Derek Thompson @DKThomp Twitter profile

Pinned Tweet

Derek Thompson

2 years

This is one of the most important articles I'll write all year—and the most complete framework for how I'm thinking about progress, public policy, and a better future for all Americans: America needs an "abundance agenda"

A Simple Plan to Solve All of America’s Problems

The U.S. doesn’t have enough COVID tests—or houses, immigrants, physicians, or solar panels. We need an abundance agenda.

www.theatlantic.com

288

794

4K

Last Seen Profiles

@TaleWorlds

@asukasrfp

@daisydo333

@SimpeleStad

@seriozha_s

@somberbloomz

@sfkuya

@davidwalshblog

@sebijy1

@AlexReimer1

@Khannahblack

@world_gummy

@Lombard

@2024ArtCalendar

@EglestonMi53842

@GeorgeBeechum

@adamlogic

@ursorodrag

@eclipse6v6

@ManicStudios_

@msulibraries

@elaaa43

@haecchocobear

@deaunteee

@yu03yu23

@birdman46049238

@godhoodcomics

@MSU_Athletics

@DRF_DanIllman

@Andreakmax

@MCetinavci

@iamny95

@SamLille59__

@customhousestud

@PCarneiro_Tiago

@RMU_ID

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

What happened is scientists discovered chlorofluorocarbons were bad for the ozone, countries believed them, the Montreal Protocol was signed, and CFC use fell by 99.7%, leading to the stabilization of the ozone layer, perhaps the greatest example of global cooperation in history.

Matt Walsh

@MattWalshBlog

2 years

Remember when they spent years telling us to panic over the hole in the ozone layer and then suddenly just stopped talking about it and nobody ever mentioned the ozone layer again?

9K

6K

38K

857

35K

209K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

The optics here are exquisite. No notes.

Bloomberg UK

@BloombergUK

2 years

Prince Charles announces the government's top priority is to "help ease the cost-of-living for families," with a promise to "level up opportunity in all parts of the country"

2K

584

5K

305

5K

54K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

This is just silly. If NPR receiving less than 1% of its revenue from federal government programs makes it "state-affiliated media," does Tesla accepting a $465m loan from DOE and benefiting from EV consumer subsidies make it "state-affiliated enterprise"?

840

3K

23K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

How to fix Presidents' Day. 1. The two most common months for presidential birthdays are October and November. 2. So, Presidents' Day should be in early Nov on—hm, let's say—the 1st Monday. 3. Huh, that's about when America votes. 4. Presto: Voting Day is a national holiday.

190

3K

19K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

13 days

New paper from Norway: Banning smartphones in school - significantly decreased doctors visits for psychological symptoms and diseases among girls - reduced bullying among both genders - improved girls’ GPA and attendance rates - largest effect sizes were among the poorest kids

237

5K

19K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

"How Couples Meet" chart, updated July 2019

510

8K

17K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

Either seatbelts work, or they don't. If you're requiring that they be installed in every car, then let people drive drunk at 100 mph the way the Founders intended. If they don't work, then let's stop manufacturing seatbelts entirely. Pick a narrative and stick to it.

Tomi Lahren

@TomiLahren

4 years

Either masks work or they don’t. If you’re requiring them because they stop the spread then reopen everything. If they don’t work then the mandates are BS. Pick a narrative and stick to it.

8K

9K

42K

104

3K

16K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

I wrote about “Hygiene Theater”—how restaurants, gyms, and subways have wasted millions of dollars on fancy cleaning plans to defeat a mostly airborne plague and made Americans more confused and unsafe in the process.

Hygiene Theater Is a Huge Waste of Time

People are power scrubbing their way to a false sense of security.

www.theatlantic.com

215

6K

16K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

Barstool's world is covering - the unionized MLB - the unionized NFL - the unionized NBA - the unionized NHL - the unionized MLS ...

188

2K

15K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

7 months

2023 study: “Our thesis is that a primary cause of the rise in mental disorders is a decline over decades in opportunities for children and teens to play, roam, and engage in other activities independent of direct oversight and control by adults."

274

3K

16K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

TIL: google news occasionally features the author photo instead of the article art 😂

116

506

15K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

It takes less than two seconds to see that Musk’s framework — I’m a free speech absolutist … unless anybody threatens to shut off Twitter access, in which case, I’m for or against whatever they want — is laughably unworkable

429

2K

15K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

Pretty wild if the story ends up being that big pharma was doing clinical trials on diabetes medication and sorta kinda accidentally discovered a weight-loss miracle drug ... and then, wait, oh-by-the-way, it's also the cure for addiction?

Sarah Zhang

@sarahzhang

1 year

Ozempic doesn't just suppress your appetite. I talked to patients who took the drug to lose weight— only to also effortlessly stop biting their nails, compulsively shopping, drinking alcohol, and so on.

322

1K

9K

127

1K

13K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

I'm a New York Times Reader. And I've Noticed Something.

200

1K

12K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

Wow. Just one poll, but “Welcoming Afghan translators to the US” looks like the most popular and bipartisan policy idea I’ve seen in a long, long time

203

2K

11K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

On average, time spent - with family peaks at <15yo - with friends peaks at 18 - with coworkers peaks at 30 - with children peaks at 40 - with your partner peaks at 70 - alone peaks at the end fascinating chart (ht @Alex_Radke )

134

2K

9K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

26 days

What’s the best explanation for why all these schools turned against the SAT around the same time and why they all re-embraced standardized testing at roughly the same time? (Besides herding behavior)

Alec Stapp

@AlecStapp

26 days

Complete and utter defeat for the anti-test crusaders

200

939

7K

488

469

9K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 months

Austin is building housing like crazy. Rents are down 7%. But rather than frame this achievement as a win for renters—or for the arg that housing prices respond to supply growth—WSJ frames it pretty clearly as bad news across the board.

157

1K

9K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

This is the chart that has launched a thousand takes. The conclusion seems obvious: Everything the govt touches goes to infinity in price. Everything pure capitalism touches goes to zero. But there's another way of looking at this graph that dramatically changes the story.

335

1K

8K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

I don't think China has figured out any technological magic to building stuff. I think they're like: "It's a train station, Michael. What could it cost, 15,000 man-hours and 20 diggers?" And they throw 1,500 workers at the problem and make them dig and lay steel for 10 hours.

Li Jingjing 李菁菁

@Jingjing_Li

1 year

How China built a train station in 9 hours. 👇

196

522

2K

747

502

8K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

The level of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. is a national tragedy. We are basically alone in the developed world in the elevated level and rising rate of maternity deaths.

154

3K

8K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

21 days

It's "interesting" to watch the right-wing outrage sausage get made. 1. Judge: Trump can attend son's graduation if trial is on track, but no official ruling yet. 2. Trump (lying): Judge told me I'm "prohibited" from attending my son's graduation, what an outrage. 3. People…

218

2K

8K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

There is a 100% chance that this graph is a core reason for America's surge of anxiety and depression. Time spent with other people has plummeted—for every age group, ethnicity, gender, geography, and income level.

355

2K

8K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

So, I wrote about Alex Berenson.

The Pandemic’s Wrongest Man

In a crowded field of wrongness, one person stands out: Alex Berenson.

www.theatlantic.com

426

2K

7K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

23 days

Homicides are plummeting. In all 10 cities with the most 2023 homicides—for which we have data—homicides are falling. The pandemic crime wave is crashing hard. If these percentage decline numbers were percentage growth numbers, it would be the lede of every cable news show—>

649

3K

8K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 months

it's funny/sad/astonishing that we're in a situation where trump's multiple indictments were political advantageous to him, and biden's exoneration is politically terrible for him

666

1K

8K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

10 months

The Netflix revolution and streaming media is, for now, one of the most successful profit-destroying interventions in modern business history

Lucas Shaw

@Lucas_Shaw

10 months

Profits at the biggest entertainment companies fell almost 90% over the last decade (from $23.4B to $2.6B). Revised numbers from the last newsletter (cc @DKThomp )

52

153

688

138

1K

7K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

6 months

Americans at ~every level of income say they need a 30%-50% raise "to feel happy." Make $50k? "I need about 75k." Make $75k? "I need about 100k." Make $150k? "I need 200k." Make $200k? "I need 350k."

277

707

7K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

The timeline goes: 1) Florida was relatively spared by early COVID wave 2) By early 2021, its COVID deaths-per-cap were avg 3) There was a round of self-congratulation 4) Delta crushed FL; the state is now 7th in deaths/ capita 5) We're just .... pretending (4) never happened

Karol Markowicz

@karol

3 years

Florida has lowest COVID-19 case rate in the country. They did it without vaccine mandates, without mask mandates in school & with no restrictions on businesses. Life simply went on. @GovRonDeSantis was right again. My latest in Friday's @nypost

9K

5K

21K

239

1K

7K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

The largest outbreak in South Korea came from a church. The largest outbreak in France came from a church. The latest outbreak in Germany came from a church. The latest CDC investigation traces a rural Arkansas outbreak—from a church.

280

3K

7K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

These graphs never fail to astonish. The COVID hospitalization risk is MORE THAN 10X higher for the unvaccinated—at every. single. age. level.

334

3K

7K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

This appears to be Casper's business: Buy mattress at $400. Sell at $1,000. Refund/return 20% of them. --> Keep $400, on avg. ... then spend $290 of that on ads/marketing. ... and $270 on admin (finance, HR, IT). --> Lose $160. Repeat.

212

1K

7K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

This paper should be a bombshell. Due to the electoral college and the extreme blue-state concentration of Democrats, Republicans are expected to win 65% of presidential contests in which they narrowly lose the popular vote.

NBER

@nberpubs

5 years

In U.S. Presidential races, the popular-vote winner will lose 40% of elections decided by 2 million votes or less. Electoral College "inversions" have been likely since the 1800s, from @MikeGeruso , Dean Spears, and Ishaana Talesara

26

503

837

123

4K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

I'm confused. I was reliably told that leaking an old Alito opinion was treasonous destruction of a sacred institution, but now the Court's conservative camp is just plainly describing to reporters the full behind-the-scenes tick-tock of the Dobbs case weeks before the decision.

151

2K

7K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

In the last 48 hours: - BioNTech announced human trials for cancer vaccines using mRNA technology - Moderna announced promising data on a 3-in-1 respiratory vaccine—a FluRona shot that also protects against RSV LFG 🚀 🚀 🚀

Moderna

@moderna_tx

3 years

Today, we shared positive pre-clinical data demonstrating our ability to combine 6 mRNAs against 3 different respiratory viruses in 1 vaccine: COVID-19 booster + Flu booster + RSV booster. #mRNA

834

6K

18K

85

2K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

10 months

The US has the fastest growth rate of any G7 country. And the US has the lowest annual inflation of any G7 country. And Americans hate it!

246

2K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

The very emotional discussion right now about whether Twitter has the right to de-platform Trump should widen the lens and see that the list of corporations that essentially came to the same conclusion include such famous wokesters such as (checks notes) the PGA and Deutsche Bank

Conor Sen

@conorsen

3 years

“Deutsche Bank, which has been Mr. Trump’s primary lender for two decades, has decided not to do business with Mr. Trump or his company in the future”

3K

16K

103K

126

1K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

10 months

Incredible snapshot of upper-middle-class college anxiety. Elite colleges have affirmative action for the very, very rich. Lower income students, who are less likely to apply, have a small advantage. This cashes out as a clear bias against upper-middle class applicants.

185

757

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

By a 52-21 margin, Americans think asking Ukraine to investigate Biden is an abuse of power, per USAToday poll. The gap among independents is huge: 45%-16%. It's even close among Republicans: 30%-40%. Doubling down like this is ... unbelievably risky.

283

2K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

If you wake up on a Casper mattress, hail Lyft to get to your desk at WeWork, use DoorDash to order lunch, and get an Uber home, you've spent the day interacting with companies that will collectively lose nearly $13 billion this year.

WeWork and the Great Unicorn Delusion

Why the consumer-tech revolution can’t seem to survive public scrutiny

www.theatlantic.com

181

2K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 months

What is HAPPENING here? Between 2012 and 2023, it appears that average OECD reading, math and science scores have declined consistently. This is not (just) about pandemic learning loss. It’s not about one US city. It’s not even just the US. This is the entire developed world.

1K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

Kyrie played at Duke University, which has for years had immunization requirements for the flu, Hep-B, measles, meningitis, mumps, polio, rubella, and TD/DTAP/TDAP. I'm trying to imagine refusing a meningitis vaccine at 18yo in order to challenge "perceived control of society."

Michael Sykes, II

@MikeDSykes

3 years

You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding.

294

225

1K

260

1K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

8 months

The most interesting secret of "Blue Zones"— places where ppl live extra long lives—appears to be, sadly, improper record-keeping. The number of ppl living 100+ years just happens to ~mysteriously~ drop sharply after the introduction of state-wide birth certification.

110

687

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

Malaria vaccine!!! I'm gonna try to learn more about this, but a 77% effective malaria vaccine is automatically in the running for Best News of the Year. Malaria kills 400k ppl annually, mostly children. Perhaps no other infectious disease consistently destroys more life.

51

1K

6K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

It’s impossible to ignore the fact that the Omicron wave—and the reactions to Omicron from officials—has emboldened a group of Americans who were never really Anti-Vax but are now very, very Vaxxed And Done With All Of This.

250

493

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

The next time Biden gives a speech about reducing cost of living expenses, I want him stepping out of a life-sized Klimt painting diorama wrapped in a golden robe studded with rubies and emeralds. “My fellow Americans,” he begins, rubies jingling, “these diaper prices amirite?”

29

285

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

At the risk of being misunderstood in several ways, can I point out that it's a little weird how many people walk around outside with masks, with no one around them at all, and then go into restaurants and take off their masks to talk to friends?

161

302

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

Here’s what I don’t understand about this line of criticism. The CEO of SVB wasn’t under a rock. He was … a director at the San Francisco Fed! The idea that Fed policy snuck up behind him and sabotaged his investment strategy makes no sense.

David Sacks

@DavidSacks

1 year

Yellen & Powell said inflation was transitory so they could keep spending & pumping. When it blew up in their faces, the Fed jacked up rates so hard it collapsed a huge bank. Now they want to say it’s startups’ fault—you shouldn’t have kept your deposits there. Give me a break.

1K

10K

100

632

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

New @DataProgress poll: - 52% of Americans under 45 have lost their job, had hours reduced, or been furloughed -35% of Americans under 35 now say they don't have health insurance

306

3K

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

"Cheese, by far, was shown to be the most protective food against age-related cognitive problems, even late into life" (via @bpmehlman )

372

1K

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 months

This sure looks like Republicans saying “the border is such an urgent crisis that … we are going to ensure nothing is done about it for 12 months, while we campaign on the complaint that nothing is being done”

Jake Sherman

@JakeSherman

3 months

☀️ MCCONNELL BOWS TO TRUMP ON BORDER Last night, we scooped that MCCONNELL told Republican senators that time had essentially run out on trying to craft a Ukraine-border package. "We dont want to do anything to undermine [Trump]," said McConnell, who can barely utter the former…

753

2K

6K

238

1K

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

There are no libertarians in a pandemic.

Matt Fuller

@MEPFuller

4 years

Truly stunning to hear some Republicans advocate for free Coronavirus testing and treatment for the uninsured. Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), one of the most anti-ACA members: “You can look at it as socialized medicine, but in the face of an outbreak, a pandemic, what’s your options?”

1K

7K

48K

112

1K

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

10 months

I’ve really enjoyed Twitter, was never on Team Hellsite, and originally rooted for Elon to succeed. But this is a disaster. High debt, negative cash flow, main biz down 50%, annualized subs = barely 1% of old revenue, and the plan is…Tucker TV and Andrew Tate affiliate fees?

234

457

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

Now that's three CDC studies—from a Chinese restaurant, a Korean call center, and an American choir practice—all finding that talking, laughing, singing in close quarters, in unventilated interiors, for many hours, is the perfect storm for a COVID super-spreader event.

112

3K

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

This seems pretty important: There's an ongoing collapse in pro-institution sentiment among Republicans—who disapprove of colleges, big corporations, tech firms, media, entertainment, and unions. Basically: Everything is bad, except church.

256

1K

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 months

I wrote about the collapse of face-to-face socializing in in the 21st century. From 2003-2022, American adults reduced socializing by 30%. For teens, the decline was nearly 50%. There is no record of any period in history when ppl spent more time alone.

Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out

Too much aloneness is creating a crisis of social fitness.

www.theatlantic.com

110

1K

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

New paper: More than 40% of white Harvard admits are “ALDC”: athletes, legacy, Dean’s interest (donors' kids), or children of faculty Researchers find: 1. 70+% of such admits would be rejected w/o preferences. 2. Without ALDC preferences, total admits would be more diverse.

127

2K

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 months

Amazing chart. 1. Teens' self-reported relationship with parents is near an all-time high and has generally increased since 2000 2. Teen satisfaction with life generally rose in between 1990 and 2008 and went straight down 2012-2020 via @jean_twenge , @JonHaidt

328

594

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

What the hell is going on at the New York Post

144

282

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

8 months

The year is 2032. Brock Purdy is 157-0. The entire league still thinks he's a system QB, so the 49ers can retain him on a cheap <$5m/year contract and lavish him with expensive weapons. He is the career leader in QBR. Nobody has any idea if he's actually good.

20

160

5K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

If you work at WeWork, drive home with Uber, and then order food by DoorDash, you're engaging with three companies that are projected to lose about $13 billion this year.

171

1K

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

Microsoft researchers found white-collar workers are adding a 9pm shift to their workday. I wrote about why: - your entire day is filled with online meetings - flexible work empowers night owls - more global teams - WFH + parenting = "triple peak" day

85

881

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

One of these is not like the others (via @ScottGottliebMD )

83

677

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

Surreal split-screen right now 1. Rep. Jim Jordan blaming liberals for the end of free expression in America, because tech companies are removing social media accounts 2. Republican lawmakers saying they’re afraid of being killed if they vote their conscience to impeach

Guy Benson

@guypbenson

3 years

I can confirm this. I spoke with a GOP member moments ago, asking if it is true that there are House Republicans who favor impeachment but fear for their lives/physical safety if they follow through with that vote. Answer: “Yes.”

2K

5K

12K

129

1K

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

9 months

I'm not sure how seriously one ought to take the Vivek candidacy. But taken seriously, it's so strange. The US has the fastest growth *and* lowest inflation of any G7 nation. China's a basketcase, and Europe is ... Europe. The unstable dollar? What are we even talking about?

Vivek Ramaswamy

@VivekGRamaswamy

9 months

I will reduce headcount at the U.S. Federal Reserve by >90% and limit its scope to doing exactly *one* thing: stabilize the dollar as a stable unit of measurement. That’s it. I’ll make the 2024 election a referendum on the Fed & put the beast back in its cage.

462

656

5K

272

399

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

14 days

What's the best paper or essay out there explaining why the number of college administrators—at expensive schools, certainly; at all schools, possible—is growing infinity-times faster than the number of tenured faculty?

220

412

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

"Dozens of young WH staffers have been suspended, asked to resign or placed in a remote work program due to past marijuana use" This is incredibly stupid for many reasons. One of those reasons is that cannabis is legal is Washington, DC.

Biden White House Sandbags Staffers, Sidelines Dozens for Pot Use

Several staffers were informally told by transition officials that some past marijuana use would be overlooked, only to be told later that they were being asked to resign.

www.thedailybeast.com

357

951

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

June 24: 38,672 positive COVID cases. That is a record high for the United States.

223

3K

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

Nuclear power is 99.6 greener than oil in emissions per unit of energy created and 99.7 safer in deaths per unit of energy created.

Alec Stapp

@AlecStapp

2 years

Insane that there is actually a debate about whether nuclear energy is a “green” investment

43

146

2K

61

670

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

It's hard to pick out the most brutal detail from this overview of Bill de Blasio's horrible March, so I'm just going to go with ... this entire paragraph.

97

1K

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 months

If you ever think “man, itd be a dream to have a billion dollars” just remember the billionaires you see on here. What are they doing with their spare time? They’re tweeting. Just like you. Often worse. You are already living the dream.

Osita Nwanevu

@OsitaNwanevu

4 months

Bill Ackman is worth $4 billion dollars. He should be eating grilled baby panda on an island somewhere, unbothered. Instead he accidentally humiliates his wife because he's too online. This is still a powerful website.

324

3K

27K

115

497

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

Marxists are doing a lot of interesting work in media these days, but none more effectively than the genius accelerationists in the WSJ Real Estate section

40

919

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

8 months

Something deeply, deeply broken in a system where NYC child care is both - so expensive for buyers, that NYC families have to make $300k to make it affordable (<7% total hhld income) - so meager for providers, that a quarter of child care workers in the city live in poverty

183

547

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

In 2022, we - reversed organ death in pigs - made the first embryo from stem cells - made a pan-influenza vaccine - saw the beginning of time - got best-ever results from cancer & obesity therapy trials - maybe cracked the case of multiple sclerosis

Breakthroughs of the Year

Pictures of the beginning of the universe, medicine that can (kind of) reverse death, and other leaps of human ingenuity

www.theatlantic.com

75

1K

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

The most important COVID story right now is the age shift. In Texas: Young adults driving the spike. In Arizona: COVID cases growing 2X faster among ages 20-44 than 65+. In Florida: Median age of new COVID cases fell from 65 in March to 35 this week —>

223

3K

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

I wrote about why Americans die so much, from everything—and why that's a policy choice. An amazing new study shows the U.S. is doing much worse than other developed countries at performing the most basic function of civilization: keeping people alive.

Why Americans Die So Much

U.S. life spans, which have fallen behind those in Europe, are telling us something important about American society.

www.theatlantic.com

106

1K

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

Annual reminder: It's total bullshit most ppl have to "do their taxes" when the govt has all the info it needs. Americans collectively spend about 7 billion hours— or 90,000 ppl's full working lives—doing their taxes every year. Horrendous waste of time.

The 10-Second Tax Return

Letting the government do its citizens’ taxes is cheap, efficient, and accurate. Naturally, the United States won’t do it.

www.theatlantic.com

82

580

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

This is brilliant. I don't understand people who DON'T eat the same meal every day, esp breakfast and lunch. a) it makes it easier to scale grocery shopping b) it's psychologically & economically efficient c) it makes special meals even more special

The People Who Eat the Same Meal Every Day

“Variety doesn’t really matter to me. I would be perfectly happy to eat the same Caesar salad or peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich every day.”

www.theatlantic.com

310

566

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

8 months

It’s mostly cringe for middle aged people to gawk at general changes in younger generations, but the anti-socialization of childhood in America is really a stunning thing to see all at once. ht @jean_twenge

198

645

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

We'll see how this goes, but I'm concerned we're replacing one metric that's skewed toward rich kids with a bundle of metrics—GPA, extracurricular opportunities, fancy internships, clarinet mastery, soccer travel teams—that are even more stratified by SES status

New York Daily News

@NYDailyNews

1 year

Columbia University will no longer require SAT or ACT scores in undergraduate admissions The first Ivy League college to implement pandemic emergency measure as official policy

679

383

941

160

312

4K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

Alex Jones lied to build his audience; was ordered to pay $1.4B. Fox hosts lied to keep their audience—and have to pay $780m. Far-right America is so disconnected from reality that defamation suits are a tax their media pays to hold their attention.

Fox Will Pay $787.5 Million to Keep Being Fox

The network's payment to Dominion Voting Systems is the price of retaining its audience.

www.theatlantic.com

124

989

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

TurboTax is truly shameless. For years, the company has lobbied against laws to simplify the tax code. And then in January, it runs a national ad that goes: "Golly, why are taxes so complicated? Gotta use TurboTax, I guess."

38

1K

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

Jaw-dropping story in the Wall Street Journal. High-income parents in Chicago are transferring legal guardianship of their children to friends so the kids can claim financial aid.

College Financial-Aid Loophole: Wealthy Parents Transfer Guardianship of Their Teens to Get Aid

The Education Department is looking into a tactic that has been used in some Chicago suburbs, in which wealthy parents transfer legal guardianship of their college-bound children to relatives or...

www.wsj.com

262

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

The "We caught AOC drinking outside (ok?) without a mask (that's how ppl drink?) in a warm state whose governor she dislikes (what?)" cycle is the dumbest thing I've seen all year. Is there a Derangement Tax Credit I don't know about that ppl are rushing to claim by midnight?

Dr Jordan B Peterson

@jordanbpeterson

2 years

One rule for the elite. Another for the hoi pillloi.

2K

18K

94

232

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 months

honestly wild

127

449

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

For the every spicy take on Virginia you read (CRT is the new southern strategy, all politics is education politics, etc) spare a thought for the electoral thermostat. The WH’s party has lost *all but one* VA gov race since the 1970s. That’s a 1-11 record. @SteveKornacki

139

934

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

The U.S. urgently needs a coronavirus stimulus. I wrote about what it should look like: - checks to households (NOT payroll tax cuts) - national paid sick leave - vastly expanded unemployment insurance - emergency funds for states

Give People Money Immediately

The mayhem wrought by the coronavirus is unique and complex. But there is at least one simple and necessary economic response: stimulus.

www.theatlantic.com

62

867

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

I wrote about the statistical mystery that’s obsessed me for the past few weeks—the gap between soaring COVID-19 cases and flatlining deaths - what explains it - why it matters - whether it's already closing - and how it’s being weaponized by the right

COVID-19 Cases Are Rising, So Why Are Deaths Flatlining?

The gap between soaring cases and falling deaths is being weaponized by the right to claim a hollow victory in the face of shameless failure. What’s really going on?

www.theatlantic.com

171

1K

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

5 years

Meritocracy is not an impartial ethic. It is a sport, in which the rich can afford better equipment, savvier coaches, and softer referees, while claiming that all outcomes are evidence of innate talent.

56

1K

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

New paper on the 1918 influenza finds that cities that were most aggressive about banning public gatherings and other “non-pharmaceutical interventions” BOTH reduced deaths AND saw faster growth after the pandemic

57

1K

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

Big picture, the Twitter suit really is one of the strangest documents I’ve ever read. The company is powerfully demonstrating the profound unseriousness of one person, and trying to force a person to buy them against his will. And it’s the same person!!!!!!

57

267

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 months

Sorry, world, this is not up for debate. Fahrenheit is just better for daily temperature. Both Celsius and Fahrenheit acknowledge the utility of measuring across 0-100 scales—Celsius just does it for water. But that’s useless for daily temperature, bc the air never boils.

Max(imus Decimus Meridius)

@EPM106

2 months

Don’t normally like to make fun of Americans all that much but the “Fahrenheit is scaled to actual human experience” thing is ridiculous cope. No it’s not. You only think that because you’re used to it. That doesn’t make sense to anyone who hasn’t used it since birth

1K

4K

74K

232

171

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

3 years

My guess was that crystal-clear evidence of the partisan vaccine-hesitancy gap wouldn’t show up in the real world data until May. I was wrong. The red-state vaccine gap is already here.

173

1K

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

It's fantastic that South Korea is reopening malls, restaurants, and clubs. It's also important to be clear what that re-opening model entails: a test & trace apparatus capable of identifying and quarantining 1,000+ people in 48 hours if one family tests positive for the virus.

53

1K

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

The next 6 months, per Morgan Stanley's head of biotech By May: Peak in new cases nationally By June: Testing capacity hits 1M/day By July: Serology testing widely available By Aug: Wave 1 returns to work By Oct: Potential vaccine for healthcare workers (via @RobinWigg )

160

1K

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

In the last few months, much of the media—the NYT, Kim Kardashian, Reddit—has united around the theory that: 1. Americans don’t want to work anymore. 2. Most ppl hate their job. 3. The Great Resignation reflects that job hatred. All of that is wrong.

The Myth That Most Americans Hate Their Job

Resignations are rising because people are seeing more job listings, not because they’re feeling more Marxist.

www.theatlantic.com

98

606

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

1 year

“Whatever I don’t like is woke” is an illustrious genre, millions and millions of volumes deep. But nobody is going to beat “regional banks failing to hedge their interest rate risk is woke.” This is peak.

Peter Schorsch

@PeterSchorschFL

1 year

. @GovRonDeSantis blames @SVB_Financial collapse on DEI, has no 'specific information' about whether the crisis will hit in-state banks Reporting by @AGGancarski #FlaPol

331

73

215

95

550

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

2 years

Some news: I’m writing a book with @EzraKlein ! It’s about ABUNDANCE—how we lost it as a vision and how to achieve it as a reality. It'll combine his work on supply-side progressivism and the future of politics with my work on the abundance agenda and the future of technology.

102

106

3K

Derek Thompson

@DKThomp

4 years

So, Harvard, Yale, & Princeton are doing virtual education this fall? Good. They should do virtual education every fall. Massively expanding undergraduate class size would be one of the fastest ways for elite schools to live up to their reputation as engines of opportunity.

127

332

3K