1. Taxing land more heavily than structures

An academic article examines the economic case for taxing land more heavily than structures. The concept of land value taxation, long associated with 19th-century political economist Henry George, argues that taxing the unimproved value of land rather than the buildings on it can reduce speculation and encourage productive development. Several municipalities, including parts of Pennsylvania such as Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, have experimented with split-rate property taxes that apply higher rates to land than to improvements, though full implementation of George's framework remains rare.

2. Equality-oriented governments and redistribution

A study published in the British Journal of Political Science analyzing government equality positions and policies from 1970 to 2020 finds:

"Our findings suggest that equality-oriented governments adopt an approach that insures the middle, buffers the poor, but spares the rich. The result is a rhetorical commitment to equality that eschews its most redistributive instrument(s)."

The five-decade scope covers multiple economic cycles and ideological shifts across Western democracies, making the pattern of avoidance particularly notable amid recent debates over wealth taxes and top marginal rate increases in several countries. The full paper explores how egalitarian parties evoke equality while evading real redistribution.

3. Conversation with Victor Niederhoffer

Francesco Cabella has published a conversation with an older Victor Niederhoffer. Niederhoffer is known as a hedge fund manager, author, and former national squash champion who has written extensively on markets and speculation. Early in his financial career he worked alongside George Soros, and his funds experienced notable reversals, including a collapse during the 2007 financial crisis, experiences he has discussed candidly in his books.

4. New homes in Tatu City, Kenya

Unity Homes is showcasing new residential properties at Silver Hill in Tatu City, a large-scale planned development located near Nairobi, Kenya. Tatu City is one of several privately backed special economic zones in Kenya designed to attract investment and address housing demand in the rapidly growing Nairobi metropolitan corridor.

5. Bill Goichberg, RIP

Bill Goichberg has died, the New York Times reports. Widely regarded as America's greatest chess tournament organizer, Goichberg founded the Continental Chess Association and organized the World Open, one of the largest open chess tournaments in the United States. The World Open has routinely drawn hundreds of competitors across all rating levels and has been a fixture on the American chess calendar since its founding in 1973. The author notes that Goichberg was always very nice and encouraging to him personally.

6. John Crowley, RIP

John Crowley has also passed away, as reported by Programmable Mutter.

7. Data on literacy and reading

A Substack analysis by Jared Henderson presents data on literacy rates and the reading crisis. Declining reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress have drawn renewed policy attention to literacy instruction methods, including the shift toward phonics-based approaches in several U.S. states.