Paul Kiernan

How Public Education Failed in the Liberal Enclaves That Care About It Most Student achievement has fallen off a cliff. Neither Trump nor the pandemic is to blame.

“Adult political considerations and adult political objectives ultimately drive policy,” Ohio State education researcher Vladimir Kogan says. “It’s not that people don’t care about kids, but those considerations are of secondary importance.” nymag.com/intelligence...

How Larry Summers’s Power Delayed the Reckoning Over His Epstein Ties The former Treasury Secretary and Harvard president’s enormous network and clout kept him immune from past Jeffrey Epstein revelations. But this time was just too much.

“I’m fucked,” Larry Summers told Jeffrey Epstein in a 2018 email.

www.wsj.com/us-news/larr...

Okay, but someone just canceled a meeting tomorrow because rain is in the forecast. Doesn’t that count for something?

The California Campaign to Introduce a First-of-Its-Kind Billionaire’s Tax A union-backed ballot measure is aimed at raising healthcare funding. But it faces opposition from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

California is home to more billionaires than any other state. Voters may have a chance next year to hit them with a 5% wealth tax.

My story with @laurajnelson.bsky.social:

www.wsj.com/business/cal...

Laura Loomer’s Endless Payback The President’s self-appointed loyalty enforcer inspires fear and vexation across Washington. What’s behind her vetting crusades?

Lobbyists are required to register with the government and disclose their funding. But influencers operate in a gray zone. “If Laura [tweets]…just because the U.S. government sees it and then decides to change their position, it doesn’t mean that’s lobbying.”
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

Prince Andrew has said on various occasions in recent years that he regrets his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

But in 2016 Jeffrey Epstein suggested he regretted his association with Prince Andrew.

All of BLS has been furloughed since October 1st. That means no one was collecting data in Oct. You can’t just walk into a Costco in mid-November and find out what the price of a good was in October. That’s why an October CPI isn’t possible.

I’m old enough to remember standing in line at a rec center gym on a spring day in 2021 to get my first Covid-19 shot. It was very emotional, a feeling of triumph over the terrifying and isolating force of the pandemic.

Now we have to sign a dumb attestation that says insurance may not cover it.

Exclusive | Fannie Mae Watchdogs Probed How Pulte Obtained Mortgage Records of Key Democrats FHFA’s acting inspector general handed the probe report to the U.S. attorney office that had indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Fannie Mae watchdogs who were removed from their jobs had been probing if Trump appointee Bill Pulte had improperly obtained mortgage records of key Democratic officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James

www.wsj.com/finance/regu...

1.) the ten?
2.) no
3.) not unless it's also raining

Am I an Angeleno now?

Woman in stolen minivan escapes, crosses US-Mexico border after 4-county pursuit across SoCal The pursuit began in Ventura County around 10:55 a.m. and continued across the 118, 405, and 5 freeways, with the minivan exceeding 80 mph.

A gut-wrenching hour of radio silence ensued, during which colleagues informed me that I was undergoing an L.A. rite of passage, my first high-speed chase.

When the news stories began updating again, the outcome was almost unbelievable: The driver made it to Mexico!

www.foxla.com/news/police-...

I finished my Pad Thai, hurried back to the office and started streaming the chase on my computer. Had I missed the finale? No, but 2.5 hours into the pursuit, @ktla.com's news helicopter ran out of fuel and had to stop broadcasting.

A line of California Highway Patrol cars trailed the minivan at a cautious distance on I-5. When it came to a traffic slowdown, officers on foot threw a "spike strip" in its path, intending to pop the vehicle's tires. No luck: The driver swerved around the spikes and kept on running.

The allegedly stolen, silver Toyota minivan sped from Ventura County through L.A. Co., Orange Co. and San Diego Co, almost 200 miles. Thanks to a little speedometer graphic in the upper right corner of the TV screen, I could monitor its velocity in real time (80mph-90mph depending on traffic).

How High-Speed Car Chases Became a Citywide Pastime in Los Angeles - LAmag Since local news aired the first live police pursuit in 1992, car chases have become a nightly staple--and an international industry

I sat down for lunch today at a hole-in-the-wall Thai place and noticed something unusual on television: a high-speed car chase, broadcast live on the local news. Little did I know, I'd stumbled upon a classic Los Angeles pastime.

lamag.com/crimeinla/ho...

The crypto M.O., but for eugenics.

www.wsj.com/tech/biotech...

This Small-Town Pension Fund Has a Warning for Millions of Retirement Savers If you think cashing out of a private fund is easy, just ask a guy who used to manage $750 billion.

Before you play Wall Street’s new game, make sure you understand that it doesn’t follow the old rules.
www.wsj.com/finance/inve...

Consumer Sentiment Falls Toward Record-Low Levels The University of Michigan survey reading is slightly above levels that sentiment sank to amid the historic inflation that hit in 2022.

Consumer sentiment has dropped below the lows it hit in the spring, after President Trump first rolled out steep new global tariffs.

www.wsj.com/economy/cons...

Exclusive | Ford Considers Scrapping Electric Version of F-150 Truck Once hyped as a ‘smartphone that can tow,’ production of money-losing EV pickup may be shut down for good.

Electric trucks were supposed to be Detroit’s answer to Tesla. Ford executives are now discussing whether to scrap the electric version of its F-150 pickup, which has seen weak demand and lost money.

www.wsj.com/business/aut...

Employers Cut More Than a Million Jobs This Year Report from private consulting firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas shows a sharp rise in job losses in the first 10 months of the year compared with same period last year.

Employers said they cut more than a million jobs so far this year, a sharp rise in job losses compared with the same period last year, according to a new report

www.wsj.com/economy/jobs...

Election Results Live: Zohran Mamdani Wins NYC Mayoral Election, Defeats Cuomo and Sliwa Zohran Mamdani beats former New York governor Andrew Cuomo in hotly contested mayoral race. New Jersey and Virginia elect Democratic governors. Follow along for live updates and analysis.

Election Day 2025: Zohran Mamdani Wins New York Mayor's Race

www.wsj.com/livecoverage...

The $30 Million Lawyer: GCs Take on New Duties to Up Their Pay The best paid legal executives at the biggest public companies increasingly have something in common, even beyond total compensation that can top $30 million: They wear many hats.

With compensation of $30.2 million, Alphabet president of global affairs J. Kent Walker Jr. is the highest paid in-house lawyer among S&P500 firms. He's followed by Broadcom’s Mark Brazeal ($29 million) and Apple's Katherine Adams.
news.bloomberglaw.com/mergers-and-...

Banks have become less likely to lend to companies exposed to international trade than they were at the beginning of the year, according to the Fed's quarterly survey of senior loan officers.

www.federalreserve.gov/data/documen...

She helped get her violent husband deported. Then ICE deported her — straight into his arms. Carmen's abusive husband came home drunk one night last summer. He pounded and kicked the door.

She helped get her violent husband deported. Then ICE deported her — straight into his arms.

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Shutdown Stalls SEC Work on Private Credit in Retirement Plans The month-long government shutdown is delaying the Securities and Exchange Commission’s work to make it easier for 401(k) plan managers to include private credit and other alternative assets in their ...

And just like that, the two sides came together and ended the shutdown?

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Judges order USDA to restart SNAP funding, but hungry families won't get immediate relief Two federal judges told the U.S. Department of Agriculture it must begin using contingency funds to provide food assistance, but gave the agency until Monday to decide exactly how to do so.

Judges order USDA to restart SNAP funding, but hungry families won't get immediate relief

US Caps Refugee Admissions at 7,500, Prioritizing White South Africans President Donald Trump is cutting the limit on refugees the US resettles to 7,500 for the upcoming fiscal year, while prioritizing White South Africans, a sharp break from the nation’s traditional pol...

“The admissions numbers shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa,” the register notice reads, “and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.” www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Meta Still Has a Lot to Prove in AI Race The Facebook parent’s business model sparks more questions about the eventual payoff than rivals such as Google and Microsoft.

Zuckerberg added that Meta’s AI-powered recommendation systems boosted time spent on Facebook by 5% in the third quarter.

www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta...

Yeah but if the party feeds the hungry how are the consultants going to afford their new mansions in Potomac