The major bipartisan infrastructure bill, which was passed by the Senate back in August, was passed by the House on Friday, with a handful of Republican votes. AP: Biden hails infrastructure win as ‘monumental step forward’. New York Times: House Passe…
American torpedoes during WWII
“I still can’t believe the U.S. entered a naval war in 1941-42 without working torpedoes, and didn’t even realize that they didn’t work until 1943.” U. S. Torpedo Troubles During World War II, a 1998 article by Douglas Shireman. Via Noah Smith.
2012 exit polls and the post-2012 narrative
“The popular narrative after 2012 that Obama won due to historic mobilization of young and non-white voters was completely wrong and the resulting consequences of that narrative have led to massive strategic errors that have put American democracy at r…
Simpson’s Paradox
If you look at Covid data from Israel across all ages, vaccine efficacy against severe disease is 67.5%. But if you break it down by age it turns out to be significantly higher: for those under 50 it’s 91.8%, and those over 50 it’s 85.2%. What’s going …
Last chance for US climate legislation
The home stretch. It’s time to pay attention, call your members of Congress, and mobilize your networks. Crunch time: this is America’s last chance at serious climate policy for a decade. It’s going to be a clean energy standard & clean energy tax …
Foreign fighting: escaping the cheese bell
Thomas Hegghammer on the Cheese Bell Theory of foreign fighting: “that foreign fighting provides strategic depth – and hence longevity – to movements that would otherwise crumble under domestic repression.” “Functioning states are like cheese bells in …
Bipartisan infrastructure deal reached
A bipartisan $550 billion infrastructure spending deal passed a test vote in the US Senate, with support from 17 Republican senators. New York Times. The deal includes $39 billion for public transit and $46 billion for climate adaptation; the $15 billi…