The Beginning Of The End Of The ‘Conservative’ Supreme Court

Depending on the outcome of the election, the Supreme Court’s just concluded term will most likely be remembered as the point at which the Court’s rightward tilt that began at the end of the Warren Court Era came to an end.

Pfizer Bars Use Of Its Drugs In Capital Punishment

Pfizer has become the latest drug maker from barring its products from being used in executions.

Andrew Grove, Intel Chairman Who Helped Develop The Semiconductor Revolution, Dead At 79

One of the pioneers of the technology revolution of the past four decades has passed away.

Peter Mondavi, Napa Valley Wine Pioneer, Dead At 101

A man who helped create a multi-billion dollar a year industry, and some mighty fine wine, has passed away.

Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates For First Time In Nearly A Decade

In a move it had been telegraphing for the better part of a year, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since July 2006.

Cruz has a Plan for Fighting ISIS

Why hasn’t anyone else thought of this?

Both Sides Do It: Voter Suppression Edition

Today, many states and municipalities are having elections that will mostly attract Democrats.

78 > 22

If we are gong to assess the significance of Trump, we need to pay attention to the numbers.

The Prison-Industrial Complex

The problem goes beyond the War on Drugs.

Stealing a College Education

Lee Siegel takes to the NYT to explain “Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans.”

Los Angeles Makes A Risky Bet With Its Minimum Wage Increase

Los Angeles became the latest major city to increase its minimum wage. It’s a risky bet that is likely to do more harm than good.

Is 2016 a 50-50 Proposition?

Pundits and political scientists agree that, if the 2016 presidential election were today, we’d have a much better idea who would win.

The Ivy League Supreme Court

Every member of the Supreme Court graduated from an Ivy League Law School. That kind of homogeneity is not healthy.

Why Top Students Are Being Rejected by In-State Colleges

Their places are being filled by students who pay higher tuition rates.

A New Gilded Age?

Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century is making quite a splash.

OTB Caption Contest Winners

The Let Us Spray Edition OTB Caption ContestTM is now over.

Scientists: At Least 8.8 Billion Earth-Size Planets In Milky Way

The earth-like planets are out there, but it’s unclear if the life is.

A Map Is Worth A Thousand Votes

Democrats are approaching an “Electoral College lock.” Republicans are trying to pick it.

Latino Voters Could Cost The GOP The White House And The Senate

Republican problems among Latino voters could have an influence on several close races this year.

Apple Wins $1 Billion Patent Suit Against Samsung, May Get Triple Damages

Apple has won a huge victory in the smart phone patent wars. If the news reporting is accurate, the outcome doesn’t pass the common sense test.

Cubicles Lower Productivity But Management Loves Them

The private office is quickly becoming a relic, despite the loss of morale and productivity that comes from open floorplans.

Naomi Schaefer Riley and Mob Rule

A blog post lampooning black studies dissertations got a writer fired, setting off a controversy over the limits of free speech.

Teaching the Federalist Papers

If we taught the Federalist Papers more rigorously would that lead to a shared view of the constitution?

World’s Top Universities

Seven of the top ten and fifteen of the top twenty universities on the planet are American.

College Football Coaches Salaries Soar As College Budgets Fall

College football coaching salaries jumped 35 percent last year and 55 percent in the last six.

Does The Post Office Have A Future?

The Postal Service announced another round of service cutbacks today that are likely to just make the rapidity of its decline increase

UC Davis Launches Investigation into Pepper Spray Incident

Further, there was another example of police violence at UCD earlier this week.

A Decade of Lost Freedom

Measuring our progress a decade after the 9/11 attacks

Maryland Football Uniforms Ugly, Attract Needed Attention

The Maryland Terrapins upset the Miami Hurricanes 32-24 last night in college football’s opening weekend. But all anyone is talking about is the ugly uniforms.

Should Your Salary Be Public Knowledge?

Daniel Indiviglio makes “The Case for Making Wages Public: Better Pay, Better Workers.”

A Home Is A Lousy Investment (Unless You Need A Place to Live)

Two economists look at a 30 year investment in a home versus putting the same money in the stock market.

John Lennon, Closet Republican?

While his best-known solo effort was “anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, [and] anti-capitalistic,” John Lennon became a Reagan Republican a few years later, his assistant claims.

Vietnam Draft Lottery Had Lasting Impact

The draft ended in 1973. It’s effects still linger today.

Austan Goolsbee Stepping Down

Austan Goolsbee is resigning as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors to return to the University of Chicago.

Nobel Prize Economist Not Qualified For Fed Board?

Is Peter Diamond qualified to be a Fed governor?

A Nations of Immigrants with a Dumb Immigration Policy

Canada is much friendlier than the United States with regard to immigration.

Pesticide Exposure Leads to Lower IQs in Children

A survey of three studies demonstrates consistently that exposure to certain pesticides used in farming diminishes mental development.

Disadvantages of an Elite Education

While elite schools confer many advantages on their graduates, they also wall them off from normal people and create an entitled, out-of-touch elite.

Recommended Reading on the Drug War

The US drug policy gang: Dopey, Boozy, Smokey and Stupid?