We are (and have been) watching the destruction not only of a historic and iconic newspaper, but also of a local news source for DMV residents. All for fascism. Cancel your WaPo subscription and support @citycastdc.bsky.social is the moral of this depressing story

Even when they show signs of weakness or forced regret, we must not give an inch. Authoritarian governments still respond to public opinion, which is why sustained pressure matters. We have to keep making clear that these thuggish actions are unconscionable and will not be tolerated. Don’t let up.

Protest works

This has big implications for the Wisconsin Governor's race this year, because the new Chancellor will be selected by the Board of Regents, most of whom are appointed by the Governor. 🎁🔗 www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/n...

The actions of a pitiful, cowardly government

To be fair, Strong is the only non-guard on this list and her shot profile is pretty different from the others’…but also if you aren’t watching Sarah Strong you absolutely should be. Total bucket, electric, excellent footwork, etc., etc. Excited to follow her for many years to come!

This piece I wrote back in 2023 feels relevant again. It’s also a good reminder that without good data (which is a public policy issue, especially these days) we lack the information needed to effectively guide public action: housingmatters.urban.org/articles/wha...

Reason #1000000 that anyone who crafts any type of public policy - but certainly economic policy - should be required to take basic coursework in economics.

DOJ subpoenas the Fed. 🚨 If the Fed loses independence to political and legal pressure, investors flee the US. This will result in: 💸 devalued dollar 📈 higher inflation 🏠 higher mortgage rates Watch the video for a breakdown of what's happening and why you should care.

Unbanked rates have fallen, but low-income #households remain above the national average. New survey results shed light on why trust in #banks is lacking—and how #financial institutions and regulators can build it. Read more in this Urban Wire article.

"Even after accounting for the upfront costs and delayed benefits, enrolling marginal applicants to public universities generates substantial net returns for society, the marginal students themselves, and the government budget." Public Universities FTW!

New blog out on @urbaninstitute.bsky.social about what new data from @financialequity.bsky.social tells us about trust in banking, the role of fed regulation and policy, and how banks can strive for market share + pursue financial inclusion at once: www.urban.org/urban-wire/c...

The proposed rule to amend the Equal Credit Opportunity Act would have serious implications for financial access for women, people of color, and underserved communities across the country. Please speak up - TODAY is the last day to comment: nationalfairhousingalliance.salsalabs.org/ecoaregb/ind...

What we study is often shaped by who we are. But economists, who shape public policy, aren’t representative of the people their work affects. The @sadiecollective.bsky.social helps bring more voices to the economic table so that we study the issues that matter and find solutions that really work.

NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected. And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.* Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:

A’ja Wilson is RIDICULOUS!!! Truly another level of basketball 🤩

Got to attend this event last night and it was BEYOND fantastic. @itsafronomics.bsky.social is absolutely electric and infectious - not only did she get people out on a Sunday night to talk about economics, but she had people lined up after to talk to her (myself included). Go buy #TheDoubleTax !!

Amazing time at Reparations Club tonight, listening to Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman (@itsafronomics.bsky.social) talk about her extraordinary book #TheDoubleTax. Everyone should pick up this book! Very important reading for EVERYONE. Also Anna is hilarious.

I am reading Dr. Wilson's work and several Black women economists like Dr. Ofronama Biu to prep for a couple interviews this week where I hope to tie these numbers back to #TheDoubleTax!!! This is another plea to please invite these incredible women to your platforms! www.urban.org/research/pub...

The Wealth of Two Nations, which documents the evolution of the racial wealth gap, is one of the most important papers in THE CENTURY.

Jackson, Mississippi, has the nation's highest homicide rate, more than 3 times the rate in DC

This week, I’ve been driving across the country as I am moving from my hometown of DC to LA to begin my PhD @priceschool.usc.edu. While I’ve been taking in the sights on my road trip, I’ve also been following along as Trump sics federal forces on the city I grew up in.

Grossly irresponsible of the Times to have this ludicrous credulous spin as the top story the morning after a president who rules by fiat proclaims a totally specious emergency to militarize the capital - an editorial insult to our intelligence and our democracy.

What to make of POTUS's attempt to fire the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)? Let's run down what knowledgable people are saying...

The very clear message is that the BLS head will be fired if they do not produce numbers that meet Trump's approval. In related news, these are the last set of BLS job numbers we can assume have not been doctored.

"This order does nothing to lower the cost of housing or help people make ends meet. The safest communities are those with the most housing and resources, not those that make it a crime to be poor or sick." Full statement at homelesslaw.org/statement724...

There is considerable evidence that housing first is the best way to address homelessness housingmatters.urban.org/feature/hous... Trump admin is already proposing massive cuts to HUD’s housing programs; now it wants to use an executive order to sweep people off the streets—but not give them homes.

⚠️ New timely WP ⚠️ Rising wealth inequality and democratic backsliding at the US state-level #EconSky #Sociology #PolicySky @stone-lis.bsky.social WP here: doi.org/10.31235/osf...

Please for the love of god get A’ja Wilson some help!!!

GOP reconciliation bill's effects: —Poorest 1/5 of earners: *declining* after-tax incomes —Those making >$3 m/year gain $118,000 —12 m people become uninsured —3.2 m people lose food stamps —US stops its efforts to combat climate change —$122 billion spent on deportation & concentration camps

"The minutiae of the Medicaid policy" - 16-17 million people will lose health insurance in a country where health care costs are ruinous. Many of these are exactly the people Vance claims to represent. But erecting a police state to deport foreigners is more important, I guess.

Increasing taxes on those likely struggling to make ends meet, all while stripping away the social safety net of Medicaid and SNAP. Inequitable, inefficient, bad economics, and just plain cruel. But hey, that tax cut for millionaires is going to drive growth, right? 🥴

the Mystics freaking rock

Exciting to be starting new research with the @financialequity.bsky.social on trust in banking! Stay tuned…nore updates and details to come.

So...yesterday, I found out that my #PhD funding from the government was terminated so money for survival is now in jeopardy. 🙃 If you know of ANY sources of funding, please let me know. #academicsky #academia #research #blackademics #econsky

Watching SGA play basketball just brings me so much joy. The way he moves on the floor 🤩🤧

Scoop: The federal government has lost so many lawyers at HUD that the housing agency is at risk of fraud, abuse and litigation, according to an internal report. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The House reconciliation bill would create tax-advantaged investment accounts for American children. The goal is to give more people a stake in financial markets, a key wealth-building mechanism. But there are some problems that the Senate could address in markups 🧵: www.urban.org/urban-wire/w...

Last week, Trump said he was considering taking Fannie and Freddie out of conservatorship. Luckily, Laurie Goodman has been ahead of the game. So if you’re newly curious about recapitalizing the GSEs, check out her assessment (+ some great webinars in related content): www.urban.org/research/pub...

Massively cutting Medicaid and SNAP isn’t the only way to find savings. We could just forgo tax cuts for Americans making over $500K instead. My @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social Chart

New, from me: Quick explainer on why the Supreme Court (likely) decision to overturn Humphrey's Executor and move toward unitary executive theory will undermine any future efforts to rebuild state capacity. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/why-the-su...

They blame pollution but cut the EPA and clean air and water regulations. They blame poor nutrition but cut SNAP and programs to bring local produce to schools. They blame increased screen time while destroying public infrastructure that connects people. All while they take millions off healthcare.

Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

This is what the House GOP has been working on—renaming “MAGA Accounts" to "Trump Accounts." While they’re stripping healthcare for millions, they’re pulling this shit.

The current structure of opportunity zones makes it a costly program, but it isn't moving the needle on development overall, and especially not in rural places or regions with lower incomes and lower levels of existing investment. www.urban.org/urban-wire/o...

House GOP reconciliation would renew opportunity zone program, which GOP claims increases housing supply by giving investors tax breaks. But our research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social shows that $100b in OZ tax breaks have not increased jobs or business—& concentrated spending in a few neighborhoods.

Responding to the mass cancellation of NSF grants, Fazio (@lkfazio.bsky.social), a researcher who studies misinformation: “What can US researchers do in this situation? One thing is clear: do not surrender to political pressure or abandon crucial research questions.”

This coalition is about using Jews to gain power, not about protecting Jews. bsky.app/profile/moir...

“Project Esther changed the paradigm by associating anyone who opposes Israeli policies with the ‘Hamas Support Network,’” said Jonathan Jacoby, the national director of the Nexus Project, a watchdog group that works to combat antisemitism and protect open debate. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/u...

This was VERY fun. HAPPY WNBA SEASON!!!