The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on lower-income communities was decades in the making.
Friday, November 28, 2025
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/13/2020
Covid in the US regions ~ California re-opening ~ Biden announces Harris (video) ~ Harris and identity politics ~ Trump ad drops ~ QAnon and its competitors ~ Morse v. College Democrats ~ Unemployment, trade, rail ~ Air and lead pollution ~ r/unemployment ~ Library community gardens
The Bakken Boom Goes Bust With No Money to Clean up the Mess
How the Bakken oil boom, particularly hasty development and transport by rail, was destined to create an environmental hangover…..and no one bothered to prevent it.
Mauritius Oil Spill Tragedy
Some photos and commentary from Mauritius, whose oil spill is a major ecological disaser.
CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost Moonlights? Implausibly Denies Relationship With Top Speakers’ Bureau
CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost does not appear to have a good grasp of the conflict-of-interest rules that apply to her role.
House Democrats Introduce Urgent Bill to End ‘Deliberate Sabotage’ of Postal Service by Postmaster General
Democrats wake up awfully late in the game to the importance of protecting the Post Office from looting, um, privatizing. Are they too late?
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/12/2020
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Wolf Richter: No, Americans Aren’t Suddenly Flying Again, Despite What the Media Said Today to Boost Stocks of Airlines and Boeing
Americans are eschewing flying in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to carnage in the airlines sector.
“Savings Glut” Fables and International Trade Theory: An Autopsy
Debunking Bernanke’s pet excuse for the global financial crisis, the savings glut hypothesis, which of course exculpates the Fed.
CalPERS Preliminary Returns Inconsistent with Other CalPERS Data; CalPERS Refuses to ‘Splain Even Though It Ought to be Easy
CalPERS has yet to clear up an anomaly in its reported preliminary returns.
Re-Localizing Industry, One Thing at a Time
Even Covid-19 can have a silver lining: industry supply chain breakage and relocalization initiatives are bringing some manufacturing back to the US.
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/11/2020
Today’s Water Cooler
Trump EPA Poised to Weaken Obama Methane Rule, Despite Possibility of Later CRA Overturn
Trump EPA to weaken Obama methane rule, acceding to fossial fuel pressure, despite the Congressional Review Act, which may kick in aft Nov.
