Favorites August 21st 2021

Starting with a follow-up on the one element that didn’t appear to have clear impact on COVID transmission in schools:

Jonathan H. Adler @jadler1969

There are multiple measures that appear to reduce the spread of Covid in schools. Masking elementary school kids is not among them (as most European nations recognize).

nymag.comThe Science of Masking Kids at School Remains UncertainA large, groundbreaking study suggesting no clear benefit from school mask mandates has many experts questioning the policy.

"One of the costs of an intervention that lacks clear benefit, said the immunologist, is distraction from the tools that we know protect people — in the case of schools, vaccination and ventilation."

Ryan Avent @ryanavent

One thing the events in Afghanistan make clear is the extent to which many journalists struggle with the application of counterfactual analysis.

Hard to report on things that didn't happen, but we're getting some very bad reporting and misplaced concern.

Owen Barcala @obarcala

Neat--Prop 22 held unconstitutional because it tried to limit the power of the Legislature to define app-based drivers as employees in the future. Court finds that's not severable, so the whole prop is out

Veena Dubal @veenadubal

Breaking: CA Superior Court judge finds Prop 22 UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!! https://t.co/R4gFoDrs0n

Essentially, the authors of the prop were too greedy.

Colin McMillen @mcmillen

My local liquor store's web site allows you to filter wines by type of grape. Japanese sake is found by filtering for "Grape: Rice".

Seth Rosen 🇺🇸 @sethrosen

When naming things like tables, always future proof If you sell wine, calling a table “wines” will be confusing when expanding to beer “Beverages” will be confusing when you sell ice “Products” confusing when expand to services recommend tables be called “stuff” or “table1”

I've seen this cited as a reason not to name your hard drives by function as well.

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

The problem with immigration is that most Americans are for it, but don't make it a high priority, while a minority of Americans are rabidly, passionately opposed to it.

noahpinion.substack.comBiden is sandbagging on immigrationThe issue is becoming a new “third rail” of American politics.

Immigration is a truly unfortunate thing to be a third rail of modern American politics.

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

Refugees are legal immigrants, and yet all the anti-immigration people get just as freaked out about refugees as they do about illegal immigration. It was never about the legality.

Letting the difference between refugees and illegal immigrants just slide is absolutely crazy, but it's what seems to be happening.

Ian Gambles ⚔ @cherrystreet71

Mission impossible scene filmed yesterday in Derbyshire

"Substantially exceeds expectations"

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

Some people say car prices have risen due to the unexpected curtailing of car production, but if you walk down the street there are clearly tons of vacant cars owned by speculators.

You didn’t think I’d forget to include YIMBY jokes, did you?

Hawaii, 2018