Did Democrats “Clear the Field” for Hillary Clinton in 2016?
Dennis Van Tine/UPPA via ZUMA There are pros and cons to be being a blogger. One of the cons is that when you ask a question that shows off your ignorance, the entire world gets to see it. Let’s do it anyway. Question: What exactly do people mean when they say that the Democratic establishment…
Surprise! The Republican Tax Bill Mostly Helps the Very, Very Rich
In the past, the work of the Joint Committee on Taxation has been pretty reliable. I don’t know for sure if that’s still the case, but for now I assume it is. With that caveat, here’s their estimate of who benefits the most from the Republican tax bill: Not bad for a Republican tax bill!…
White Supremacists Share Bomb-Making Materials in Online Chats
Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist groups gather in Shelbyville, Tennessee on October 28, 2017.Wes Bruer/ZUMA This story originally appeared on ProPublica. Right-wing extremists communicating in confidential online chats in recent months have shared scores of documents detailing the manufacture and use of bombs, grenades, mines and other incendiary devices. The documents, which range from instructions on…
The Peculiar Story of the Republican War on Alimony
Nicolaus Czarnecki via ZUMA Bit by bit we’re getting analysis of some of the more peculiar parts of the Republican tax bill. For example, what’s up with eliminating the tax deduction for alimony payments? This one is so minuscule (about $1 billion per year) that you can’t even say it’s because Republicans were scrounging for…
USA! USA! We’re (Almost) #1 in Machines That Go Ping
I was fiddling around looking for something unrelated, and happened to run across this chart from the latest OECD “Health at a Glance” report. We’re #1 in health spending, of course, and we pay inflated prices for just about everything. But what’s equally interesting is what we spend all that money on. More doctors? Nope.…
Why Didn’t Donald Trump Renominate Janet Yellen as Fed Chair?
Yin Bogu/Xinhua via ZUMA Dan Drezner is trying to figure out why President Trump didn’t do the easy thing and renominate Janet Yellen for a second term as Fed chairman: As Trump decisions go, choosing Powell is far from his worst one. But it’s frustrating when there exists an obvious, superior choice on the menu…