Westchester County has apparently counted 56% of votes 26 days Election Day. Wildly unacceptable.
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.
- Tolstoy
This will go down in history as one of science and medical research's greatest achievements. Perhaps the most impressive.
I put together a preliminary timeline of some key milestones to show how several years of work were compressed into months.
This West Point graduate is Alex Idrache. He grew up in a slum in Haiti, and he tells of how U.S. soldiers were deployed to his neighborhood following the earthquake there several years ago. He says their presence was the first experience of "hope" he recalls in his childhood.
1/
This is astonishing, from @zeynep’s newsletter: 91% of Democrats think that the 2020 election was free and fair, up from 43% in 2016
Only 19% of younger Americans could pass a citizenship test (compared to 74% of seniors!), yet many in CT & elsewhere want public edu to focus on indoctrination of narratives rather than teaching of facts about our history. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/most-us-would-fail-u-s-citizenship-test-survey-finds-n918961
After 12 years of K-12 schooling, 60% of Americans don’t know who we fought in World War II.
“Conservatism is gratitude.” -Yuval Levin
#HappyThanksgiving to one an all! This year, and every year, I am thankful for God, family, friends, and country. 🙏🏽
Making Daylight Savings Time Permanent is a WINNING issue!
#BREAKING - The Ontario legislature has just passed a bill that would do away with the twice yearly time change, putting Ontario permanently on daylight saving time. The government however has said the law will not be enacted until Quebec & New York also enact the same change.
I’m old enough to remember when the Left told us that “ending
net neutrality” would “destroy the internet as we know it.” Good work, @AjitPaiFCC. https://twitter.com/sensanders/status/941383879939837953?s=21
US Internet Speeds 91% Faster in 2020 According to User Speed Tests https://fairinternetreport.com/research/usa-vs-europe-internet-speed-analysis
HAPPY COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON!
Mark it down, the 2021 Final Four:
Baylor, Duke, West Virginia, and first-time-ever champion...Gonzaga Bulldogs
The very-intelligent @alexplitsas on how to build a more effective Republican Party in CT. Without a competitive GOP, our state will continue to suffer.
Opinion: State Republicans must look ahead
The next set of party leaders needs to take the time to understand the demographic shifts...
www.ctpost.com
CT-4 was represented by liberal-moderate Republicans—Weicker, McKinney, and Shays—for 40 years. Now it’s deep blue.
Here is the final congressional district breakdown for Connecticut. We have a new bluest district in the state. CT-4 is now bluer than district 1.
Bill de Blasio closed all New York City public schools based on an arbitrary citywide COVID-19 positivity rate of 3.00%
Positivity rate in NYC schools: 0.28%
Americans Increasingly Are Leaving High-Tax States For Low-Tax States, by @scottlincicome @CatoInstitute
https://bit.ly/3m1vsfY
Students & teachers are safer in school full time & kids won’t lose massive development. The unions don’t have kids’ backs. Good on @nedlamont for holding his ground. | CT Teachers Union Calls For Remote Learning https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-teacher-unions-call-for-remote-learning-20201123-zs5b5osjr5dt3ilp6bugvpwsyu-story.html
Not good. CT issues few charters & funds them ~$5k less per pupil than district schools. Despite this, arguably the best primary school in CT is an inner-city charter. CT pols & journos who talk big about helping low-income & racial minority kids, but ignore this, are posturing.
Ineffective charter school laws and overregulation are strangling education opportunity.
https://edreform.com/issues/choice-charter-schools/laws-legislation/
Comparing state tax codes: individual income taxes https://buff.ly/3eOcRBx
Republican state legislative candidates in Greenwich, CT outperformed the president by 14 points (51 to 37)
Drag on the ticket? Greenwich Republicans outperform Trump in district voting
Trump found no success in Greenwich, outpolled by Joe Biden — and by his fellow Republicans — across the entire town. The results show that Greenw...
www.ctinsider.com
Remember Berlin's new rent control law? Turns out it led to exactly the outcomes everyone predicted - the supply of flats is down by 70%, demand for them is up by over 140%, and shadow rents have soared! 🤔🤔🤔
Dauerstreit um Mietendeckel - Kampf um bezahlbares Wohnen
Seit dem 23. Februar gilt in Berlin das Mietendeckelgesetz. Nun wird in der Hauptstadt eine radikale Regelung daraus wirksam: Viele Mieten aus bestehe...
www.deutschlandfunk.de
U.S. restaurant dine-in activity is beginning to fall once again https://trib.al/mZhFVHk
Communism kills
Why I am blocked by my alma mater’s football coach, whom I have never tweeted at, I do not know! But great win yesterday!
The persistent idea that Republicans doubled down on Trump populism is not correct. The top issues in final ads were taxes, economy, & health care. Trade & immigration were less emphasized. Rep House margins outperformed Trump & Reps continued using lots of conservative rhetoric.
Prospective observational study finds enormous association between Vitamin D levels at admission and mortality, recommends mass supplementation. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77093-z
Here's the relevant estimates of the population share that has been exposed to COVID-19.
Waterbury’s mill rate increased from 41.82 in 2010 to 60 mills by 2019, one of the highest rates in the state.
CT needs property tax reforms if we are going to prosper as a State. https://twitter.com/YankeeInstitute/status/1329872893338071040
“Waterbury, Conn., saw the most dramatic change in the structure of its population,” the study says. “Renters here now make up 60.9% of the brass city’s residents, compared to 48.8% at the beginning of the decade.”
https://rb.gy/scomeq
After a deep dive into multiple sources of data from the 100 largest cities, my conclusion is that 2020 has been an extremely violent year. The murder rate will rise substantially this year (red = increase in fatal shootings relative to same period last year, green=decline)
Pfizer, BioNTech to Seek Authorization of Covid-19 Vaccine *Friday* - WSJ
Pfizer, BioNTech Ask FDA to Authorize Their Covid-19 Vaccine
The companies requested that the FDA clear their Covid-19 vaccine, a rapid advance in the vaccine’s development expected to pave the way for dis...
www.wsj.com
The Great Awokening is intraclass conflict, not vanguardism/interclass conflict
The Revenge of the Yankees
How Social Gospel became Social Justice
www.tabletmag.com
Once the heart of Yankee Republicanism, Fairfield County, Connecticut has seen a rapid leftward shift in the Trump era. Joe Biden carried this county with 63% of the vote. Biden doubled Clinton's margins in once staunchly GOP Darien and New Canaan.
Connecticut has lost population in each of the last 10 years due to outmigration
Connecticut’s population shrank in 2019, but fewer people left than a year earlier
Connecticut has become a popular destination for people moving amid the pandemic, but new census figures show the state lost population again in 2019,...
bit.ly
Hmm. The same source finds that CT has *the worst* personal income growth in the US over the whole decade--while Dems have held complete control of the state gov't. The people of our state can do much better than that. State policy needs to change. https://apps.bea.gov/itable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=70&step=1
"Richest state"; "fastest growth in personal income."
Before the pandemic: Incomes in Connecticut’s rural counties grew the fastest in 2019; Fairfield County still among the richest in the nation https://www.courant.com/business/hc-biz-incomes-by-county-20201117-b3q6ponejjhy3fajpsvcvkichi-story.html
U.S. Missile Defense Agency says it shot down an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in space for first time using interceptor missile fired from a warship in successful test
The $600 UI bonus expired almost 4 months ago. @paulkrugman, can you tell us when to expect that "more than 4% GDP" hit you promised?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/opinion/coronavirus-us-recession.html
1/ "How long might immunity to the #coronavirus last? Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study — the most hopeful answer yet to a question that has shadowed plans for widespread vaccination."
Immunity to the Coronavirus May Last Years, New Data Hint
Blood samples from recovered patients suggest a powerful, long-lasting immune response, researchers reported.
nyti.ms
Left-of-center economists agree: Forgiving student loans is the worst idea ever... via @freakonomics
Forgive Student Loans? Worst Idea Ever. - Freakonomics
There's an argument going around right now that forgiving the country's student loan debt would have a stimulative effect on the economy. This online ...
freakonomics.com
Working 95...% of the time! 🎶
Yes, Dolly Parton part-funded research which went towards the Moderna vaccine which has reported 94.5% effectiveness.
Here is a dose of optimism for you all, or for most of you at least: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-11-16/u-s-china-and-the-covid-19-vaccine-race?cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-view&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=view&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_medium=social&sref=htOHjx5Y
Uncle Milton’s entire Free To Choose series is on @PrimeVideo! Thoughtful documentaries+debates about political+econ topics in each ep. To think I bought the entire 10 DVD series when I was 14. Great viewing for the whole family this holiday season 🙃🗽 https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.0cb26424-7e09-1b47-1056-e6d3dcc98a56&territory=US&ref_=share_ios_season&r=web
A majority of of student debt is held by the top two income quintiles. https://twitter.com/PplPolicyProj/status/1328337031999664132
What Is the Current Student Debt Situation?
https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/2020/11/16/what-is-the-current-student-debt-situation/
There's been a lot of negativity about this country's performance over the past year, but history will mostly remember that the virus began in China and American capitalism ended it. https://twitter.com/McCormackJohn/status/1328334519443795970
Pfizer and Moderna expect to have a combined 70 million doses of vaccine by the end of next month, enough to inoculate 35 million people. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/16/health/Covid-moderna-vaccine.html
Part of the good news about the Moderna vaccine, in addition to effectiveness, is it can be stored at ~freezer temps for <6 months & fridge temps for <1 month, which makes supply chain easier. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at much lower temps.
Moderna Announces Longer Shelf Life for its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate at Refrigerated Temperatures | Moderna, Inc.
Vaccine candidate now expected to remain stable at standard refrigerator temperatures of 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F) for 30 days, up from previous est...
investors.modernatx.com
@soxgoodyanksbad @Noahpinion "Moderna ... will have 20 million doses available by the end of this year and another 500 million to 1 billion next calendar year. Pfizer ... will have 50 million doses of its vaccine manufactured by the end of this year, and another 1.3 billion next year"
There are now two promising potential COVID vaccines. This is what we know about them.
Two big companies are leading the race for a coronavirus vaccine and have released promising results from their Phase 3 trials. Here's what they mean.
eu.usatoday.com
There's no doubt it's pretty ugly in the Dakotas right now, but this is rather unlikely. The ascertainment rate was not evenly distributed across space either.
https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1328057404722999300
Use with caution, but some quick-and-dirty estimates of the share of each state's population ever infected with COVID.
These assume—per various expert studies/estimates—that about 1 in 11 infections were detected in March through mid-May but that's improved to about 1 in 3 now.
This is fantastic. Not a single recipient of the Moderna vaccine candidate developed a serious COVID case https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-16/moderna-vaccine-is-found-highly-effective-at-preventing-covid-19 $MRNA
Connecticut — with an economy dominated by retail and hospitality jobs — ranks dead last in wage growth, according to a new analysis from @pewtrusts.
Connecticut ranks last in personal income growth over past year CT ranks last in personal income growth
A new report from Pew Charitable Trusts ranks Connecticut dead last in personal income growth over the past year.
ctmirror.org
My goodness, this is as good as everyone said | David Shor’s Postmortem of the 2020 Election via @intelligencer
David Shor’s Postmortem of the 2020 Election
Democrats must accept that Biden won through persuasion, not mobilization — and if the party can’t change the Senate, it will need to change i...
nymag.com
Percent of young American adults aged 18-24 who've been having suicidal thoughts:
- before the pandemic: 3%
- during October: 37%
This is a national mental health catastrophe.
Harvard Researchers: Nearly Half of Young Adults Showing Signs of Depression Amid Pandemic | Kerry McDonald
Mounting evidence shows that pandemic-related lockdowns and restrictions have inflicted much more harm on younger people than the coronavirus itself. ...
fee.org
New Reporting Exposes Rampant Fraud Plaguing Stimulus Program. Via: @brad_polumbo
New Reporting Exposes Rampant Fraud Plaguing Stimulus Program
Congress is debating another round of trillion-dollar stimulus spending. Yet new reporting shows that the first stimulus bill was corrupted with ram...
bit.ly
Oh by the way, state employees were exempted.
.@JimPethokoukis: The damage we cause when we close down schools — it’s worse than you think https://www.aei.org/economics/the-damage-we-cause-when-we-close-down-schools-its-worse-than-you-think/ via @AEI
It Pays To Be An Apprentice: 63% More “An apprenticeship program that matches employers with community colleges has launched graduates into middle class careers and could be a way to address the flagging fortunes of Americans lacking four-year degrees...”
It Pays To Be An Apprentice: 63% More
Participants in an apprenticeship program that matches employers with community colleges were able to earn substantially more after one year than thei...
www.npr.org
My 13yo is running for class president, and her speech has a blistering opening: “Everyone knows Middle School is the worst time in anyone’s life.”
Are Democrats Cornered in Illinois? | City Journal
Are Democrats Cornered in Illinois? | City Journal
The defeat of an amendment establishing a progressive income tax may force the state’s dominant party to pursue real reforms.
www.city-journal.org
New Payroll Tax May Surprise Connecticut Residents @NBCConnecticut
New Payroll Tax May Surprise Connecticut Residents
Beginning on January 1 an estimated 1.7 million workers in the state of Connecticut will see a half of a percent of every paycheck go to the CT Paid L...
www.nbcconnecticut.com
Dem leaders in the legislature of the most indebted state government in the country now trying to expand debt spending while facing billion dollar deficits into the future. Give me a break.
Democrats want to expand borrowing to protect CT programs amid pandemic
Speaker-elect Matt Ritter and other Democrats say the state has plenty of room to borrow money to help preserve several key programs.
www.greenwichtime.com
Another broken campaign talking point disproven days after election: At most the individual mandate would be ruled unconstitutional and severed from Obamacare by SCOTUS. The whole law was never going to be thrown out.
If you didn’t listen to oral arguments, tl; dr: There is no chance the Supreme Court is going to invalidate Obamacare. At the very least, Justice Kavanaugh will provide a 5th vote for severing the one provision the plaintiffs & Trump Admin attack, leaving the rest in place. https://twitter.com/SCOTUSblog/status/1326169197102190592
“Our findings reveal that the ZOC [school choice] program boosted test scores and college enrollment markedly, closing achievement and college enrollment gaps between ZOC neighborhoods and the rest of the district.”
School choice in Los Angeles - Marginal REVOLUTION
By Christopher Campos and Caitlin Kearns have some very positive results on school vouchers: This paper evaluates the Zones of Choice (ZOC) program in...
marginalrevolution.com
BRUTAL: “ID, AZ, & UT were the top job growth states, while Connecticut ranked 50th in 2019. CT & WV were the only two states to lose jobs. The report also found that CT was dead-last in the country for wage growth btwn. 2010 & 2019.”
Connecticut’s 2019 job growth was dead last in the country, according to Dept. of Labor
Connecticut’s job growth in 2019 was dead last in the country and only 48th since 2010, according to Connecticut Department of Labor report rele...
yankeeinstitute.org
Unfortunately, one big story of the 2020 election is the further polarization of the country by population density, with cities/suburbs moving left and rural areas moving right. This will make our institutions even less representative and could exacerbate affective polarization.
Connecticut’s 2019 job growth was dead last in the country, according to Dept. of Labor
Connecticut’s 2019 job growth was dead last in the country, according to Dept. of Labor
Connecticut’s job growth in 2019 was dead last in the country and only 48th since 2010, according to Connecticut Department of Labor report rele...
rb.gy
holy moly did the northeast come home for the democratic party this cycle
Rest In Peace, Alex Trebek. A giant. 🙏🏽
One of the better analyses of all-in mortality during COVID that I’ve read. All-in mortality way up (10%), explained *more than* 100% by COVID for elderly but a small fraction by COVID for young adults. via @meepbobeep
Mortality with Meep: Comparing COVID-19 and 2020 Total Death Rates Against U.S. Historical Rates
Both relative and absolute rates matter
marypatcampbell.substack.com
This is exactly why absentee ballot rules must revert back to what they were pre-Covid. The voters of Connecticut have already rejected expanding the use of absentee ballots and this failure by Stamford officials shows why the voters were right.
Stamford registrars discover uncounted absentee ballots
The town clerk delivered all the absentee ballots to the registrars in dozens of boxes, but a number of them were not put through tabulators.
www.stamfordadvocate.com
Impressed by the job our big town is doing to keep schools open, avoid community spread. | "There have now been 42 total cases in the district since the start of school, none of which has been traced back to in-school contact"
Officials: Greenwich schools record 42 cases of COVID-19
The school district has recorded nearly 20 cases of coronavirus in a week, as the number of cases begins to climb in the state.
www.greenwichtime.com
Eversource asking for yet another rate increase. - this time close to 15%! Enough is enough. We need to make CT more affordable, not less. @WTIC1080 @ChazandAJ @WillMarotti @toddtalk @EversourceCT @EnergyBills @CTGOP
Regulators Approve Electricity Rate Increases For Eversource, UI
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority Friday approved an electricity rate increase for Eversource and United Illuminating. The new rates will go i...
www.nbcconnecticut.com
Another good read by @foxjust. Not good that COVID spreading so quickly in Dakotas, etc. despite relatively low mobility readings—same as NYC. Shows both the contagiousness of the disease but also, prob, the herd factor limiting spread in NYC, etc. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-11-06/covid-19-s-third-wave-is-big-but-there-is-hope
"Is Tax‐Driven Interstate Migration Increasing?" https://www.cato.org/blog/tax-driven-interstate-migration-increasing via @CatoEdwards @CatoInstitute
BREAKING. Still can’t call the 36 senatorial race in Connecticut between @RyanFazio and Alex Kasser. We are pending final absentee ballot counts from Stamford, New Canaan as well as a few from Greenwich.
HIGHEST VOTER TURNOUT SINCE 1900 (per .@ElectProject)
Proud to have cast my vote for my friend, Ryan Fazio, for State Senator in the 36th District. https://twitter.com/gwchsentinel/status/1323726861143281664
First Selectman @fcamillo voted today, pictured here with @ryanfazio 🇺🇸
VOTED! Picked up two big votes in my home precinct with @fcamillo. It’s been an honor to have Fred’s unwavering support since the beginning of this campaign. He knows that it’s time for a change in Hartford! 5.5 hours left to VOTE! 🇺🇸
Turnout and enthusiasm are sky-high in the 36th! VOTE for a change in our state government before 8pm tonight. 🇺🇸
VOTE tomorrow at your normal polling location from 6AM to 8PM! You can look up your registration and precinct below: https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx
Great campaigning this year with @ryanfazio. He’s an impressive candidate & will be an even more impressive senator fighting to reduce CT spending, stop Dems from raising taxes &bring reasonableness to state government. But first you need to vote tomorrow for Ryan Fazio.
#BREAKING @GovNedLamont rolls entire state back to "Phase 2.1" as of Friday:
Restaurants:
- 50% capacity, 8 people/table max
- Close by 9:30pm
Salons:
- 75% capacity
Event Venues:
- Capacity: 25 indoors, 50 outdoors
Worship:
- 50% capacity/100 people max
If @CTDems retain or expand 60% majorities in the General Assembly, expect policy to go far left, taxes way up, cost of living to get worse, and jobs to leave the state. via @capitolwatch
Democratic wins in Connecticut Senate could boost progressive agenda that includes raising taxes on the wealthy
Democrats already hold a strong majority in the state Senate, occupying 22 seats to the Republicans' 14. Few expect control to flip in a year when Pre...
www.courant.com
State senators are temporary. @WuTangClan is forever. Rza-Fazio 2020.
The choice is clear. Vote for Ryan Fazio @ryanfazio
NEW @FitchRatings study: CT faces the 2nd-worst fiscal crisis of any state, w/ liabilities over 20% of all personal income. Yet, at the height of COVID, @CTDems permitted a 5.5% pay hike for state employees.
Vote for a change Nov. 3rd. https://www.fitchratings.com/research/us-public-finance/us-state-liability-burdens-fall-to-5-five-states-top-20-driven-by-pensions-26-10-2020
Ryan Fazio (opinion): Lower taxes, open schools, public safety, and unity via @greenwichtime
Ryan Fazio (opinion): Lower taxes, open schools, public safety, and unity
Ryan Fazio, the Republican candidate for state Senate for District 36 (Greenwich, Stamford, and New Canaan), offers his closing arguments to voters.
www.greenwichtime.com
Liberal columnist Dan Haar: “I’m not choosing candidates, but a 24-seat Democrat super-majority would not help the state. It leads to a caucus with too many mouths to feed, and the General Assembly is already way more progressive than the state as a whole”
Dan Haar: Trump, COVID, name recognition helping Senate Dems
In a normal year, Republicans might be salivating at their chance to pick up seats in the state Senate. But no one will ever confuse 2020 with a norma...
www.ctinsider.com
My closing argument in the paper today: Our campaign has brought people together in the face of misleading attacks, b/c we are focused on a vision for unity & prosperity. On Tues., vote to change Hartford, save Connecticut, and create hope for our future.
Ryan Fazio (opinion): Lower taxes, open schools, public safety, and unity
Ryan Fazio, the Republican candidate for state Senate for District 36 (Greenwich, Stamford, and New Canaan), offers his closing arguments to voters.
www.stamfordadvocate.com
Change in individual behavior & socializing in Euro, & more gradual change in the US, is likely behind a major surge in Euro COVID cases & (lesser) growth in US. I assume much more of that socializing occurred indoors in Sep-Oct. Useful article. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pandemic-fatigue-is-realand-its-spreading-11603704601?st=htqyo0ki0cjq2qf&reflink=article_copyURL_share
Shots fired are up 225% yoy for the last four weeks in New Haven and 343% in Hartford. Horrible. Violence was rising this summer when @CTDems set a negative tone against policing, but it is surging after the police bill started going into effect Oct1.
.@CTDems run *from* their record. They think 49th place in job creation is the best our people can do.
I am running alongside local GOP candidates because we know that CT can do better. Good op-ed by @mspilo.
SPILO: Greenwich Democrats Are Afraid of Their Record
greenwichfreepress.com
My latest op-ed: Keep kids in school in CT. via @GWCHFreePress
Fazio: My opponent tried to close CT schools behind our backs, I want them open safely
greenwichfreepress.com
I have been around @ryanfazio for months and this interview solidifies why I support him. In it he tackles the tough issues in a calm thoughtful way outside of the chaos of a campaign. Please listen, share and vote.
#ChangeHartfordSaveCT
My opponent has accused me of the horrid crime of...not believing America was *founded on* heinous bigotry. Guilty as charged! I’m happy to be the only candidate in our race unwilling to malign the honor of our great nation.
The losses from keeping children out of school are huge and the benefits are small. The bias should be to open safely.
Opinion | End the School Shutdown
In-person classes turn out not to cause spikes in cases or fatality. But keeping kids home has a high cost.
www.wsj.com
Our campaign is very proud to announce the support of over 150 women leaders in SW CT for Fazio for State Senate. It’s time to bring our district together and change to our state government. Here is their open letter to voters:
Over 150 Women Leaders Endorse Fazio for State Senate
An open letter from over 150 women leaders across the Greenwich, Stamford, and New Canaan community endorsing Ryan Fazio for CT’s 36th…
ryanfazioct.medium.com
I had a well known Democrat in Stamford tell me she is not voting for @Alex4CT on November 3rd. She said she felt Alex was not doing a good job representing our district. @ryanfazio your doing a great job connecting with voters.
Last night over 50 signs supporting our Greenwich Police were vandalized. Its not about the cost of the signs, but the disgusting message sent to our community, our GPD & their supporters. Many signs are still up for all to see what some people think of the GPD #GRTC #BackTheBlue
Friday for Fazio! Like and share. Time for Kasser to go.@ryanfazio @CTGOP
