The here-and-now is foremost but looking ahead at the altered world post-COVID-19 is worth thinking about.

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One study finds that the economic effects of pandemics over the centuries have lasted for decades. That has implications for businesses, workers and governments that depend on economic activity to support services.

Such as public schools:

The Twitter thread I’ve posted is a statistical look at state support of public education following the 2008 recession. Few states have returned spending on schools in inflation-adjusted terms to pre-recession levels. You’ll find if you read through the various charts that Arkansas is among them, even before the virus outbreak, wasn’t indicating a change of course. Gov. Asa Hutchinson flat-lined public schools in the budget he drew up for the year beginning July 1 BEFORE the virus hit.

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