We Need to Tax Billionaires -- Gabriel Zucman

In bookstores in the UK on May 21

Very much looking forward to this

It was really beautiful, so emotional.

My postdoc is starting a new job, one of my students defended his PhD and his mom and grandmother came to the defense and another student has his first fly out. The kids are alright.

Truth

Congrats! Can't wait to read it.

Go Heels!

In an age of partisan polarization, this is an incredibly low approval.

The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.

A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.

Screenshot of a data visualization titled “The Cost of American Exceptionalism,” subtitled “What would change if the U.S. matched the OECD average?” The page explains that each card shows how outcomes would change if the U.S. matched the average of 31 peer democracies. Below, a section labeled “Economy & Inequality” displays eight cards comparing U.S. figures to OECD averages. Highlights include: +$19K per household per year in redistributed income and +$96K in redistributed wealth if the top 1% matched OECD shares; a 71% lower CEO-to-worker pay ratio (from 354× to 101×); 50 million more workers with union coverage; 26 million more people with health insurance; $2.1 trillion saved annually in healthcare spending; $691 less per person per year in prescription drug costs; and intergenerational economic mobility being twice as high. Each card shows the U.S. value alongside the OECD average.

If there's one empirical insight I'd want everyone to understand about American politics, it's this:

America's problems are solved problems. Just not here.

What would change if the US simply matched the average of 31 peer democracies? Not Denmark or Norway. Just the middle of the pack. 🧵

New post-doc position working with me in a new lab at @snfagora.bsky.social ! It's one year appointment, renewable for up to 5 years. The position includes data analysis and independent research, mentorship of lab members, and participation in SNF Agora Institute life.

apply.interfolio.com/178796

Hungarian polling trends 2023-2026 showing Fidesz (orange line) declining from ~55% to ~40% while TISZA party (dark red line) rises from near 0% in early 2024 to ~44% by late 2025, surpassing Fidesz. Other opposition parties (DK, MM, Jobbik, etc.) remain below 10% throughout the period.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Hungary’s Orban seemed undefeatable a year ago.

Then Peter Magyar broke through with a powerful anti-corruption platform, rapidly consolidated the fractured opposition, and now leads Fidesz comfortably.

Anti-corruption defeats authoritarianism worldwide. It will work here, too.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I remember the 2004 election and what a gut punch that night felt like, and I never thought I would live long enough to see Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice canceled by GOP elites.

The big winner last night was the thermostatic model. Undefeated

Second "No Kings Day" protests likely the largest single-day political demonstration since 1970, with 4.2-7.6 million participants Here are the initial results from our crowdsourced crowd-counting estimates

Good evening. We estimate that between 4.2 and 7.6 million people turned out for the No Kings Day demonstrations held around the country on Saturday. This makes Oct 18 very likely the biggest single-day U.S. protest event since 1970. www.gelliottmorris.com/p/second-no-...

Second "No Kings Day" protests likely the largest single-day political demonstration since 1970, with 4.2-7.6 million participants Here are the initial results from our crowdsourced crowd-counting estimates

“likely the largest single-day political demonstration since 1970” www.gelliottmorris.com/p/second-no-...

Congrats Jamelle!

Congrats!!

Big day @maxwellsu.bsky.social! Pete Buttigieg gave a great talk for students about hope and sustainability. Now @jamellebouie.net and @robmickey.bsky.social in conversation about American democracy with @faricy.bsky.social.

@maxwellsu.bsky.social hosted an excellent panel with UM's Rob Mickey & @jamellebouie.net, moderated by @faricy.bsky.social. @jamellebouie.net shared some of the insights from the Q&A on instagram: www.instagram.com/reel/DPZBwVR...

The Unconstitutional Conditions Doctrine and the Compact for Excellence Members of the Trump administration love to say that federal funding is a privilege not a right and therefore something that can be granted or withheld based on changing administrative priorities.

The Trump Administration’s “Compact of Excellence” for Universities is... far from excellent! Indeed, it’s unconstitutional. In this post, let me count the ways.

blog.dividedargument.com/p/the-uncons...

This is so rad. My hunch is that it will not only improve kid wellbeing and educational outcomes, but serve as a major jobs program for both parents and childcare workers. Hope lots of people study the results

A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the President doesn’t like what they say.

This is an attack on free speech and cannot be allowed to stand.

All elected officials need to speak up and push back on this undemocratic act.

Headline for Detroit Free Press story: “Tight end for Detroit Lions’ Week 6 opponent engaged to Taylor Swift.”

There’s always a local angle. #journalism

I know the nationalities of my fellow oath-takers because of the next stage of the ceremony. This was the Roll Call of Nations. I did not know this was going to happen. Every country of origin represented was announced in turn. As your country was named, you were asked to stand up, and remain standing. Afghanistan came first. Then Algeria. The last person to stand, immediately to my left, was from the United Kingdom. There were twenty seven countries in all, out of only fifty or so people. For me this part in particular was enormously, irresistibly moving. It perfectly expressed the principle, the claim, the myth—as you please—that America is an idea. That it does not matter where you are from. That, in fact, America will in this moment explicitly and proudly acknowledge the sheer variety of places you are all from. That built in to the heart of the United States is the republican ideal not just that anyone can become an American, but that this possibility is what makes the country what it is.

Anyway, Happy 4th everyone. If you want to see genuine and engaged citizenship, do yourself a favor and witness a citizenship ceremony. Genuinely inspiring.
This essay from fellow Irish ex-part @kjhealy.co brought back memories of my own swearing in.
kieranhealy.org/blog/archive...

The best of the world comes to America for our universities and we're burning it down for no reason.

Thanks Heath!

Just-out YouGov polling shows Trump's approval on the economy continuing to plunge — and his handling of immigration turning negative very sharply. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...