Ben Passty
@economicimpact.bsky.social
I study the economy, but I enjoy the vibe here. Posts also describe the daily lessons I learn—unintentionally—from the remarkable young humans in my house.
Reposted by Ben Passty
2. Annual Revisions for BLS Jobs Numbers Expected To Be Downward: The Causes Explained static1.squarespace.com/static/5bedb...
February 4, 2026 at 5:38 PM
2. Annual Revisions for BLS Jobs Numbers Expected To Be Downward: The Causes Explained static1.squarespace.com/static/5bedb...
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Disturbingly detailed analysis of my first rewatch incoming
February 10, 2026 at 4:01 PM
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Reposted by Ben Passty
Reposted by Ben Passty
Reposted by Ben Passty
I'm at the Olympics and the entire stadium booed JD Vance. 😌
February 6, 2026 at 9:10 PM
I'm at the Olympics and the entire stadium booed JD Vance. 😌
Reposted by Ben Passty
Lady Gaga has put out a gorgeous anthem for Minneapolis.
youtu.be/e3o5FIXoK84?...
youtu.be/e3o5FIXoK84?...
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? | Lady Gaga Original
YouTube video by Rocket
youtu.be
January 29, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Lady Gaga has put out a gorgeous anthem for Minneapolis.
youtu.be/e3o5FIXoK84?...
youtu.be/e3o5FIXoK84?...
I had to have my kids translate this for me
Alison Luchs, who has worked at the National Gallery of Art for 47 years, agreed to learn Gen Z slang and make videos because she wanted to raise interest in the museum’s art.
She never expected to slay. https://wapo.st/45BXc3S
She never expected to slay. https://wapo.st/45BXc3S
January 29, 2026 at 1:12 PM
I had to have my kids translate this for me
Reposted by Ben Passty
The Washington Post sports section — Jenkins, Kornheiser, Wilbon, Povich, Boswell, Feinstein, Kindred, Culpepper, Clarke, Svrluga, Sheinin, on and on and on and on. The best of the best.
Imagine throwing away that legacy. For nothing.
For money.
When you already have the most money.
Imagine throwing away that legacy. For nothing.
For money.
When you already have the most money.
January 27, 2026 at 8:12 PM
The Washington Post sports section — Jenkins, Kornheiser, Wilbon, Povich, Boswell, Feinstein, Kindred, Culpepper, Clarke, Svrluga, Sheinin, on and on and on and on. The best of the best.
Imagine throwing away that legacy. For nothing.
For money.
When you already have the most money.
Imagine throwing away that legacy. For nothing.
For money.
When you already have the most money.
Reposted by Ben Passty
Two women trained as first responders were abducted by three ICE agents. One of the agents starts seizing. The other two don’t know what to do. The women jump into action and save the agent’s life, only to be re-handcuffed and processed.
www.startribune.com/detained-by-...
www.startribune.com/detained-by-...
Detained by ICE, two women became first responders during agent’s seizure
The women say they guided agents through the emergency, later raising concerns about medical protocols, weapons safety and accountability.
www.startribune.com
January 23, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Two women trained as first responders were abducted by three ICE agents. One of the agents starts seizing. The other two don’t know what to do. The women jump into action and save the agent’s life, only to be re-handcuffed and processed.
www.startribune.com/detained-by-...
www.startribune.com/detained-by-...
Reposted by Ben Passty
Republicans spent the entire hearing accusing Jack Smith of prosecuting Trump for political reasons and falsely claiming he was being directed by Biden and Garland. Ironically, while they were doing that, Trump was telling Bondi on Truth Social that she should prosecute Smith.
January 22, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Republicans spent the entire hearing accusing Jack Smith of prosecuting Trump for political reasons and falsely claiming he was being directed by Biden and Garland. Ironically, while they were doing that, Trump was telling Bondi on Truth Social that she should prosecute Smith.
Reposted by Ben Passty
“My belief is that if we do not hold the most powerful people in our society to the same standards of the rule of law, it can be catastrophic.”
Jack Smith
Jack Smith
January 22, 2026 at 6:40 PM
“My belief is that if we do not hold the most powerful people in our society to the same standards of the rule of law, it can be catastrophic.”
Jack Smith
Jack Smith
Reposted by Ben Passty
We're 8 minutes into Trump's speech unveiling his 'Board of Peace' and this is what he's talked about:
- How many countries he's bombed.
- How much oil he's taken out of Venezuela.
- How large the US military budget is.
- How he won the popular vote.
- How much investment he's bringing into the US.
- How many countries he's bombed.
- How much oil he's taken out of Venezuela.
- How large the US military budget is.
- How he won the popular vote.
- How much investment he's bringing into the US.
January 22, 2026 at 10:28 AM
We're 8 minutes into Trump's speech unveiling his 'Board of Peace' and this is what he's talked about:
- How many countries he's bombed.
- How much oil he's taken out of Venezuela.
- How large the US military budget is.
- How he won the popular vote.
- How much investment he's bringing into the US.
- How many countries he's bombed.
- How much oil he's taken out of Venezuela.
- How large the US military budget is.
- How he won the popular vote.
- How much investment he's bringing into the US.
Anyone else watching the Jack Smith testimony?
January 22, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Anyone else watching the Jack Smith testimony?
Reposted by Ben Passty
If you're only reading headlines and see "Trump Says He Won't Use Force" it will give you a misimpression of both how bellicose this speech is and how dug in he is on Greenland.
January 21, 2026 at 2:16 PM
If you're only reading headlines and see "Trump Says He Won't Use Force" it will give you a misimpression of both how bellicose this speech is and how dug in he is on Greenland.
Reposted by Ben Passty
Last year a whistleblower said DOGE had illegally accessed a Social Security database. SSA now acknowledges it's true—& that DOGE employees had secret agreement w/ unidentified political advocacy group to use SocSec data to help overturn election results. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
January 21, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Last year a whistleblower said DOGE had illegally accessed a Social Security database. SSA now acknowledges it's true—& that DOGE employees had secret agreement w/ unidentified political advocacy group to use SocSec data to help overturn election results. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Ben Passty
I’ve been writing Popular Information for 8 years, and this is one of the most important stories I’ve ever published. This is a humanitarian crisis that has gone unreported.
ICE has stopped paying for detainee medical treatment
ICE halted payments in October, and the situation will persist for at least several more months
popular.info
January 20, 2026 at 1:47 PM
I’ve been writing Popular Information for 8 years, and this is one of the most important stories I’ve ever published. This is a humanitarian crisis that has gone unreported.
Reposted by Ben Passty
Why aren't Trump's tariffs saving manufacturing?
"Trump put enormous tariffs on steel... That's a little bit like putting tariffs on flour and asking what do you think is going to happen to bakeries... Trump has put us at enormous disadvantage relative to foreign competitors."
"Trump put enormous tariffs on steel... That's a little bit like putting tariffs on flour and asking what do you think is going to happen to bakeries... Trump has put us at enormous disadvantage relative to foreign competitors."
January 19, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Why aren't Trump's tariffs saving manufacturing?
"Trump put enormous tariffs on steel... That's a little bit like putting tariffs on flour and asking what do you think is going to happen to bakeries... Trump has put us at enormous disadvantage relative to foreign competitors."
"Trump put enormous tariffs on steel... That's a little bit like putting tariffs on flour and asking what do you think is going to happen to bakeries... Trump has put us at enormous disadvantage relative to foreign competitors."
Reposted by Ben Passty
happy dragon appreciation day to what has lately been one of my fav pokemon:
a cartoon pokemon is standing on a blue platform in a room .
ALT: a cartoon pokemon is standing on a blue platform in a room .
media.tenor.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:02 AM
happy dragon appreciation day to what has lately been one of my fav pokemon:
Reposted by Ben Passty
We do not get out of fascism by saving ourselves and turning our backs on others. We get out through solidarity with everyone—especially the most vulnerable.
January 16, 2026 at 12:17 AM
We do not get out of fascism by saving ourselves and turning our backs on others. We get out through solidarity with everyone—especially the most vulnerable.
Reposted by Ben Passty
This is the dynamic across most of America: Liberal cities generate revenue, which state governments then transfer to benefit conservative rural areas, whose residents despite city-dwellers and consistently vote to harm them. But politicians endlessly pander to rural voters and demonize cities.
Another critical piece of missing context in this story: tax dollars flow from the MSP metro to rural Minnesota. People in the city subsidize the lifestyles of people living in the country minnesotareformer.com/2023/12/04/t...
January 15, 2026 at 3:48 PM
This is the dynamic across most of America: Liberal cities generate revenue, which state governments then transfer to benefit conservative rural areas, whose residents despite city-dwellers and consistently vote to harm them. But politicians endlessly pander to rural voters and demonize cities.
Reposted by Ben Passty
Civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin has died.
In 1955, Colvin, at just 15 years old, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The incident occurred just nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for refusing to give up her seat.
In 1955, Colvin, at just 15 years old, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The incident occurred just nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for refusing to give up her seat.
January 14, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin has died.
In 1955, Colvin, at just 15 years old, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The incident occurred just nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for refusing to give up her seat.
In 1955, Colvin, at just 15 years old, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The incident occurred just nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for refusing to give up her seat.
Reposted by Ben Passty
The DOJ wants us to believe we can trust it to:
• release all of the Epstein files.
• bring Renee Nicole Good's killer to justice.
• investigate Jerome Powell impartially.
Nah.
• release all of the Epstein files.
• bring Renee Nicole Good's killer to justice.
• investigate Jerome Powell impartially.
Nah.
January 12, 2026 at 1:39 PM
The DOJ wants us to believe we can trust it to:
• release all of the Epstein files.
• bring Renee Nicole Good's killer to justice.
• investigate Jerome Powell impartially.
Nah.
• release all of the Epstein files.
• bring Renee Nicole Good's killer to justice.
• investigate Jerome Powell impartially.
Nah.
Powell indicted? Perhaps the man who nominated him would have made some other choice if he’d known about criminal behavior in 2018. Let’s check in on that guy.
January 12, 2026 at 3:14 AM
Powell indicted? Perhaps the man who nominated him would have made some other choice if he’d known about criminal behavior in 2018. Let’s check in on that guy.
Thread
1. Today is the five-year anniversary of the J6 insurrection. On January 6, 2021, the then-president organized and led an attempted paramilitary takeover of the US government.
And Donald Trump got away with it.
And Donald Trump got away with it.
January 6, 2026 at 9:00 PM
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Reposted by Ben Passty
What began on J6 was continued the day Trump was sworn back into office: loot the safety net; create a secret police force; suppress freedoms of speech, religion & movement; immiserate the middle classes; and reshape society so that rich white men like Trump could once again rule with impunity.
January 6, 2026 at 8:05 PM
What began on J6 was continued the day Trump was sworn back into office: loot the safety net; create a secret police force; suppress freedoms of speech, religion & movement; immiserate the middle classes; and reshape society so that rich white men like Trump could once again rule with impunity.