u/UnscheduledCalendar

Submission statement: "Abstract: From early 2021 to early 2024, the U.S. experienced an unprecedented boom in unauthorized immigration, followed by a rapid slowdown beginning in mid-2024. We provide the first systematic empirical assessment of the labor- and housing-market effects of this episode. Using newly available administrative microdata on individual immigrants, we construct measures of net unauthorized immigration at the national and local levels and exploit plausibly exogenous variation across local markets. We find that unauthorized immigrant worker flows (UIWF) increased local employment approximately one-for-one, without significant declines in local wages. These inflows also raised local house prices and rents without expanding housing supply, consistent with a housing demand shock in the face of short-run inelastic supply. Lastly, we find that UIWF reduced labor income per capita, consistent with downward wage composition of the local workforce, and strongly reduced government transfers. These findings should help inform policy debates surrounding how unauthorized immigrant labor supply impacts local labor and housing markets as well as public finances."

paywall: https://archive.ph/RXVud

submission statement: New York City added 38,682 apartment units last year, the most since 1965, driven by steady job growth, high rents, and new zoning and tax incentives. Despite soaring construction costs, developers remain optimistic due to sustained rent growth in the unregulated market. However, the city’s housing shortage persists, with an estimated 400,000 homes needed to meet demand.

paywall: https://archive.ph/udprt

submission statement: Since the 2008 financial crisis, Britain has experienced economic stagnation, with living standards falling below those of Mississippi. Austerity measures, Brexit, and political instability have exacerbated the country’s decline, leading to deteriorating public services, high energy costs, and a shrinking manufacturing sector. The consequences are most visible outside London, where once-thriving industries have collapsed, leaving communities struggling.

Submission statement: Vancouver, facing a severe housing crisis, is witnessing a unique development on Squamish land. Freed from city regulations, the Squamish are building Senakw, a dense residential neighborhood with 6,000 homes, challenging Vancouver’s restrictive housing policies. This project, led by Squamish leader Khelsilem, aims to provide much-needed housing while promoting urban density and sustainability.

Paywall: https://archive.ph/ayWCs

paywall: https://archive.ph/fU0Xv

submission statement: Some Mexican officials, including governors and members of Congress, are cooperating with U.S. investigations into corruption within the Morena party. This cooperation, driven by a DEA initiative, poses a challenge for President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has opposed U.S. investigations as foreign interference. The situation highlights internal divisions within Morena and the complexities of U.S.-Mexico relations, particularly regarding drug cartel corruption.

Submission statement: New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board approved a rent freeze for rent-stabilized apartments, aligning with a first-generation rent-control model. While this provides short-term relief for tenants, it poses long-term risks to the city’s housing market. The freeze could lead to deteriorating building conditions, reduced investment in housing quality, and a two-tier housing system that disadvantages newcomers and those needing to relocate.

Submission Statement: The U.S. faces a housing shortage of one to five million units, contributing to high home prices. Solutions include rethinking zoning laws, providing cheaper construction loans, utilizing modular construction, focusing on starter homes, and investing in social housing. While these solutions could alleviate the shortage, they may also create winners and losers, impacting real estate investors and existing homeowners.

paywall: https://archive.ph/k3Bgw

The article discusses how Iran’s theocrats allied with and then crushed the left. The leftists supported Khomeini because they thought he was anti-Western and anti-imperialist, but they did not realize that he was also a religious leader who wanted to impose his own views on society. The leftists also made mistakes by not focusing on women’s rights and human rights, and by not realizing the potential for fascism in Khomeini’s regime. This article is relevant given Sam’s recent commentary about how leftists are being coopted via empathy to adopt ironically conservative islamist views and perspectives that are against many of the progressive an liberal values they claim to protect in the West. Sam referenced this on episode #482: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/482-more-from-sam-the-iran-deal-college-in-the-ai-age-mamdanis-dsa-and-more

paywall: https://archive.ph/ClhKl