James Feigenbaum

Eager for a podcast about the rise of after school tutoring center chains (Kumon, Sylvan, Mathnasium) and their impact on students' skills? Check out the latest episode of "The Report Card", hosted by @natmalkus.bsky.social. We had a great time recording it. www.aei.org/podcast/priv...

Are open OCR models good enough to unlock historical knowledge? @danielvanstrien.bsky.social and I built a leaderboard using six expert-transcribed volumes from the @biodivlibrary.bsky.social sky.social. Meet FineBooks, from @hf.co and @eleutherai.bsky.social! huggingface.co/blog/fineboo...

How elite are the people we elect? Linking members of Congress born 1830–1950 back to the census household where they grew up, to trace the economic origins of political power, from @jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social, Andrew B. Hall, Daniel M. Thompson, and Jesse Yoder www.nber.org/papers/w35569

Massachusetts State Senate's new motto: better late than never! apps.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/stor...

I'm pretty sure (without reading) that the returns to federal spending on economics research are like $100 for every $1 spent

New CBO paper: every $1 of federal R&D returns ~$3–$4 of GDP in present value over 30 years www.nber.org/papers/w35472

This, but econtwitter

Open access in QJE!📢 Using newly assembled archival data, we show how the AMA's nationwide campaign against national health insurance, labeling it "socialized medicine" and promoting private insurance, helped steer the U.S. away from universal health care academic.oup.com/qje/article/...

Just published in Historical Methods: Chris Minns & coauthors link Ontario marriage to historical census records to show married women & men had similar rates of intergenerational mobility 1871-1901. Unexpectedly, the inclusion of more false positive links does not bias the mobility estimates. OA

Elsevier introduces required interactive visualizations written in proprietary language to be placed behind a paywall

I think basically all local residential zoning laws should be eliminated. Build as much and as densely as you want. But also there should be a short and vetted list of historically appropriate colors you're allowed to paint your Victorian house cc my neighbors

Don't let your kids go to segregation academies

#NBERDAE Summer Institute starts today. And guess who has the timer and the bell

Two surely unrelated posts in my feed just now

Splashing commenced

Someone who hates children and loves sunburns: Let's turn the splash pad on at 10am

Men still out-resource women on nearly everything known to predict voting: income, jobs, political interest. Except education, where women have pulled way ahead. @cohodes.bsky.social and I show how the education gap explains about half of why young women now outvote young men. 🔗 Link: bit.ly/4wwcd21

I'm happy to share a new working paper on remote work and AI: Same Occupations, Different Clocks: Separating Remote Work from Generative AI for Labor-Market Entrants www.joshmask.com/s/Mask2026c....

This is cool and all, but has he considered not making the buses faster and instead proposing unrealistic plans for the Orange Line that will never actually happen instead?

Editors, @dandekadt.bsky.social is very available

Another MA state legislative session, another abject failure to do anything about MA’s housing shortage. Down to the smallest of small ball—municipal opt-in for allowing housing on religious properties (Yes In God’s Backyard) and commercial to residential conversions.

Referee reports supplied per year should be a required line on academic CVs

So yes, the past is a foreign country and all that. But also... maybe it isn't? Ad from Columbia, SC in 1922 for men who are young and men who want to stay young. The solution: buy clothes

Get yourself the confidence of a Carl or Charles Anderson in Moline, IL in 1910 who doesn't use a middle initial

On February 14, 1876, Bell & Gray each filed for a telephone patent. Such collisions were once routine — up to 1 in 20 patents triggered an "patent interference." Over the next 150 years, that rate fell by more than 98%. In a new paper, we explain why — and what it might cost.

How light traffic would be everyday if we had congestion pricing:

Greater Boston equivalent: NIMBY mayors and city councils should be forced to go house hunting Mayor who bought his SFH house in 1991 for $380k: A house in Newton costs what?!?!?

And local politicians only solution is more parking