a Better Bubbleโ„ข

Kevin Drum ๐Ÿ•ธ

Consumer demand remains well anchored

2 years 7 months ago
Here's more good news on the inflation front: Consumer spending was down slightly in February, which keeps it right on the pre-pandemic trendline. It's yet another indication that consumer demand isn't spiraling ever upward. On the contrary, it remains well anchored.
Kevin Drum

The whole disgusting โ€œgay groomingโ€ panic is already fading away

2 years 7 months ago
For the past few weeks the most extreme members of the anti-gay right have been busily trying to resurrect panic over the idea that gay people try to "groom" kids into becoming gay. This is an ancient fear that was popular in the '70s and '80s but had mostly subsided since then. So how is ...continue reading "The whole disgusting “gay grooming” panic is already fading away"
Kevin Drum

Lunchtime Photo

2 years 7 months ago
These are cypress trees growing in the Atchafalaya swamp in Louisiana. The swamp used to be covered in cypress trees, but they were prized for their wood and were mostly fully logged by the end of the 19th century. The ones you see here are relatively new, planted long after the old growth trees were ...continue reading "Lunchtime Photo"
Kevin Drum

Chart of the day: What happens when the improved Obamacare subsidies go away

2 years 7 months ago
James Medlock happened to post this chart today, so I might as well post it too. It shows what happens when the increased Obamacare subsidies go away and we return to the original subsidy structure: In its original form, Obamacare subsidies were available only for people with incomes under 400% of the poverty level. For ...continue reading "Chart of the day: What happens when the improved Obamacare subsidies go away"
Kevin Drum

Three centuries: Science, economics, AI, and the creation of a new world

2 years 7 months ago
Ezra Klein's podcast with Larry Summers wasn't just about inflation. Ezra also asked Summers to name three books that had influenced him: Third, a book that will come out in the next several months, Brad DeLong’s “Slouching Towards Utopia,” which is, I think, a really remarkable and powerful placing of all of economic history in ...continue reading "Three centuries: Science, economics, AI, and the creation of a new world"
Kevin Drum

Lunchtime Photo

2 years 7 months ago
This is an African spoonbill in a picture taken at the San Diego Zoo. As I recall, the spoonbill was not very cooperative but it eventually showed its entire self.
Kevin Drum

Lunchtime Photo

2 years 7 months ago
This is Interstate 15 where it crosses California Highway 76. The view is looking south. San Diego is shrouded in clouds at the southern end of I15; Oceanside is off the frame at the western end of Highway 76; and Camp Pendleton is off the frame to the lower right.
Kevin Drum

Study says krypton excimer lamps safely kill off COVID-19 (probably)

2 years 7 months ago
Ultraviolet light kills pathogens such as COVID-19 but is also a danger to human beings. But what if there was a version of UV light that killed pathogens without affecting people? It turns out there is. Krypton chloride (KrCl) excimer lamps radiate light at a frequency of 222 nm, also known as Far-UVC, which is ...continue reading "Study says krypton excimer lamps safely kill off COVID-19 (probably)"
Kevin Drum