Today’s piece will be a little nerdy, perhaps a little lecture-y. You’ve been forewarned.

I often think about why American cities seem almost incapable of capitalizing on their assets  read more »

Since the election conservatives have assumed that the results represent a “mandate” for their political agenda, as well as a confirmation of their version of national identity.  read more »

This week, the new Syrian authorities declared Christmas a public holiday. This brought some reassurance to local communities that worried about the new regime  read more »

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s constant reminders that California’s economy ”leads the nation” as well as being a model for social justice are delusional.  read more »

We have been publishing for 15 years, and we are thankful for your readership now and in the future.  read more »

In 1958, sociologists Paul Lazarsfeld and Wagner Thielens Jr. conducted several studies with academics across the country  read more »

The US is increasingly a country ruled by oligarchs who pour cascading levels of funds into the competing parties. In 2024, election spending was two-to-three times what it was two decades ago in real terms.  read more »

In popular myth, California has been America’s land of opportunity since its founding. In 1849, California built its reputation around its rich vein of gold in Sierra Nevada.  read more »

The United States is a misnomer. Despite its title, our republic has rarely been united, instead hosting an endless gladiatorial contest between different states and regions.  read more »

The International Energy Agency has been consistent — and consistently wrong — about global coal demand.

In 2015, the Paris-based agency declared, "The golden age of coal in China seems to be over." That year, it predicted global coal demand would fall to 5.5 billion tons by 2020.  read more »