Category Archives: Economics

Boasting is Easy, Governing is Hard

By Joel Connelly in Post Alley (thanks to Mary M.) One of the best presidents America never had, Adlai Stevenson, put it bluntly when he said: “The ability to govern is the final test of politics, the acid, final test.”  Stevenson … Continue reading

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M.I.T. to Offer Free Tuition to Families Earning Less Than $200,000

For students whose families earn less than $100,000 per year, the school will also cover other costs, including housing, dining, fees and an allowance for books and personal expenses. By Alexandra E. Petri in the NYT (thanks to Pam P.) The … Continue reading

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Buying a win with billions

Thanks to Mike C.

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Young Washington voters say cost of living is their top concern

For most residents 18-35, the dream of home ownership is dead, and rising costs of food and transportation hit hard as the state grows more unaffordable. by Nate Sanford/ October 31, 2024 in Crosscut Brandon Borg, 21, fills his gas tank in … Continue reading

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Lessons for Industry from Boeing’s Wanton Self-Immolation

By James S. Russell in Post Alley (thanks to Ed M.) The 2018 crash of two airliners, one in Indonesia (in which 189 people died), the other in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which killed 157, underscore that America needs to revive … Continue reading

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Regressive Burden: WA’s Climate Act Taxes the Working Class

by Casey Corr in the Post Alley commentary — thanks to Ed M. Twelve years ago, I left my hometown of soggy Seattle and moved to dry Yakima, where my wife and I bought land overlooking acres of shrub steppe … Continue reading

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Falsely justifying high tariffs – commentary by Heather Cox Richardson

William McKinley is having a moment (which I confess is a sentence I never expected to write).  Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is elevating McKinley, representative from Ohio from 1877 to 1891 and president from 1897 to 1901, to justify … Continue reading

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Reasoning about why we vote the way we do

Thanks to Mike C. Ed note: I grew up in the mostly red state of Ohio–a state that has produced more President’s than all others (7) except for Virginia (8). To understand Trump voters, you might want to read David … Continue reading

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A new report found that renewables will officially surpass coal in energy production next year

Thanks to Pam P. Global electricity demand is rising at its fastest rate in two decades, but solar is on course to meet half of demand growth, says the IEA. Global electricity demand is forecast to grow by around 4% … Continue reading

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The privatization of Medicare and Medicaid

Ed note: This is an in depth look at how a few large insurance companies are taking over control of health care (doctors, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, etc.). It is notable that “the government will pay roughly $500 billion to insurance … Continue reading

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What Have We Liberals Done to the West Coast?

By Nicholas Kristof Opinion Columnist, reporting from Portland, Ore. for the NYT As Democrats make their case to voters around the country this fall, one challenge is that some of the bluest parts of the country — cities on the West … Continue reading

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Heather Cox Richardson – Contrasting facts to Trump lies

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Beware of the Medical Industrial Industry’s Incentives

Ed note: In the 1970’s I was interviewed by a medical group in Seattle and was told I could become their “thyroid guy!” I was confused because I was note trained in endocrinology, but that made no difference. They’d just … Continue reading

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Canada Offers Lesson in the Economic Toll of Climate Change

Wildfires are hurting many industries and could strain households across Canada, one of many countries reckoning with the impact of extreme weather Thanks to Mike C. By Lydia DePillis in the NYT Canada’s wildfires have burned 20 million acres, blanketed Canadian and U.S. … Continue reading

Posted in Climate, Economics, environment, Essays, Health | 1 Comment

This July Fourth, reflect on immigrants’ contributions and urge reform

Thanks to Marilyn W. By Tahmina Watson – Special to The Seattle Times As a naturalized U.S. citizen and an immigration lawyer, I’m struck by the throughline of immigrant entrepreneurship throughout America’s history. This Independence Day, I hope we take a … Continue reading

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Mayor Harrell releases blueprint to ‘activate’ Downtown Seattle

By Josh Cohen in Crosscut The laundry list includes ideas for denser housing and expanded homeless outreach — along with some Space Needle-level swings. What does Mayor Bruce Harrell want to do to help Downtown Seattle recover? A little bit … Continue reading

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Giving Red America a Reason to Love Electric Vehicles

By Binyamin Appelbaum in the NYT June 10th Photographs by Reva Keller Mr. Appelbaum is a member of the editorial board. Ms. Keller is a photographer based in Seattle. Electric vehicles are rare in Moses Lake, Wash., a small city in the … Continue reading

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Let’s Smash the College Admissions Process

By David Brooks in the NYT Ed note: This essay by David Brooks raises all kinds of questions that also apply to us as “elite seniors.” He argues that college admissions should help right historical elitism by having economic class based … Continue reading

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Transforming Age currently has around 2 million square feet of development underway across the organization, with a footprint in 22 states.

From Senior Housing News by Tim Regan With the creation of a new affordable housing arm and a handful of other notable developments in 2022, it has been a big year for Transforming Age. But the senior living nonprofit is … Continue reading

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Helen Cox Richardson’s update – fentanyl

The Biden administration today announced a series of actions it has taken and will continue to take to disrupt the production and distribution of illegal street fentanyl around the world. The efforts involve the Department of Justice, including the Drug … Continue reading

Posted in drugs, Economics, Guns | 2 Comments

Recyclable? Try Refillable. The Quest For a Greener Cleaner

By Susan Shain in the NYT — Thanks to Mike C. Every week, Angela Espinoza Pierson looked at her recycling bin — filled with detergent jugs, shampoo bottles and clamshell containers that once held strawberries — with mixed feelings. Sure, it … Continue reading

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Why Poverty Persists in America

Why Poverty Persists in By Matthew Desmond Thanks to Diana C. Published March 9, 2023 Updated March 13, 2023 in the NYT This article is adapted from Matthew Desmond’s book “Poverty, by America.” It is being published on March 21 by Crown. In the past … Continue reading

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The Silicon Valley Back Rescue/Bailout – what does it mean?

Thanks to Frank C. Also see the Op-Ed piece by Paul Krugman in today’s NYT. It remains to be seen, how the jitters play out over the next several days.

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HIDDEN HYDROGEN

Thanks to Mike C. A version of this story appeared in Science, Vol 379, Issue 6633. Download PDF IN THE SHADE of a mango tree, Mamadou Ngulo Konaré recounted the legendary event of his childhood. In 1987, well diggers had come … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Climate, Economics, environment | 1 Comment

Don’t Try to Appease Economic Terrorists

By Paul Krugman in the NYT A few days ago I received an automated text from my bank. For some reason the bank’s algorithm flagged a valid charge on my debit card as potentially questionable; the text asked me to verify … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Finance, Government | 1 Comment