Bee colonies are booming, according to the official census. What exactly is going on? Andrew Van Dam drills down on what Texas has to do with it -- and what it means for native pollinators, rather than just commercial honeybees: washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

This Andrew Van Dam piece on America's sudden surge of 🐝 could not bee any more clever.

(His charts' honey colors are a particularly sweet touch.)
washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

This article is full of gems about the buzz biz. “To find the true core of the bee boom, we had to make like the Village People and go west.” Lmaooo Andrew Van Dam this article was FUN to read. Picturing hobbyist retirees obsess about their bees 😌 apple.news/AgmKpGtncSgyJl…

PSA: If you’re on the fence about going to see the total eclipse in 1.5 weeks, this is your sign to make it happen!

For many Americans, April 8 will bring the closest total eclipse for the next 20+ years. And as we reported for Post Graphics, it will be extra special!! (🧵)

Hi praise from my colleague ⁦Andrew Van Dam⁩, who has a great look at the minutae of jobs delved into in granular detail by ⁦BLS-Labor Statistics⁩, whose disability data, paid for by ⁦Social Security⁩ to the tune of half a billion bucks, has been ignored

.⁦⁦Andrew Van Dam⁩ , in a new Dept. of Data offering, revisits our deep-dive on ⁦Social Security’s boondoggle effort to block disabled people from benefits: The⁩ most physically demanding jobs in America washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

Sam Balto Andrew Van Dam “The bus literally takes kids to school. Like, that is its function,” Gottfried said. “If we’re concerned about absenteeism — which we are — we’re literally getting rid of something whose job is to take kids to school.”

Notice lots of private cars taking kids to and from school? You are not mistaken. Share of parents/kids driving to school has skyrocketed while those walking or biking has dropped dramatically.
More: washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

I really loved this one from Andrew Van Dam.

It's so fun and thorough, with a really interesting method for the gun-related stats that we did not mention in the tiktok 👇

washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

Could gun ownership help explain the partisan divide in hearing loss? Maybe!

Today’s The Washington Post TikTok comes from Andrew Van Dam’s latest

tiktok.com/t/ZPR35u5UM/

The remarkable decline in school bus use, by Andrew Van Dam
washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

Wow. First the first time ever in 2022, over 50% of American students were driven to school.

That’s a big societal shift. Prior generations rode the bus or walked.

It’s overwhelmingly affluent parents who are driving this tend.

washingtonpost.com/business/2024/… via Andrew Van Dam

I'm deeply saddened to be among the many talented people The Wall Street Journal just laid off. I'll be forever grateful that WSJ let me create a U.S.-China beat in the DC bureau years ago. I'd appreciate any recs to continue working in the U.S.-China space, in media or not.

“While we’ve always had populations of kids who attended school less regularly,” said Liz Cohen, “there has really been a seismic shift since covid.”

Could the school bus driver shortage be part of it? Andrew Van Dam explores the question. washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

Fascinating stuff on decline of the school bus by The Washington Post's Andrew Van Dam: Rising post-Covid car-2-school use driven entirely by parents w/ college degrees, up from 55% to 62%. Parents w/out 4-yr degree use school bus MORE now. wapo.st/42w9uYH h/t Alexander Russo

Transportation is a big reason why kids miss school. But what I'm really thinking about from this article is the intersection of increased car emissions and increased asthma - asthma is already a top cause of school absences! Andrew Van Dam, nice piece. washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

'Heggeness said she can’t believe other parents aren’t as ripsnorting riled up as she is...' is not not true. 🤣Anyone else with me on this one? 🙌🚍🙌🚍🙌

The school bus is disappearing. Welcome to the parental pickup era. By Andrew Van Dam washingtonpost.com/business/2024/…

.Kasha Patel is brilliantly funny. Check out her rhyming groundhog day story, starting w/this hed:

Punxsutawney Phil says early spring. Here’s why that could be a thing.

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow. His predictions are pretty bad, though.

washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/0…

Earlier today, the Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau had one Black reporter.

After today, it will have zero.

(Note: The District of Columbia is 45% Black.)

I got laid off from The Wall Street Journal today. Thankfully, I'm a person of faith, so I don't put my trust about my life & future in any employer.

Please send thoughts, prayers and any interesting opportunities my way!