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progresspending.bsky.social
michaelblickenstaff.com progresspending.substack.com Approaching the world with a commitment to reason, a foundation in facts, and a respect for expertise. I cover public policy, business, and technology.
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open.substack.com/pub/progress... My latest piece on Gary Stevenson's economic message. Hope you enjoy.

submitted 72 days ago • 0 comments

open.substack.com/pub/progress...

submitted 88 days ago • 0 comments

Hakim Jefferies' answer to Trump is to let Jesus take the wheel, and meet about it tomorrow. It's unacceptable.

submitted 142 days ago • 0 comments

The Democratic Party is at a crossroads. Our open letter calls for bold action to rebuild trust, shift entrenched perceptions, and deliver real change for ordinary Americans. open.substack.com/pub/progress... @aoc.bsky.social @bennet.senate.gov @jaimeharrison.bsky.social @kenmartin.bsky.social

submitted 172 days ago • 1 comment

How do we start to address climate change? Can we start mitigating strategies without convincing the deniers that climate change is real? This is an excellent data driven piece about Des Moines, IA. www.bleedingheartland.com/2024/12/27/d...

submitted 173 days ago • 0 comments

While I’m no fan of Vivek and disagree with him on almost everything, his 'mediocrity' argument has a sliver of truth, especially when you look at US education. US universities thrive, yet our schools lag—34th in Math, 16th in Science, 9th in Reading (PISA). To stay competitive, we must fix this.

submitted 173 days ago • 3 comments

According to the 2024 Empower Survey, Americans believe a net worth of $5.36M is the magic number for financial success. 58% think they'll reach it, including 71% of Gen Z & 70% of Millennials. Yet, only 3.7% of households actually hit $5M+. One thing we’re not short on? Financial optimism.

submitted 174 days ago • 1 comment

"It's not a timeshare; it's a private residence club." -Timeshare lady at the Grand Mayan

submitted 174 days ago • 0 comments

Since, we're all discussing H1B immigrants today, here's an interesting statistic on immigrant innovation. Immigrants account for 16% of US inventors, but nearly 25% of innovation output as gauged by the number of patents, patent citations, economic value of patents. www.nber.org/digest/20233...

submitted 174 days ago • 0 comments

10% of Gen Z men are problem gamblers. Young men are in a bad place right now. Its a scary situation. www.fdu.edu/news/fdu-pol...

submitted 176 days ago • 0 comments

The first post from my new FREE Substack dives into the devastating economic impact that could result from Trump's mass deportation plan. From disrupting America's food supply to raising costs for everyone. open.substack.com/pub/progress...

submitted 176 days ago • 1 comment

Over 65% of Greenlanders want independence from Denmark. Instead of Trump wanting Greenland for the US, why not support what Greenlanders actually want: their own sovereignty?

submitted 177 days ago • 0 comments

Without Section 230, platforms like Bluesky could face lawsuits for every comment or video they moderate—or don’t. Brendan Carr is one of the authors of Project 2025, and Trumps pick to lead the FCC. His push to gut these protections would reshape the internet into an even more chaotic free-for-all.

submitted 178 days ago • 2 comments

Kennedy should never be confirmed. I wouldn’t trust him to run a toaster. Now is the perfect time to send letters to your Senators telling them to oppose him:

submitted 179 days ago • 118 comments

submitted 178 days ago • 0 comments

submitted 179 days ago • 1 comment

The typical network primetime viewer now has a median age of 64.6 years old. The median age of of the three big cable news channels is 67 (CNN), 68 (FOX), and 71 (MSNBC). Not too long now until they go the way of the dodo. I say, good riddance.

submitted 180 days ago • 1 comment

Today the great divide is not between left and right. It’s between democracy and oligarchy. Let me explain.

submitted 181 days ago • 609 comments

Border stats: In 2024, 1.1% of those stopped crossing illegally had prior convictions—half for 'illegal entry.' Compare that to 8% of Americans with felony convictions. No matter how you feel about the border, when Trump says 'migrant criminals,' remember: the facts tell a different story.

submitted 183 days ago • 0 comments

Political polarization is wild: 🔹 Republicans share 21% more misinformation than Democrats 🔹 Most fake news comes from pro-Republican outlets 🔹 62% of Republicans think fake news is out to get them. Self-own season is in full swing. Sources on my website.

submitted 184 days ago • 0 comments