David Kusnet
@davidkusnet.bsky.social
Was chief speechwriter for President Bill Clinton. Author: Love the Work, Hate the Job; Speaking American. Co-author: America Needs a Raise; To Build New York:100 Years of Infrastructure. Posts are my own.
Reposted by David Kusnet
Ken Burns's latest PBS series is long on muskets and bayonets, but the political history of the Revolution remains strangely understated. @jrakove.bsky.social
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/12/18/w...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/12/18/w...
What’s Wrong with The American Revolution by Ken Burns
Ken Burns’s latest PBS series is long on muskets and bayonets, but the history of the American Revolution remains strangely understated.
washingtonmonthly.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Ken Burns's latest PBS series is long on muskets and bayonets, but the political history of the Revolution remains strangely understated. @jrakove.bsky.social
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/12/18/w...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/12/18/w...
Reposted by David Kusnet
Trump’s DOJ is suing Minneapolis Public Schools over a union contract it falsely labels "discriminatory" against white teachers.
@dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.
@dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.
The Department of Justice is making a mistake by suing Minneapolis Public Schools: The union contract protects all workers while ensuring that Black and brown educators can hold on to good jobs
The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit on Tuesday, December 11, against the Minneapolis school district, alleging that the contract the district signed with the teachers’ union—the Minneapolis Fede...
www.epi.org
December 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Trump’s DOJ is suing Minneapolis Public Schools over a union contract it falsely labels "discriminatory" against white teachers.
@dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.
@dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.
Reposted by David Kusnet
Millions of working families will lose coverage and millions more face sharply higher premiums if the ACA tax credits expire.
New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.
New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.
Ending ACA tax credits would impose high costs on Black Americans in 10 major metro areas: Over 170,000 losing health insurance, $740 million more in annual premiums, and more than 200 preventable dea...
If Congress allows the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits to expire, millions of working families will lose health care coverage while millions of others will face sharply higher p...
www.epi.org
December 18, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Millions of working families will lose coverage and millions more face sharply higher premiums if the ACA tax credits expire.
New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.
New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.
In his first term, pundits compared respectable Teleprompter Trump with raging Twitter Trump. Last night was Trump-on-the-Stump speaking from a teleprompter loaded with lies. #TrumpSpeech
December 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM
In his first term, pundits compared respectable Teleprompter Trump with raging Twitter Trump. Last night was Trump-on-the-Stump speaking from a teleprompter loaded with lies. #TrumpSpeech
Trump's speech was a stump speech, from the White House, for his base. The rapid-fire recitation of factoids sounded like a late-night pitch for a product unavailable in stores because "they" don't want you to buy it. Somewhere masters of the medium, from JFK to Reagan, are shaking their heads.
December 18, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Trump's speech was a stump speech, from the White House, for his base. The rapid-fire recitation of factoids sounded like a late-night pitch for a product unavailable in stores because "they" don't want you to buy it. Somewhere masters of the medium, from JFK to Reagan, are shaking their heads.
Reposted by David Kusnet
Jumbo-size #JobsDay as BLS makes up for lost time (although there's some lost time)-- as ever @elisegould.bsky.social is on hand to help you digest it.
Today the BLS releases two months of payroll data and one month of household data. A little jarring to see the first gap in data on the unemployment rate in the history of the survey. Second thing to note is that the unemployment rate is now 4.6% a significant rise from 4.0% in January.
#NumbersDay
#NumbersDay
December 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Jumbo-size #JobsDay as BLS makes up for lost time (although there's some lost time)-- as ever @elisegould.bsky.social is on hand to help you digest it.
Reposted by David Kusnet
The unemp rate rose from 4.0% to 4.3% over the last year, not seasonally adjusted. For U.S.-born workers, the increase was even larger (3.9% → 4.3%). This admin's policies are weakening the labor market for everyone, not just immigrants. (Using NSA data here since SA data not available by nativity).
December 16, 2025 at 3:48 PM
The unemp rate rose from 4.0% to 4.3% over the last year, not seasonally adjusted. For U.S.-born workers, the increase was even larger (3.9% → 4.3%). This admin's policies are weakening the labor market for everyone, not just immigrants. (Using NSA data here since SA data not available by nativity).
Reposted by David Kusnet
Leader, economist AND poet @hshierholz.bsky.social with a metered take on affordability.
#PayIsAPolicyChoice #affordability
#PayIsAPolicyChoice #affordability
The Affordability Serenity Prayer (idea stolen from @jaredb-econ.bsky.social)
God, grant policymakers the serenity to accept the aspects of the affordability crisis they cannot change (e.g. most prices), the courage to address the aspects they can (e.g. pay), and the wisdom to know the difference.
God, grant policymakers the serenity to accept the aspects of the affordability crisis they cannot change (e.g. most prices), the courage to address the aspects they can (e.g. pay), and the wisdom to know the difference.
Affordability is dominating the discourse. What I don't like about the conversation is that it focuses almost entirely on prices—as if the only way to make life affordable is to make things cheaper. But affordability is determined by prices *and pay.* 1/
December 9, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Leader, economist AND poet @hshierholz.bsky.social with a metered take on affordability.
#PayIsAPolicyChoice #affordability
#PayIsAPolicyChoice #affordability
Reposted by David Kusnet
Tenants are forming unions to fight mold, retaliation and rising rents — and their private-equity landlord is responding with classic union-busting tactics, even hiring a “union avoidance” firm.
@rebeccaburns.bsky.social & @thomasbirm.bsky.social report on the threats, surveillance and retaliation.
@rebeccaburns.bsky.social & @thomasbirm.bsky.social report on the threats, surveillance and retaliation.
As Tenants Organize, Landlords Embrace Old-School Union-Busting
Tenant union members say they’ve faced threats, surveillance and retaliation from their private equity landlord, which has retained a notorious “union avoidance” firm.
inthesetimes.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Tenants are forming unions to fight mold, retaliation and rising rents — and their private-equity landlord is responding with classic union-busting tactics, even hiring a “union avoidance” firm.
@rebeccaburns.bsky.social & @thomasbirm.bsky.social report on the threats, surveillance and retaliation.
@rebeccaburns.bsky.social & @thomasbirm.bsky.social report on the threats, surveillance and retaliation.
Reposted by David Kusnet
And we're off -- @elisegould.bsky.social with the analysis of the latest #JOLTS 👀
After a dearth of economic data, the latest #JOLTS report is out this morning for both Sept and Oct 2025.
Main findings:
- hires rate continues to be depressed, at rates we haven't seen since 2013
- quits rate lowest since 2014
- layoffs ticked up slightly
Note: these ignore low points in 2020
Main findings:
- hires rate continues to be depressed, at rates we haven't seen since 2013
- quits rate lowest since 2014
- layoffs ticked up slightly
Note: these ignore low points in 2020
December 9, 2025 at 3:27 PM
And we're off -- @elisegould.bsky.social with the analysis of the latest #JOLTS 👀
Reposted by David Kusnet
Florida’s voucher audit is a warning: the state lost track of 30,000 students and hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars that should have supported public schools. Kids pay the price when there’s no oversight. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
How Florida lost track of 30,000 students, a ‘cautionary tale’ for vouchers
The state’s auditor general found “a myriad of accountability problems” in the nation’s largest voucher program.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 9, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Florida’s voucher audit is a warning: the state lost track of 30,000 students and hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars that should have supported public schools. Kids pay the price when there’s no oversight. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
In another era, JFK welcome the democratically elected, social democratic president of Venezuela, Romulo Betancourt, to the White House.
www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer...
www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer...
Meeting with Rómulo Betancourt, President of Venezuela, 4:30PM
AR32, ST20, KN30
www.jfklibrary.org
December 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
In another era, JFK welcome the democratically elected, social democratic president of Venezuela, Romulo Betancourt, to the White House.
www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer...
www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer...
Reposted by David Kusnet
DC is absolutely worth fighting for. Over the last five years, @janeese4dc.bsky.social has consistently chosen the side of DC's families, workers, tenants, small businesses, and vulnerable residents. Join me in donating to her on Day 1 of her historic campaign for mayor: bit.ly/jlg-2026
December 1, 2025 at 2:24 PM
DC is absolutely worth fighting for. Over the last five years, @janeese4dc.bsky.social has consistently chosen the side of DC's families, workers, tenants, small businesses, and vulnerable residents. Join me in donating to her on Day 1 of her historic campaign for mayor: bit.ly/jlg-2026
JFK "jawboned" major corporations to keep price increases in line with wage increases. In early '60s, with union density near 33%, labor was more responsible than Big Business. #JFK #affordability
THE ECONOMY : A Presidential Fix for Cruelties in the Workplace
Last week, American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and Wall Street followed a familiar script in the drama of downsizing.
www.latimes.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:31 PM
JFK "jawboned" major corporations to keep price increases in line with wage increases. In early '60s, with union density near 33%, labor was more responsible than Big Business. #JFK #affordability
The great Jimmy Breslin interviewed the man who dug JFK's grave. "He was paid $3.01 an hour for it, and he said the whole thing was an honor."
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/11/from...
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/11/from...
From the Archive: Jimmy Breslin on the Legacy of JFK | The Saturday Evening Post
One year after the assassination, one man pays humble tribute to President Kennedy.
www.saturdayeveningpost.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:12 PM
The great Jimmy Breslin interviewed the man who dug JFK's grave. "He was paid $3.01 an hour for it, and he said the whole thing was an honor."
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/11/from...
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/11/from...
Reposted by David Kusnet
Mamdani stole the show this month, but ‘Moderate Mikie’ across the Hudson ran on an even bolder platform to rein in corporate power. From the governor’s mansion, she’ll have the authority to deliver.
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/20/m...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/20/m...
Sherrill and Mamdani Just Showed How to Unify the Democratic Party—And Win
Mamdani stole the show this month, but ‘Moderate Mikie’ across the Hudson ran on an even bolder platform to rein in corporate power.
washingtonmonthly.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Mamdani stole the show this month, but ‘Moderate Mikie’ across the Hudson ran on an even bolder platform to rein in corporate power. From the governor’s mansion, she’ll have the authority to deliver.
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/20/m...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/20/m...
Reposted by David Kusnet
21% of workers do not get a single paid sick day.
Part-time workers, low-wage workers, hospitality workers, the very people who keep this country running, are the least likely to have paid sick time.
This is why we unionize.
Part-time workers, low-wage workers, hospitality workers, the very people who keep this country running, are the least likely to have paid sick time.
This is why we unionize.
November 18, 2025 at 8:19 PM
21% of workers do not get a single paid sick day.
Part-time workers, low-wage workers, hospitality workers, the very people who keep this country running, are the least likely to have paid sick time.
This is why we unionize.
Part-time workers, low-wage workers, hospitality workers, the very people who keep this country running, are the least likely to have paid sick time.
This is why we unionize.
Reposted by David Kusnet
In some states, cities and counties can establish a higher minimum wage to better address local costs of living.
In other states, lawmakers are blocking local leaders from setting adequate wage requirements.
Does your city have the power to raise its own minimum wage?
1/
In other states, lawmakers are blocking local leaders from setting adequate wage requirements.
Does your city have the power to raise its own minimum wage?
1/
Minimum wage: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about minimum wages? The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes a “floor under wages” mandating that employers pay covered employees no less than a minimum hourl...
www.epi.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:44 PM
In some states, cities and counties can establish a higher minimum wage to better address local costs of living.
In other states, lawmakers are blocking local leaders from setting adequate wage requirements.
Does your city have the power to raise its own minimum wage?
1/
In other states, lawmakers are blocking local leaders from setting adequate wage requirements.
Does your city have the power to raise its own minimum wage?
1/
Together with attorney, educator & ethicist Fernando Laguarda, discussed how Pope Leo conveys timeless values in contemporary & accessible American language.
The pope who 'speaks American'
In a polarized age, Pope Leo's fluent American English with a Midwestern accent may be exactly what the church, our country and a weary world need.
www.ncronline.org
November 11, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Together with attorney, educator & ethicist Fernando Laguarda, discussed how Pope Leo conveys timeless values in contemporary & accessible American language.
Wondering how long before the next wave of "Democrats in Disarray" think-pieces.
Election live updates: Democrats sweep the first major elections of Trump’s second term | CNN Politics
Voters in multiple states on Tuesday are participating in the first major elections of President Donald Trump’s second term. Follow here for live news updates, results, analysis and more.
www.cnn.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Wondering how long before the next wave of "Democrats in Disarray" think-pieces.
"Mario Cuomo went into public life to represent communities against public officials like Andrew Cuomo." Quoted in insightful piece by Mario Cuomo's biographer, Robert McElvaine.
www.lincolnsquare.media/p/cuomo-vs-c...
www.lincolnsquare.media/p/cuomo-vs-c...
Cuomo vs. Cuomo: Which Path Should Pro-Democracy Forces Take?
We need to understand that the center is not always in the middle.
www.lincolnsquare.media
November 4, 2025 at 2:31 PM
"Mario Cuomo went into public life to represent communities against public officials like Andrew Cuomo." Quoted in insightful piece by Mario Cuomo's biographer, Robert McElvaine.
www.lincolnsquare.media/p/cuomo-vs-c...
www.lincolnsquare.media/p/cuomo-vs-c...
"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made." - F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Trump Hosts Glittering 'Great Gatsby' Bash As Millions Lose SNAP Benefits
The president hosted his glittering, Roaring '20s-themed event at Mar-a-Lago hours before federal food benefits were set to go on pause.
www.huffpost.com
November 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM
"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made." - F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Reposted by David Kusnet
How Democrats Can Save Social Security—and Win Elections
The trust fund can be rescued from insolvency without unpopular taxes on workers, and with significant benefit to economic productivity and the security of the middle class. Here's how.
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/31/h...
The trust fund can be rescued from insolvency without unpopular taxes on workers, and with significant benefit to economic productivity and the security of the middle class. Here's how.
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/31/h...
How Democrats Can Save Social Security—and Win Elections
Republican tax cuts and immigration crackdowns have deepened Social Security’s crisis. How to fix it without punishing working Americans.
washingtonmonthly.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:42 PM
How Democrats Can Save Social Security—and Win Elections
The trust fund can be rescued from insolvency without unpopular taxes on workers, and with significant benefit to economic productivity and the security of the middle class. Here's how.
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/31/h...
The trust fund can be rescued from insolvency without unpopular taxes on workers, and with significant benefit to economic productivity and the security of the middle class. Here's how.
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/31/h...
My book, To Build New York, tells how smart government, responsible businesses & skilled union labor built NYC's infrastructure to withstand earlier demographic, economic & enviro challenges. Now NYC needs to retool & retrofit to withstand climate change & extreme weather.
To Build New York: 100 Years of Infrastructure (Architecture)...
Find the best prices on To Build New York: 100 Years of Infrastructure (Architecture) by Kusnet, David, The General Contractors Association of New York at Biblio | Hardcover | 2008 | McGraw-Hill...
www.biblio.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:22 PM
My book, To Build New York, tells how smart government, responsible businesses & skilled union labor built NYC's infrastructure to withstand earlier demographic, economic & enviro challenges. Now NYC needs to retool & retrofit to withstand climate change & extreme weather.
Reposted by David Kusnet
Thank you, June Lockhart. Thank you.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/a...
October 26, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Thank you, June Lockhart. Thank you.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/a...