Michael Roberts

Opinion | Steve Bannon Thinks Zohran Mamdani Is a Genius. It’s Not a Feint.

Wow:

"The turnout rate of voters age 18 to 29 rose to 41.3 percent this year from 11.1 percent in the 2021 election for mayor. The share of total turnout composed of 18-to-29-year-olds grew to 16.6 percent from 8.9 percent four years ago"

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/o...

Great Freakonomics episode on how the 1910 Flexner Report reshaped U.S. medical training — and its lasting influence.
🎧 freakonomics.com/podcast/the-...

Also: new NBER paper by Karen Clay et al. on this history → www.nber.org/papers/w33937

Does this history contribute to today's doctor shortage?

Quite a reversal on the betting odds of a democratic house in 2026.

electionbettingodds.com/House-Contro...

When my "dark" traits get the better of me, I ✔️the state of science @statmodeling.bsky.social

"as long as this sort of research gets shoved into the world’s most prestigious scientific journals ... [and] gets uncritical press coverage, we’ll keep seeing more of it."

tinyurl.com/4f2yhwtx

Oh well

Russia's latest big Ukraine offensive gains next to nothing, again Hundreds of thousands of Vladimir Putin's troops are losing their lives for barely any land

Today, Russia has a population roughly similar to that of the United States in the 1940s.

Russia has lost roughly twice as many soldiers in its invasion of Ukraine as the United States did in World War II.

www.economist.com/interactive/...

It took 15 years for the Nasdaq to return to .com peak after the bubble burst. Another ~10.5 years to grow 4.5 X.

But this time is different, right?

...Right?

West Virginia relies mostly on coal for its electricity. Customers are paying a heavy price In West Virginia, more than 80% of the electricity comes from coal-fired power plants, customers have faced steady increases for more than a decade.

Great reporting on the market and consumer aspects of legacy coal power on Here and Now. Probably a much better spear point than climate. @tatecurtis.bsky.social does a great job on these issues as usual. 💡🔌 🏛️

www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...

Sarkozy Sentenced to 5 Years in Libyan Campaign-Funding Case

I wonder if something like this could ever happen here.

It's not just Sarkozy, but many of his co-conspirators who have been punished for their crimes.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/w...

Is the Jimmy Kimmel Saga a Sign that the Tide is Turning? Why we may not be Russia or Hungary

"Democrats should begin making it loud and clear that if and when MAGA is dethroned, those who broke the law, those who corrupted our democracy out of deference to Trump will be held accountable."

open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

Trump is weaker than he lets on. Stop the cowardice.

Harvard Dean Was Paid $150,000 as an Expert Witness in Tylenol Lawsuits

This story begs for more than "he said, she said" journalism.

Explain the evidence, what's compelling, what's not, and what's required to go from correlation to causation. How, precisely, did Dr. Baccarelli supposedly cherry pick?

Do better @nytimes.com

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/h...

‘Your Countries Are Going to Hell’: Trump Airs His Grievances at the U.N.

There he goes projecting again. Every attack is a confession.

‘Your Countries Are Going to Hell’: Trump Airs His Grievances at the U.N. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/u...

The Political Scene | The New Yorker The Washington Roundtable is joined by the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Keren Yarhi-Milo, the dean of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, to discuss...

Jimmy Kimmel and other late-night comedians have certainly said things about me that I found offensive, even outrageous.

It never crossed my mind to call up the networks and say, "Hey, get rid of this guy."

Because that's not how America works.
play.prx.org/listen?ge=pr...

Double harvest: Vertical solar panels and crops thrive side by side Imagine a field where solar panels and crops coexist—with no trade-off. It sounds like science fiction, but that's precisely what researchers from Aarhus University have now documented in a full-scale...

Vertical rows are the agrivoltaic winner!

“The vertical panels produce slightly less electricity—but with higher value, as generation peaks coincide with morning and late afternoon demand…The crops don't seem to mind the presence of solar panels and they like the wind protection they provide.”

September 21, 2025 On Friday the Bureau of Labor Statistics postponed the release of the annual report on consumer expenditures—a key report for understanding inflation—without explanation.

USDA ends data collection on food insecurity and BLS delays a report on consumer expenditures without explanation

Meanwhile, free speech for misinformers but not for anyone who criticizes Trump—that’s illegal now, says the King.

They will find the crime.

open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...

On Jimmy Kimmel: It's Time to Destroy the Censorship Machine and Repeal the Telecommunications Act of 1996 In 1996, Bill Clinton set the stage for what Donald Trump is doing now by creating a censorship machine of consolidated media, broadband, and tech firms. It's time to break it apart.

I didn't realize all of this increasingly destructive media consolidation stems from the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

On Jimmy Kimmel: It's Time to Destroy the Censorship Machine and Repeal the Telecommunications Act of 1996
www.thebignewsletter.com/p/on-jimmy-k...

Exploiting Male Rage Men’s problems are real. MAGA’s solutions are fake

"it's time for Democrats .. to .. 1) acknowledge that American men are having real problems; 2) state clearly that MAGA has no solutions & is exploiting their distress for political ends; & 3) advocate for effective policies to help them, as well as promising responsible stewardship of the economy."

From things I've seen recently, I think many people would benefit from reading this. It's short, and it's free.

👉 rdcu.be/dbFbB

I am actually sad to have to say this since I have admired much about Disney CEO Bob Iger over the years, but what a profoundly quisling move this is by someone who knows better. It’s shameful and he has tarnished his once proud reputation.

Cancelling Paramount didn't hurt so bad. But the six year old (and maybe even the 14 year old) are going to be bummed about cancelling the Disney+ subscription.

Economists: use your superior empirical skills to clarify the link between rising nitrates from ag and rising cancer rates in the corn belt and beyond

Lawyers: start filing class action lawsuits.

The Dark Side of America’s Big Agriculture Nitrate from fertilizer and manure befouls countless waterways and kitchen taps across the US. But unlike other big polluters, from petroleum to plastics, Big Agriculture has largely avoided responsib...

The Clean Water Act improved water quality dramatically, except for agricultural nutrient runoff. Most US water quality problems come from fertilizer on corn. Is it driving higher cancer rates in Iowa?

Nice to see Bloomberg put a spotlight on this important issue.

tinyurl.com/yt3cjta8

Do you really think renewables are driving up emissions?
Please think harder.
*If* this is true, it's not true by much, and it's because demand grew more than renewables. Possibly data centers.
Counting displaced transportation fuel from EVs could make emissions net negative.
You're a professor?

Congrats!

Yup.

Very similar themes to work by @naomioreskes.bsky.social.

A revelation for me: how much Stanford University has been corrupted. I expect this is true in small ways at many institutions.

Science Under Siege: A Talk With Peter Hotez and Michael Mann Lysenko comes to America

Don't miss this: Paul Krugman discusses the book "Science Under Siege" with authors @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social and @michaelemann.bsky.social

Misinformation and attacks on science come from a coordinated effort by fossil fuel and supplement-shilling industries.

open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

The visceral feelings follow the private interest, a way to justify to yourself that you've sold your soul. Anger is the byproduct of the cognitive dissonance when this absurdity becomes extreme. Most everyone made fun of solar for decades, and today they look silly.

I believe the special interest angle is more powerful than anyone wants to admit, especially those most influenced.

I see it everywhere in clean energy, even moderates and Democrats, if they are surrounded by incumbent interests. It's a *social pressure* thing, backed by $$.

Krugman asks why Republicans support such obviously destructive things.

Great examples in his column. But his essential answer is in the quote.

"https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/why-does-the-right-reject-progress.

Hawaii insurers hold firm on COVID vaccine policies While public health advocates applaud the decision by Hawaii’s insurers, doctors and pharmacies are predicting a big drop in vaccinations.

Hawaii’s health insurers say they will cover COVID vaccinations for anyone older than six months, despite new FDA guidance that says children and healthy adults don’t need the shots.