⬆️ 3 points | 💬 3 comments
","metadata":{"score":24,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1tayqvb","title":"I Have Some Questions for the Democrats Who Want to Run California","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1tayqvb/i_have_some_questions_for_the_democrats_who_want/","author":"Dreadedvegas","published_at":"2026-05-12T11:28:13+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/2SL7x64OnhMddi0W6fexXR?si=_xFQmV7_QzSAkUt4g73cjw
\n\n\n\nOn Friday, I moderated a forum with the top Democratic candidates for California governor, focusing on the state’s housing crisis.
\n\nCalifornia’s current governor, Gavin Newsom, came into office in 2019 promising to build millions of homes. And in the years since, dozens of pro-housing laws have passed, designed to cut red tape and spur more construction. And yet the number of homes being built in California is basically the same as when he took office, and the state’s housing crisis remains, arguably, the worst in the country. So I wanted to know what the next governor would do about it.
\n\nWe taped this at the Calvin Simmons Theater in Oakland, Calif. The candidates on the stage were Xavier Becerra, a former attorney general of California and health and human services secretary under President Joe Biden; Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose and a tech entrepreneur; Katie Porter, a former U.S. representative; Tom Steyer, a former San Francisco hedge fund manager, a climate activist and a philanthropist; and Antonio Villaraigosa, a former mayor of Los Angeles and speaker of the California State Assembly. This panel was recorded live. The Times did not fact-check candidates’ remarks.
\n\nMentioned:
\n\n“Cost to Build Multifamily Housing in California More Than Twice as High as in Texas” by RAND
\n\n“What Worries Me Most About ‘Abundance’” with Derek Thompson and Marc Dunkelman, The Ezra Klein Show
\n\nBook Recommendations:
\n\nThe Hour of the Predator by Giuliano da Empoli
\n\nRain of Gold by Victor Villaseñor
\n\nYesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
\n\nWhy Nothing Works by Marc J. Dunkelman
\n\nOurs Was the Shining Future by David Leonhardt
\n⬆️ 20 points | 💬 20 comments
","metadata":{"score":53,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1ta4lvo","title":"Book Recommendations from Julia Belluz","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1ta4lvo/book_recommendations_from_julia_belluz/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-11T14:15:38+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 1 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":6,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1ta36gl","title":"Aesthetics of Abundance","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1ta36gl/aesthetics_of_abundance/","author":"bewidness","published_at":"2026-05-11T13:22:46+00:00","content":"\n\n\nDid listen to the Abundance recap podcast and felt like Derek was not willing to entertain what I take as a fairly serious issue about the optics of abundance.
\n\nI don't even think it's debatable that there is a lot of contempt for some of the key designs of new construction housing, whether it is called 'ikea' or 'cookie cutter' or that it's not historic enough for the neighorhood.
\n\nEzra has probably talked about this elsewhere, but even the brownstones in Brooklyn etc I understand were held in contempt at the time, so there's always going to be something of a lag between what new construction looks like versus a more traditional/historic housing format.
\n\nThe other thing I have read recently is that builders take out most of the mature trees when they are building in the suburbs. So it takes a decade or longer for that kind of landscaping to recover.
\n\nIn the DC area, you see new neighborhoods with no trees and they just look a bit barren.
\n⬆️ 23 points | 💬 38 comments
","metadata":{"score":32,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t983ue","title":"GLP-1s and the ‘Wild West’ of Wellness","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t983ue/glp1s_and_the_wild_west_of_wellness/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-10T14:15:30+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 7 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":7,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t89jdr","title":"How GLP-1s Suppress Our Hunger. (It’s Weird.)","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t89jdr/how_glp1s_suppress_our_hunger_its_weird/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-09T16:25:45+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 0 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":9,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t7odww","title":"The forum has begun! Watch along on YouTube","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t7odww/the_forum_has_begun_watch_along_on_youtube/","author":"nytopinion","published_at":"2026-05-08T23:34:37+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://youtube.com/live/6HETwu7Kfu8
\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 15 points | 💬 10 comments
","metadata":{"score":55,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t7e5f1","title":"GLP-1s Are a Lot Weirder Than Anyone Thought","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t7e5f1/glp1s_are_a_lot_weirder_than_anyone_thought/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-08T17:10:52+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 1 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":14,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t77ioa","title":"What Will California’s Next Governor Do About Housing?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t77ioa/what_will_californias_next_governor_do_about/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-08T13:10:31+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/mXDkEfV70Cg
\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 1 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":8,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t73x51","title":"We’re at the Dawn of the Ozempic Era — and It’s Really Weird","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t73x51/were_at_the_dawn_of_the_ozempic_era_and_its/","author":"QuestionBrain","published_at":"2026-05-08T10:26:37+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-julia-belluz.html
\n\n\n\nHere’s a shocking number: One out of eight American adults is taking a GLP-1, like Ozempic or Zepbound, according to a KFF poll.
\n\nGLP-1s are the biggest pharmaceutical story since antidepressants. But there’s still so much we don’t know.
\n\n“We’re only at the beginning of what’s been called this Ozempic era,” the journalist Julia Belluz told me. “I think we’re really just at the beginning of discovering the benefits and the harms of these drugs.” These discoveries begin in the research but are also expanding into how we think about our punishing beauty standards and the blurry lines between illness and wellness.
\n\nBelluz is a contributing Opinion writer and the author, with Kevin Hall, of “Food Intelligence.” She’s one of the best health and science reporters I know and has been reporting on GLP-1s for years.
\n\nIn this conversation, Belluz takes me through what we know — and don’t know — about GLP-1s, their unexpected uses, how they are clashing with a culture obsessed with thinness and looksmaxxing, and whether everyone should be on them.
\n\nMentioned:
\n\n“The obesity pay gap is worse than previously thought” by The Economist
\n\n“The Great Ozempic Experiment” by Julia Belluz
\n\nBook Recommendations:
\n\nBehave by Robert M. Sapolsky
\n\nThe Poison Squad by Deborah Blum
\n\nUltra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
\n⬆️ 41 points | 💬 153 comments
","metadata":{"score":132,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t6z0h1","title":"Inside Ezra Klein's Rise to Podcast Fame","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t6z0h1/inside_ezra_kleins_rise_to_podcast_fame/","author":"Radical_Ein","published_at":"2026-05-08T05:51:57+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/ezra-klein-rise-podcast-fame-1236585530/
\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 6 points | 💬 5 comments
","metadata":{"score":48,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t6f8h3","title":"History Is Running Backwards","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t6f8h3/history_is_running_backwards/","author":"brianscalabrainey","published_at":"2026-05-07T16:15:17+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/05/reactionary-traditionalism-worldview/686597/
\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 9 points | 💬 15 comments
","metadata":{"score":16,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t5yf8w","title":"California Gubernatorial Candidates Housing Forum","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t5yf8w/california_gubernatorial_candidates_housing_forum/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-07T03:05:35+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 17 points | 💬 4 comments
","metadata":{"score":38,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t5nsz5","title":"Ezra Klein moderates the California gubernatorial candidates housing forum this Friday","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t5nsz5/ezra_klein_moderates_the_california_gubernatorial/","author":"nytopinion","published_at":"2026-05-06T19:51:05+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://youtube.com/live/6HETwu7Kfu8
\n\n\n\nHousing is the single biggest issue facing California. What will the state’s next governor do about it? On Friday, May 8, Ezra Klein will moderate a forum with top Democratic candidates for governor, giving them a chance to explain how they would actually solve, or at least make progress on, the issue.
\n\nTune into our YouTube livestream on Friday, May 8, at 4:15 p.m. P.T. / 7:15 p.m. E.T.
\n⬆️ 83 points | 💬 18 comments
","metadata":{"score":181,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t5nisc","title":"Is it just me or does Ezra Klein not know if he’s a liberal or conservative?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t5nisc/is_it_just_me_or_does_ezra_klein_not_know_if_hes/","author":"Creative_Pen7789","published_at":"2026-05-06T19:41:00+00:00","content":"\n\n\nA little bit tongue in cheek but the way he opines about the failures of liberal policy I think he secretly wishes he were a conservative, something that was pointed out by David sacks on the all in podcast when Ezra was on there. What do you think? It’s kind of funny.
\n⬆️ 0 points | 💬 34 comments
","metadata":{"score":0,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t4n86v","title":"The Book That Changed How I Think About Liberalism","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t4n86v/the_book_that_changed_how_i_think_about_liberalism/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-05T18:00:44+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 0 points | 💬 3 comments
","metadata":{"score":6,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t4mhbc","title":"James Murdoch's company said to be in talks to aquire most of Vox Media","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t4mhbc/james_murdochs_company_said_to_be_in_talks_to/","author":"CardinalOfNYC","published_at":"2026-05-05T17:35:39+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\nFor the record, Ezra Klein is not involved in this. He founded Vox.com in 2014, which is different to the parent company, Vox Media, which existed beforehand. Klein left the company in 2020.
\n\nCertainly seems relevant though, not just for his project ending up part of this but for the broader implications around journalism which Klein covers.
\n⬆️ 16 points | 💬 13 comments
","metadata":{"score":96,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t4kmgr","title":"Great Conversation on Liberalism happening on American Prestige Pod","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t4kmgr/great_conversation_on_liberalism_happening_on/","author":"SameAwareness4078","published_at":"2026-05-05T16:32:43+00:00","content":"\n\n\nTitle kinda says it all. American Prestige Pod has several great episodes on a bunch of aspects of liberalism that Ezra Klein fans would appreciate. Hope y'all enjoy it as much as I do.
\n⬆️ 6 points | 💬 3 comments
","metadata":{"score":17,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t4c5h4","title":"The Book That Changed How I Think About Liberalism - Ezra Klein Show","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t4c5h4/the_book_that_changed_how_i_think_about/","author":"mcsul","published_at":"2026-05-05T11:04:16+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 20 points | 💬 32 comments
","metadata":{"score":50,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t3ucoy","title":"Many liberal pundits such as Ezra Klein and Matt Yglesias insist that Democrats should do whatever it takes to win, but do they truly mean it?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t3ucoy/many_liberal_pundits_such_as_ezra_klein_and_matt/","author":"CubillasLegend","published_at":"2026-05-04T20:52:27+00:00","content":"\n\n\nBoth men will often encourage Democrats to moderate their social views and be open to more conversations and candidates with heterodox beliefs that aren't strictly in line with party orthodoxy. They're not shy about it either, they're willing to stand on these convictions and ruffle some feathers with such controversial pieces as \"Charlie Kirk Was Practicing Politics the Right Way\" or \"Bigots in the Tent\". They'll plea with donors to be more sensible about their contributions and prioritize electable pragmatism over special interest maximalism. I'm not here to critique the merit of these ideas. It's sound strategy as far as I'm concerned.
\n\nBut I can't help but notice that neither expresses the same urgency or appetite for drastic measures when it comes to reevaluating the party's media strategy. I won't bury the lede any further; my opinion is that if you bribed key influencers to trash Republicans, exploited far right conspiracies against the party mainstream, and used bot accounts to signal-boost anti-Republican sentiments it would probably work. You could leverage LLMs to rapidly gauge response sentiment and A/B test new messaging. Just totally flood the conservative media ecosystem with bad faith concern trolling about Republicans and Republican policies. It would be ugly and degrade the political discourse even further, but it would work.
\n\nNow if Ezra and Matt tackled this head on by plainly stating \"No, we will not stoop to propaganda and subterfuge. The principle of honest and fair conversation is the cornerstone of our political culture,\" that would be more than suitable, it would be admirable. But instead what they've consistently and explicitly reiterated is that threat posed by Trump and MAGA is so terrible, we cannot allow our principles to hinder our response to this crisis. But then they just never engage with the idea that media manipulation can be a political asset. Even more bizarrely, Ezra will go out of his way to defend the honor of political commentators like Charlie Kirk and Hasan Piker seemingly oblivious to the fact that they engage in these sorts of underhanded tactics all the damn time.
\n\nAnd this is what gives me pause whenever Ezra and Matt urge everyone else to slaughter their sacred cows. I'm not impressed when they advertise their willingness to compromise on their stated policy preferences. I know how professional opinion-havers (especially liberal opinion-havers) think, and there's nothing they love more than to signal how pragmatic and open-minded they are by humoring an opposing viewpoint. That's not a real sacrifice. If they truly think defeating Trump/MAGA is a goal worth sacrificing personal principles, are they willing to compromise on something personally meaningful to them? Would they be willing to trade respectable journalism for crass conspiratorial bullshit if it meant Dems winning 60 Senate seats?
\n⬆️ 10 points | 💬 40 comments
","metadata":{"score":31,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t2himf","title":"Why the A.I. Job Apocalypse (Probably) Won’t Happen","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t2himf/why_the_ai_job_apocalypse_probably_wont_happen/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-03T10:12:13+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/opinion/ai-jobs-unemployment-silicon-valley.html
\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 23 points | 💬 20 comments
","metadata":{"score":81,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t2aamg","title":"‘The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer’: Opposition to Data Centers","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t2aamg/the_most_bipartisan_issue_since_beer_opposition/","author":"Helicase21","published_at":"2026-05-03T03:29:59+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/us/politics/liberals-conservatives-data-centers.html
\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 32 points | 💬 13 comments
","metadata":{"score":131,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t23808","title":"Despite Abundance, Texas Continues to Pull Ahead of California in Housing","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t23808/despite_abundance_texas_continues_to_pull_ahead/","author":"UnscheduledCalendar","published_at":"2026-05-02T22:03:36+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.richardhanania.com/p/despite-abundance-texas-continues
\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 22 points | 💬 35 comments
","metadata":{"score":51,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t17361","title":"Amsterdam bans high fossil fuel ads (incl. meat and luxury travel)","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t17361/amsterdam_bans_high_fossil_fuel_ads_incl_meat_and/","author":"brianscalabrainey","published_at":"2026-05-01T21:50:02+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\nEzra lamented on the latest Abundance episode that we had all but abandoned climate goals as part of the Democratic platform. Meanwhile, Amsterdam has just passed this fascinating act of public policy: banning ads for fossil fuels and meat.
\n\nGiven Ezra frequently touches on both climate topics and veganism, and given his conversations recently about how liberalism has eschewed attempts to impose any moral authority beyond the logic of the free market, I thought this article was relevant. It's a provocative and bold example of how an active government can advance pro-social policy goals while also taking a clear moral stance that shapes local commerce and consumption.
\n\n\n\n\n\"a Dutch travel trade association and several travel agencies sued, arguing that the ban was an overreach that violated freedom of expression rules and European Union consumer law. But the judge sided with the city, ruling that the health of its citizens and the climate was more important than commercial interests.\"
\n
What would it take to build political momentum for something like this in the US? Can we think about this more broadly, beyond climate, and ban gambling ads I see everywhere?
\n⬆️ 16 points | 💬 13 comments
","metadata":{"score":59,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t0ilid","title":"Book Recommendations from Marc Dunkelman and Derek Thompson","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t0ilid/book_recommendations_from_marc_dunkelman_and/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-05-01T04:05:44+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 0 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":8,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1t04ez7","title":"Should we end asylum?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1t04ez7/should_we_end_asylum/","author":"topicality","published_at":"2026-04-30T18:18:44+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.theargumentmag.com/p/should-we-end-asylum
\n\n\n\nResubbing since I messed up the formatting
\n⬆️ 7 points | 💬 66 comments
","metadata":{"score":28,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1szzdmh","title":"Building a World ‘Quite Unlike Our Own’","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1szzdmh/building_a_world_quite_unlike_our_own/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-04-30T15:25:39+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 6 points | 💬 3 comments
","metadata":{"score":16,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1syzwbt","title":"Plain English: Why the Iran War Is Tearing MAGA Apart","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1syzwbt/plain_english_why_the_iran_war_is_tearing_maga/","author":"Dreadedvegas","published_at":"2026-04-29T14:07:56+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/5nuh4vpL3DTfSRkfyB2pZB?si=JKLRF_YJSVKoRxbxMwZaRQ
\n\n\n\nFor nearly a decade, critics have predicted that this would be the moment Trumpism finally fractures - January 6, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, endless internal feuds, even Trump’s online beef with Pope Leo. And yet the movement endures.
\n\nDerek is joined by Ross Douthat to unpack the contradictory coalition Trump has built: Christian conservatives who overlook increasingly pagan behavior, anti-establishment populists who embrace strongman bullying, MAHA health obsessives that ignore their leader's diet of exclusively processed food …
\n\nWhat holds this movement together and could the Iran War finally tear it apart?
\n\nSubscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson
\n\nIf you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
\n\nHost: Derek Thompson
\n\nGuest: Ross Douthat
\n⬆️ 15 points | 💬 23 comments
","metadata":{"score":33,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sy5vw8","title":"What We Got Right — and Wrong — in ‘Abundance’","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sy5vw8/what_we_got_right_and_wrong_in_abundance/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-04-28T16:10:19+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 4 points | 💬 2 comments
","metadata":{"score":14,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sy52we","title":"Alex Bores episode: the superficial discussion of UBI makes me want to tear my hair out!","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sy52we/alex_bores_episode_the_superficial_discussion_of/","author":"alino_e","published_at":"2026-04-28T15:41:57+00:00","content":"\n\n\nSeeing UBI reduced to its one-dimensional rightwing caricature of crumbs thrown to the jobless peasants, as Ezra and Bores basically both describe it, is eye-blinking. And Ezra's wife wrote a book on it FFS.
\n\nFor those who missed the memo, the goal of UBI is all of:
\n\na means to reliably transmit the needs of lower income deciles to the market, i.e., have a market that can continuously hear the signal of people's true bulk physical needs
an automatic, always-on strike fund that enhances the bargaining position of labor
a one-size-fits-all \"universal insurance program\" for that day your car to crap out or etc
a better-than-nothing recognition of the family- or neighbor-based care economy (or non-economy, as it stands now, since no one currently gets payed for that), including the task of raising children
an job mobility measure, encouraging people to experiment with different careers more easily, not just sucks-to-be-you unemployment benefits
an anti-corruption measure that makes it less desirable/necessitous for public officials to scrape that little bit of icing off the top of the cake
an anti-lobbying measure and more generally anti state-sectorial-capture measure, as people in certain \"dead\" or \"zombie\" industries that depend on a parasite/host regulatory- or subsidy-based relationship with the state to keep afloat can now more easily leave these industries instead of lobbying to the death for fear of economic annihilation
a rewriting of the social contract that entrusts each individual with some portion of public resource-allocation unconditionally as opposed to filtering all public resource allocation via the paternalistic opinions of the collective
a means to boost micro-economies and entrepreneurship in rural areas by virtue of creating neighbors that have time to explore where they live as opposed to being so burnt out that they order everything from Amazon and only find time to shop at Walmart (on top of just being stressed for cash)
a means of strengthening and encouraging civic participation, again, mainly, by giving time back to people
OK.
\n\nI have to say I'm particularly dismayed at the reductive framing of UBI given that today's economy is so obviously gunked up by too few people owning too much of the monopoly board.
\n\nLack of UBI has become an efficiency problem for our economy—the missing means to keep the supply of money circulating up and down at a healthy clip—long before automation precipitated this discussion.
\n⬆️ 21 points | 💬 29 comments
","metadata":{"score":41,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sy4wwa","title":"Democrats' various tax-cutting proposals for 2026 and 2028 are deeply depressing in light of the recent episode of The Ezra Klein Show with Ray Madoff. These ideas are not serious or effective, and they totally misunderstand the American civic ideal.","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sy4wwa/democrats_various_taxcutting_proposals_for_2026/","author":"JulianBrandt19","published_at":"2026-04-28T15:35:50+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/us/politics/democrats-tax-cuts-affordability.html
\n\n\n\nThis recent NYT article focuses mainly on Sen. Chris Van Hollen's proposal exempt many working-class folks from income taxes, coupled with a plan to raise taxes on wealthier Americans. This policy appears born of some earnest thought, and I am generally a fan of Van Hollen as a senator.
\n\nOther tax cutting proposals from Democratic senators and members of Congress range from the ill-advised to the downright farcical. They include:
\n\nThis may sound unkind, but proposals like this are what you get when you asked the dumbest guy you know what to do about tax policy. Standing around at a summer barbecue, and these are the sorts of ideas that the dimmest guy in the group thinks are good ideas. And while we're at it, why stop at the working class, teachers, or law enforcement? What about nurses? Government employees? Dog walkers? Podcasters? Substackers? Does every niche employment category or job classification get their own unique tax break? Because that's where this thinking leads us.
\n\nCountering right-wing populism does not require going bar-for-bar with their stupid and nonsensical ideas. I understand the temptation, but Democrats have to resist running on a platform of promising low-hanging treats to people. No, your particular interest group does not get its own special treat because you're a special little star, more worthy than your fellow citizens.
\n\nInstead, any Democratic tax policy proposals should start from perspective of a broad civic renewal in American life. A message that we are all citizens who contribute to their society and have obligations to each other and the most vulnerable among us. You won't get a special treat, but you will live in a society where everyone pays their fair share in accordance with ability and need, and all of us share in the collective belief that the government we are funding will deliver results that will improve society in the long run.
\n\nHighest taxes on the wealthy and the billionaire class - or policy changes that actually ensure that tax liability actually applies to those folks - seem like worthy policy aims. But promising treats to various groups in desperate, flailing attempts to counter right-wing populism? Not serious, dumb policy, and failing to meet the moment.
\n⬆️ 38 points | 💬 12 comments
","metadata":{"score":160,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sxz7qc","title":"What We Got Right — and Wrong — in ‘Abundance’","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sxz7qc/what_we_got_right_and_wrong_in_abundance/","author":"TheLittleParis","published_at":"2026-04-28T11:55:49+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 39 points | 💬 32 comments
","metadata":{"score":129,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sxnzh3","title":"In abundance, Ezra describes a world incomprehensible with conservatives in the USA. When so many of folks vote for tax breaks and unstable govt how is anything like Abundance possible?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sxnzh3/in_abundance_ezra_describes_a_world/","author":"Plane-Investment-791","published_at":"2026-04-28T02:05:45+00:00","content":"\n\n\nIn what world is anything in his book remotely possible?
\n⬆️ 17 points | 💬 33 comments
","metadata":{"score":21,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sx3osz","title":"Interesting Times: A Bitcoin Evangelist Tries to Convert Me","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sx3osz/interesting_times_a_bitcoin_evangelist_tries_to/","author":"AmesCG","published_at":"2026-04-27T13:27:57+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\nI know we’ve previously shared Ross’s show here as he’s Ezra’s colleague. I’m curious what people thought of this latest installment, which struck me as, let’s say, odd.
\n⬆️ 4 points | 💬 16 comments
","metadata":{"score":15,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sx1xbq","title":"The Argument: Can America still be a force for good?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sx1xbq/the_argument_can_america_still_be_a_force_for_good/","author":"Dreadedvegas","published_at":"2026-04-27T12:16:56+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/40tdEhBDQd4kg4cII87uuY?si=mzuJAZr1SlWPI_L1HTFNZQ
\n\n\n\nFor the past century, America's foreign interventions often carried the pretense of liberal idealism – to help bring peace and prosperity to people around the world.
\n\nBut it doesn't take a history scholar to know that positive outcomes weren't always the result.
\n\nIn the latest episode of the Argument, Jerusalem Demsas and Matthew Yglesias debate the merits of liberal hypocrisy, its benefits and drawbacks, and whether it's worth bringing it back.
\n\nNew episodes post every Thursday.
\n\nFor an ad-free version and full transcript, subscribe at TheArgumentMag.com
\n⬆️ 10 points | 💬 22 comments
","metadata":{"score":29,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1svmq9j","title":"Did they change the intro to the Ezra podcast on Amazon music?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1svmq9j/did_they_change_the_intro_to_the_ezra_podcast_on/","author":"johnqadamsin28","published_at":"2026-04-25T20:18:03+00:00","content":"\n\n\nI noticed before that when I listened to it on Amazon music it would say you're listening to the Ezra Klein show ad free but now it says you're listening a new York times podcast
\n⬆️ 4 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":5,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1svf4fy","title":"The Prophet of Silicon Valley","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1svf4fy/the_prophet_of_silicon_valley/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-04-25T15:25:35+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 2 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":6,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1suo2ff","title":"Freddie Deboer - We Are (Still) Living in the Long Boring","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1suo2ff/freddie_deboer_we_are_still_living_in_the_long/","author":"tuck5903","published_at":"2026-04-24T18:31:01+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/we-are-still-living-in-the-long-boring
\n\n\n\nI hope this is relevant enough for the sub, although Ezra is only briefly mentioned, the article addresses the maximalist claims about AI put forward in episodes like “How Quickly Will AI Agents Rip Through the Economy?”
\n\nFreddie Deboer is a writer who I often disagree with, but I always find thought provoking. This article encapsulates something he has written about frequently over the last couple years: the idea that we are actually in a period of technological stagnation over the last several decades, and that generative AI, along with most digital innovations of the internet era, pales in comparison to the truly world-altering technologies developed from roughly 1870-1970. Or, to paraphrase Deboer’s words in the piece, “Would you rather have access to an LLM or indoor plumbing?”.
\n\nThe part of this piece I find the most interesting is the idea that we desperately want to believe we live in extraordinary times. We want to believe that LLMs herald the Singularity, rather than just being another piece of extremely useful, but nonetheless, fairly ordinary technology. Of course, Deboer doesn’t have any kind of computer science background as far as I know, so perhaps all his claims are so much bunk. I still think this piece is an interesting contrast to pretty much every EKS episode about AI, which is almost always predicting what AI will do to our society from a maximalist viewpoint, for good or for ill.
\n⬆️ 7 points | 💬 17 comments
","metadata":{"score":24,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1suihk6","title":"Stewart Brand on LSD, A.I. Black Boxes and the Beauty of Care","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1suihk6/stewart_brand_on_lsd_ai_black_boxes_and_the/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-04-24T15:10:41+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 4 points | 💬 14 comments
","metadata":{"score":20,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1subaio","title":"This is the international law discussion that Ezra has been trying to have","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1subaio/this_is_the_international_law_discussion_that/","author":"QuietNene","published_at":"2026-04-24T09:59:34+00:00","content":"\n\n\nJust listened to this podcast with Monica Hakimi, former State Dept lawyer and Columbia prof, and Janina Dill, Prof at Oxford. They are rock stars in the small world of public international law but not exactly household names, even in media that caters to the highly educated. But this was a riveting discussion.
\n\nI wouldn’t call it a debate exactly, but it’s two extremely intelligent women offering slightly different perspectives on international law and the “rules based” international system.
\n\nIt is very similar, but I think far superior to, the conversations Ezra has tried to have on the role of international law in our discourse and politics.
\n\nI am really encouraged that Ezra has tried to explore the role of international law in the morality of decisions on war and peace, but I have generally been underwhelmed by his interviewees.
\n\nThis discussion skips the “tell our listeners what international law is” bit. But I don’t think it’s hard to get in to. The issues addressed are heady but not overly technical.
\n\nhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jib-jab-podcast/id1523370063?i=1000763276029
\n⬆️ 11 points | 💬 1 comments
","metadata":{"score":37,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1su4mav","title":"If America's So Rich, How'd It Get So Sad?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1su4mav/if_americas_so_rich_howd_it_get_so_sad/","author":"Guilty-Hope1336","published_at":"2026-04-24T03:48:35+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this post, Derek Thompson attempts to answer what is the cause of American misery since 2020. Why are Americans so down in the dumps about the economy, and just society in general?
\n\nHe further argues that we should not dismiss this, despite it not fitting general macro trends, because this is a fact and this has political consequences, namely that anti incumbency has become a big deal now.
\n⬆️ 12 points | 💬 19 comments
","metadata":{"score":94,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1stu8qd","title":"What can the U.S do to properly compete with Chinese industry?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1stu8qd/what_can_the_us_do_to_properly_compete_with/","author":"PhantomBraved","published_at":"2026-04-23T20:20:49+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEzra and Tom Friedman discussing China's approach to dominating the EV industry and EV battery innovation got me thinking about how massively behind we are in industries that we should be succeeding in. Putting all of our resources into a service economy with AI seems like a recipe for disaster, and we can't even do that right (Deepseek sunk our prized Nvidia Stock last year)
\n\nI wonder if we can truly compete without sacrificing aspects of our democratic process to even have a chance against Chinese pragmatism. One of the more unnerving, unspoken aspects of China's success is how it disproves our political narrative that one must be democratic, free, and open to be very successful in the 21st century.
\n⬆️ 7 points | 💬 9 comments
","metadata":{"score":50,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1stoucs","title":"Opinion | 'People Here Do Not Consider Themselves Poor'","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1stoucs/opinion_people_here_do_not_consider_themselves/","author":"Putrid-Potato-7456","published_at":"2026-04-23T17:08:10+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/opinion/bobby-pulido-texas-latinos-democrats.html
\n\n\n\nThis article was an interesting look at a regional election in South Texas. This is one of the latino majority districts that has flipped from blue to red in recent elections.
\n\nThis is a good example where localism is very relevant. In a region where many people work in the oil industry and people have a preference for diesel trucks, conventional democratic climate change policy is unsuitable.
\n⬆️ 4 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":33,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sthihj","title":"Opinion | A Unifying Platform for Democrats: The Anti-War Party","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sthihj/opinion_a_unifying_platform_for_democrats_the/","author":"brianscalabrainey","published_at":"2026-04-23T12:36:08+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/22/opinion/graham-platner-forever-war-trump.html
\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 33 points | 💬 76 comments
","metadata":{"score":83,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1ssoliw","title":"Book Recommendations from Alex Bores","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1ssoliw/book_recommendations_from_alex_bores/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-04-22T15:20:34+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 2 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":1,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1ssneen","title":"What if Americans don't want the urbanist vision Abundance promises?","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1ssneen/what_if_americans_dont_want_the_urbanist_vision/","author":"tuck5903","published_at":"2026-04-22T14:37:34+00:00","content":"\n\n\nIn the prologue of Abundance, the authors lay out a vision of the American city they hope we can build in the future. Dense apartments and townhouses are served by clean, efficient public transit and walkable neighborhoods. Throughout the book and in most progressive discourse, it's implied that this is the conception of the good life Americans aspire to. Recently, I read a Pew study about the type of housing and cityscape Americans want to live in, that jibed with something I've been thinking about for a while. You can read the summary, but the most relevant finding is that 55% of Americans prefer a community where “houses are larger and farther apart, but schools, stores and restaurants are several miles away\". Notably, this number is higher among Americans with some or no college- the type of voters Democrats were bleeding to the right in 2024.
\n\nSo what's the answer to this? How do you sell Americans on voting for the vision of community/housing that Abundance and other progressive urbanist advocates want? Or do you simply run on other issues and hope to quietly implement things like upzoning or getting rid of parking minimums once in power?
\n⬆️ 43 points | 💬 132 comments
","metadata":{"score":56,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1ssm1r2","title":"AI Populism’s Warning Shots by Jasmine Sun","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1ssm1r2/ai_populisms_warning_shots_by_jasmine_sun/","author":"crunchypotentiometer","published_at":"2026-04-22T13:47:52+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://open.substack.com/pub/jasmine/p/warning-shots?r=ap1iq&utm_medium=ios
\n\n\n\nRelevance: Ezra quoted this article to Alex Bores in the latest episode.
\n\nThe writer, Jasmine Sun, is a former product manager at Substack itself. She’s been writing an insiders perspective on Silicon Valley culture for the past year. I’ve found a lot of it to be pretty wild, as this culture seems weirdly under represented in journalism more broadly at a time when these people are altering our national politics in such huge ways.
\n⬆️ 3 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":21,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sslucb","title":"Opinion | Americans Have Fled to Red States. Blue States Can Win Them Back.","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sslucb/opinion_americans_have_fled_to_red_states_blue/","author":"CactusBoyScout","published_at":"2026-04-22T13:40:06+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 15 points | 💬 12 comments
","metadata":{"score":66,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sslq55","title":"The Hypocrisy of OpenAI and Palantir","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sslq55/the_hypocrisy_of_openai_and_palantir/","author":"dwaxe","published_at":"2026-04-22T13:35:33+00:00","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⬆️ 2 points | 💬 0 comments
","metadata":{"score":3,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}},{"id":"1sslfxo","title":"Politix: Matt And Brian Solve The Vibecession","link":"https://www.reddit.com/r/ezraklein/comments/1sslfxo/politix_matt_and_brian_solve_the_vibecession/","author":"Dreadedvegas","published_at":"2026-04-22T13:24:49+00:00","content":"\n\nhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/1zEJEnIBF0wsVDxVyaGlBA?si=-lU5pSnPTiabfo6t-fH1Qg
\n\n\n\nThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm
\n\nDonald Trump has, in fact, damaged the economy. He’s juiced inflation and weakened the labor market and created deep uncertainty. But the public seems to think things are worse now than at any time since the Great Depression. And that is empirically not true.
\n\nSo in this episode, Matt and Brian try to unravel the mystery of why perception and reality have departed from one another so dramatically.
\n\n* Does Trump in some sense deserve this economic discontent, for fanning it on the campaign trail and selling lies about lower prices, only to govern corruptly and incompetently?
\n\n* Is Trump just as much a victim as Democrats of a new media era in which negativity drives attention?
\n\n* And if smartphones and social media really are the main drivers of discontent, how much is due to viral misinformation, and how much is due to a more generalized malaise that arises from hours wasted scrolling?
\n\nThen, if weak economic sentiment is only loosely tied to real economic conditions, what can Democrats do about it? This episode contains real, actionable ideas: how to message through economic challenges; how to instill confidence in voters across lengthy campaigns, without overpromising; how to exploit right-wing governing failures for maximum partisan benefit.
\n\nAll that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.
\n\nFurther reading:
\n\n* Matt on the Tyranny of Democratic Plansmaxxing.
\n\n* Brian on how MAGA is devouring itself before our eyes.
\n\n* Arin Dube’s new book on persistent labor market weakness and how to fix it.
\n⬆️ 6 points | 💬 3 comments
","metadata":{"score":18,"source_feed_id":"r-ezraklein","source_feed_type":"reddit"}}]