‘No, low-skilled immigrants don’t cost taxpayers money’
Tyler Cowen at Bloomberg
The “mainstream consensus” that “less-skilled immigrants are a burden on public finances” appears to be wrong, says Tyler Cowen. Economists at the University of Oregon and the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland say their research shows that “new low-skilled immigrants to the U.S. are a net fiscal plus.” Those with a high-school degree pump $750 annually into “government coffers.” They contribute more to the “entire economy,” partly by helping “native workers” shift to higher-paying jobs.
‘Parents need help regulating their children’s social media. A government ban would help.’
Nicole Russell in USA Today
Social media can be terrible for kids and nearly impossible for parents to regulate, says Nicole Russell. The bipartisan Kids Off Social Media Act could help. If passed, it will “prevent kids younger than 13 from accessing social media, prohibit social media from programming algorithms for teens under 17,” and let schools block social media access. This “targeted and carefully crafted ban” will help parents balance kids’ use of smartphones, a “tool that has become necessary and harmful.”
‘The crisis Biden and Trump don’t want to deal with’
The Washington Post editorial board
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump “both have pledged not to touch Social Security benefits,” says The Washington Post editorial board. This rare point of agreement reflects the “political reality” that seniors who rely on it “vote at high rates.” The “2024 campaign is probably not going to feature much honest debate about this.” But “saving Social Security and Medicare requires reform,” so we’ll have to discuss it “sooner or later.”
‘The one thing Trump knows he wants in a running mate’
Jamelle Bouie in The New York Times
Donald Trump has “at least one litmus test” in his running-mate search, says Jamelle Bouie. “You cannot say that you’ll accept the results of the 2024 election.” Trump has said he’ll respect the November result if, in his words, “everything’s honest.” And the 2020 election taught us that “anything short of a Trump victory is, for Trump, tantamount to fraud.” That rules out anyone who accepts the “basic democratic norm” that you can’t overturn a loss.