Peter Sparding

A big reason why people w/ low incomes don’t share in our prosperity is that we underinvest in economic security programs like unemployment insurance, paid leave, housing, and other benefits. We spend FAR LESS on these programs than our peers do.

What I don’t understand about glaring findings like this is why pollsters wouldn’t or haven’t caught on to this and adjusted their methods accordingly?

Americans have now spent $135 billion more on gasoline and diesel purchases since March 1 than the same period last year.

The Boston Globe right-wing columnist Jeff Jacoby (currently on medical leave) used to defend Columbus, believing he was being judged by modern standards. In 2023, he looked into the matter ... and changed his mind. jeffjacoby.com/27260/i-used...

The two winningest teams of the 2020s are the Dodgers (651 wins) and Brewers (595 wins). One already has 3 titles in that span; now, the other gets their shot.

“This is what crowd out looks like.” - Jason Furman

My first take (from work with @abenewman.bsky.social on the EU-US privacy wars) is that this is likely very stupid. ECJ judges are absolutely political, but are relatively insulated from electoral politics and raison d'etat. US interference makes a strong ruling vs Musk more politically attractive.

Georgia’s second-largest school district has abruptly banned Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” from school library shelves

A good explainer of one of the problems with a Diesel export ban, namely that it would hit New England states hard. One can assume this would also have consequences for Senate races in Maine and NH.

Lots to absorb in this chart, but look at the changes in Republicans' views of data centers since January. Far more Republicans now see them as bad for the environment, home energy costs and local quality of life. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Takaichi seeks Trump meeting early next week ahead of US-China summit https://asia.nikkei.com/politics/international-relations/takaichi-seeks-trump-meeting-early-next-week-ahead-of-us-china-summit

I think many researchers and analysts could (should?) say the same about a range of issues unrelated to the conflict right now…. if we are honest.

A Philadelphia family just bought their first home with a $10,000 first-time homebuyer grant funded by a group of Quakers It’s part of the congregation’s racial justice plan to redistribute wealth to Black residents in the Germantown area as a form of reparations

Germany to send more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, warns of stepped-up Russian winter attacks www.straitstimes.com/world/europe...

This is terrible news, not just for the Smithsonian, but for the country. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/a...

Happy 72nd Birthday to Ruby Bridges, who at the age of 6 desegregated the New Orleans public schools. She’s younger than 30 senators and our last two presidents—and only 7 years older than Barack Obama. The past isn’t past.

Students who don't use AI chatbots for schoolwork are scoring better grades than those who do, according to a new report. It's some of the widest-ranging evidence yet that the technology could be hurting young people's learning. bloom.bg/4gHVbZY 📷: Jean-François Fort / Getty Images

I hereby declare the "learn to code" era officially dead: Big declines in the number of people studying computer science in the last year or two 📉 Chart from this week’s edition of our newsletter on AI and the labour market www.ft.com/content/9183...

President Donald Trump’s defense and trade policies are prompting the Philippines to look beyond its longstanding alliance with the US.

EXCLUSIVE: The White House pressured U.S. space companies to skip French President Emmanuel Macron’s space summit in Paris next week. It's a surprise move that left company executives confused about what they should do.

Our new Michigan survey has 55% of likely voters saying a Trump endorsement makes them less likely to support a candidate (vs. 27% more likely). That is hard for Republicans to overcome. ippsr.msu.edu/news/msu-pol...

Upper-income Republicans are just as likely as lower-income Republicans (61% vs. 62%) to say the term "working class" describes them well. That's not the case among Democrats. Fascinating chart from new @pewresearch.org analysis: www.pewresearch.org/politics/202...

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party swept three special elections, in a test of whether voters supported his tough stance against President Trump's trade war. One Liberal lawmaker described the election results as a “message” to the U.S.

NEW‼️🇺🇸 With the #midterms tilting in the @democrats.org favor, there's a chance that the US Congress will once again act as a stronger counterweight to Donald Trump’s presidency, writes @psparding.bsky.social It may even have an impact on US foreign policy, too. ip-quarterly.com/en/will-us-c...

Much recommend this by @psparding.bsky.social ! It’s only two months now before the midterms on November 3 … will change be coming to America? And US foreign policy?

Star Editorial Board: We cannot assume Americans will make better choices in future elections. We cannot count on things going back to the way they were.

23% drop in student visas to US in 2025 57% drop from India alone catastrophic for research and learning, here and abroad www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...

House on Hill Top - 1930 https://botfrens.com/collections/173/contents/3104342

Related: "To be clear, the administration is trying hard to protect U.S. sovereignty. But it is trampling all over foreign sovereignty in the way it is pressing against domestic regulations abroad and trying to coerce other governments to follow U.S. security policies."

I have a piece in WPR today about a peeve I am constantly peeving about here—the U.S’s fundamentally asymmetric view of sovereignty. Hope you find it of interest. www.worldpoliticsreview.com/us-soveriegn...

"The U.S. Marine Corps had notified its South Korean counterpart in June that Middle East operational demands would prevent the deployment of forces for the biennial exercise known as Ssangyong, or 'Twin Dragons,' the South Korean Marine Corps said on Monday."

Hi Internet! I'm Drew and THIS IS MY FACE. If this GIF has ever brought you joy in the past, I humbly ask you to consider making a donation to the National MS Society. It would mean a lot to me and to those I know affected by the disease! Donate at blinkingguy.com

Alaska's GOP governor earlier this year vetoed a bill that would have set limits to individual campaign donations. Then what happened? Voters on Tuesday approved a citizen-led ballot initiative that institutes very similar reforms. By a 40%+ margin.

The near perfect timing of DC summer storms to coincide with the evening commute is something to behold.

The German government is working on a plan on what to do if regions vote in extreme-right AFD governments which may not allow NATO troop movements or may otherwise want to impede defence policies and Russia deterrence. www.n-tv.de/politik/Sorg...

The 30-year Treasury yield, which moves with inflation expectations, jumped to 5.21 per cent, their highest level since mid-2007. Follow live updates: ft.trib.al/p9TMRwZ

“The effort to prepare contingency measures in case China again weaponizes critical raw materials …. forms part of 34 non-public measures formulated in Germany’s national security council aimed at strengthening resilience and reducing strategic dependencies, according to one of the people.”

Please enjoy this home security footage of an oddly human-like bear raiding a fridge in Lake Tahoe www.wsj.com/us-news/blac...

“Koizumi’s remarks come as the government weighs updates to key documents outlining Japan’s security policy — including a possible revision of the country’s decades-old pledge not to produce, possess or host nuclear weapons.”

Adam von Trott zu Solz, Jurist, AA-Diplomat, lehnt die „Unterwerfung unter jede Ordnung“ ab. Er kämpft ab 1939 für den Sturz des NS-Regimes, ist Teil des Kreisauer Kreises, trifft Brandt in Schweden. Stauffenberg besucht Trott am Abend vor dem Attentat – Trott macht ihm Mut. 1/2

A quick dispatch from Down Under. As India's PM Modi visited Australia last week and the two countries agreed to a wide-ranging defense framework, the prospects for defense industrial co-production might be under-appreciated. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...

Applications Due August 1! Spend up to 6 months researching critical issues in transatlantic relations in Washington with a DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship:

Chinese Shipyards Double Their New Order Volume in First Half of 2026 maritime-executive.com/article/chin...

A very insightful discussion in this @gmfus.bsky.social podcast on the EU response to growing economic challenges from China with the excellent @noahbarkin.bsky.social

I really do think now is a time to read history. It is a powerful reminder that the past of the U.S., specifically, is full of extremely dark moments when it seemed all was lost. (It wasn't.)