Melissa S. Kearney

3 weeks ago | thedispatch.com | Patrick Brown |Beatrice Scudeler |Melissa S. Kearney |Luis Parrales

As fertility rates continue to decline both globally and in the U.S., efforts to revive them face a headwind generated from within: Some of the loudest voices trying to boost birth rates are, well, just plain weird. Take Elon Musk, the world’s richest and most prominent pro-natalist, who has personally addressed his concern about “mass extinction” by fathering at least 14 children with four different women.

4 weeks ago | econofact.org | Kenneth N. Kuttner |Michael Klein |Melissa S. Kearney

· Williams College Few financial indicators are as closely watched as the interest rate on 10-year Treasury securities. So much so, in fact, that Treasury Secretary Bessent stated in a February 2025 interview that “The president wants lower rates. He and I are focused on the 10-year Treasury and what is the yield of that.” What is the 10-year Treasury yield? What role does it play in the economy? What determines it? And what (if anything) can the Treasury do to affect it?

Jan 20, 2025 | thedispatch.com | Gil Guerra |David Drucker |Melissa S. Kearney |John Mccormack

The Monday Essay The U.S. risks losing its edge in demographic strength and assimilation relative to other world powers. Published January 20, 2025 Of the dozens of executive orders President-elect Donald Trump has promised to sign on his first day back in office, few will capture more attention and cause more debate than his decision to end birthright citizenship.

Jan 13, 2025 | thedispatch.com | Leah Libresco Sargeant |Katherine Dee |Flagg Taylor |Melissa S. Kearney

The Monday Essay How the push for medical aid in dying distorts our understanding of life. By Published January 13, 2025 I changed my mind about euthanasia in June 2015. Until then, I had favored making “death with dignity” accessible so that people could avoid the hardest part of dying. I believed (and still do) that medicine often prioritizes length of life over quality of life. I did (and do) hate the framing of a “battle” with a terminal illness that is eventually lost.

Nov 25, 2024 | thedispatch.com | Razib Khan |Yascha Mounk |Katherine Dee |Melissa S. Kearney

The Monday Essay Any serious study of a person’s genetic lineage will uncover a far deeper past. Published November 25, 2024 To coincide with Columbus Day earlier this year, a Spanish documentary reported that the famed explorer was possibly of Sephardic Jewish ancestry, sparking a heated debate about his genetic lineage. Many were skeptical of its claims, though.