Source: EconLog
by Kevin Corcoran

“The YouTube algorithm is a mysterious thing. It’s supposed to recommend videos you might like, based on videos you’ve watched and rated before, but as far as I can tell the recommendations are generated randomly by a half-asleep chimpanzee. Still, just as broken clocks are still right twice a day, random suggestions can manage to highlight things worth checking out. A while back, the YouTube algorithm put, of all things, a clip from Sesame Street in my recommended videos. This episode featured a guest appearance by Brett Goldstein, best known for his role in Ted Lasso as the hot-tempered and extremely foul-mouthed professional athlete Roy Kent. Curiosity got the better of me, so I checked it out.” (04/18/24)

https://www.econlib.org/on-fairness-aesop-vs-sesame-street/

Source: The Hill
by Tim Busch

“The pro-life movement is at a crossroads. Nearly two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, activists continue to demand that Congress pass a national abortion ban — a policy that has no chance of passing on its own, especially after widespread outrage over Arizona’s reinstatement of an 1864 abortion ban. We can either continue to advocate that failed strategy, or we can try something that may work. Those of us who care about saving unborn lives and protecting mothers should support a political exchange, giving politicians who support abortion something they want in exchange for the pro-life progress we want.” (04/18/24)

https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4601616-a-national-abortion-ban-wont-pass-on-its-own-republicans-should-make-a-deal/

Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Worstall

“There are those trying to insist that significant parts of the American economy are uncompetitive. This allows the exercise of market power and thus excess or economic profits. True, this is the sort of analysis that comes from Senators Warren and Sanders so best not taken entirely seriously but there are also those we have to worry about like FTC chair Lina Khan. Is there in fact some way we can test this? … a useful conclusion is that if it’s not possible to enter through greater efficiency or lower prices then the market as it is is efficient without excess or economic profits.” (04/18/24)

https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/the-groceries-market-seems-alarmingly-competitive-to-us

Source: Reason
by Veronique de Rugy

“Another Tax Day has come and gone, and most Americans believe they pay too much. One recent poll revealed that 56 percent say they pay more than their fair share. Unfortunately, I fear this is just the beginning considering the insane level of debt Washington policymakers have accumulated over the years. With this in mind, here are some important facts about our tax system that you might not know.” (04/18/24)

https://reason.com/2024/04/18/this-tax-week-remember-that-the-federal-income-tax-is-relatively-new/

Source: New York Post
by Kirsten Fleming

“An incredible thing happened this week. A whopping 2.45 million people watched the WNBA draft Monday, as University of Iowa shooting sensation Caitlin Clark — dressed in head-to-toe Prada, the only time the label has ever dressed an athlete for a basketball draft — was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever. Last year, an audience of 500,000 tuned in — that’s nearly a 500% increase in viewers. And they all seemed shocked to learn the truth about WNBA salaries, especially rookie ones. Despite her captivating play, astounding range and marketing prowess, Clark will only earn $338,056 over four years: $76,535 annually. … ‘For somebody who is now the face of women’s basketball, it seemed kind of ridiculous,’ Hoda Kotb said on the ‘Today’ show, adding that it was ‘disturbing’ and ‘like picking at an old scab for many women.'” (04/18/24)

https://nypost.com/2024/04/17/opinion/no-joe-biden-caitlin-clark-does-not-deserve-more-money/