New working paper: the Norwegian wealth tax was a huge success. The "exodus" of wealthy people never happened (less than 100 individuals left). Tax revenue increased by 71.5%. No changes in business activity or investment. www.nber.org/papers/w35854
Jim Vandewalker
@jimvan.bsky.social
Green Swamp dweller, Fear Nothing. "I ain't young like you, I'm old and give out." --Slingblade
Well, that's a hell of a thing to leave next to a statue of Joan of Arc.😏
The major platforms—Facebook, YouTube, and X—are all refusing to show the trailer for the upcoming documentary that eviscerates the ridiculous pest Elon Musk. So I guess we have to do our part to make sure it is seen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY_8...
Musk | Official Trailer | Bleecker Street
YouTube video by Musk
youtube.com
Immigrants taking prejudice opportunities away from native white bigots!
Shiv Ramdas Mens Rice Activist@nameshiv.bsky.social · 3w agofwiw am absolutely fine, have reported it to Lyft and they were pretty prompt about getting back to me. And before we start making assumptions this driver was also an immigrant and was from Africa so yeah, being a weirdo with prejudices that will ruin your earnings is still not a white man preserve
Hey, y'all, where do dogs hate shopping? .. At the flea market!
Apparently people are sharing this far and wide on social media, which I think is horrible. This could cripple ICE operations. PLEASE do not share this.
I'm going to KEEP talking about how Senator Rick Scott, the RICHEST man in all of Congress, DEFRAUDED Medicare & is trying to CUT Social Security. Will you join me?🤚
"Lake America" instantly just absolutely clogged with algae. Six uniformed National Guard guys standing on a beach dumping windex into it. It smells like a turtle tank.
How is the cyclospora outbreak a money in politics problem? @danw329.bsky.social explains... www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
Cyclospora Outbreak Shows Why So Many Americans Are Angry About Corruption
Following major lobbying and campaign spending from the food industry, an important safety rule has been delayed for years.
brennancenter.org
yeah man "woke 1" sucked ass. I "woke 1" morning from uneasy dreams to find myself transformed into a giant insect
"...at least 25 county-level election officials who have taken office across the country since the last major federal election in 2024 ... have aligned with the broader election-denier movement, according to a Times review of a new database from Voting Rights Lab" www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/u...
A Growing Number of Election Deniers Hold Key Local Roles in Midterms
These officials oversee or help administer elections in counties across the nation where competitive House and Senate races will determine control of Congress.
nytimes.com
We should really work together, hand and hand, to focus all of our community’s poorly-suppressed and totally ruthless bullying energy on the single demographic we all agree actually deserves it: Harry Potter Adults in the year of our lord 2026
The company is like an evil vending machine, you put money in and it does what you want, unless somebody else puts more money in and tells it to stop.
Perspectives: Past, Present, and Future, by Patrick Wyman patrickwyman.substack.com?r=g7c0u&utm_...
Perspectives: Past, Present, and Future, by Patrick Wyman | Substack
The biggest ideas shaping our world - its past, present, and future. Click to read Perspectives: Past, Present, and Future, by Patrick Wyman, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribe...
patrickwyman.substack.com
We can attack this problem from both sides. Public financing that lifts up small donors and invites new ones, a constitutional amendment to return common-sense restrictions on big money, and better transparency and ethics rules. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
Nine Solutions for Political Corruption
A new era of anticorruption reform is long overdue.
brennancenter.org
Americans across party lines see big money in politics as corruption, and they want solutions. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
Poll: Voters Want Solutions for Government Corruption
Overwhelming majorities across parties see corruption as a major problem and back measures to limit self-dealing by officials and the influence of money in politics.
brennancenter.org
Tobacco company Reynolds American / RAI Services gave $5 million around the time the administration lifted restrictions on vaping products, giving Reynolds what it wanted and inducing the FDA head to resign. www.wsj.com/business/tob...
Tobacco Giant Donated $5 Million to MAGA Inc. Shortly Before Vaping Decision
Reynolds American was lobbying the White House to ease limits on flavored vaping products.
wsj.com
The top MAGA Inc. donor at $35M is the owner of crypto[dot]com, apt for a president friendly to cryptocurrency as a matter of both policy and personal investments. Greg & Anna Brockman, whose money comes from OpenAI, gave $25M, and Trump has supported leaving the AI industry largely unregulated.
This is why the elite pundits who say “small donors are making politics worse” are so out of touch. Small money only matters when millions of people come together to vote with dollars, and they don’t seek favors for wealthy corporations or special interests.
Reporting shows how this massive fund was raised (+ less-transparent groups like the ballroom and 250th anniversary funds): Trump is constantly asking big business for money, including companies in search of policy favors from his administration. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Exclusive | ‘The Boss Wants This Money’: Inside Trump’s Unprecedented Fundraising Operation
Meredith O’Rourke, nicknamed ‘princess of darkness,’ carries out the president’s desire to wring hundreds of millions from companies for his projects.
wsj.com
As the midterm congressional elections heat up, the richest political committee in the US is, of course … the super PAC controlled by a president who’s not on the ballot and is constitutionally barred from ever running again.
I'll be on Texas Public Radio soon discussing dark money in elections... www.tpr.org/podcast/the-...
Dark money becomes a formidable force in American elections
What's known as "dark money" in U.S. elections reached a record-shattering $1.9 billion in recent federal election cycles, nearly doubling the previous record. This surge traces back to the Supreme Co...
tpr.org
In addition to being a devoted public servant who saved countless lives over the course of a long and destiguished career, Dr. Fauci is an accurate diarist! 🎁 www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
‘Complete disgrace’ and ‘total jerk‘: What Fauci said about DeSantis in his diary
Fauci’s criticism of Florida’s governor was a point of contention Wednesday as he was called to testify on Capitol Hill.
miamiherald.com