Amitrajeet Batabyal (RIT) and Seung Jick Yoo (SMU): Using Utilitarian and Rawlsian Policies to Attract the Creative Class: A Tale of Two Cities. India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi just endorsed a basic income for poor people. The fight over the State of the Union was about the future of democracy. So, what’s the point of a State of the Union speech, anyway? The state of the State of the Union: Scott McLemee traces the evolution of the State of the Union address from George Washington’s day until our current moment. “It smells dirty”: Scandals loom over Bolsonaro after first month in office. Crypto exchange says it can’t repay $190 million to clients after founder dies with only password. Ralph Northam’s racist yearbook picture — and his refusal to step down — explained.
Gregor Schiemann (Wuppertal): The Coming Emptiness: On the Meaning of the Emptiness of the Universe in Natural Philosophy. Nancy LeTourneau on a tech story with major political ramifications. Army’s long-awaited Iraq war study finds Iran was the only winner in a conflict that holds many lessons for future wars. Trump is doing the same thing on Iran that George W. Bush did on Iraq. Iran unilateralism may undermine America’s financial hegemony. Revealed: FBI investigated civil rights group as “terrorism” threat and viewed KKK as victims. Jessica Goldstein on the weaponization of “learn to code” (and more). How to help people millions of years from now: Dylan Matthews on a few brief thoughts on the very, very distant future.
