Favorites May 16th 2022

April 2019, Sacramento California

For my California readers, I'd like to remind you that there's an election, and your ballot has probably already arrived. I recommend the YIMBY voter guide. Further, I’d add that in Santa Clara County you should vote Andrew Crockett for Assessor. Here’s more detail on why.

Alec Stapp @AlecStapp

This is huge: New experimental evidence from Liberia shows cash payments + cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce antisocial behaviors (such as selling drugs or committing robberies) by about half

Here's a link to the paper. A bit of money and a bit of therapy goes a long way it seems.

Jed Kolko @JedKolko

"the shift to remote work explains over one half of the 23.8 percent national house price increase" since late 2019 "the evolution of remote work is likely to have large effects on the future path of house prices and inflation" intriguing new research:

nber.orgHousing Demand and Remote WorkFounded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, and business professionals.

Sorta wild how it hasn't (yet) reduced prices in the high cost areas that folks are presumably moving away from for remote work.

Catherine Rampell @crampell

New economic data out of China don't look great. bloomberg.com/news/newslette…

Crazy to see another dip almost as bad as the initial pandemic there.

Andrew Morral @AndrewMorral

The surge in firearms homicides that began in 2015 has an important feature not highlighted in the recent CDC report. Prior to 2015, nonfirearm homicides and firearm homicides tracked each other well (figure shows raw CDC data). In 2015, these trends diverged.

Andrew Morral @AndrewMorral

From the early 1990’s to 2015 firearm homicide rates declined across all major demographic groups. But those trends have reversed, and with the latest jump in firearm homicides, we are back to rates not seen since the crack epidemic. Alarming! https://t.co/vojqEqBThw

Uhh, wtf is going on there. All the crazier because Americans are more worried about 'violent crime' than 'gun violence'.

Matthew McCormack @historymatt

On my bike ride this morning, saw a delivery robot lost in the woods

Casey Johnston: "He’s not lost. he’s free"

James Palmer @BeijingPalmer

the rhetoric toward Taiwanese has hardened in the mainland - instead of being lost comrades they're painted much more as separatists, talk of seizing Taiwanese properties/women after invasion is common on nationalist forums. followed Hong Kongers being depicted in similar ways.

Nick Riccardi @NickRiccardi

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Authorities: Gunman in deadly attack at California church was Chinese immigrant motivated by hate for Taiwanese.

So, two different kinds of terrorism attacks in two days. Darrell Owens: "One of the beautiful things about this country is its array of races, religions and ethnicities and these attacks are fundamentally attacks on America"

𝐒𝐔-𝐙𝐀𝐊𝐔 stan account @yhdistyminen

Land value tax WILL solve this

Neoliberal 🌐🇺🇦 @ne0liberal

Did Biden just call for an LVT on oil fields? https://t.co/6oaPTs3sVZ

Land Value Tax fixes everything! Although I just read an article recommending different language to refer to it. 'Ground Rent Fee' or something.

Threads

• Thread about how Russia not declaring a full mobilization means that ongoing recruitment is resulting in troops not properly prepared to fight in Ukraine.

• Discussion of flying car companies plummeting in value, and how it relates to the rest of the market.

• Short description of Biden 'housing supply action plan', definitely some good ideas, although the real fight for homes is at the State and Local levels.