Chris Bennett

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

Today is the final day of work for many dedicated, talented employees at the Institute of Education Sciences. I am thankful for their service, and I hope that they find new roles that continue their mission of supporting education research that serves as a public good.

Over the past ten years, #RIHE has published >80 articles that used NCES data as a primary data source. In this special collection, we highlight key RIHE articles that used NCES data to provide important insights for research, practice, and policy. #highered link.springer.com/collections/...

Missed opportunity to call it wikifeetia

Chart shows dramatic increase in AC adoption in Seattle

Wow, the amount of Seattle-area homes with AC nearly doubled over the past decade.
Really shows the rapid pace of climate change and how it is spurring adaptations by residents of the historically cool Pacific Northwest.

Okay, okay, hear me out. What if all TV shows and movies penned by members of the Writers Guild of America had a line in the credits that assured us the script was “guild-written”?

Free idea for a book/paper title: The Guilded Age. Run with it for all your guild-related endeavors.

And yes, it was just as astounding as it sounds. What a lucky man I am!

The Rumpus Submission Manager The Rumpus publishes original fiction, poetry, literary humor writing, comics, essays, book reviews, and interviews with authors and artists of all kinds. Founded in 2009 and independent from the star...

Some personal news…

@roxanegay.bsky.social and @debbiemillman.bsky.social are relaunching @therumpus.net!!! And I’m excited to be joining their team as poetry editor! 🤓 WEEEEE!!! You can submit your poetry for consideration here: therumpus.submittable.com/submit

Images aren’t neutral forms of communication. They also aren’t “objective” if they’re able to be misused and misunderstood. The context happens before you take a photo. You should ask yourself, what are the negative impacts it could have on a story? Whose side does this benefit?

VIDEO: Gerrymandering: Duke vs. UNC Several voting rights groups and voters of color have sued North Carolina Republicans over their new election maps, which all but ensure Republicans stay in

I discovered this video explaining gerrymandering using UNC v Duke and I’m thinking about making it my email sig.

cardinalpine.com/2024/01/15/v...

Portraying Governance: Demographic Misalignment in University Board Representation Higher education governing boards are important bodies with far-reaching powers over the institutions they oversee. Yet little is known about individual board members, how the composition of boards va...

Governing boards are at the center of every higher ed story these days. What do we know about board governance? What does board composition look like nationwide, and how is it shaped by partisan appointments? My new working paper introduces new data to these questions:
edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1212

Story link: www.npr.org/2025/06/23/n...

Mosaic District. Fairfax Virginia. People play outdoor ping pong, mingle on a lawn, and even sit on amphitheater style steps, by God

The Mosaic District on a summer evening looks like a planner’s rendering of a mixed-use development

The Eno River has reached record levels, rising over 22 feet in the past 24 hours. This is the view from downtown Hillsborough, North Carolina.

House/Senate are set to eliminate Grad PLUS, and put in place loan limits that would dramatically restrict graduate borrowing. Media coverage emphasizes impact this may have on very expensive programs like Medicine and Dentistry, but @peerresearch.bsky.social finds impact will be much(!) broader 1/

In a waiting room, and this lady chatting w/ the receiptionist is doing a great job explaining the actual impact of the DOGE cuts: *everyone* at her office laid off, what kinds of programs they do & who they help (kids), what's happening w the injunction. These personal stories need more attention!

Family, Education, and Sources of Wealth among the Richest Americans, 1982-2012 (May 2013) - We examine characteristics of the 400 wealthiest individuals in the United States over the past three decades as tabulated by Forbes Magazine, and analyze which theories of increasing ine...

I think it’s this brief article: www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...

Working paper version: www.piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/Kaplan...

YouTube video by Association for Education Finance & Policy Breaking into Education Consulting: Exploring Independent Career Paths [Webinar]

Here's the recording of the event I organized focused on how to become an ed consultant. There's lots of really useful, practical information regardless of your subject area, but I obviously had my colleagues who've recently lost their jobs in mind.

youtu.be/50hWMIyR6bw?...

STAGGERING: This new study of 133 countries is the first to estimate the impact of all USAID’s work. In 2 decades, it has saved *92M* lives. Current cuts, if not reversed, are forecast to cost up to *14M* lives thru 2030. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Trump Tells States He's Holding Back $6.8 Billion for Schools Schools nationwide won't see almost $6.8 billion in funding for English learners, migrant students, professional development, and more.

Just published: The Trump administration is holding back $6.5 billion in funding for K-12 schools that the law says must flow to states tomorrow.

It's not clear when, or if, the money will be released. www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

NASA scientists will apparently no longer be able to read @nature.com at their jobs, as the Trump administration has canceled all subscriptions to Springer Nature journals, per the agency. (1/3) 🧵

Thank you!

Picture of a variety of plants in New York City’s Madison Square Park, including blue/pink/purple hydrangeas, monkey grass, and hostas.

Photo of a fountain in New York City’s Madison Square Park. There are orange flowers in a planter in the foreground.

Closeup of pink/purple hydrangeas in New York City’s Pinwheel Park

Photo of grass, hostas, and large trees in New York City’s Madison Square Park. Multistory buildings are visible in the distance.

New York City parks are in full bloom. What a sight to behold!

A wedding ring that monitors its users every emotion and movement is a premise for a feminist dystopian sci-fi novel.

'Where's our money?' CDC grant funding is moving so slowly layoffs are happening The state and local health departments that rely on CDC funding say the money is not coming in on time and no one can tell them why. Some are laying off staff.

“rescission by inertia”

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Kitten sees himself in the mirror and is shocked.

He can't believe there's another cat

I’ve been describing the various espresso drinks to my dad, and every time I explain what a drink includes, he treats the reveal as if it’s a surprise ending.

Good reminder that not everyone spent grad school at Nashville cafes with barista guides on the wall.

🎵 We didn’t start the fire… 🎵