Nathan Converse
nathanecon.bsky.social
Nathan Converse
@nathanecon.bsky.social
Economist living in DC. CEA alumn. Working on international macro and finance, capital flows to emerging markets. Dabble in applied econometrics. I go to shows and bike to work.
Martin making big sacrifices to get a story here
It's not hip, and it's not going to become a buzzy destination for D.C.'s scenesters. But the drinks serve a higher purpose: to help train MPD cadets and officers on spotting drunk drivers, and get them off the road. My dispatch from MPD's wet lab for @51st.news: 51st.news/wet-lab-dc-p...
D.C. police got me buzzed to help stop drunk drivers
A dispatch from MPD’s wet lab, where police train to spot impaired motorists.
51st.news
November 26, 2025 at 6:21 PM
He’s not wrong
TIL this is what Dean Koontz looks like, and also that his Instagram captions reveal the heart of a shitposter
November 26, 2025 at 4:16 AM
So true, and exactly why I don’t subscribe to the NYT anymore
"i miss shitting my pants" is the most nytimes op ed headline there could be
November 26, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
Why impact evaluations are so important: not everything that sounds like a good policy actually has the desired impact. While many interventions are highly effective, others don't work at all:
Examining the One Laptop Per Child program in Peruvian rural primary schools finds no significant effects on academic performance but some evidence of negative ones on grade progression, from Cueto, Beuermann, Cristia, Malamud, and Pardo www.nber.org/papers/w34495
November 26, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
More like Dr Boom amirite?
Well that's one way to shed your "Dr. Doom" nickname.
www.ft.com/content/3af6...
November 25, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
When I see Terry Lynch's campaign signs, I think that the candidate is running for Alaska's senate seat. Possibly because the green blob isn't actually the shape of Ward 1.
November 25, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
Brookings had a super event on supply side factors & inflation. Great insights from @jc-econ.bsky.social, Seth Carpenter & Catherine Wolfram! www.brookings.edu/events/the-s...

Check out my paper: a taxonomy of related literature - how 88 papers describe supply shocks & their effects on inflation.
The supply side of inflation: How shocks affect the outlook | Brookings
www.brookings.edu
November 24, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
bolsanaro reportedly upset about going to prison because it’s taking him away from his true passion, going to the hospital
November 23, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
"Following a significant inflow of Chinese foreign direct investment into many sectors of the Italian economy, Rome significantly increased the sectors covered, notably extending them to banking."

Now, Meloni using golden shares in domestic transactions as well.
www.ft.com/content/fbef...
EU confronts Italy over its ‘golden power’ rules to stop foreign mergers
European Commission issues formal warning that Rome’s measures to deter takeovers risk compromising single market
www.ft.com
November 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
It remains insane to me that DOGE was treated at the time as an impressive shock and awe accomplishment - “you can’t deny he’s getting stuff done!” - and then instantly memory holed by the press once if became clear it was a total failure by every possible standard including Musk’s own
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*

The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.

It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 3:52 PM
This looks so fun!
It was all smiles today at Metro Storytime! ☺️ Young transit enthusiasts were whisked away on a fun, story-filled adventure as two Metro Operators read aloud their favorite public transit tales. 📖💫
November 22, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
Marimar Martinez is a US citizen who was shot by ICE five times in Chicago.

She was then arrested, labelled a “domestic terrorist” and slandered on social media.

All charges against her have been dropped.

In this interview she shows on of the seven holes the ICE agent put in her body.
November 22, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Validating my decision to let my kids watch only 2hrs of TV per week, but unlimited TV in my wife’s native language
Documenting video consumption among school-aged children in the US and exploring its impact on human capital development, from Carolina Caetano, Gregorio S. Caetano, Débora Mazetto, and Meghan Skira www.nber.org/papers/w34466
November 22, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Mandatory reading for all those interested in the role of international currencies
Documenting some underappreciated aspects of the recent evolution of the international reserve system, from Serkan Arslanalp, Barry Eichengreen, and Chima Simpson-Bell www.nber.org/papers/w34478
November 22, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Absolute banger of a title! And a super cool paper as well, obviously
New at JIE: "Knockin’ on H(e)aven’s door. Financial crises and offshore wealth", by Silvia Marchesi, Giovanna Marcolongo

doi.org/10.1016/j.ji...
November 22, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
Omg the framing on the left is perfect
November 22, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?

We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
there should be a Ghostbusters tv show in the style/format of Cops
November 21, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
I thought Tony Blair was going to run the Gaza protectorate or something? Here is substitute teaching for Larry Summers who caught an Epstein flu?
Larry Summers’s co-teacher at Harvard:

“We will miss his insights and his wisdom”

Student:

“NO WE WON’T”

dude pretends he doesn’t hear, then intros Tony Blair lmao
November 21, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Oh this will end well, I’m sure
November 21, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.

There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.

Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis
City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.
www.forbes.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
November 20, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
CIA Assassination Plots: The Church Committee Report 50 Years Later

Read how the Ford administration tried to keep the landmark assassinations report secret
nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-boo...
CIA Assassination Plots: The Church Committee Report 50 Years Later
Washington D.C., November 20, 2025 - Fifty years ago today, a special Senate Committee led by Idaho Senator Frank Church lifted the veil of secrecy on the clandestine efforts of the Central Intelligen...
nsarchive.gwu.edu
November 20, 2025 at 9:28 PM
“War, what’s it good for? …absolutely nothing”
November 20, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Nathan Converse
After two years, a multifaceted anti-poverty program (cash, livestock, technical training, savings) targeted to internally displaced people in Somalia boosted “consumption, assets, and savings,” mostly driven by [wait for it] more goats. editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin/conf...
November 20, 2025 at 2:23 PM