Kimmel is going for it. Good on him

Need #EconSky help pls! Need US data on lawyer's wages, or top 1%, 2% or top 10% wages that goes back to the 1960s. Have FRED's 9th decile earnings data fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LEU02... but it only goes back to 2000, and I'm looking more at the very top of the distribution. Indiv not hshd.

One of the rare stories in Canadian mainstream media about why the EI program is not fit for purpose at this moment, and what the feds are/aren't likely to do about it. Includes @jrobson.bsky.social

Critical part of the President's new $100,000 charge for H1-B visas: The Administration can also offer a $100,000 discount to any person, company, or industry that it wants. Replacing rules with arbitrary discretion. Want visas? You know who to call and who to flatter.

I looked up the current US visa processing fees: $205 for H1B, $4,500 if a med/large employer has 50%+ temporary foreign workers, $205 for self-sponsored investors with $500k to $1m in capital invest (depending on region). travel.state.gov/content/trav...

People keep talking about tech firms in relation to the H1-B $100k fee but it’s gonna really sink universities.

some good news

I'm doing a media interview tomorrow on EI and my prep turned into a data dive and a blog. EI was supposed to be a little easier to get. #cdnecon #cdnpoli open.substack.com/pub/robsonj/...

I would be keeping an eye on this process. And if I were a trade-exposed sector, or a US-owned subsidiary located in Canada, I would be working hard to get US owners, US clients & US suppliers to be visible and vocal in this process.

Sending congratulations and thanks to @chrystia-freeland.bsky.social for her service. She will no doubt make a big contribution to the security of Ukraine, Europe and Canada in her next role.

Hooooooooboy..

"Economic impact of US tariff hikes: Significance of trade diversion effects" cepr.org/voxeu/column...

There was published research that pointed to the risks of designing it this way. But here we are. apple.news/AIvMeUqFZReO...

Carney says there's been a 'rupture.' What's he going to do about it this fall? The prime minister — and Canadians — are facing many choices in short order www.cbc.ca/news/politic... Find out more at nationalnewswatch.com

Things are grim but there a spots of light. Like this amazing (and replicable!!) project to capture & share the life advice of the residents of Misericordia Place (by the Maryland Bridge) in my hometown of Winnipeg. We called from the dinner table. It’s SO GOOD. No notes apple.news/AnvN-h5GDQKu...

I’m delighted that the news is officially out that @hscoffield.bsky.social is the founding CEO of the Canadian Tax Observatory. canadiantaxobservatory.ca#what-s-new Heather’s skills, economic knowledge and networks will be invaluable to the success of this new NGO. #cdnpoli

I seem to have managed to crack a rib by… (checks notes) doing my regular yoga routine.

UK government report based on internal civil service trial finds Copilot doesn’t increase productivity, and indeed makes Excel take longer and with more errors, and requires Powerpoint users to have ‘corrective action’ applied to their outputs. www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/m...

For the AM crowd #cdnpoli

Trump signs order offering some tariff exemptions to countries with US trade deals reut.rs/421I0eH

It was a heavy news day and we parents & educators are tired on this 1st Friday of back to school. But there were some potentially important changes to EI announced today that deserve more attention. open.substack.com/pub/robsonj/... #cdnpoli

👀

Endorse. Plus, listen to the very end to play “will this guest take tea of coffee?”

Commentary: Tokyo faces an impossible choice between an unreliable America and an assertive China. The solution? Don’t choose, writes Stephen R. Nagy.

Just going to pin this to my feed as I think it nicely summarizes my niche.

I'm reading the US Appellate Court ruling. www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions-ord... How's your Friday evening doing? I'm not ready to pull out the bubbly up here in Canada. On the one hand, the Court ruled that the "Trafficking" tariffs against Canada are NOT authorized under IEEPA.

There are already LoP legislative summaries that are publicly available. Like this one: lop.parl.ca/sites/Public... As a Minister, you also get unique access to a whole cadre of experts available to answer your questions.

This whole thread is worth your time to understand a bit of the complexities of current supply chains and how firms are trying (but maybe failing) to make sensible decisions in the face of insensible policy. Also, all of this is without touching China and international dumping. 1/2

Imagine buying something from IKEA, and needing to prove country of origin of the raw material for everything in those assembly instructions. “It’s a bookcase made of wood!” you might scream. Yeah, but those screws aren’t. (12/12)

Ok, honestly this made me laugh out loud. And then I sighed in that sad way of resignation, because you cannot make this crap up.

👊🇨🇦🔥🔥

“or other relevant backgrounds and experience” Crowd-sourced Gestapo

Has Garcia been convicted of 34 felony counts related to fraud? Has he been found liable as a party to $355M in fraud? Has he been found to have committed sexual assault and libel and ordered to pay $88M in damages?

Critics warn that Trump's demands for business leaders to step down, and for the government to take a cut of sales, threaten American-style capitalism.

Seems relevant again, right about now. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ga...

Season passes available now!

good

Some gardening pics. Despite the near-drought, the allotment continues to provide. Also, the backyard smells amazing right now. Thank you nicotiana sylvestris.

What happens if you have to do ‘deals’ rather than FTAs - with the need to decide on the spot, under coercion by your partner, without consulting your industry /1 www.theguardian.com/business/202...

omfg

U.S. year-ahead expectations for inflation & unemployment both worsened in August, per new UMichigan survey Over 60% expect unemployment to rise, up from July And inflation expectations rose to 4.9% from 4.5% HT @hboushey.bsky.social #NumbersDay #EconSky www.sca.isr.umich.edu/files/featur...

It’s not rational, but there’s a rationale for Trump. Others around him have opportunistic aims they are wedging in. See, for example, the USTR list of grievances (mostly phantom) or the US Department of State report on human rights in Canada. It’s all from an angle, to get someplace else.

A cognitively impaired New Jersey man grew infatuated with a Meta chatbot originally created in partnership with celebrity influencer Kendall Jenner. His fatal attraction shines a light on Meta's guidelines for its AI chatbots reut.rs/45DQIRj @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social

Thought I’d try it out for myself. 🧵

If a flight attendant asks you to turn your bag in the overhead compartment to make room for others, just say yes. Don't be a dick. They aren't even being paid yet and your obstinance is holding up the plane and the start of their pay period.

The latest Curse of Politics pod was really good, but the strawman argument at the end (which got a bit shouty) prompted me to blog. open.substack.com/pub/robsonj/...

I just listened to the interview with Byrne and I stand by this.

Please, do NOT upload your income tax return to an AI chatbot. Please.

All these trade negotiations are apparently not just about trade, with the Trump administration pursuing a range of security and other objectives. wapo.st/459NLc5

There have been five different heads of the IRS this year alone: Doug O'Donnell (Jan. 20th thru Feb. 28th) Melanie Krause (Feb. 28th thru April 16th) Gary Shapley (April 16th thru April 18th) Michael Faulkender (April 18th thru June 16th) Billy Long (June 16th thru today) About to be a sixth.