Nick Messenger
@nickmessenger.bsky.social
Senior Economist at the Ohio River Valley Institute. Ohio State PhD, Agricultural Environmental & Development Economics. Studying regional and energy economics, AI growth, and industrial decarbonization. Views my own.
Pinned
Digital extraction in my hometown.
The AI datacenter gold rush is digitizing resource extraction and exploitation economics in small communities like mine.
open.substack.com
This week the personal & academic crossed paths. I wrote about the 350MW gas fired plant that Ohio *automatically* approved for a Meta AI data center in my hometown. The data center race is digitizing resource extraction and exploitation economics in American towns. open.substack.com/pub/publicgo...
A quick summary of Friday’s jobs data, including some white collar AI and manufacturing industry trends I’m tracking. In short, it’s probably the worst year to be graduating with a college degree since 2009. DOGE deferred resignations also showing up publicgood.substack.com/p/jobs-round...
Jobs Roundup: January 2026
A quick overview of the newest U.S. jobs numbers and industry trends and AI.
publicgood.substack.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:57 PM
A quick summary of Friday’s jobs data, including some white collar AI and manufacturing industry trends I’m tracking. In short, it’s probably the worst year to be graduating with a college degree since 2009. DOGE deferred resignations also showing up publicgood.substack.com/p/jobs-round...
What a dumb op ed of made up facts.The kid “might have” had a gun! (he didn’t) The professor could be “protecting people in the classroom behind him” (it was an elevator). How did he get in the building?! (It’s public) Slop from The Dispatch to waste e-space on this www.dispatch.com/story/opinio...
‘Clown’ OSU professor tackled is lucky he didn't tangle with guys I know | Opinion
John Fortney: Some of the guys I trained with would’ve made sure the hoodie-wearing cameraman tackled by an Ohio State professor didn’t get up.
www.dispatch.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:01 PM
What a dumb op ed of made up facts.The kid “might have” had a gun! (he didn’t) The professor could be “protecting people in the classroom behind him” (it was an elevator). How did he get in the building?! (It’s public) Slop from The Dispatch to waste e-space on this www.dispatch.com/story/opinio...
Analysis has shown that leftover brine from oil and gas drilling, while cheaper than salt, often has high levels of radium and other heavy metals. Banning it from streets, where it seeps into ground water and local waterways, would protect millions of Ohioans abc6onyourside.com/news/local/o...
Ohio Democrats push to ban 'radioactive brine' as an ice remover for state roadways
Democratic state lawmakers are pushing to ban the use of oil and gas brine on Ohio roadways, warning that the common winter de-icing practice is "infecting" the
abc6onyourside.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Analysis has shown that leftover brine from oil and gas drilling, while cheaper than salt, often has high levels of radium and other heavy metals. Banning it from streets, where it seeps into ground water and local waterways, would protect millions of Ohioans abc6onyourside.com/news/local/o...
Legislature: *cuts billions from public schools in their budget*
Legislature: “property taxes are too high! Why are you guys cutting so much? The schools are not being responsible!”
Legislature: “property taxes are too high! Why are you guys cutting so much? The schools are not being responsible!”
Another Ohio public school district dealing with "brutal" cuts (many are): "'It has been absolutely brutal:' Lorain Schools lays out budget reduction proposals." chroniclet.com/news/457153/...
'It has been absolutely brutal:' Lorain Schools lays out budget reduction proposals
Plans presented at Monday's board of Education meeting saw proposals for redistricting and repurposing elementary schools, staffing cuts and pay freezes within the central office as a way to offset a…
chroniclet.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Legislature: *cuts billions from public schools in their budget*
Legislature: “property taxes are too high! Why are you guys cutting so much? The schools are not being responsible!”
Legislature: “property taxes are too high! Why are you guys cutting so much? The schools are not being responsible!”
Reposted by Nick Messenger
This professor, Luke Perez, used to teach at ASU.
He was an instructor for the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, the "freedom school" that was launched with Koch money before the #azleg pumped millions into it.
Background on that: azcir.org/news/2018/05...
He was an instructor for the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, the "freedom school" that was launched with Koch money before the #azleg pumped millions into it.
Background on that: azcir.org/news/2018/05...
Unfolding very alarming story of alleged assault on a reporter + attack on free speech at the Chase Center, a center empowered by the state to operate outside university norms, pushed on Ohio State by the state legislature purportedly to advance intellectual diversity www.wosu.org/politics-gov...
Ohio State Chase Center professor placed on administrative leave after assaulting cameraman
The Ohio political blog, The Rooster, published video showing Chase Center Assistant Professor Luke Perez hitting a cameraman and then throwing him to the ground.
www.wosu.org
February 11, 2026 at 6:23 PM
This professor, Luke Perez, used to teach at ASU.
He was an instructor for the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, the "freedom school" that was launched with Koch money before the #azleg pumped millions into it.
Background on that: azcir.org/news/2018/05...
He was an instructor for the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, the "freedom school" that was launched with Koch money before the #azleg pumped millions into it.
Background on that: azcir.org/news/2018/05...
Looking forward to digging into this new book from chrisbriem.bsky.social about the future (or lack thereof) of steel in Pittsburgh. Seems to dovetail with much of my own work— smokestack chasing & corporate welfare rather than reckoning with deindustrialization head-on has put our region behind.
February 11, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Looking forward to digging into this new book from chrisbriem.bsky.social about the future (or lack thereof) of steel in Pittsburgh. Seems to dovetail with much of my own work— smokestack chasing & corporate welfare rather than reckoning with deindustrialization head-on has put our region behind.
Reposted by Nick Messenger
U.S. job estimates for 2025 were revised down this week by more than a million jobs, to a level of low growth rarely seen outside of recessions. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/02/11/r...
Jobs report shows a historic stall in hiring last year • Ohio Capital Journal
U.S. job estimates for 2025 were revised down this week by more than a million jobs, to a level of low growth rarely seen outside of recessions.
ohiocapitaljournal.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:00 PM
U.S. job estimates for 2025 were revised down this week by more than a million jobs, to a level of low growth rarely seen outside of recessions. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/02/11/r...
Ah yes, the Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society at Ohio State…where you get violently assaulted for legally asking questions about former board chair Les Wexner’s known connections to Epstein in public spaces. My alma mater continues its streak of embarassments www.wosu.org/politics-gov...
Ohio State Chase Center professor placed on administrative leave after assaulting cameraman
The Ohio political blog, The Rooster, published video showing Chase Center Assistant Professor Luke Perez hitting a cameraman and then throwing him to the ground.
www.wosu.org
February 11, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Ah yes, the Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society at Ohio State…where you get violently assaulted for legally asking questions about former board chair Les Wexner’s known connections to Epstein in public spaces. My alma mater continues its streak of embarassments www.wosu.org/politics-gov...
Reposted by Nick Messenger
This is El Paso, where the airspace has been shut down without explanation for ten days btw
We have received numerous credible reports of torture, killing, and inhumane treatment of detained individuals at the Camp East Montana migrant detention facility, located within Fort Bliss. #txlege
February 11, 2026 at 1:20 PM
This is El Paso, where the airspace has been shut down without explanation for ten days btw
Last week it broke that DHS bought $100M+ in El Paso warehouses.
Today FAA grounded ALL flights for 10 days in El Paso for “security”.
Last week the 5th circuit allowed indefinite detention in Texas.
We may be about to see concentration camps & mass importing of detainees to El Paso.
Today FAA grounded ALL flights for 10 days in El Paso for “security”.
Last week the 5th circuit allowed indefinite detention in Texas.
We may be about to see concentration camps & mass importing of detainees to El Paso.
February 11, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Last week it broke that DHS bought $100M+ in El Paso warehouses.
Today FAA grounded ALL flights for 10 days in El Paso for “security”.
Last week the 5th circuit allowed indefinite detention in Texas.
We may be about to see concentration camps & mass importing of detainees to El Paso.
Today FAA grounded ALL flights for 10 days in El Paso for “security”.
Last week the 5th circuit allowed indefinite detention in Texas.
We may be about to see concentration camps & mass importing of detainees to El Paso.
Reposted by Nick Messenger
“Ohio has the sixth most data centers in the country according to industry tracker Data Center Map, and 102 more announced or in progress.”
MORE: columbusunderground.com/new-regulati...
MORE: columbusunderground.com/new-regulati...
New Regulations for Data Centers Introduced by Ohio Democrats - Columbus Underground
Ohio Senate Democrats have introduced a raft of legislation aimed at reining in data centers. The bills would eliminate tax breaks, require developers cover infrastructure costs and impose greater ove...
columbusunderground.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:16 PM
“Ohio has the sixth most data centers in the country according to industry tracker Data Center Map, and 102 more announced or in progress.”
MORE: columbusunderground.com/new-regulati...
MORE: columbusunderground.com/new-regulati...
This week the personal & academic crossed paths. I wrote about the 350MW gas fired plant that Ohio *automatically* approved for a Meta AI data center in my hometown. The data center race is digitizing resource extraction and exploitation economics in American towns. open.substack.com/pub/publicgo...
Digital extraction in my hometown.
The AI datacenter gold rush is digitizing resource extraction and exploitation economics in small communities like mine.
open.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:52 PM
This week the personal & academic crossed paths. I wrote about the 350MW gas fired plant that Ohio *automatically* approved for a Meta AI data center in my hometown. The data center race is digitizing resource extraction and exploitation economics in American towns. open.substack.com/pub/publicgo...
We can’t even build enough new housing under $250k in America but sure, let’s go spend hundreds of billions to rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry for Exxon.
January 4, 2026 at 1:31 PM
We can’t even build enough new housing under $250k in America but sure, let’s go spend hundreds of billions to rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry for Exxon.
I see the “Venezuelan oil can pay down the national debt!” narrative spreading.
If US companies 2x Venezuelan oil output to 2M barrels/day x 365 = 730M barrels/yr
Even $90/barrel = $65.7B per year. Even if US gov takes 20%
$13B year < 0.04% of *current* $38T (& growing) debt. Net negative.
If US companies 2x Venezuelan oil output to 2M barrels/day x 365 = 730M barrels/yr
Even $90/barrel = $65.7B per year. Even if US gov takes 20%
$13B year < 0.04% of *current* $38T (& growing) debt. Net negative.
January 4, 2026 at 1:06 AM
I see the “Venezuelan oil can pay down the national debt!” narrative spreading.
If US companies 2x Venezuelan oil output to 2M barrels/day x 365 = 730M barrels/yr
Even $90/barrel = $65.7B per year. Even if US gov takes 20%
$13B year < 0.04% of *current* $38T (& growing) debt. Net negative.
If US companies 2x Venezuelan oil output to 2M barrels/day x 365 = 730M barrels/yr
Even $90/barrel = $65.7B per year. Even if US gov takes 20%
$13B year < 0.04% of *current* $38T (& growing) debt. Net negative.
The tariff revenue seems to play the same role in President Trump’s mental budgeting that selling my old computer plays in our household. I’ve mentally sold that computer a lot of times to justify paying for a lot of other fun gadgets. (It is still in my closet).
December 18, 2025 at 2:37 AM
The tariff revenue seems to play the same role in President Trump’s mental budgeting that selling my old computer plays in our household. I’ve mentally sold that computer a lot of times to justify paying for a lot of other fun gadgets. (It is still in my closet).
I love when Trump always brags that he has cut prescription drug prices by 200, 400 or 600%.
By definition, a 100% price cut would be free.
By definition, a 100% price cut would be free.
December 18, 2025 at 2:23 AM
I love when Trump always brags that he has cut prescription drug prices by 200, 400 or 600%.
By definition, a 100% price cut would be free.
By definition, a 100% price cut would be free.
A new report conducted by consultants for the Ohio Chamber makes huge claims about data centers job creation. I dug in a bit and found that even their historical data for data centers employment seem to be estimated for some reason? I laid their numbers over BLS data. Their claim is 46% higher.
October 7, 2025 at 8:47 PM
A new report conducted by consultants for the Ohio Chamber makes huge claims about data centers job creation. I dug in a bit and found that even their historical data for data centers employment seem to be estimated for some reason? I laid their numbers over BLS data. Their claim is 46% higher.
Holy class solidarity. 😒
September 12, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Holy class solidarity. 😒
Reposted by Nick Messenger
The industry faces a critical choice: lock in coal for decades more, or pivot investment to clean alternatives like hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (H2-DRI), already proven and scaling globally ⚙️🌍
3/4
3/4
September 10, 2025 at 10:02 AM
The industry faces a critical choice: lock in coal for decades more, or pivot investment to clean alternatives like hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (H2-DRI), already proven and scaling globally ⚙️🌍
3/4
3/4
Bad day to be Trump’s new head of the BLS.
September 9, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Bad day to be Trump’s new head of the BLS.
Activities that teach kids morals, values, and faith aren’t bad.
But disguising it as a “get out of school” opportunity that takes away science/math/language/history classroom time and indoctrinating kids with a perverted culture war version of Jesus’s teachings is *very* bad.
But disguising it as a “get out of school” opportunity that takes away science/math/language/history classroom time and indoctrinating kids with a perverted culture war version of Jesus’s teachings is *very* bad.
“The academy will now be in 613 Ohio schools in 303 school districts for the 2025-26 school year, said Christine Czernejewski, a spokesperson for LifeWise.”
MORE: columbusunderground.com/controversia...
MORE: columbusunderground.com/controversia...
Controversial Christian Group Grows into More Ohio School Districts This Year - Columbus Underground
The academy will now be in 613 Ohio schools in 303 school districts for the 2025-26 school year, said Christine Czernejewski, a spokesperson for LifeWise.
columbusunderground.com
September 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Activities that teach kids morals, values, and faith aren’t bad.
But disguising it as a “get out of school” opportunity that takes away science/math/language/history classroom time and indoctrinating kids with a perverted culture war version of Jesus’s teachings is *very* bad.
But disguising it as a “get out of school” opportunity that takes away science/math/language/history classroom time and indoctrinating kids with a perverted culture war version of Jesus’s teachings is *very* bad.
Where are residents of Gaza City supposed to “evacuate” to? Israel has conquered most of the strip and 40% of Gaza City. The violence should have ended months ago. Serious question: who will administer public services and food if Israel conquers the *entire* city?
September 9, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Where are residents of Gaza City supposed to “evacuate” to? Israel has conquered most of the strip and 40% of Gaza City. The violence should have ended months ago. Serious question: who will administer public services and food if Israel conquers the *entire* city?
This was so bizarre I had to dig into the data. Ended up writing about if $600B in 2 yrs is believable. Spoiler: it’s not. It would be over 300% of ALL major data center investments announced in the last 2 years. It’s an impressive number for an audience of 1 open.substack.com/pub/publicgo...
September 8, 2025 at 7:39 PM
This was so bizarre I had to dig into the data. Ended up writing about if $600B in 2 yrs is believable. Spoiler: it’s not. It would be over 300% of ALL major data center investments announced in the last 2 years. It’s an impressive number for an audience of 1 open.substack.com/pub/publicgo...
Ohioans have faced markedly higher bills, some above $400 a month, due to rate increases that took effect this summer.
“So, the rise of these industrial-scale computing facilities that are needed for A.I. and other Internet applications is certainly one of the factors driving up prices.”
“And I think there’s a chance that A.I. is going to drive our bills even higher in the future.”
“And I think there’s a chance that A.I. is going to drive our bills even higher in the future.”
How AI infrastructure is driving a sharp rise in electricity bills
Electricity bills are climbing nationwide, rising faster than inflation in many places. The explosive growth of AI and the massive data centers behind it are driving demand and straining the grid. To ...
www.pbs.org
September 8, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Ohioans have faced markedly higher bills, some above $400 a month, due to rate increases that took effect this summer.
Reposted by Nick Messenger
SCOTUS thought they could ride the tiger and get what they wanted ideologically. In exchange, they would give him everything he wanted except the Fed. Just leave the Fed alone and you can ignore all federal law. But it ended the same way it has for everyone who tried to ride the tiger since 2016.
August 26, 2025 at 12:49 AM
SCOTUS thought they could ride the tiger and get what they wanted ideologically. In exchange, they would give him everything he wanted except the Fed. Just leave the Fed alone and you can ignore all federal law. But it ended the same way it has for everyone who tried to ride the tiger since 2016.