Even if we would stipulate that the *only* purpose of college is vocational training (ugh) if you think you, at 18 years old, not only know for sure what your future career will be but also know better than all the professors at a college what skills you will need for that career, why bother?

This is actually a good example of why the customer model is wrong. I wouldn't have chosen poetry writing, but UNC made me take a class. And it absolutely made me become a much better writer, with an eye to concision and an ear now trained to the rhythm of words. I'm a better historian as a result.

I threw all the data into a searchable table. jamessmurphy.com/2025/12/09/w...

The Department of Education shared data today on IHEs where, 4 years after earning a credential, graduates earned less than peers with only a high school diploma. What ED didn't shout out was just how many of those institutions are for-profits. So I got the data. jamessmurphy.com/2025/12/09/w...

The thing I try to explain the most to those who don’t live here is that the Nuzzis of the world live in Washington (the place that deserves your ire) and the rest of us live in D.C., a collection of diverse, mostly quiet, walkable residential neighborhoods with no federal representation

"For many first-generation and low-income students, their best shot at college success is immediately after high school. Using that shot—and the limited Pell dollars that come with it—on a very short program could limit their long-term career opportunities." www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

We first note that hand-wringing about the decline in US college enrollments has mistakenly linked such declines to the price of four-year colleges. But the decline is entirely driven by two-year community colleges (and by for-profit colleges). The four-year sector is the dog that didn't bark.

Community college enrollment has been declining since 2009/10. The optimal policy response to this depends on the root of this decline. I'm thrilled @nber.org today released my working paper with Harvard PhD Joe Winkelmann titled: "Labor Market Strength and Declining Community College Enrollment"

Anyone wishing to pontificate about changes in the demand for a college education should be forced to stare at this graph for a bit first

LSU is paying its previous football coach over $50 million NOT to coach there while likely guaranteeing Kiffin something approaching double that, all while having an academic hiring freeze and budget cuts across the board. What is the purpose of a university (rhetorical)?

Thoughtful, actionable advice for district and schools here. "They Examined 3.3 Million Text Messages on Chronic Absenteeism. Here Are 4 Big Findings" via @the74.bsky.social www.the74million.org/article/they...

The coordinated nature of this—none are facing voters in 2026—means that either Schumer approved it or failed in his job as Senate Majority Leader to stop it. Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.

Welp

you know, I think most people should not be doing chotiner interviews, but also, I think comms professionals should, on average, fare better than this. yikes.

There is so much to unpack here, I don't know where to begin. 🧵

someone please tell me he was pressed to say more about what they are actually asking democrats to vote on right now and how the only thing they've actually put on the table is a CR that now would expire in 3 weeks anyway?

"What is, 'nothing'?" @kenjennings.bsky.social: "correct, still your pick"

This is a beautiful new locker room at St Pius in Kansas City. They are a private religious school that accepts taxpayer vouchers for partial tuition. Anyway, the kids at the public school down the road from me learn to run track when they go to track meets — they don’t have a track of their own.

Our president is working overtime to hurt one of our country's most successful export industries (one that I happen to work for).

Ignore all laws about altering historic properties ✅ Pave over Rose Garden for tacky Mar-A-Lardo Patio ✅ Demolish East Wing after lying that "It won't interfere with the current building. It'll be near it but not touching it" ✅ Build gaudy $250M Ballroom as public struggles financially ✅ #Ugh🤢✅

"I want to double back on Sherrill’s casual slams on MS & LA. Do they have some of the “worst schools” in the nation, as Sherrill claimed? And by implication, is NJ doing better than these states? The answer to both...is no." via @chadaldeman.bsky.social www.chadaldeman.com/p/thank-good...

"Let childhood infectious diseases run wild" and "Kids with disabilities deserve nothing" are two parts of a single, terrifyingly coherent philosophy.

Also, a total lie that American students have been crowded out by international students. International students effectively subsidize the tuition of American students!

Imagine getting owned this hard by Hakeem Jeffries

Can I RT this twice

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. How corrosive it is that public figures are--more and more shamelessly--ripping the copper wiring out of the walls. Integrity is for suckers. Abusing power is fun. Caring about anything bigger than yourself is lame. An elite class of evil toddlers

"The norms of political correctness thus set basic ground rules for social life—at least, in politically mixed company. These norms lorded over a motley moral crew." via @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social www.bostonreview.net/articles/how...

CHOTINER: When you’re at Chipotle, you get to choose a salsa. Which one do you get? ME: Well I get the pico. But also the hot CHOTINER: But on Bluesky you said— ME: Yes, also the corn. And also the medium CHOTINER: So (pause) all four? ME: There’s no rule saying only one, okay? CHOTINER: Okay

By no means is this hyperbole 👉

Good for Craig Melvin, asking harder questions and following up in a way the WH Press Corps apparently has lost the taste for.

MELVIN: The president repeatedly did say though that he would end the war on day 1, and we are some 250 days into the administration MARCO RUBIO: Yeah, but that's not up to us to end the war MELVIN: Repeatedly on the campaign trail he said he would end it on day 1

a really fucking exhausting thing about this current moment is that any good faith efforts to reform or acknowledge short comings of knowledge producing and sense making institutions is promptly weaponized by people who want to burn the entire thing down and drown us in avalanche of bullshit

they don't have the capacity to compel obedience by the process of law. they don't have the capacity to compel obedience by violence. the only lever by which they can obtain obedience is fear. do not offer it to them.

it’s hard to see ezra’s actions as anything other than a shameless attempt at self-preservation

This is Blueskyism

See also Biden. Dean Phillips would like a word.

This. 👇👇👇 JB Pritzker: "Any rational person who has spent even the most minimal amount of time studying human history has to ask themselves one important question: Once they get the citizens of this nation comfortable with the current atrocities committed under the color of law, what comes next?”

It would be better if Dems in DC approached issues with the mindset of "how can I accomplish Democratic objectives?" rather than "I need an excuse to avoid conflict with Republicans" or "the Democratic base is always wrong, my job is to keep them in check and avoid doing what they want."

Ezra Klein is right and it matters he's saying this. The question is not "funding the government" or "shutting down the government." It's funding *this* government versus shutting down *this* government. It's not the definite article existing independent of who's in power. It is who's in power.

the real glory of world war two was that it involved a warrior cult being ground down and beaten to a pulp by people who would rather have been doing something else.

Nothing "devalues and demeans the Christian faith" more than a group of lying grifters who just bragged about murdering a boatload of people and are protecting a pedophile sex trafficking ring pretending that they are, despite all their actions, Christians.

Middle of the day in an airport terminal seems like a fine place to start the 2026-27 FAFSA Tracker sandbox, right?

I'm very aware of hyper partisanship and all that but a little principle or basic seriousness as a treat would really hit the spot

Recall that last year Trump said he wanted to staple green cards to every international grad student’s diploma and much of the press reported it as fact. Three days ago he suddenly declared he’d bring in 600k Chinese students (?). This is basically the opposite of what his admin has actually done

Trump admin planning to change student visas from lasting for duration of academic program to fixed 4-yr term, and then much harder to renew Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.

Where IS Mike Johnson holed up anyway?

Once again wondering if any journalists have any interest in tracking down either the Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader & asking them what they think about the PresIdent proclaiming he is a Dictator, unconstrained by Congress, the law, or the Constitution. bsky.app/profile/mcop...