Bart Lipman

August 1, 2025 AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION Committee on Economic Statistics and Committee on Government Relations Statement from the American Economic Association on the Dismissal of the BLS Commissioner Leaders of the American Economic Association express their grave concern over the dismissal of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) earlier today. The independence of the federal statistical agencies is essential to the proper functioning of a modern economy. Accurate, timely, and impartial statistics are the foundation upon which households, businesses, and policymakers make critical decisions. Undermining the independence or credibility of these agencies threatens the integrity of the information that markets, institutions, and the public rely on every day. Measuring the vast and dynamic U.S. economy in real time is inherently challenging. It is standard practice for statistical estimates to be revised as more complete and higher-quality data become available. These revisions reflect the commitment of statistical agencies to accuracy, transparency, and methodological rigor-not failure or bias. The BLS has long had a well-deserved reputation for professional excellence and nonpartisan integrity. Safeguarding this tradition is vital for the continued health of the U.S. economy and public trust in our institutions. We call upon elected officials to respect and preserve the independence of the nation's statistical infrastructure. Lawrence Katz President, American Economic Association Katharine Abraham President-Elect, American Economic Association Karen Dynan Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Economic Statistics Kenneth Troske Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Government Relations

Statement from the largest economics association about the BLS firing

As context: AEA approximately never makes such public statements

This is a big deal

WILD story. An 82-year-old from Chile lost his green card. In June, he went to pick up a new one at a USCIS office. While there, he was handcuffed and detained by ICE.

An unknown caller claiming to be a lawyer told family she could help. Later, she said he’d died. Now he’s turned up — in Guatemala!

Michelle Obama: this Congress-passed law improving school lunch heath standards is good

Right: THIS IS MARXISM

Trump: I will change the ingredients of Coke by threatening executives with deportation

Right: MY LIFE FOR YOU

Plan to boost returns from Russian assets ‘expropriation’, warns Euroclear Clearing house chief executive warns against EU plan to raise more money for Ukraine by investing in riskier assets

Local optimum: do not touch Russian money

Global optimum: seize Russian money & transfer it to #Ukraine

#UkrainianView

Smale@95: A Conference in Honor of Steve Smale This two-day conference will celebrate Steve Smale on his 95th birthday by covering topics relating to some of his contributions to the world of mathematics and to the world of mineral collecting.  St...

Join us next week in celebrating #mathematician Steve Smale on his 95th birthday at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computation in Berkeley, July 21-22, 2025: simons.berkeley.edu/workshops/sm...

The Institutions Protecting US Democracy Have Turned Into Traps America’s two-party system has long been intended as a barrier against an extremism. Polarization is making it an accelerant instead.

America’s two-party system has long been a barrier against an extremism. Polarization is making it an accelerant instead.

We Hold These Truths

This is worth keeping an eye on.

www.weholdtruths.com#truths

Celtics adding Damian Lillard would be an intriguing move toward title contention in 2026-27 - The Boston Globe The sure-fire Hall of Famer is a free agent for the first time in his career, and the Celtics have a midlevel exception slot that could fit him nicely.

The #Celtics should sign Damian Lillard now

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/03/s...

BREAKING: American evangelicals are considering worshiping Satan after discovering how woke Jesus Christ was.

The Big, Beautiful Bill assigns each American a billionaire who will live the American dream for you. You can check in on your billionaire at intervals and see how he is using your money. Maybe he's building a 19th pool. Maybe he's buying himself some formerly public land! Maybe he's taking a Supreme Court justice on a dream vacation! Maybe he is reupholstering the Statue of Liberty to hide the poem.

www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

On June 30, 2025, Guido Imbens stepped down as Editor. We express our immense gratitude for his six years of exceptional service and leadership.

We are thankful to Marina Halac, who will transition from Co-editor to become the Editor, starting July 1st, 2025. She will continue to handle papers on a wide range of topics in economic theory.

On June 30, 2025 Simon Board stepped down as Editor. We are very grateful to him for his contribution. The journal has greatly benefited from his hard work and thoughtful editorial decisions.

We are thrilled to have Federico Echenique (University of California, Berkeley) join the editorial board as Editor, starting July 1st, 2025. He will be handling papers in a wide range of topics, including matching, mechanism design, and decision theory.

Good point. A central collection of syllabi would be very useful for many reasons…

Co-editors Kate Ho and Chad Jones left the editorial board at the end of June 2025. We are very grateful to them for their contributions. The journal has greatly benefited from their insight and energy.

We are thrilled to have Aureo de Paula (UCL), Keisuke Hirano (Penn State), Pete Klenow (Stanford), & Marciano Siniscalchi (Northwestern) join the editorial board as coeditors, starting July 1st. They will handle papers on a wide range of topics in IO, econometrics, macro, and economic theory.

Why I’m Sending Issues of ‘The Onion’ To Every Member Of Congress By Bryce P. Tetraeder, Global Tetrahedron CEO

If you are reading this, you are likely either a member of Congress or one of the many underlings tasked with prodding lawmakers from a senile haze when they must cast a vote. You may be wondering why you have lucked out and received a free issue of our storied publication without so much as inserting a rider into a bill classifying The Onion as a tax-free religious organization. Simply put, the inaction of Congress has already made me happier than any legal loophole could.

Here is Why I’m Sending Issues of ‘The Onion’ To Every Member Of Congress.

Click here to read The Onion’s open letter to Congress:
theonion.com/letter-to-co...

It’s a good thing Congress isn’t alive to see this

A White Nationalist at University of Florida Wrote a Paper Promoting Racist Views. It Won Him an Award. The University of Florida student won an academic honor after he argued in a paper that the Constitution applies only to white people. From there, the situation spiraled.

A University of Florida law student won an academic honor after he argued in a paper that the Constitution applies only to white people. From there, the situation spiraled.

Stay for the last line

@radiofreetom.bsky.social

Brillant.

New PRRI Poll: Six in Ten Americans Oppose Exporting Undocumented Immigrants to Foreign Prisons Without Due Process Under the Trump administration, immigration enforcement has taken an unprecedented turn as immigrants, including asylum seekers and individuals with legal protections, are now being transferred to…

BREAKING @prri.org poll.
My disturbing take: It’s virtually impossible to write a survey question about the treatment of immigrants that is too brutal for Republicans to support.
1) 8 in 10 Republicans support renditions of immigrants to foreign prisons without due process.
prri.org/spotlight/ne...

Mike Lee Stresses He Would Have Posted Same Thing If Own Family Savagely Murdered WASHINGTON—After being confronted about social media posts that blamed the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers on the far left, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) stressed Tuesday that he would have said the same thing if his own family had been savagely murdered. “Democrats can say what they want about me, but I would have absolutely called […]

“Democrats can say what they want about me, but I would have absolutely called the shooter a Marxist and made tasteless digs at Gov. Walz had my loved ones recently been killed in cold blood,” said Mike Lee theonion.com/mike-le...

CSWEP Mid-Career Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Mentoring Program

Apply now for @aeacswep.bsky.social's Mid-Career Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Mentoring Program to help economists find community, support, and mentoring. Participants form groups that meet regularly (typically virtually), and CSWEP provides suggested curriculum and resources. www.cswepmentoring.org

#NoKings #polisci
marketdesigner.blogspot.com/2025/06/worr...

this statement was made just yesterday

On 6/12, DHS Sec’y Kristi Noem said “We are staying here to liberate [LA] from the socialists and the burdensome leadership this governor and mayor have placed on this country and this city.” This use of military force to displace a democratically elected is the very definition of a coup.

A Permanent Stain on Our History The Trump administration’s embrace of nativism is as shameful as it is self-destructive.

“Three things made the US a rich and powerful nation: the rule of law, its science & innovation system, and openness to foreign talent. Remarkable how Trump has taken a sledgehammer to all three. No enemy of this country could do more.”