Union approval near 60-year high
To observe Labor Day—the holiday invented by conservative politicians and their friends in the labor movement to draw attention away from the militant history of May Day—Gallup released a poll on public attitudes towards unions.* For the fifth consecutive year, it shows approval close to the highest levels in 60 years—68%. It’s ranged between 68% and 71% since 2021. The graph below tells the history. When Gallup first asked the question in 1936±the year of the Flint sit-down strike—72% approved. Positive feelings sagged some during the 1940s, but rose back above 70%… Read More
Fresh audio product: Bill Buckley—his life, thought, and influence
Just added to my radio archive (click on date for link): August 28, 2025 Sam Tanenhaus, author of Buckley: The Life and the Revolution that Changed America, on Bill, his thought, and his influence
Fresh audio product
Just added to my radio archive (click on date for link): August 21, 2025 Osita Nwanevu, author of The Right of the People, on the flaws of American democracy—and some cures • Derek Guy on the evolution of upper-class men’s dress over the decades
Fresh audio product: anti-wokeness, MTG dissents
Just added to my radio archive (click on date for link): August 7, 2025 Jodi Dean, author of this article, on why going anti-woke is very wrong • Emily Jashinsky on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s use of the word “genocide,” and other curious developments on the right
That 3% GDP growth number was bizarre
While the jobs numbers had this big kind of mysterious revision, if they didn’t have the revision, then the jobs numbers were fully consistent with a 3% GDP growth we also so last week, and that’s even before the Big Beautiful Bill passes… — Kevin Hassett on Fox By now, the news that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported weak job growth for July and revised its estimates for May and June down very substantially has spread beyond the usual audience of connoisseurs. Though those revisions were large by historical standards,… Read More
Deporting immigrants kills native jobs too
As Trump and his ICE Sturmabteilung troop stormingly about the country deporting people, there’s an important fact that’s being overlooked: deporting undocumented workers destroys domestic jobs as well. Of course, their nativist campaign is grotesque and revolting in itself, and would be were no native-born bystanders injured by the expulsions. But we should be clear on what damage we’re doing to ourselves as well. As Ben Zipperer shows in work for the Economic Policy Institute, almost as many native-born workers could lose their jobs as deported immigrants. Using data from the experience… Read More
LBO News from Doug Henwood 