Tensions are high and the US has made a move to increase its already substantial military forces in the Middle East
Thursday, January 15, 2026
East Harlem ‘Passive House’ Apartment Complex is the Nation’s Biggest Ultra-Green Development Yet
Affordable housing built with attention to ventilation, windows, sealing and other details saves energy and utility costs
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/12/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, Syndemics; Kamala on the cover of Time; Trump files suit against DOJ for political persecution; Thomas Frank on liberals; Front Porch Forum in Vermont ~
The Effect of AI Adoption on Jobs: Evidence from US Commuting Zones
Using data across US commuting zones over the period 2000-2020, this column presents evidence that AI adoption has reduced employment, except in high-paying occupations and those requiring a degree in STEM disciplines
Lina Khan’s FTC Gears Up to Go After Algorithmic Black Boxes Governing Workers’ Lives, but It Might Be Running Out of Time
A closer look at “algorithmic wage discrimination” used at gig companies (and increasingly across all industries), one potential tool to stop it, and how the FTC is zeroing in on the practice.
Forty Percent of Biden IRA Manufacturing Projects Behind Schedule or Paused
A new study by the Financial Times on the early results from Biden Administration IRA spending raises as many questions as it answers.
The Myanmar Mess
For those of you, like me, who have grievous little understanding of Myanmar, this presentation provides a history, particularly of British misrule and the major ethnic groups, discusses the interests and actions of the major powers, and reviews the recent fighting and the prospects for Myanmar. The look of this video is a bit homespun, […]
Mask Bans Slowly Spread [cough, cough] in States and Localities
Mask bans passed in North Carolina and Nassau County, NY; mask bans considered in New York State, Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA.
Between Optimism and Despair: The Messy Middle Paths Through Climate Breakdown
The mindset at the root of the ecological crisis will continue to drive destructive patterns, until we are forced to confront it.
The Problem with Pronatalism: Pushing Baby Booms to Boost Economic Growth Amounts to a Ponzi Scheme
Schemes to boost birth rates to bolster growth are generally ineffective and more important, miss the real problem.
‘Corporate Greed Is Out of Control’: Warren Slams Kroger’s AI Pricing Scheme
If you have shopped at Kroger, please consider boycotting them over them over their surge pricing grifting plans.
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/9/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; Friday’s charts: Covid wastewater (still bad) and polling charts (bad for Trump); Lambert lashes himself to the mast; Walz swiftboating: Nice try, no cigar. Boeing’s Starliner debacle. Again. ~
