Must Read

• Ezekiel Emanuel, Comparing Obamacare to Its Alternative
• Brad DeLong, More Musings About Why Burr-Coburn-Hatch Are Backing Away from Their PCARE Proposal

Should Read

• Brad DeLong, The Cato Institute Tries to Make Kansas Poorer and Close Its Safety-Net Hospitals
• NY Times, Genetic Weapon Against Insects Raises Hope and Fear in Farming
• NY Times, Severe Drought Has U.S. West Fearing Worst [See Note 1 below]

Public Policy

• NY Times, A Fed Policy Maker, Changing His Mind, Urges More Stimulus
• Michael Pollan, Our Food Is Dishonestly Priced
• NY Times, Spy Agencies Tap Data Streaming From Phone Apps

Economics

• Paul Buchheit, The 20 Richest Americans:  Takers, Not Makers
• NY Times, Makers Pack New Cars With Technology, but Younger Buyers Shrug
• NY Times, Retailers Ask:  Where Did Teenagers Go?  [See Note 2]
• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Employment-to-Population Ratio – 16 to 19-year-olds
• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Employment Rate: Aged 15-24: All Persons for the United States

Politics

• Boston.com, Lawyer: Evidence contradicts [NJ Governor] Christie on [bridge] closures [3]
• NY Times, Obama and G.O.P. Facing Opposition to Trade Pacts
• Tim Egan, I’m Looking Through You

State of the Union Address

• Andrew Rosenthal, Looking Callous at the SOTU
• Tim Egan, When Biography Trumps Substance
• Boston.com, Tension in Democratic Party after Obama speech [4]

Oil and Energy

• NY Times, Accidents Surge as Oil Industry Takes the Train
• Toronto Star, Disaster in Quebec (July 6, 2013 train derailment and fire in Lac Megantic)
• T. Boone Pickens, President’s State of the Union: A Plan Without Action Isn’t a Plan. It’s a Speech. Let’s Act on Energy. [5]
• NY Times, Fissues in G.O.P. as Some Conservatives Embrace Renewable Energy

Science

• Andrew Gelman, Statistics in the Least Important Part of Data Science
• Andrew Gelman, “Questioning The Lancet, PLOS, And Other Surveys On Iraqi Deaths, An Interview With Univ. of London Professor Michael Spagat”
• John R. Huizenga, Physicist at Fore of Nuclear Era, Dies at 92  [6]

Upcoming Event

• D.C. Science Writers Association, The Sacred Volcano and Other True Stories from North Korea

Media

• The Wrap, Ray Suarez on Al Jazeera America Gig, PBS Departure: ‘It Was Getting Tough to Hang In’  [7]

Human Interest

• The Bedford Citizen, Olympians Tell Their Stories
• NY Times, Pete Seeger, Songwriter and Champion of Folk Music, Dies at 94

Notes on this week’s Digest:

1. Whether or not the drought is related to climate change, the drought itself is big deal with severe consequences for that region.
2. If they’re looking at youth employment data then presumably this is a rhetorical question.
3. The parallels with Nixon are striking.
4. “The party’s far-left wing…”  Spare me.  There is no far-left wing of the Democratic Party.  Who’s arguing for raising the highest marginal tax rate to 80%?  No one.  Who’s arguing for nationalization of entire industries in order to protect jobs and maintain domestic production capabilities?  No one.  Who’s advocating for nationalized health care?  No one.  Who’s advocating for single-payer health care?  A minority.  (NB:  Single-payer is not the same thing as nationalized health care – not even remotely so.  Nationalized health care is when all providers work for the government.  Also NB that single-payer would not preclude people paying out of pocket for services not covered or buying additional insurance on the private market if they were inclined to do so.)  The Congressional Progressive Caucus is as far left as you’ll find in the Democratic Party.  They’re not leftists.  They’re standard-issue liberals.
5. Pickens has a financial interest here but that doesn’t mean his suggestions aren’t good public policy.
6. Back when I was looking at grad schools I thought about going to work for Huizenga.
7. Saurez was great hosting Talk of the Nation on NPR.  His program on Al Jazeera is Inside Story.