Christian Weller
profcew.bsky.social
Christian Weller
@profcew.bsky.social

Economist at UMass Boston and Center for American Progress; focus on racial wealth inequality, retirement savings and economic policy. Center on data driven policy development. Skeets are all my own opinions.

Economics 61%
Business 26%

Trump is really stepping up the populist brand today, fighting for working families.

It felt like we got a meaningful number of TX faculty applying for our assistant professor position. I feel really bad for this amazing scholars, who are under attack from their governments.

Paperwork burden, stigma and stress are common for SNAP and increase food insecurity. Many (most) recipients are children, disabled or older, while many already work, if they can. Not letting people go hungry should be a fundamental function of government.
It is incredible — the blind spots you develop when you’ve never, ever been poor.
Trump claims that food stamps "puts the country in jeopardy. People that are able-bodied can do a job, they leave their job because they figure they can pick this up, it's easier."
It is incredible — the blind spots you develop when you’ve never, ever been poor.
Trump claims that food stamps "puts the country in jeopardy. People that are able-bodied can do a job, they leave their job because they figure they can pick this up, it's easier."

New at Can We Still Govern? New Medicaid work requirements will see an estimated 5 million lose coverage.
Small investments in in-house tech capacity could allow states to start preparing now to expand automatic renewal of clients. Here is the evidence 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-a-van-...
Lessons from Pandemic Era Medicaid Automation for Work Requirements
Small tech capacity investments offer big returns
donmoynihan.substack.com
Today

"After the ACA’s major provisions were implemented in 2014... displaced workers were more likely to have public coverage before job loss and less likely to lose coverage afterward."

This one hit home after a long trip.

How to kill time during flight delays

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | How to kill time during flight delays
Try Xmas shopping airport-style!
www.washingtonpost.com

I love this. These structures are awesome and I can imagine the fun had by everyone.
My 7 year old was out in the yard totin' and hauling shit for hours and when she came inside I asked her what she was building and she said a White Castle drive thru. Lol.

Complete with pay window and cash register.

Any pundit who became a health care expert in the past five weeks should listen (since they tend to argue that this is expensive). Our entire HC system is too expensive but that discussion should not start with ACA subsidies (or cuts to Medicaid).
if you are insured, in all likelihood.. you got a SUBSIDY to buy health insurance.

WE ALL GET TAX SUBSIDIES TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE

Those with employer insurance (60% of us) get subsidies TEN TIMES higher than the costs of the ACA subsidies.

So why only attack the ACA/Obamacare subsidies?
A complaint: extending ACA/marketplace enhanced premium tax credits would be expensive.

It would cost $35 billion/year to extend marketplace credits.

In contrast the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance cost $299 billion/year in 2022
taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-boo...
if you are insured, in all likelihood.. you got a SUBSIDY to buy health insurance.

WE ALL GET TAX SUBSIDIES TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE

Those with employer insurance (60% of us) get subsidies TEN TIMES higher than the costs of the ACA subsidies.

So why only attack the ACA/Obamacare subsidies?
A complaint: extending ACA/marketplace enhanced premium tax credits would be expensive.

It would cost $35 billion/year to extend marketplace credits.

In contrast the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance cost $299 billion/year in 2022
taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-boo...
It's time for #Caturday and a timeline cleanse!

A terracotta figurine of a #cat playing the harp.

From #Egypt, #Roman period, late 1st century AD.

On display at Museum August Kestner, Hannover.

Have a lovely #weekend!

📷 me

🏺
If only the Speaker put half as much energy into governing as he does into avoiding work.

He still hasn’t sworn in Representative-elect Grijalva, people are hungry, planes are grounded, and Republicans are on vacation.

They’re showing you exactly who they are. Believe them.
The White House keeps unilaterally taking entirely voluntary actions which it openly says are intended to inflict more pain and then they're I guess surprised - along with most of the DC media - about why they seem to be taking the blame for the shutdown.
Why are ICE agents being paid during the shutdown, but not air traffic controllers? 🤨
The US job market has barely grown in the past 3 months @AugurInfinity
Word of the Day is ‘catchfart’ (17th century): an obsequious individual who sucks up to the boss and always follows the political wind.

Fascinating. I think a gap between predicted and actual use is probably expected. A widening gap could be really problematic.
Something I'm working on:

1) On average, only 9% of US firms were using any form of AI to produce products in September

2) US firms are consistently overestimate the rates of AI adoption (dotted line)

3) Expectations are maybe(?) starting to outpace reality...
Something I'm working on:

1) On average, only 9% of US firms were using any form of AI to produce products in September

2) US firms are consistently overestimate the rates of AI adoption (dotted line)

3) Expectations are maybe(?) starting to outpace reality...

Thanks a lot.

Who should be credited for this picture?
#withalttext, because omfg
Digging up my high school reading, "DonaldTrump Rex" is gouging out his own (economic) eyes (now as farce rather than tragedy); no patricide and incest implied! #EconSky @aaronsojourner.org

econbrowser.com/archives/202...
The Trump administration has made it clear: it wants to take food away from hungry families—it'll even go to court over it.

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to live the life that AI hallucinates about me

Please add alt text.
so anyway

Ugh, sorry. Hope it's nothing serious.

Some, stable inflation happens and is necessary. Then, there is the recognition that inflation is accelerating because of tariffs. Those are two separate things, but Speaker Johnson easily conflates them. Wish reporters would point this out.
Q: Food prices are still going up. Grocery prices are still going up. How do you respond?

MIKE JOHNSON: All of the economist have shown that food prices always go up. There's an inflationary level that's built in to grocery prices.