New NBER study finds (of course) that Immigration leads to economic growth. More surprising is the finding that native population growth has no - or weakly *negative* - impacts on GDP growth and productivity. www.nber.org/papers/w3552...

Passing through Concord, NH. Americans are waking up. #NoKings

Interesting early analysis of community college bachelor's degrees from NBER: At least for early childhood education jobs, these degrees are as valuable as traditional BA's - but also not that much cheaper. The true test of value will be outcomes in other fields. www.nber.org/papers/w35404

My piece today for @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social's weekly roundup talked about the narrowing vision of who belongs in America. Almost immediately, I got this email through my website (screenshot below), thereby proving my point. Happy 250, America.... open.substack.com/pub/washingt...

The "Great" American Fair has apparently been "paused" due to the heat. abcnews.com/US/heat-wave... Honestly, I doubt anyone would have noticed, given that this was the scene on Wednesday, when I went:

Save the Data! Federal data saves lives, grows the economy, and keeps us safe. At the @scientistsorg.bsky.social Data Policy Institute’s launch, a sample of the critical datasets that deserve preservation:

Here's CBS's sad descent into state media. It uncritically posts a Trump administration's video claiming that a person dipping their hand into the Reflecting Pool is somehow "destroying government property" and asks for the public's help in apprehending this person. x.com/CBSNews/stat...

Trump is holding a *bipartisan* housing bill hostage to a deeply unpopular voter suppression plan that caters to his delusions of election fraud. Every day provides more evidence of his unfitness to lead.

Trump administration policies have destroyed the future of US science and innovation. New @nber.org study finds a sharp drop in young scientists' interest in academia and willingness to stay in the U.S. www.nber.org/papers/w35330

This important tool from the nonprofit research institute PSE Healthy Energy shows the number of deaths attributable to a *single year* of emissions from nearby refineries. The Trump administration's embrace of fossil fuels means more avoidable illnesses and deaths. rrm.psehealthyenergy.org

"Betrayed: America Didn't Vote for This" just became a top-100 bestseller on Amazon! Available here: www.amazon.com/Betrayed-Ame...

This is ironic. The same device that's popularizing "trad wives" and "pro-natalism" may be responsible for reducing U.S. fertility. Very creative @nber.org study finds that diffusion of the iPhone deepened declines in birth rates. www.nber.org/papers/w3531...

Trump decides he doesn't need Milli Vanilli at Freedom250 after all when he can be the main act himself.

Some early momentum for @cscoalition.substack.com's new book, which I'm proud to have co-edited. Please help spread the word! www.amazon.com/Betrayed-Ame...

Thrilled to be on @fox5dc.com.web.brid.gy with @jimlokay.com last night to talk about @cscoalition.substack.com and "Betrayed: America Didn't Vote for This"! Book available here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2RXHLG... www.fox5dc.com/video/fmc-o6...

Happy to announce that Poverty for Profit has won a 2026 Silver Nautilus award for Journalism and Investigative Reporting! Huge thanks to @thenewpress.bsky.social for its support of my work. www.nautilusbookawards.com/2026-winners...

Stunning stat from a new @nber.org study: California billionaires hold $2 TRILLION in wealth - equal to 50% of the state's entire GDP. The study concludes that the proposed billionaire tax would be "small relative to California billionaires’ wealth gains." www.nber.org/papers/w35218

Trump's second term record so far: Untamed inflation, war, and a democracy at risk. America didn't vote for this. Pre-orders of the e-book are available NOW (paperback coming soon). @irashapiro.bsky.social @cscoalition.substack.com www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2MHDN31

The just released DNC "autopsy" of the 2024 election is a mess - a literal mess with pages that look like this. Not sure why this is helpful to anyone. democrats.org/wp-content/u...

The CDC says we now have 1,893 confirmed measles infections so far in 2026. Vaccine coverage among US kindergartners is now down to 92.5% (compared to 95.2% in 2019). Assuming the numbers are correct, we are clearly on track to surpass last year's total of 2,288. www.cdc.gov/measles/data...

Important new study from NBER finds that large-scale immigration enforcement did NOT benefit US-born workers and in fact may have harmed them because of reduced employment in sectors dependent on immigrant labor. www.nber.org/papers/w35129

This is what the Supreme Court has done with its ruling to gut the Voting Rights Act.

Comey's indictment seems to violate DOJ's own guidance (based on Supreme Court rulings) that only "true threats" should be prosecuted under 18 USC 871 (the statute cited in the indictment). An image of seashells on a beach doesn't meet that bar. www.justice.gov/archives/jm/...

Useful graphic from NYT showing how the "Arc de Trump" would compare with other DC landmarks. Very much hoping for the success of the lawsuits filed to stop this architectural abomination.

New NBER research finds that granting birthright citizenship in Germany led to a 70% reduction in youth crime. This does not of course imply that ending birthright citizenship would have the opposite effect, but it's nonetheless an important finding. www.nber.org/papers/w3507...

Today in DC. Welcome to Trump’s economy!

Looks like the turnout for #NoKings tomorrow is going to be incredible. Find your local event here: www.nokings.org

Trump uses human suffering as a cudgel against his enemies. Per Politico, Trump has approved just 23% of disaster relief requests from blue states - compared to 89% for red states. www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

What does this say about Trump that there are bets on Polymarket about the nicknames he might deploy at tonight's SOTU? Disgraceful. polymarket.com/event/what-n...

The bot farms must be working overtime over Melania, judging by the disconnect between the critics and the "viewers."