David H Feldman

David H Feldman

@dhfeldman.bsky.social

I write about the economics of higher education and international trade. Love New Mexico & cats. My books: https://academic.oup.com/book/7559 https://academic.oup.com/book/5108 Social media posts reflect my own viewpoint.

3K followers696 following5.2K posts

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

Yes to all of this. Put the GOP on notice that the Democrats intend to do this in response. Unfortunately, all of this raises the stakes of politics to dangerous levels in a democracy. Part of the beauty of our system is that the stakes of politics are low enough to permit alternations of control.

Nathan Newman@nathansnewman.bsky.social

This is literally the end of the rule of law. If a President can pardon people committing crimes on his behalf - and the Supreme Court says he himself can't be prosecuted for crimes committed as part of his job - then the government becomes a lawless entity able to violate our rights without limit.

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

Rubin is worrying about how Trump disrupting the elections might affect business investment and Treasury Bill yields. Really? If the Republicans refuse to seat a Democratic Congress I think we'll have bigger worries, like an outright revolution or a military coup. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/21/o...

nytimes.comOpinion | In Six Decades of Public Life, I Never Thought I Would Write This PieceTrump’s meddling would have dark consequences for our democracy and our prosperity.
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

Why do Republicans think that gaslighting their constituents is preferable to honesty? Oh yeah, because the base ...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Susan Collins on Kavanaugh: "I'm very disappointed in his his vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. There was no way for me to anticipate that."

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

If only Tim Kaine and Mark Warner in my own state were this blunt and on target. We cannot return to "getting along" with the GOP. We need accountability, and that requires investigations, prosecutions, and jailing ... of executive branch officials, Trump cronies, and Congressional lawbereakers.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Ossoff: "At a rally earlier this week in Ohio, the president egged on supports who assaulted a woman demanding the release of the Epstein files. Because if you can count on one thing from this White House, it's their tireless commitment to war, inflation, and covering up sex trafficking."

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

By not standing up for Ukraine and forcing a clear change in administration foreign policy, the GOP is complicit in Putin's war of aggression. As for the Europeans, they have to stop worrying about "triggering Trump's ire." They need to grow a spine. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/w...

nytimes.comU.K. and Europe Recoil From Trump’s Diesel Deal With Putin (Gift Article)Shocked by the U.S. agreement with Russia, which Ukraine has called “a gift” to President Putin, officials in Europe have coalesced around a cautious diplomatic message.
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

Scott Bessent and Kevin Hassett have guaranteed that they will be future historians canonical examples of people who shredded their reputations to serve a morally degraded president and political party. They lie as easily as they breathe. This will have little to no effect on diesel prices ...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Bessent on Trump's deal with Putin: "Look, President Trump came into office to work for the American people, and this is good for the American people -- bringing these diesel prices down"

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

2/ over any reasonable time frame. The volume is too low and Russia has little to spare. This is about Putin cracking the facade of unified sanctions against Russia so that over time the whole sanctions regime fades away. Trump is serving Putin personally and Bessent knows this. What an ass.

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

Well, I guess Zelenskyy is holding some pretty good cards now. 😅 Maybe Trump should try threatening the guy in Moscow whose hand seems pretty empty, ... you know, that Putin character whose government needs the CIA to come to Moscow to tell his FSB the truth about the little war her started.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

“Zelenskyy could’ve stopped this war many times, and he chose not to … he better damn well stop” — Trump is no longer trying to conceal that he’s fully on Putin’s side

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

Wow, what an amazingly small-minded jerk. Any Republican who DOES call it "super intelligence" is now on MY list of idiots whose noses are permanently attached to Trump's ass.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Trump: "The White House considers anyone that uses the term, 'Artificial Intelligence,' as opposed to the highly accepted new and more accurate term, 'Super Intelligence,' THE ENEMY! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

Calling Peter Mohler of the University of Alabama. Are you OK with state mandates that force faculty, and your PBS radio station, to use Gulf of America? Is that kind of speech control from the government acceptable to you? You're kinda quiet now. Just waiting for things to blow over?

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

I had a good conversation with Megan Pauly of Virginia Public Media (VPM) a few days ago about new return on investment calculations for every degree program at all of Virginia's public universities. I spent my time cautioning people against reading too much into these numbers. lnkd.in/p/eEcnMgje

lnkd.inDoug Webber: Data | David FeldmanThe State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) now has a metric that families can access to see which programs at various universities have high and low return on investment (ROI). There i...
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David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

3/ I have another problem with these ROI calculations. The state is moving to an "every three year" review program from every five years. This means schools must now justify why they want to retain "low earnings" programs like theater arts or social work every three years. This will likely ...

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

4/ require each institution to spend hundreds of thousands more on paid administrator salary and thousands more on unpaid faculty hours explaining to state legislators (who always want to be seen doing "oversight") why low ROI doesn't mean the program should be cut. This is not socially useful.

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

I had a good conversation with Megan Pauly of Virginia Public Media (VPM) a few days ago about new return on investment calculations for every degree program at all of Virginia's public universities. I spent my time cautioning people against reading too much into these numbers. lnkd.in/p/eEcnMgje

lnkd.inDoug Webber: Data | David FeldmanThe State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) now has a metric that families can access to see which programs at various universities have high and low return on investment (ROI). There i...
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

The reporter says the community's reasons are "more nuanced" than simply being "anti-vax." They thought "the disease would not find them." That constitutes nuance? At least anti-vax is a principle, however uncaring. Thinking the disease would skip them is stupid. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/u...

nytimes.comMeasles Outbreak in Amish Country Forces Some to Rethink Vaccines (Gift Article)The spread of measles in Pennsylvania and Ohio is largely affecting Amish communities where vaccinations levels are low.
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

If the Chicago White Sox win the American League pennant, will this count as one of the miracles needed for Leo to be canonized at some point in the future?

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

To all of my Republican "friends" out there, any sane Democrat who wins in 2029 will have to investigate, and then (when the evidence warrants) arrest hundreds of Trump allies and family members. You will denounce this, of course, as political. So sorry. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/u...

nytimes.comU.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies (Gift Article)President Vladimir V. Putin brought up a sale of Russian energy assets with President Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, pushing a deal that raises new questions about conflicts of inter...
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

The gloves are off, finally! This isn't the Democrats going "high" when they go low. We're so beyond that. It's the Democrats hitting hard with the truth. About ... damn ... time.

Team Talarico@teamtalaricohq.bsky.social

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David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

I just noticed that I was cited in the Yale Report. The person who wrote this paragraph clearly did not understand what Bob and I were trying to express about the reasons why college price (and cost) have risen over long stretches of time. This is a wonderful example of a defensive citation.

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

One of the top jobs for the next Democratic president is to channel the spirit of Teddy Roosevelt, busting up the concentrations of economic power, corporate AND individual. Let no SCOTUS stand in the way of a united legislative and executive authority. www.semafor.com/article/09/2...

semafor.comExclusive: Paramount weighs tapping Musk for equity investmentA cash injection from SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk could reduce investor Larry Ellison’s financial burden and bolster the deal’s investor base.
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

What is the attachment to Russia of so many politicians in Europe? For Fico it can't be Slavic solidarity since Russia is brutalizing another Slavic nation. It's head-shaking weird to see any eastern European leader siding with Russia after what they experienced between 1945 and 1989.

NOELREPORTS@noelreports.com

❗️Slovak PM Robert Fico accused Western politicians of seeking to provoke a NATO-Russia conflict if Ukraine cannot defeat Russia. He acknowledged Russia started the war but said Slovakia would not send troops abroad to fight Russia under what he called a “fabricated pretext,” despite NATO’s Article 5

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

This is the Trump family MO. Always has been. Bully people into doing what you want. It never pays to accede to their whims or demands. Punch them in the nose instead, and see what they do. If they try to shutter the Kennedy Center, so be it. Sue the shit out of them to stop it.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

Trump is trying to blackmail the Kennedy Center into putting his name on it. They should refuse. Remember Kipling's warning about paying the Danegeld. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

theatlantic.comTrump’s Kennedy Center ShakedownThe only appropriate option is to refuse to accede to his demands.
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

I was out of town for this, but the annual burning of zozobra (old man gloom) in Santa Fe this labor day had a decidedly "No King" flair. www.facebook.com/watch/?v=286...

facebook.com13K views · 1.5K reactions | Fire tore through the Santa Fe night as Zozobra surrendered to the flames. Sparks climbed into the darkness, carrying with them a century of gloom, regret, and burdens ready to be released. Once again, an old New Mexico tradition lit the night—a powerful reminder to let go of what was and make room for what comes next. #Zozobra #SantaFeNM #NewMexicoTrue #NewMexicoTraditions #LandOfEnchantment | Elijah RaelFire tore through the Santa Fe night as Zozobra surrendered to the flames. Sparks climbed into the darkness, carrying with them a century of gloom, regret, and burdens ready to be released. Once...
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

Republicans, this is who you are. So sorry.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Wow -- RNC video: "On June 14th, 1946, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, 'I need a caretaker,' so God gave us Trump." It only gets more unhinged and culty from there.

David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

I had a nice chat with Michael Rinker of WAVY 10 this morning. All about the ongoing and nonsensical "trade" dispute with Canada. This isn't about trade. It's our president trying to throw his bulk around to create an image of strength while diminishing our true power. www.wavy.com/news/virgini...

wavy.comTrade tensions between U.S., Canada could impact manufacturing in VirginiaPORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The trade talks between the United States and Canada took another contentious step Tuesday. After each side imposed tariffs on each other’s imports, the White House a…
David H Feldman
@dhfeldman.bsky.social

The American right is smugly anti-semitic, just like their mentors from the 1920s and 30s. Not only are they disgusting people, they're fundamentally incurious to the point of stupidity. Their smugness even extends to science.

Elad Nehorai@eladn.bsky.social

Here is a guest on Tucker Carlson’s podcast saying that algebra is a conspiracy by the Jews to turn people into “good little goy slaves.” I wish I was joking.