Michael Ettllnger

State-by-State Estimates of the First Year of Trump’s Tax Policies: All But the Richest Americans Face Higher Taxes As a result of the tax policies approved by President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress, all but the richest Americans are paying higher taxes on average in 2026 than they did last year.

itep.org/trump-obbba-...

Democrats should immediately introduce legislation requiring all importers to pass any tariff refunds they receive on to their customers. Whether it can be implemented, I don't know, but they need to grab the ground.

Video: How ‘Turn and Burn’ Immigration Operations Unleash Chaos — and Sweep up U.S. Citizens A video analysis of one early morning raid in Los Angeles revealed the vast web of consequences brought by new aggressive Border Patrol tactics.

I just watched this from December. I'd had it saved but hadn't seen it. I'm sure lots of you knew this already, but this drove home for me how inevitable was Minneapolis.

www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...

Medals per capita An experiment by Data Commons

The jingoistic US media coverage of the Olympics is failing to report how badly we’re doing. medalspercapita.com

I am skeptical that there is a social media post that can create “understanding what is going on in the labor market.” Yes, the graph does not prove that “Everything is not fine”—still interesting when lined up against other claims, the nature of jobs in different industries, etc.

Medals per capita An experiment by Data Commons

medalspercapita.com

"Such ingratitude": Musk was the top Republican donor in 2024 Wherever Elon Musk puts his cash has massive potential influence.

Musk gave 5 times as much to support to Republicans in the 2024 campaign as Tesla paid in federal income tax in the past 3 years.
www.axios.com/2025/06/05/m...

itep.org/tesla-report...

Of the 13 games in the NFL playoffs, a Trump state team will have only won one

Harris state teams against Trump state teams went 5-0 in the NFL playoffs

The last team from a Trump supporting state is out of the NFL playoffs

Having recently learned of two former colleagues at progressive organizations who have sold out, I just want to express my appreciation for those who haven't. Being cynical about whether the work is worthwhile is easy, as is finding excuses for taking lucrative jobs pushing a corporate agenda.

I wished they'd ask whether Emmer has a problem with Jefferson Davis and the heroism of the confederacy

Mitt Romney Raises the Tax Policy Floor for Democrats Mitt Romney’s recent op-ed in the New York Times is a wake-up call for Democrats

mettlinger.medium.com/mitt-romney-...

I'm not sure the etymology of the word is what you think it is

(2/2) Some labor market data is messed up by deportations & likelihood that immigrants aren't responding to surveys. The interaction with how household survey numbers are calculated makes for oddness there as well

(1/2) I'm reserving judgement on where the economy is. I understand the necessity of reading the tea leaves & some things we know. Overall, though, data are likely being confounded by weirdness with imports & exports b/c of tariff volatility & uncertainty whether US tariffs will be ruled illegal.

Your findings reflect my experience in NY. The tool used, however, were environmental laws that had processes that could be exploited for non-environmental goals. I'm not up-to-date on NY, but back then the environmental laws needed to be reformed to stop misuse but still protect the environment.

White House Furious at Josh Hawley Over Latest Abortion Gambit Donald Trump’s advisers are pissed that the Republican senator is putting the entire party at risk ahead of the midterms.

For what's worth, I predicted this: www.yahoo.com/news/article... My piece: medium.com/@mettlinger/...

I don’t disagree with the premise but it’s terrible messaging. In a recession people want a laser focus on addressing their suffering. Both can be done, but it needs to be clear that the primary objective is addressing the suffering, not shoehorning in a longstanding agenda

We may not get Schumer. Durbin needs to be replaced as Minority Whip

The other thing about this deal? What was the point of the filibuster if we don’t get anything for it? Inflicted pain with nothing gained

As for Schumer. You seem to be making the case that he was complicit just that it was ok that he was

(c) the harm of Trump not be seen as a failure is far greater than the harm of a shutdown. In the end … he would own that harm. And the single most important thing is for Trumpism to be widely seen as a failure.

b) They probably would have carved out some exception not eliminate it so they’d still have an excuse not to pass every crazy thing the House sends over.

(a) If they really want to do something they won’t let the filibuster stop them.

There were 3 possibilities if Ds didn’t cave: (1) Rs cave, (2) end of filibuster, (3) shutdown lasts until an election. All better than Ds caving imo. Maybe we’ll get there in February

Leaving LBJ aside. Durbin is his #2. Most of them have served with Schumer for many years. He was either complicit or does not command their respect

Time to start organizing to put the fear of G_d in these Senators for their political lives if they don’t get a spine by January. For the retiring ones: fear that their legacy will always be tarnished. Schumer needs to feel at risk too

I was for the Ds averting the shutdown last time. I thought the politics at that time & the way DOGE was operating, a shutdown would have helped Trump. Now is different. Democrats! Current position is already too much of a concession. Give no more!

Does Harvard & Columbia still have records of Trump’s applications and rejections?