Category Archives: Uncategorized

Fix Air Traffic Control !

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December 17, 2023 — Air travel is soaring, as a long-term trend, especially in the growing economy.  It is also soaring seasonally: The few days after Christmas are expected to be especially intense.  Many passengers will experience maddening flight delays this holiday season, especially in the US. A few might be exposed to scary airport near-misses.  It is reasonable to hope that the excellent US safety record — no fatal crashes since 2009 — will be extended.  But close calls have increased during the post-pandemic return to commercial air travel, reaching about 300 in the most recent year, 27 of them serious. read more

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Remembering George Shultz at a 1983 Reagan cabinet meeting

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February 8, 2021 — In early November 1983, President Ronald Reagan was meeting with his entire cabinet, as Secretary of State George Shultz walked him through each step of an upcoming visit to Japan and Korea.  I was there as the “plus one” staff aide to Martin Feldstein, Reagan’s top economic adviser.

On the occasion of Shultz’s passing, February 6, at age 100, I offer two remembered anecdotes from this meeting.

Reagan and Whales

Reagan said very little during the lengthy briefing and it wasn’t clear whether he was taking it all in.  At one point, Shultz was talking about the disagreement between the US and Japan over whaling. read more

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Remembering Martin Feldstein

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June 13, 2019 — Here in Cambridge, we are reeling from the passing of Martin Feldstein on Tuesday.

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