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Reading list: “Manipulated by knee-jerk suspicions”

Part of our job at the Wire is to curate some of the most interesting thought leadership we can find for Washington State policy makers and political advocates.

Often, that takes shape in our reporting led by Emily Boerger and Kylie Walsh.  Sometimes, that simply means shining a light on thoughtful, provocative content we’ve come across from others.

So, as you head into your weekend, here are a few stories worth your time.

The Urban Housing Crisis Is a Test for Progressive Politics
Jonathan Chait
The National Interest

The opinion piece argues that the inability for urban progressives to accommodate for housing demand is a failure of the first order, particularly when the solution is relatively clear:  “Housing is too expensive in many cities because there isn’t enough of it. There isn’t enough of it because zoning and other regulations prevent the construction of high-density housing.”

Me Too Rising

“A visualization of the movement” produced by the team at Google Trends. It’s an elegant visualization of search utilization and content from the web related to the #metoo movement.  Apparently, the story exploded in Norway, a land known for its egalitarianism between the genders, but which reminds us that harassment is a problem everywhere.

Blockchain is about to revolutionize the Shipping Industry
Kyunghee Park
Bloomberg Technology

Want to know what Jeff Bezos is apparently reading?  This. “The prize is a revolution in world trade on a scale not seen since the move to standard containers in the 1960s — a change that ushered in the age of globalization.”

Why the age of disruption may usher in an era of reform
Bruce Mehlman
Mehlman Castegnetti

“Reform movements succeed when the methods, motivation & moment converge. We are reaching such a time.”  That is the punch line of this slide deck provided to the clients of this prominent Washington DC government relations firm.  The logic of the content of the slides is powerful, and is making the rounds among the chattering classes in DC.  It concludes with some very interesting possibilities for reform of the American republic, ranging from ending the filibuster to a new model for accreditation of news outlets.


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