs widely enough or quickly enough. @samthorpe.bsky.social and I examine the political economy of industrial policy across America's energy communities

Here as elsewhere, wealth tax debates revolve around taken-for-granted assumptions that are anything but. Capital flight is not a force of nature, revenue-raising is contingent; they depend on scope, enforcement, anti-avoidance, culture. The regulatory/institutional environment is *made not given*.

I'm in the FT today 👇

I do my best Captain Obvious impression with a "well, it depends" regarding the effectiveness of a proposed Danish wealth tax.

Rising energy prices are pushing up inflation, especially in economies dependent on imported fossil fuels.

The durable solution is structural: improve efficiency, accelerate electrification and scale up renewables.

Energy policy is economic policy.

Fossil Fuel–Driven Price Volatility Demonstrates the Need for a Renewable Transition - Roosevelt Institute In a new Roosevelt Institute analysis, authors Kristina Karlsson and Lauren Melodia highlight why a complete transition to an electrified renewable energy sector is essential both to mitigate the deep...

Who knew? @rooseveltinstitute.org
rooseveltinstitute.org/publications...

The World Bank launched the DRM Impact Program in Tokyo this week.

UNU-WIDER’s Amina Ebrahim showed that tax incentive evaluation is possible when countries bring these two ingredients:
📊 investment in data
💪 political will

Find out more: go.unu.edu/Ep1nT

Ah, the simple tactic of holding up a mirror, this time to find a conscience.