This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the actions of the federal government in response. How concerned should we be by the moral hazard problem of bailing out the depositors of the bank beyond the $250K that is insured by the FDIC? Does this expose how the Federal Reserve’s efforts to stifle inflation are riskier than many think? Next, they examine the report from the Department of Energy attributing, with “low confidence,” the outbreak of COVID-19 to a lab leak. What lessons should we take away from this about the perils of trying to determine in real time what is and is not misinformation, as the lab leak theory was labeled early on. And finally, Rod Dreher’s blog at The American Conservative is no more. Did Rod remain too long in an old world of blogging that no longer exists, to his detriment?

Should businesses allow their employees to work remotely? Almost all employers and employees have wrestled with this question. More and more job-seekers are expecting remote-work flexibility, and COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns greatly accelerated this trend. But are employees really as productive working from home? Does remote work hurt company culture? Or could hybrid or remote options make businesses more successful? David Bahnsen, Founder of the Bahnsen Group, argues that remote work should be minimized. Dr. Raj Choudhury, remote work expert at Harvard Business School, argues that businesses should embrace hybrid and remote options. This debate took place as a part of the 2023 Business Matters conference.

 

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The Second-Largest Bank Failure in U.S. History | The Morning Dispatch

It’s a Wonderful Life’ Bank Run

Lab Leak Most Likely Origin of Covid-19 Pandemic, Energy Department Now Says | Wall Street Journal

How Rod Dreher’s Blog Got a Little “Too Weird” for The American Conservative | Vanity Fair

Gary Shteyngart’s ‘Gentile Region’ | Rod Dreher, The American Conservative

How Rod Dreher Caused an International Scandal in Eastern Europe | The Bulwark

The Internet of Beefs | Venkatesh Rao, Ribbonfarm

Which political tweets do best? | Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution

 


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