Justin Wolfers
@justinwolfers
Announcing: Platypus Economics — a Substack, YouTube channel, and podcast built around one idea: Economics is one of the most useful, surprising, and weirdly beautiful subjects in the world. It belongs to everyone — not just the people who happened to take it in college. 🧵
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Here’s the thing—especially on April 15: cutting the IRS isn't some abstract budget trim. It's a tax cut delivered through weaker enforcement. And it mostly goes to people with the...
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Sen. Warren: "Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?" Handsome Kevin: "ummm... errr... " His response raises real questions about whether Warsh is independent of the President a...
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"You can't say the cost of a puppy is $200 because that was the adoption fee." The Pentagon's $25B price tag does exactly that — it ignores veterans' care, disability payments, and...
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Optimism is not a policy tool. If there’s no clear timeline for resolution, energy markets will price in uncertainty. And uncertainty is costly because firms can’t plan and househo...
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Pete Hegseth’s focused on the cost of the bomb. I’m more interested in the size of the economic crater. And that crater may be 10 to 100 times larger. For many families, that...
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The key distinction is between nominal wages and real wages. Nominal wages are the dollars on your paycheck. Real wages are what those dollars can actually buy. If prices rise faster than pay, you’re going backwards.
Huge thanks to Brian O'Keefe and @nytimes.com for taking this seriously. To my team at Initial Digital. To @betseystevenson.bsky.social, who is willing to bet the family savings on a dream. And to YOU, for coming along for this adventure.
Since Trump returned to office, 86% of net new payroll jobs have gone to women. Women now hold slightly more nonfarm payroll jobs than men — 50.02%. The labor market has shifted. The question is whether our policies and politics have noticed.
The striking claim here isn’t just that AI is useful. It’s that it may be ‘industrial revolution’ scale. If that’s even half right, the issue isn’t one occupation. It’s how work gets reorganized across the economy.
If you remove phones, you haven’t removed boredom, status competition, or conflict. You’ve just changed the setting. That’s why the first-year effects can look messy.
Opportunity cost is Econ 101 with real stakes: the cost of a choice is not just dollars spent, but what you gave up. For war, that means not only destruction, but all the prosperity that never gets a chance to exist.
Care work is often treated as somehow less "real" than making tangible goods. Nonsense. It's physically demanding, emotionally demanding, and often highly skilled. That's real work, mate. Check out the full analysis here: https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com/p/the-pink-collar-economy-is-here
"If what you want is rate cuts, here's the thing you don't do. You don't go and bomb a country in the Middle East upsetting global energy markets and pushing prices up across the board."
Two things can be true at once: private credit isn't identical to 2008-era shadow banking, and some of the same vulnerabilities may be creeping back. Similar enough to inspect closely.
"If your local bakery loses one of its ovens, the whole neighborhood ends up having to get by with less bread." That's the whole game. Markets can calm fast; physical production can't.
What can Jane Goodall’s work teach us today? From chimp research to global advocacy, she reshaped how we see nature. Join CUNY researchers to explore her legacy and what studying primates means today. 📅 March 25 | 6:30 PM 🔗 RSVP Link: www.gc.cuny.edu/events/city-... #cuny #science
A student at Rutgers University stands up against an IOF soldier who was invited to speak at the Students Supporting Israel club.
When hope comes within reach, anxiety rises to its highest point. New media art rooted in Japanese aesthetics. Fragments collide and reconstruct new fictional worlds. #takayukio #NYCArtist #NewYorkArt
Vets protested in the Capitol Rotunda today from #VetsAboutFace Many were disabled Vets #WeDemandAnImmediateEnd #ToTheWarInIran #WeCantAffordAnotherWar There were about 150 They were eventually handcuffed & removed For their #CivilDisobedience
Good Morning! It's Thursday 07 May 2026, Andy Lloyd's Morning Show is live every weekday from 09:00 with three hours of music, showbiz, news & sport with features including The Retro Chart, The Bradshaws, Nuts at Nine, LA Spinz and a featured birthday artist.
Open Source, Not Corporate AI! AI should belong to everyone—or to a select few! 🤖 Open technology = Innovation for all. ❌ Closed systems = Control by a handful of corporations. Europe must decide now: Do we create or just consume? Wake up, Europe! The future won’t wait! #AI #Art #NFT #AIForGood
allow me to elaborate: Saber SINGLEHANDEDLY made me like 3 types of women in Fate/Zero alone: 1. lady knights ✅️ 2. women in suits ✅️ 3. women who ride motorbikes ✅️ she later had some moments in Fate/Stay Night UBW that done turned my heart into a puddle, especially including this tiny clip:
Labour guy on the bbc saying that there is broad consensus to rally round Kier Starmer! Honey wake up and see he’s wrapped in barbed wire and stop going in for the cuddle. The call is coming from inside the house.
Not to mention, gunning down people for trying to help a tear gassed victim, or saying "I'm not mad at you."
Wednesday 5/6/26 Quick4Cast. Another day in the 60s tomorrow. What you need to know in 30 seconds. Check the First Alert 4 weather app for more forecast details #stlwx Full forecast -> firstalert4.com/weather
QTP with a gif of the game you're currently playing.
Zelenograd’s Elma Technopark, home to the highly restricted "Mikron" microelectronics plant, was also targeted. Mikron is Russia’s top manufacturer of domestic microchips for military optics and smart circuitry. Geolocated footage shows a massive blaze inside the tech zone.
V. Zelensky Je suis reconnaissant au SSU d'avoir porté un coup à l'une des importantes entreprises militaires 🇷🇺. La distance de notre frontière est de 1700km, c'est la région de Perm. Metafracs Chemicals est une partie importante de l'industrie chimique 🇷🇺. La production de l'entreprise fournit 🧵
Their 1.2 million homes target is nowhere near on track, building costs keep rising, and now they want changes to negative gearing and CGT that could lock another generation out of home ownership.
⭕Scènes apocalyptiques dans plusieurs villes du Sud du #Liban ce matin. Les frappes #Israéliennes s’intensifient, les autorités #Libanaises sont silencieuses.
This is what Zionists teach their children in schools. Indoctrination methods straight out of the hitlerjugend playbook.
This message from him meant so much to me because I truly did feel like I was in the minority… But being in a room filled with supporters in this extremely red pocket of Georgia gave me hope. What a fantastic man he is and I really do hope Shawn get a win in April and then in November!
Servicing Carson 24/7! 🚨 A faulty water line leak from a Fridge, it's step 5 of #WaterDamage Restoration: "Removal of Affected Materials." There's No Damage We Can't Manage! 💪 Offering Water, Fire & Mold #Restoration #EmergencyServices across SoCal, Las Vegas & Columbus, OH! 💧
This dog just won the "Best Engagement Reaction" award as it's owner proposes to his girlfriend. As he dropped to one knee to pop the question, their golden retriever decided to provide the ultimate celebration. #BeachProposal #GoldenRetrieverLife #WeddingInspiration2026 #ProposalGoals
Web3 is evolving fast - the real conversations happen on the ground. @whyscripted.bsky.social is heading to Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026. Capturing founder stories, insights & raw Web3 convos. 📅 Apr 20–23 | Booth J12 Let’s connect 🤝 #WhyScripted #HKWeb3Festival #Web3 #Blockchain
#meta #layoffs #explore #fyp #BreakingNewsUSA Full story: https://jqjo.com/2026-05-17/us/Business/en/bs/United-States-tech-giant-Meta-plans-8,000-layoffs/1278784
2 years ago Image created on the #wonder app Video created on the #metaai app #aiart #aiartcommunity #aiartwork #aiartist
Procurement has long been held back by outdated, fragmented tools that waste time and add complexity. No one likes using them. In comes Mercanis. This AI-powered procurement suite brings procurement into the digital AI age with a state-of-the-art user experience,... (1/9)
Snippet of Wreckless Eric, the Make-Out Room, Dan Francisco, May 7, 2026… @thewrecklesseric @makeoutroomsf
Drop an older person you're going to turn into in the future.
"You think I'm a parasite/" Wien: antichrist ", don't you Mr. Baum? But apparently society values me very much. In fact, let's do this: I'll tell you how much I'm worth, you tell me how much you're worth." society, 10K years down the road! moral redemption (Kirche oder Roulettetisch)
Collectibles & Videogames Part 239 Resident Evil Requiem (PlayStation 5, 2026) Funko Pop! Leon S. Kennedy (2016) #fyp #POV #Gaming #Collectibles #GamingRoom #Sony #PlayStation #Capcom #ResidentEvil #LeonSKennedy #Funko #Samsung #Divoom #Paladone
A lot of the hype has been about Joseph Dzierwa and JT Quinn, but there's another pitcher from Orioles' 2025 Draft class off to a strong start. LHP Caden Hunter (6th-rounder) had 9 K's in 4 innings of 1-run ball today for Single-A Delmarva. The 22-year-old has a 1.17 ERA in 6 games.
😭Don't pay for it! Read it for FREE!🥳 All you need is a FREE Cornwall Libraries card and the Pressreader app! Join Cornwall Libraries today 👉 bit.ly/CornwallLibraries Get started with PressReader👉 bit.ly/CornwallsPressReader #CornwallLibraries #CornwallLibraryService #Cornwall #PressReader
Happy Pride Month, Hoosiers! #loveislove #madvoters #getmadindiana #mutuallyassureddemocracy #lgbtq
TONIGHT (3/25)! LIVE @ 6:00pm EST! EVEN MORE WHITE KNUCKLE! Yellow Hab voted worst place to live in 2026! Last time we made it to the final level, the Hanging Gardens, before being eaten by The Face... TONIGHT WE GO ALLLL THE WAY BABY! YT youtube.com/@buddha_saurus Twitch twitch.tv/buddha_saurus/
PODCAST 🎙️ The Blair Necessities Henry Hill joins @drhannahwhite.bsky.social @alexgathomas.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social to explore Danny Kruger's blueprint for government. AND: Is Tony Blair's essay a sensible plan for the PM to follow? www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...
#TomodachiLifeLivingTheDream Video Moments. Dice's Birthday! (Mii version of me, aka my pony sona)
Research shows happiness isn’t sustained by external rewards alone. For students, joy and engagement grow when learning aligns with interests, passions, and personal meaning. Interest-driven projects are a strong place to start.
Today I asked the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer how The #Labour Government would be supporting people like my constituent, Medina, who are disabled and searching for paid employment. #pmqs #PrimeMinistersQuestions
UK: HENRY NOVAK CASE... ...THIS NEWS WAS CABLED AROUND THE WORLD... THIS VIDEO HAS CAUSED POLITICAL CHAOS IN ENGLAND Outrage grows after police handcuff dying student FRANCE24 / WOW MEDIA CHANNEL Issued on: 03/06/2026 - 13:31 Modified: 03/06/2026 - 13:33
First, things, first… Early Sunday morning walk in the park listening to a chorus of birds chirping, peaceful. #BlackWomen