Category: Politics
-
+
+
+
+
+
+
The state of Texas lifted its mask mandate recently. As if this dangerous policy weren’t enough, it is now suing the city of Austin for choosing to keep a mandate and protect its citizens: The Attorney General for Texas is suing officials in Austin after they refused to enforce an…
-
As many in Texas enter a fifth day without power in freezing temperatures, I searched for information on how such a disaster could’ve happened. I came upon some excellent perspective from Professor Daniel Cohan at Rice University: See the entire Twitter thread here. Very much worth reading. Not preparing the…
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
It’s bigger than party. The Problem This all started when I had to renew my library card. I got an e-mail requesting a picture of a photo ID with my current address on it. I got my driver’s license and passport before I moved here two years ago, so I…
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Bureaucracy, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Government, New Jersey, New York, New York City, NJ, NYC, Vaccines+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
+
+
+
+
+
+
Today, Myanmar’s (deeply flawed) democracy fell today to a military coup: The coup follows a disputed election in November that Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won by a landslide. The main opposition party, the army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Myanmar’s…
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
+
+
+
+
+
+
The AstraZeneca COVID vaccine is being manufactured today at a plant in Baltimore. This vaccine has been show to be between 62% and 90% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID. But despite those excellent results in trials in the UK, Brazil, India and South Africa, the US government plans to wait…
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Activism, AstraZeneca, Congress, Coronavirus, COVID Vaccine, COVID-19, FDA, News, Science, Vaccines+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
+
+
+
+
+
+
I recently subscribed to a newsletter from the journalist Matthew Yglesias that has turned out be outstanding. A message I received this morning really struck me. Yglesias argues that the best thing we can do for the poor, given that housing is their biggest expense, is to build housing like…
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Affordable housing, Construction, Development, Gentrification, Housing, Policy, Poverty, Real estate, Rent, YIMBY, Zoning+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
+
+
+
+
+
+
I’ve worn glasses since I was four years old…30 years. As I write this, I’m wearing what is probably the best pair I’ve ever owned. They cost me about $50 and the eye exam was free. How did I pay 1/10th of what some of you are paying? I went…
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Business, Contact lenses, Contacts, Eyeglasses, Glasses, Japan, Optometry, Regulation, Regulatory capture, Tokyo+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
I just read a disturbing report from The Economic Times (essentially the Wall Street Journal of India). It says that China has offered its COVID vaccines to countries in Southeast Asia, but only if they support China in the WHO. There is a similar report from Nikkei Asia (basically the…
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Tremendous 