Senior Lecturer in Economics, Harvard University
Senior Lecturer in
Economics and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Harvard
University and a senior fellow at the
Cato Institute
PROFILE
Jeffrey Miron
Guest
FROM Jeffrey Miron
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
“Ganjapreneurs” and the Case to Reclassify Pot These seem to be booming days for the marijuana industry, as more states move to decriminalize it. Legal pot businesses raised more than $100 million last year, according to one research firm. Even Silicon Valley is getting into the game: A prominent venture capital firm run by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel recently became pot’s first major investor, putting millions into a cannabis company. So is pot the next big moneymaker? Also, a federal judge in Northern California has agreed to hear arguments to reclassify pot so it’s no longer a Schedule I drug. What are the implications of the case?
Which Way, L.A.?
Are the Out-of-Work about to Be Out of Benefits? As the Great Recession rolls on, unemployment benefits have already been extended more than ever before. But the jobless picture has not improved, and the extensions have run out. Weeks ago, the Congress approved another three-month extension , but only two Republicans in the Senate will go along. With a vote expected tomorrow, President Obama made the case today.
To the Point
Are the Out-of-Work about to Be Out of Benefits? As the Great Recession grinds on, more than two million Americans have had their unemployment benefits cut off this moth could get them back. The House has voted another three-month extension , but all but two Republicans in the Senate refuse to go along. Some say benefits discourage the search for work. Others call the $34 billion cost too much to pay at a time when the deficit's rising. With a showdown expected tomorrow when a new Democrat Senator will replace the late Robert Byrd of West Virginia, President Obama made the case at the White House today.
Recommended
Zócalo's Connecting California
Too rich for our own good Affluent communities put their futures as risk when they become unaffordable for everyone but the wealthy.
The Mixer
California catastrophe The fires rage on in our own backyard, and in Northern California, encompassing tens of thousands of acres each. In L-A and Ventura Counties, the Woolsey Fire has scorched everything in its path. To the north, in Butte County, the Camp Fire has charred and destroyed even more acreage, of trees, brush and everything else, north of Sacramento, and the town of Paradise is a scene of utter devastation and heartbreak.
To the Point
Firestorms, Federal Relief and Climate Change Victims of California’s fires can apply for assistance, but President Trump had a warning for the state’s residents. He wants to see a change in forest management. Scientists tell us the firestorms are are result of climate change--which the president still denies. Should cities still allow for building in firezones? Later, Warren talks to one Malibu resident about his firsthand experience in the Woolsey fire.
The 805
Who will get displaced by a new Santa Barbara police station? The city of Santa Barbara says it needs a new police station, but building one means displacing either farmers or lawn bowlers. The Woolsey has not only destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate, but it’s displaced a diverse mix of wildlife. And a new contemporary art exhibition takes a deep dive into the most famous art heists in history.