Why Singapore & Estonia's EdTech Works, but America's Doesn't?

This article explores why Singapore and Estonia's EdTech systems are more effective than America's despite similar spending. The key issue is not funding, training, or technology, but the ability to implement coherent systems. Singapore and Estonia built their systems because they already had the institutional capacity to do so. American school districts use an average of 2,982 distinct EdTech tools per year, with 67% of software licenses unused. The problem lies in the lack of implementation capacity, which is evident across American public services. The article suggests that building implementation capacity incrementally, starting with educational technology, could be a way to address the issue.

Shiseido’s Fall, Japanese Cosmetics, & Did You Know China Has an Industrial Policy for Lipstick?

This article examines Shiseido's significant loss in 2023, attributing it to both geopolitical factors and internal strategic failures. It highlights China's industrial policy for cosmetics, emphasizing the importance of domestic market strength and strategic flexibility in navigating the challenges of operating in China.

Most Childless Folks aren’t “Childfree”

Miyazaki’s Right: Local Governments Boost Birthrates by Investing in Families (While Nations Fail)

Miyazaki’s Right: Local Governments Boost Birthrates by Investing in Families (While Nations Fail) - This article highlights how local governments prioritizing family support can reverse declining birth rates, citing examples from Japan, Europe, South Korea, and Thailand. It emphasizes that effective local governance, focused on family-friendly policies, can significantly increase fertility rates, even in regions with economic challenges. The article underscores the importance of coordinated national-local approaches to sustain these gains.

YIMBY Law is suing Gavin Newsom

This article discusses the Governor's Executive Order N-32-25, which suspended SB 9, a California law allowing duplexes and lot splits in single-family zones, in fire-affected areas. The order was justified on fire safety grounds, but critics argue it is exclusionary zoning in disguise. The article examines the human stakes for fire survivors, the empirical claims about evacuation and fire safety, the historical context of exclusionary zoning in California, and the legal question of emergency powers. It argues that the Governor's order ignores a cascade of structural failures in insurance markets, construction supply chains, and public safety capacity, while performing responsiveness to a wealthy constituency.