Incredible honest reporting and insights on DOGE.

I loathe that we need GoFundMe campaigns for this type of thing, but Randy is a real one. Kind, dedicated, smart, funny, and deeply a good person. If you have a few dollars or well wishes please send them his way

Overall rates of food insecurity held steady in 2020 & 2021 despite the pandemic. Food insecurity among households with kids actually reached a two-decade low in 2021. In contrast, food insecurity increased during the Great Recession amid a less robust policy response. Policy matters.

Shana tova. This is outrageous.

apnews.com/article/trum... "The questions used to collect the data are entirely subjective and do not present an accurate picture of actual food security." Huh?

"Trends in the prevalence of food insecurity have remained virtually unchanged, regardless of an over 87% increase in SNAP spending between 2019 - 2023." It was a massive policy accomplishment to have food security stay flat during COVID. www.fns.usda.gov/newsroom/usd...

ICYMI, this weekend USDA announced that it would not field the Food Security Supplement to the Current Population Survey - the source of information about the state of food insecurity and hunger in America - this December. The press release is full of falsehoods: www.fns.usda.gov/newsroom/usd...

This is false; I fear that whoever wrote this statement doesn’t know what these adjectives mean.

This is unacceptable. www.wsj.com/economy/trum...

Claims: 1/ An extremely concerning jump in initial claims to 263K (highest since the fall of 2021). This data includes Labor Day weekend, so maybe it's holiday noise, but I'm worried. A lot of it happened in Texas (IC there doubled from 17K to 32K).

Come work with me!

@laurenhlb.bsky.social, @rdpiazza.bsky.social, @2ndharvest.bsky.social's Leslie Bacho and Arteagas Food Center's Lupe Lopez join to talk about the impacts of Trump’s cuts to SNAP, the nation’s primary anti-hunger program. ❓ Are you concerned about losing food stamp benefits?

Sometimes (just now) my mind wanders and I think about the fact that... More than half of able-bodied adults between the ages of 60 to 64 who receive SNAP also receive Social Security benefits. And they now have to do *work* requirements? That's bananas.

My hot take for the day is to follow the flat blue line.

bad site, good take

From PA's letter to Chair Thompson: USDA has gone dark on states about SNAP changes. Cancelling standing technical assistance calls ... still no guidance ... appalling stuff. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

NEW: In January, President Trump fired NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox, leaving the Board without a quorum. Olivia Howard, @laurenhlb.bsky.social‬, @cmcnich.bsky.social, and Margaret Poydock explore what this means for the Board and how NLRB actions in 2025 have compared to recent years.

Apparently today I am an historian

Take a moment to read this by @michaelrstrain.bsky.social on BLS yes, but also on integrity. www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/t... #EconSky

Take a million Ernie does something I wish I had thought of.

Trump firing the BLS director for a bad jobs report - days after demanding the Smithsonian remove him from the list of impeached presidents - is banana republic stuff. If a Democrat pulled these stunts, Republicans would be setting themselves on fire outside the White House.

Dr. Erika McEntarfer has devoted her career to public service. She has conducted herself as BLS Commissioner with great integrity. There is no evidence whatsoever that BLS data are politically biased. #econsky

For six months, I've said that threats to economic data have been more collateral damage than intentional harm. No longer. Firing the head of the BLS is five-alarm intentional harm to the integrity of US economic data and the entire statistical system.

The timing on subjecting more people to work requirements while functionally ending waivers is going to be poor. (Congress can always suspend.) But it was predictable - can’t say we didn’t warn: www.brookings.edu/articles/pro...

This this this this.

Big news in today's #jobs report are the revisions. The labor market is much weaker than originally reported the last two months. While payrolls grew 73k in July, May and June data were revised down a total of 258k to 19k and 14k, respectively, bringing 3-month average growth down to 35k. #EconSky

I get asked all the time if the Trump Administration intends to privatize Social Security, and I always say "not to my knowledge." Welp...

@hamiltonproject.org's trade tracker is updated through May/June. Check it out here: www.hamiltonproject.org/data/trackin... #EconSky #Trade

Hell of a last column. This resonated with me.

On this day in 1910, President William Howard Taft argued that everyone should take three months off each year because there “is such a thing as exhausting the capital of one’s health and constitution.” 1/

I think it's fair to say that Department of Education expenditures are off-track. #ED

Well this is just as bad as I thought it would be. Suddenly sacked hechingerreport.org/proof-points...

“The American economy owes prime age women, especially mothers, a debt of gratitude for helping the economy climb out.” @laurenhlb.bsky.social spoke to @19thnews.org’s @chabeli.bsky.social about our new analysis of prime-age labor force participation:

More than half of SNAP able-bodied adults without dependents 60-64 are on Social Security. They will now have a meet work requirements to get SNAP. This is madness.

I guess we're past the point of persuasion, but don't say we didn't warn you. www.hamiltonproject.org/publication/...

We’re on borrowed time.

Re-upping this again so you understand how and why work requirements are going to kick A LOT of working people off Medicaid. Why? Lots of people work variable shifts— a week or two with a few less hours==> no Medicaid for you. www.brookings.edu/articles/wor...

Great #jobsday thread:

For #jobsday, @avivaaron-dine.bsky.social, Eileen Powell, and I take stock of the labor market as of May. Women are remarkable. www.hamiltonproject.org/publication/...

I have a new paper out on the macro consequences of the administration's immigration policy changes, with @wendyedelberg.bsky.social and @taraelizwatson.bsky.social.

May I direct your attention to #jobsday? To this superb piece by @chabeli.bsky.social on what's going on with women at work: 19thnews.org/2025/07/wome...

NEW: this afternoon, USDA released FY24 payment error rates for SNAP. @hamiltonproject.org made an interactive that let's you see the past 20 years* of SNAP payment error rates by state. In FY24, half of states and DC had a payment error rate above 10. www.hamiltonproject.org/data/snap-pa... 1/2

This is *insane*

So glad @chloeneast.bsky.social is getting her flowers and a deserved shout-out for setting the record straight on the evidence about SNAP work requirements. And funny to boot.

Last Week Tonight just quoted my blog! Hey @chloeneast.bsky.social: you are famous! Read it here: donmoynihan.substack.com/p/what-aei-g...

Taking Alaska and Hawaii off the board may pick up 2 votes (not my department), but it leaves every other state hanging. And this "fix" gives up the fake game: if there's an alternative to cost-sharing in the bill that incentives error rate improvements, why are the stakes end-the-program high?

Every word of this is depraved beyond belief. ICE abducted a six year old with leukemia, threatened him with a gun such that he wet himself, and has denied him medical treatment. I don’t know what to say. www.tpr.org/border-immig...

In both the House and Senate, payment error rates will determine what share of SNAP benefit payments states are forced to pay. We're (hopefully) going to get FY2024 payment error rates in the next few days, but look! A map for FY2023. This policy looks like a recipe for ending SNAP in most states.

🤔

New Senate text changes work requirements yet again. Now parents whose youngest dependent is under 14 are exempt. Out of nowhere Indians are now exempt. But veterans, the homeless, and youth aged out of foster care still lose their exemption. Why??