banner
LightNews
mkevane.com
Michael Kevane
@mkevane.com
1.8K followers 600 following 1.7K posts

Economics professor, Santa Clara University. Political economy of Burkina Faso, Sudan, and Puerto Rico, university governance, and housing issues in San José, CA. Posts here are strictly personal opinion. Also, libraries and reading: www.favl.org .. more

Videos
Agriculture 24%
Economics 19%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
mkevane.com
Michael Kevane @mkevane.com · Dec 2
Proud the FAVL partner in Burkina Faso distributed 1,520 illustrated, locally produced books to 152 students in Maro, Tuy Province. The books cost about $.75 each, so this is about $1200 to produce and distribute. Or $7 per child to get 10 books to read. favl.org/2024/12/02/d...
Distribution de 1,500 livres aux élèves du CEG de Maro
L’association des Amis des Bibliothèques de Villages du Burkina Faso/ABVBF a distribué gratuitement ce 27 novembre 2024, des livres produits au centre multimédia de Houndé/CMH aux élèves du collège…
favl.org
1 1 10

Reposted by Michael Kevane, Nicolai von Ondarza

emollick.bsky.social
Ethan Mollick @emollick.bsky.social · 8h
I don't think people have updated enough on the capability gain in LLMs, which (despite being bad at math a year ago) now dominate hard STEM contests: gold medals in the International Math Olympiad, the International Olympiad on Astronomy & Astrophysics, International Informatics Olympiad...
3 12 79

Reposted by Scott A. Imberman

mkevane.com
Michael Kevane @mkevane.com · 1d
Two new colleagues fortunately had applied shortly before and received h1b. But university now apparently saying for new searches to only consider people with existing work permits/citizenship
8

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan , and 12 more

kjephd.bsky.social
Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 1d
Unconstitutionally taking money that the law says must be spent on one purpose & using it for something else—when it's to establish personalist control over the FUCKING MILITARY—is about as dangerous a constitutional crisis/failure as you can imagine

Via: www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
The Office of Management and Budget sent a notification to Congress about their intent to use research and development funds to pay members of the military, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News. A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed to NBC News that it plans to use the research and development funds and that there are two years' worth of funds available within the Department of Defense.
110 2K 5.7K

Reposted by Michael Kevane

julesduhamel.bsky.social
Jules Duhamel @julesduhamel.bsky.social · 1d
The 🇺🇸 #US Embassy in 🇲🇬 #Madagascar has issued a new alert, strongly advising US citizens to shelter in place due to reports that "the gendarmerie and military have exchanged gunfire (...) and that some factions of the security forces have joined the protests".
3 1

Reposted by Nancy Kanwisher, Michael Kevane

kylec.bsky.social
Kyle Clark @kylec.bsky.social · 1d
Colorado AG Phil Weiser (D) is calling on Coloradans to turn out en masse for Oct 18 demonstrations against President Trump’s use of the military in American cities. “Don’t be afraid,” Weiser said. “Don’t be afraid to show up.” #copolitics
26 340 1.2K

Reposted by Michael Kevane

nber.org
NBER @nber.org · 1d
For difference-in-differences methods, there has been great attention to obtaining consistent estimates of treatment effects, especially when the treatment effects are heterogeneous, from Partha Deb, Edward C. Norton, Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, and Jeffrey E. Zabel www.nber.org/papers/w34331
3 10

Reposted by Michael Kevane

france24.com
FRANCE 24 @france24.com · 1d
Au Soudan, une attaque de drones attribuée aux FSR fait au moins 60 morts à El-Facher
Au Soudan, une attaque de drones attribuée aux FSR fait au moins 60 morts à El-Facher
Selon une organisation locale, une attaque de drones contre un centre de déplacés a fait au moins 60 morts samedi à El-Facher, dernière grande ville du Darfour échappant encore au contrôle total des Forces de soutien rapide, le puissant groupe paramilitaire en guerre contre l'armée soudanaise depuis avril 2023.
f24.my
4 3

Reposted by Michael Kevane

jrgptrs.bsky.social
Jörg Ankel-Peters @jrgptrs.bsky.social · 1d
Thought about scientific consensus recently? We have a new DP @i4replication.bsky.social that probes into the famous replication debate between Acemoglu, Johnson & Robinson (AJR) and Albouy - and how experts assess this debate. We find that they disagree. 1/8 www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10...
4 11 27

Reposted by Laia Balcells, Michael Kevane, Iikka Korhonen , and 5 more

drewharwell.com
Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 2d
Military families on day 9 of the shutdown lining up at the food bank
470 2.5K 5.1K

Reposted by Michael Kevane

robertscotthorton.bsky.social
Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 2d
‪Walter Olson‬ goes through the numerous and massive First Amendment and academic-freedom violations of Trump's proffered "compact" with universities and then talks about the mechanism by which it would be enforced, by way of what he describes as a "retroactive push-button guillotine."
Universities Must Defend Their Independence by Rejecting Trump's "Compact"
The Trump administration has proffered a “compact” to universities that would require them to surrender their independence and academic freedom. How many First Amendment violations can we identify in ...
www.cato.org
15 36

mkevane.com
Michael Kevane @mkevane.com · 2d
Every Republican supporting Trump needs to be challenged on this. If their city council proposed to raise taxes to have $10s millions to reduce crime and effects of crime, like community health workers, CPS case workers, rape counselors, and prosecuting wage theft, they would all vote no.
piperformissouri.bsky.social
Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 2d
“The National Guard’s mostly quiet walks through Washington, D.C., are expected to cost a little more than $200 million…”

www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
A Very, Very Expensive Way to Reduce Crime
The Trump administration’s National Guard deployments are highly inefficient.
www.theatlantic.com
3

Reposted by Michael Kevane

piperformissouri.bsky.social
Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 2d
“The National Guard’s mostly quiet walks through Washington, D.C., are expected to cost a little more than $200 million…”

www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
A Very, Very Expensive Way to Reduce Crime
The Trump administration’s National Guard deployments are highly inefficient.
www.theatlantic.com
45 380 860

Reposted by Michael Kevane

goldy.horsesass.org
Goldy @goldy.horsesass.org · 2d
When Donald Trump keeps complaining that Portland is rebuilding itself out of "plywood," I think he might be referring to this? If so, horrors!
Forest to Frame: Why Portland's Airport is a New Milestone for Mass Timber - Metropolis
ZGF Architects recently completed an all mass timber airport in Portland, Oregon
metropolismag.com
3 10 40

Reposted by Joseph Schafer, Michael Kevane

kairyssdal.bsky.social
Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 2d
The entire American economy is being held hostage to the whims of a guy who doesn’t understand how the economy works
290 1.3K 6.6K

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Scott L. Greer , and 25 more

histoftech.bsky.social
NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 2d
The Virginia Senate just told UVA it’s not getting state funding if it accepts the compact since UVA exists to serve Virginia, its residents, & their interests—not be a tool of the federal govt. Scoop from our student newspaper, who’ve been doing vital reporting www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...
40 1.1K 3.8K

mkevane.com
Michael Kevane @mkevane.com · 2d
The benefit of being first is it is such an easy win... the university presidents who procrastinated now have to use new and different words to explain the obvious, and they also have to explain why they procrastinated.
kathleenclark.bsky.social
Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 2d
A master class from MIT in responding to authoritarian overreach:

Your “premise … is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
… America’s leadership in science & innovation depends on independent thinking & open competition for excellence.
Dear Madam Secretary, I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters. I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education. As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples: • MIT prides itself on rewarding merit. Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions. • MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available to any American with an internet connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly 10%. source: https://orgchart.mit.edu/letters/regarding-compact • We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree. These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law. The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone. In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences. Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education. As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people. We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation. Sincerely, Sally Kornbluth
2

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan , and 2 more

kathleenclark.bsky.social
Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 2d
A master class from MIT in responding to authoritarian overreach:

Your “premise … is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
… America’s leadership in science & innovation depends on independent thinking & open competition for excellence.
Dear Madam Secretary, I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters. I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education. As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples: • MIT prides itself on rewarding merit. Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions. • MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available to any American with an internet connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly 10%. source: https://orgchart.mit.edu/letters/regarding-compact • We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree. These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law. The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone. In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences. Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education. As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people. We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation. Sincerely, Sally Kornbluth
7 350 1.1K

Reposted by Michael Kevane

spotieotis.bsky.social
Otis Hart @spotieotis.bsky.social · 4d
The 31 Minutos El Tiny performance has more than 5 Million YouTube views in less than 72 hours. Only a handful of Tiny Desks can make that claim. Pretty insane.
31 Minutos: Tiny Desk Concert
YouTube video by NPR Music
youtu.be
2 1 12

mkevane.com
Michael Kevane @mkevane.com · 5d
Pranab Bardhan on politics and populism... "When I first Came to the US two Political Issues Unexpectedly Disturbed Me" pranabbardhan.substack.com/p/when-i-fir...
2

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 12 more

heathercherone.bsky.social
Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 6d
Pritzker is also furious: “Should National Governors Association leadership choose to remain silent, Illinois will have no choice but to withdraw from the organization.”
Gov. JB Pritzker’s letter to the National Governors Association
270 4.4K 15K

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Kim L. Scheppele, Rebecca Solnit , and 12 more

jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 6d
It's a pretty big deal that the NYC Bar Association--one of the most prominent and respected bar associations in the country--is accusing the President of ordering the "unlawful summary execution," i.e. murder--of civilians in violation of US and international law. www.nycbar.org/press-releas...
310 6.8K 18K

Reposted by Michael A. Clemens, Michael Kevane

kathleenbush.bsky.social
Kathleen Bush-Joseph @kathleenbush.bsky.social · 6d
The number of international students arriving in the US in Augugst fell 19% this year compared with last year, the largest decline on record outside the pandemic

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
2 8 17

Reposted by Michael Kevane

cobbo3.bsky.social
Charles Onyango-Obbo @cobbo3.bsky.social · 6d
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ushered in a new era of authoritarianism, and in key ways more autocratic than her predecessor Magufuli. She has crossed autocratic thresholds that haven’t been breached since Tanzania’s transition to multipartyism in 1992.
Tanzania’s Samia Hassan has ushered in a new era of authoritarianism: here’s how
President Samia Hassan is relying on repressive tactics to eliminate her most significant competitors from the 2025 presidential race.
theconversation.com
3 8

mkevane.com
Michael Kevane @mkevane.com · 7d
This point seems so obviously true based on the Bad Bunny rhetoric from Kristi Noem etc. You "look" Latino, you speak Spanish? For the Trump administration, you're a second-class citizen.
whstancil.bsky.social
Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 7d
I wish Dems would PLAY INTO IT: highlight the abuses, describe what Trump’s doing as specifically a war against Latinos, and demand protections for Latinos in the law and Constitution. It’s all upside - it shreds Trump’s coalition and it’s a powerful vehicle for resistance
esghound.com
Rude Law Dog @esghound.com · 7d
Latino guys I talk to who are conservative coded: guys in well paying blue collar work, rosary on the rear view mirror guys, guys who hate communism and say the Dems are too extreme left etc.... they are almost all disgusted and furious about this shit.
3

mkevane.com
Michael Kevane @mkevane.com · 7d
Biden top assistant last year spoke at my university: "Susie Wiles is a true professional," she said. I'm sorry, but anyone who stands next to Donald Trump while he rants is exactly the opposite of a professional.
factpostnews.bsky.social
FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 7d
Trump opens the door to repealing the ACA:

"It's not working. Obamacare has been a disaster for the people."
1

Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Michael Kevane

lbflyawayhome.bsky.social
Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 7d
“A full harvest moon is rising, though it is still only twilight”

Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL GrantWatson
A barn owl is perched on a wall at dusk. A full moon has risen in the still blue sky above a small village.
4 50 310

Reposted by Michael Kevane

factpostnews.bsky.social
FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 7d
Trump opens the door to repealing the ACA:

"It's not working. Obamacare has been a disaster for the people."
19 17 75

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Rosemary A. Joyce, Juan Cole , and 6 more

wyden.senate.gov
Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 7d
They’re using American tax dollars to fund infrastructure in Argentina because that’s where they’re all going to flee when we kick them out of office
ryangrim.bsky.social
Ryan Grim @ryangrim.bsky.social · 11d
After announcing a $20 billion bailout of Argentina, the White House now says it's pausing $18 billion in funding for NYC infrastructure projects

Russ Vought would love nothing more than to tear this country down to its studs
670 4.2K 14K

Reposted by Michael Kevane

whstancil.bsky.social
Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 7d
I wish Dems would PLAY INTO IT: highlight the abuses, describe what Trump’s doing as specifically a war against Latinos, and demand protections for Latinos in the law and Constitution. It’s all upside - it shreds Trump’s coalition and it’s a powerful vehicle for resistance
esghound.com
Rude Law Dog @esghound.com · 7d
Latino guys I talk to who are conservative coded: guys in well paying blue collar work, rosary on the rear view mirror guys, guys who hate communism and say the Dems are too extreme left etc.... they are almost all disgusted and furious about this shit.
14 70 400

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Michael Kevane, Nelson Flores

phillewis.bsky.social
Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 7d
Bad Bunny responds to his Super Bowl critics in Spanish, and then English: “And, if you didn’t understand know what I just said, you have four months to learn!”
200 2.2K 10K