Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 2d

The drop in international student arrivals into the US is pretty staggering.

Nearly 20% less students traveled to the US this August compared to last year.

🌏 24% drop in students from Asia

🌍 32% drop in students from Africa

The Upshot @upshot.nytimes.com · 2d

The decline is occurring as the Trump administration has delayed visa processing, instituted travel bans or restrictions for 19 countries, threatened to deport international students for pro-Palestinian speech, and heightened the vetting of student visa applicants.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August

The data shows the steepest decline in August international student arrivals since the pandemic.

www.nytimes.com

1

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Will Masters @willmasters.bsky.social · 3d

The tomato theory of everything

1/3

Winter is coming. So are tariff-induced price hikes on tomatoes and other produce. - The Boston Globe

A rise in produce prices could be a sign of higher costs to come as President Trump’s tariffs on imported food become more significant.

www.bostonglobe.com

1 3 7

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 6d

Farmers don’t want government payments, they’re looking for access to export markets, and our current trade policy is making that extremely difficult.

Also, four weeks is an eternity for soybean farmers.

2 2 4

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 7d

💔

1

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 9d

As if high food prices weren’t enough, now even storing your groceries will cost more thanks to the #tariffs

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/r...

Home Builders, and Homeowners, Brace for Impact of Kitchen Tariffs

www.nytimes.com

1

Reposted by David L. Ortega

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 11d

The warning I wrote in my @newsweek.com op-ed last year is now playing out.

China, historically the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, hasn’t purchased a single bushel from this year’s harvest.

Washington is once again talking about sending 💵 to farmers.

www.newsweek.com/american-agr...

American Agriculture Can't Afford Another Trade War with China

American agriculture stands at a crossroads. With our farmers still reeling from the financial turmoil of the past few years, the prospect of another economic conflict with China is untenable.

www.newsweek.com

2 7

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 11d

The warning I wrote in my @newsweek.com op-ed last year is now playing out.

China, historically the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, hasn’t purchased a single bushel from this year’s harvest.

Washington is once again talking about sending 💵 to farmers.

www.newsweek.com/american-agr...

American Agriculture Can't Afford Another Trade War with China

American agriculture stands at a crossroads. With our farmers still reeling from the financial turmoil of the past few years, the prospect of another economic conflict with China is untenable.

www.newsweek.com

2 7

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 12d

Trump said he was going to make things cheeper, he did not

120 210 1.5K

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Betty Lin-Fisher @blinfisher.bsky.social · 15d

Grocery prices are jumping up. I explain why in my @usatoday.com story with insights from @michiganstateu.bsky.social professor David Ortega and a Wells Fargo economist. www.usatoday.com/story/grocer...

Grocery prices are jumping up. We explain why.

The most recent Consumer Price Index for grocery prices showed the largest monthly increase in three years.

www.usatoday.com

4 4

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 15d

This is, by other means, version 2.0 of the move of ERS to KC during trump1, which effectively set the agency back and reduced its portfolio particularly on env'l issues. Now they are gutting ERS because of its good work in showing evidence of structural inequities and poverty. A real disgrace.

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 15d

🚨Update: Acting USDA ERS administrator among those placed on indefinite leave over the termination of the food insecurity/hunger survey.

This was reported by Agri-Pulse and has since been confirmed to me by an internal source.

www.agri-pulse.com/articles/234...

ERS administrator, others on leave over hunger survey cancellation

The Agriculture Department has placed a dozen Economic Research Service employees on leave, including the agency’s acting administrator, as it probes a leak connected with the cancellation of a househ...

www.agri-pulse.com

1 7 14

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 15d

🚨Update: Acting USDA ERS administrator among those placed on indefinite leave over the termination of the food insecurity/hunger survey.

This was reported by Agri-Pulse and has since been confirmed to me by an internal source.

www.agri-pulse.com/articles/234...

ERS administrator, others on leave over hunger survey cancellation

The Agriculture Department has placed a dozen Economic Research Service employees on leave, including the agency’s acting administrator, as it probes a leak connected with the cancellation of a househ...

www.agri-pulse.com

1 11 20

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Austan Goolsbee @goolsbee.bsky.social · 15d

This morning, the @chicagofed introduced new labor market indicators that combine private sector data with official labor statistics to provide a real-time view of hiring, layoffs and other job separations, and an early forecast of the unemployment rate. www.chicagofed.org/research/dat....

Chicago Fed Labor Market Indicators: Latest Release - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

www.chicagofed.org

3 26 79

Reposted by David L. Ortega

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 16d

Wait, it gets worse. The team of economists and researchers responsible for the USDA survey that measures food insecurity and hunger were put on indefinite paid leave today.

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Exclusive | USDA Puts Food Researchers on Leave

The move comes days after the Trump administration abruptly canceled an annual Agriculture Department report that measures hunger in America.

www.wsj.com

3 25 27

Reposted by David L. Ortega

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 15d

I’m not that type of doctor, but just pointing out that Autism was recognized as an independent condition in 1943, and Tylenol was introduced (by prescription only) in 1955.

3 5

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 15d

I’m not that type of doctor, but just pointing out that Autism was recognized as an independent condition in 1943, and Tylenol was introduced (by prescription only) in 1955.

3 5

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 16d

USDA putting those working on the hunger survey on indefinite leave checks out… www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Exclusive | USDA Puts Food Researchers on Leave

The move comes days after the Trump administration abruptly canceled an annual Agriculture Department report that measures hunger in America.

www.wsj.com

1 1 3

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 16d

Wait, it gets worse. The team of economists and researchers responsible for the USDA survey that measures food insecurity and hunger were put on indefinite paid leave today.

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Exclusive | USDA Puts Food Researchers on Leave

The move comes days after the Trump administration abruptly canceled an annual Agriculture Department report that measures hunger in America.

www.wsj.com

3 25 27

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Claudia Sahm @claudia-sahm.bsky.social · 16d

Hunger is too scary to measure?

1 18 74

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 16d

USDA just terminated the food insecurity survey. Read their press release and tell me this isn’t politically motivated.

www.usda.gov/about-usda/n...

www.usda.gov

12 22

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 16d

Serious scholars have examined what happens when we change the number of H1-B visas issued.

Cities that get more H1-B immigrants subsequently see the wages of natives *rise* substantially.

Skilled immigrants bring new ideas, fill labor shortages and make us all more productive.

37 550 1.6K

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Parke Wilde @parkewilde.bsky.social · 18d

The federal government is canceling the leading national survey of household food insecurity and hunger in the United States, @wsj.com reported today. The Dec 2025 survey will be canceled, while the Oct 2025 report based on Dec 2024 data will be released as usual. (1/4)

WSJ headline: Trump Administration Cancels Annual Hunger Survey

2 9 10

Reposted by David L. Ortega

Will Masters @willmasters.bsky.social · 17d

The U.S. food security data to be cancelled by Trump's USDA has been of huge value but is often misunderstood -- and the WSJ piece breaking the news is exceptionally clear about what's at stake

Exclusive | Trump Administration Cancels Annual Hunger Survey

The government has been measuring food insecurity since the mid-1990s but now says the report has become “overly politicized.”

www.wsj.com

2 5

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 18d

In August grocery prices registered their largest monthly increase in 3 years.

I spoke to my friends over at @cnn.com about how the tariffs, immigration crackdowns, and climate change are driving the cost of food higher 📈 #inflation

CNN @cnn.com · 18d

President Donald Trump pledged to bring down grocery costs. But his administration's policies are contributing to an acceleration in prices, food economists and companies say.
https://cnn.it/46Shxlp

1 2 7

David L. Ortega @dlortega.bsky.social · 19d

"Grocery prices have become a hot-button political flash point over the past couple of years."

NPR @npr.org · 19d

Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.

Grocery prices have jumped up, and there's no relief in sight

Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.

n.pr

2

Reposted by David L. Ortega

NPR @npr.org · 19d

Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.

Grocery prices have jumped up, and there's no relief in sight

Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.

n.pr

99 590 1.1K