John McLaren
johnmclaren.bsky.social
John McLaren
@johnmclaren.bsky.social

Economist, classical music nerd, and family man.

Economics 44%
Political science 23%
Pinned
I'm seeing a huge spike in interest in tariffs from people who normally don't work in the economics of international trade. Here are a few useful things to know about them. (1/14)

Outstanding.
Will it be national news? Will it cause performative outrage? Will he be censured?

Nope. Forgotten by tomorrow.
“She’s not from here.”
None of this is normal

Well, HHS is coming in strong.

You sometimes hear people worry about “the singularity,” when AI will become superintelligent and society will collapse. What’s actually more likely is these programs will make a critical mass of humans dumb as rocks and society will collapse.
“I’ve never protested before - but I just watched 4th & 5th grade kids run away from our own government.” 😕🇺🇸💔

(From @crindivisible.bsky.social )

Reposted by John McLaren

A speech about Loving v. Virginia…that still applies 2 years later. Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️❤️❤️

Couldn’t post the entire video so going with insta instead:
www.instagram.com/reel/DUwRffh...
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
www.instagram.com

Intriguing new study suggests that education can actually ameliorate racial biases.
Asian Americans have long histories of violence, discrimination, & exclusion.

Much of this behavior is poorly understood. The literature on discrimination against other racial groups is much larger than the literature on anti-Asian animus.

A group of my coauthors and I are trying to fill that gap.
What’s it like to celebrate your 12th birthday in an immigrant detention center?

No cake. No presents. No party.

Kamilla’s parents told me they planned to buy their daughter a pack of M&Ms — among the only sweets available in the commissary — and pray they get out soon.

Please read their story:
'Even in Russia, they don't treat children like this': A family's nightmare in ICE detention
A Russian couple and their children sought asylum in the U.S. In a Texas detention center, they say they endured worms in the food and hourslong waits for medicine.
www.nbcnews.com

I’m going to grab some of these images for my course in the economics of immigration.
“I’ve never seen federal agents so out of control and acting in such a malicious manner,” a former federal prosecutor and federal judge said. “They said they were going after ‘the worst of the worst,’ then they became the problem.

Read this by @jonschuppe.bsky.social & @natashakorecki.bsky.social
Broken bones, burning eyes: How Trump's DHS deploys 'less lethal' weapons on protesters
Federal immigration officers have repeatedly used force in ways that appear to violate their own policies or general policing guidelines, NBC News found.
www.nbcnews.com

Yes, the headline is spectacular malpractice.

Unbelievable.

Can't express my anger at this.

Newsome's primary chances better drop to zero.

Can't express my rage at this.
Swalwell: ICE agents shot Alex Pretti and Renee Good. And the only person in the world who has been held accountable by DHS is the pilot who somehow forgot to move Kristi Noem’s blankie.

Reposted by John McLaren

This is makes Japanese internment look good.
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.

The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.

But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
This post is really taking off. I know the Thanksgiving detail is grabbing, but I would encourage everyone to also read the full article about this family’s struggle at Dilley.

They’ve been locked up for 130+ days.

I spent hours with them on Zoom this week, and their story deserves to be heard.
'Even in Russia, they don't treat children like this': A family's nightmare in ICE detention
A Russian couple and their children sought asylum in the U.S. In a Texas detention center, they say they endured worms in the food and hourslong waits for medicine.
www.nbcnews.com
Asian Americans have long histories of violence, discrimination, & exclusion.

Much of this behavior is poorly understood. The literature on discrimination against other racial groups is much larger than the literature on anti-Asian animus.

A group of my coauthors and I are trying to fill that gap.

Folks should be aware of the silent film series at the Violet Crown! About once a month, Sundays, Matt Marshall (UVA Media Studies) screens a film and plays live musical accompaniment. It's great. Next up is this Sunday (2/15). charlottesville.violetcrown.com/movie/live-m...
LIVE MUSICAL SCORE - The Flying Ace
To celebrate Black History Month, we present the 100th anniversary of this 1926 race film inspired by the story of Bessie Coleman, who was the first African-American woman and first Native American to...
charlottesville.violetcrown.com
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.

The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.

But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.

Reposted by John McLaren

I hear young people every day in the office talk about fears they have for their safety & the safety of their classmates. And also the strategies that they’ve devised to keep each other safe. I respect the heck out of the fact that they’re raising their voices.

cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-...
Albemarle County students walk-out to protest ICE - Cville Right Now
Close to 300 students walked out of Albemarle County High School Friday morning in a protest against ICE actions across the nation. The students left from school property just before 11 a.m., carrying...
cvillerightnow.com

Not quite sure it’s relevant, but it struck me in that Finland is in the extreme upper left-hand corner of this graph.

bsky.app/profile/wtfd...
How rejection of homosexuality and Religion correlates

Reposted by John McLaren

I haven’t seen this announced through any official/campaign channels, but he’s sharing it with his friends. In case anyone wants to go and say hi.

Reposted by John McLaren

The Virginia Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the state can proceed with an April 21 referendum that could give us a new congressional map.

Story online: augustafreepress.com/news/virgini...

#Virginia #Congress
Virginia Supreme Court allows congressional map referendum
Augusta Free Press provides breaking news and sports coverage for Waynesboro, Va., Virginia and across the United States and the world.
augustafreepress.com

Reposted by John McLaren

I do not regret to inform you that we are going to win.

Proud of all these high schoolers, and all the honking cars in support!

Reposted by John McLaren

Reposted by John McLaren

A huge win for Virginia voters.
SEN. KAINE: “You said American whites are victims of a cultural genocide… are they represented in the senate? House? Presidency? CEO’s?”

Trump’s white nationalist pick for a top state department spot Jeremy Carl skewered by @kaine.senate.gov