Slow Boring

A.O.C. is not the problem Centrist Democrats need to push for change, not bandwagon behind the broken establishment.

A.O.C. is not the problem

100 years of increasing leisure Plus Matt Mahan, true beliefs, A.O.C.’s foreign policy gaffes, and more

100 years of increasing leisure

Solar in poor countries is creating a huge lead hazard

Solar in poor countries is creating a huge lead hazard

Mayors need to understand the problem Plus my favorite dad-lit, the farmer vote, and the futile effort to constrain presidential war powers

Mayors need to understand the problem

Democrats need to think bigger on utilities We need more power, not just short-term rate cuts.

Democrats need to think bigger on utilities

Jesse Jackson and the rise of the progressive movement

Jesse Jackson and the rise of the progressive movement

Presidential democracy was a mistake President’s Day is a bad holiday — and a symptom of a bad system.

Presidential democracy was a mistake

Americans think everyone is corrupt Voters have weird views about this, and progressive advocacy groups do a lot that’s counterproductive.

Americans think everyone is corrupt

Don’t let Elon Musk monopolize space compute A case for more antitrust enforcement

Don’t let Elon Musk monopolize space compute

A country can’t get rich by making housing scarce Trump wants to reassure people he won’t make homes more affordable.

A country can’t get rich by making housing scarce

Gavin Newsom is very similar to Kamala Harris Two San Francisco local elected officials who successfully ran statewide in CA

Gavin Newsom is very similar to Kamala Harris

“Corporate power” doesn’t mean anything You can’t fight what you can’t measure or define.

“Corporate power” doesn’t mean anything

A turning point in Minnesota You can’t just kill people and then lie about the victims.

A turning point in Minnesota

Trump’s war on birthright citizenship gets its day in court A decision that could unravel more than a century of legal precedent

Trump’s war on birthright citizenship gets its day in court

Let companies set prices Plus abundance as a “group,” the Greenland gambit, and what we’d be covering if Harris had won

Let companies set prices

One (or maybe five) years of Trump A [recording of a] live chat with Nate Silver

One (or maybe five) years of Trump

The dream still matters The right likes to invoke colorblindness but won’t live by it.

The dream still matters

Schools are getting worse in most red states The “Southern surge” is great, but it’s just four states.

Schools are getting worse in most red states

Zohran Mamdani's strong start I feared disaster when he won the primary, but so far so good

Zohran Mamdani's strong start

Feeding America is getting harder next year America's poor are getting a lump of coal from Trump and congressional Republicans

Feeding America is getting harder next year

The case for progressive austerity Lower inflation and lower interest rates can be achieved.

The case for progressive austerity

Democrats should try to win in Florida First step: Find a candidate.

Democrats should try to win in Florida

Talking myself into a Netflix-Warner merger I still have concerns.

Talking myself into a Netflix-Warner merger

A Senate majority could be within Democrats’ reach That’s the real lesson of the Tennessee special — just don’t blow it

A Senate majority could be within Democrats’ reach

A bolder vision for American energy You can’t “electrify everything” without more electricity.

A bolder vision for American energy

Imagining pro-growth urbanism Plus my plan to spend $1 billion and the hottest Charles Evans Hughes takes around

Imagining pro-growth urbanism

One million dollars How you can live a happier life, crush our Substack rivals, and help people in need

One million dollars

How to actually feed America Good intentions matter, but good systems turn generosity into abundance.

How to actually feed America

The hidden cause of cultural stagnation Long copyrights incentivize IP management over creativity

The hidden cause of cultural stagnation

Affordability means hard choices Tackling cost pressures is going to mean taking on some sacred cows.

Affordability means hard choices