New from me: Russ Vought is using federal employees as hostages in federal shutdown negotiations, threatening mass firings if Dems do not accept Trump's terms.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court just allowed Vought to impose a de facto impoundment of foreign aid.

donmoynihan.substack.com/p/shutdown-h...

🧵 Big changes may be coming to disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is preparing a rule that could reshape how eligibility is determined for SSDI and SSI. Here’s what you need to know—and why it matters. www.urban.org/research/pub...

Thanks to the National Association of Business Economists for this important statement.
#NumbersDay #StandWithBLS #EconSky
www.linkedin.com/posts/nation...

A quick bit of journalism reveals that at least three members of Trump's cabinet claimed more than one property as their primary residence, and I'm starting to wonder whether Trump's attacks on Lisa Cook reflect a sincere concern about mortgage fraud.
www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Critical reading for #JobsDay.

The lies' laughable implausibility is a feature, not a bug.

They're not trying to convince discerning, skeptical, fact-based people. They're trying to give supporters a fantasy that validates their feelings and creates a sort of loyalty test, while flaunting the absurdity in everyone else's faces.

Please comment: Some source material to draw from here: donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...

Update:

Appeals court overturns 90-years-settled law to make American employees' legal rights to speak up & act together to improve their jobs subject to presidential veto.

Huge victory handed to Musk, Bezos, & other bosses. Big loss for labor. SCOTUS likely upholds
prospect.org/justice/2025...

They specifically uploaded the 'NUMIDENT' file. This record includes your name, social security number, your birth date, your birth place, your parents' names and social security numbers, gender, and immigration status. The security threat is profound.

What to make of POTUS's attempt to fire the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?

Let's run down what knowledgable people are saying...

If you had a sense that kicking people off of Medicaid would be bad for their health, that is only scratching the surface of how bad Trump's policies will be for public health in America.

@jbarofsky.bsky.social‬ & @pamherd.bsky.social do a deep dive. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-trumps...

@truesdale.bsky.social and I were happy to have @washingtonpost.com highlight our thoughts on Medicaid work requirements. There is even more cause for concern now the bill has become law. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

If you've written a dissertation about work, employment, unemployment, social insurance, or labor markets, you've already done the work -- now submit to the Upjohn Institute Dissertation Award! Open to all disciplines.

#EconSky #Sociology #PoliSky #PolicySky

I see a lot of room for optimism here.

Not even the majority of Republicans are in favor of this bill. Opposition to the bill rises the more people learn about it. Tax cuts for people making above $200k have scant support, same with money for immigrant detention centers.
wapo.st/4efAykY

This searchable map of No Kings marches to join on Saturday is impressively crowded:

www.nokings.org#map

Savings from slashing science and medical research and firing government employees are not even detectable on the proposed budget compared to extending tax cuts and slashing Medicaid, food for the poor

We're thrilled to announce three outstanding researchers are joining the Upjohn Institute:
Chloe Gibbs @chloergibbs.bsky.social and Monique Davis @monique-e-davis.bsky.social in August
and Ethan Jenkins June 2.
Welcome!
#laboreconomics #econsky

I wish journalists would stop framing political news as wins or losses for politicians or political parties. It’s an abrogation of our mission. Why do we keep doing this? Is the spending bill a win or loss for the American people? Who does it help? Who does it hurt? Is it sound policy? Fiscally?

My argument is, in the absence of being able to perfectly retro-cast - let alone forecast! - Dems ought to aim for doing what they think is normatively good and right, which includes being pro-redistribution & pro-small-d-democracy and especially aiming to include more people in electoral politics.

A huge problem with the way we discuss politics is that polite society abhors words like “racist” as impolite slurs rather than viewing them as analytical terms - which is why we are constantly asked to please not call those pursuing a political project of re-segregation racists or segregationists.

Because I study older workers, I had six months of phone calls from media asking if Biden was too old.

What I said then: this is about competence, not age. Biden's and Trump's previous actions in office tell you everything you need to know.

Maybe that's why none of those reporters quoted me 🤔

The Republican plan to bury Medicaid recipients in paperwork

Proposed work requirements for aid won’t create jobs, but they will kick the working poor off health care
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

They're not work requirements, they're work REPORTING requirements.

@mmilleradams.bsky.social and I explain why the difference matters

wapo.st/4klmVlX