This report to the Texas Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights was released in September. Merrill Matthews is the outgoing chair of the committee (after 17 years on the committee) and oversaw the hearings and production of this report. Click here to view the report.
Category: Health Economics & Costs
Tuesday Links – 2 December 2025
- Playing music, dancing, creating art — and even playing some types of video games — may actually slow down brain aging.
- Just one week off social media can improve young adults’ mental health.
- Is the collapsing birth rate just supply and demand? HT: Tyler
- “We are at the point, or fast approaching it, when those private thoughts of ours are no longer private.”
- Did the Covid -19 vaccine really kill ten children? (Statnews)
Monday Links
- Germany spends almost two thirds of government revenue on social welfare. For the US, it’s more than half.
- How Medicare Advantage risk adjustment actually works.
- “Seventy-nine percent of Americans say housing costs are “too high” or “way too high.” Sixty-two percent say it’s become harder to find housing they can afford. But only 24 percent think building more housing in their community would lower costs.” (NYT)
- “Mothers who received doula care had a nearly 50 percent lower risk of cesarean sections, which can lead to infections, blood clots and potentially dangerous bleeding. Mothers receiving the care also had a 29 percent lower risk of preterm birth and were 46 percent more likely to attend a postpartum checkup.”
Saturday Links
- Theories about why people are down on the economy.
- Should you feed a cold and starve a fever? No. (NYT)
- How many Americans are really poor?
- 100 years of mortgage crises.
- Playing outside is good for kids.
- Mississippi’s economically disadvantaged fourth graders now post the highest reading scores in the nation.