Red River Flavor: Media’s Beef with Beef Science

The The New York Times recently sounded alarms about conflicts of interest in studies that say red meat isn’t so bad – essentially claiming Big Beef is skewing science. Critics quickly fired back that we “never see similar reporting on studies promoting plant-based foods”, pointing out a one-sided media appetite for anti-meat narratives. Indeed, the nutrition-industrial complex has its own deep ties: nearly half the experts on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines committee have financial links to big food, pharma or weight-loss industries. In other words, when it comes to nutrition science, everyone has skin (or steak) in the game, but only some get grilled for it.

Street Economics Insight: Condos Can’t Sell When Markets Chill

In a cooling housing market, condominiums often become the first casualties of a deep freeze. The math is brutal – condos come with hefty HOA fees, insurance spikes, and new safety mandates that scare off buyers. Take Naples, Florida as a case study: condo listings there now sit for 7.5 months on average (versus just 4.3 for single-family homes), and median condo prices have actually fallen 2.7% since last year even as house prices climbed by 6.7%. Post-Surfside legal changes requiring fully funded repair reserves have further jacked up condo costs. When local real estate cools, condos turn from hot property to hard sell – a warning sign that a market is truly on ice.

BusinessFlare Take: New York’s $100M Bet on Housing Infrastructure

New York State is putting real money on the table to tackle its housing crunch – actually building stuff instead of just talking. Governor Kathy Hochul’s team opened a new $100 million “Pro-Housing” fund to bankroll water, sewer, road and electrical upgrades in communities that welcome development. The logic: outdated infrastructure is a huge bottleneck for new homes, so fix the pipes and pavement and private investment will follow. As Hochul bluntly put it, “New York has a housing affordability crisis — and the only way to solve it is to build more housing”. It’s a refreshingly concrete approach (literally) – investing in the nuts and bolts that let neighborhoods grow, rather than just piling on more zoning rhetoric.

Book Drop – Red Tape Empire: A Satirical Takedown of City Hall Red Tape

This week’s reading pick is Red Tape Empire, a new novel that hits uncomfortably close to reality for anyone who’s waded through a city permitting office. Written by BusinessFlare founder Kevin Crowder, the book turns municipal bureaucracy into the villain – a fictional satire drawn from all-too-real dysfunction. In Crowder’s world, government inefficiency isn’t a punchline, it’s the antagonist, and the story channels years of frustration with cities that “kill more businesses than the recession” through endless rules. Street Economics’ own review calls it “a brutally honest takedown of the bureaucratic rot that crushes entrepreneurs and smothers economic development in real cities every day”. If you’ve ever had a project strangled by red tape, this novel’s dark humor will hit home – and maybe inspire a few reform-minded readers to cut through the nonsense.

ECOSINT Signal: Mideast Tensions Spill Onto D.C. Streets

Global conflicts don’t always stay “over there” – sometimes they erupt in the heart of a city far from the front lines. Case in point: a man shouting “Free Palestine!” fatally shot two Israeli Embassy staffers near a Jewish museum in downtown Washington, D.C.. This brazen attack brought international violence into a local street, underscoring how geopolitical tensions can jeopardize community security anywhere. For local authorities, it’s a stark reminder that economic hubs and cultural centers must now consider foreign-born conflicts in their safety plans. When diplomats are targeted steps from tourist sites, the line between overseas instability and domestic security suddenly vanishes – an unsettling new reality for city planners and law enforcement alike.

Space Economy Signal: Starlink Makes South Africa Rewrite the Rules

One measure of the space economy’s growing influence? It can literally change laws on the ground. In South Africa, Elon Musk’s STARLINK satellite internet is so coveted that the government is easing a major telecom ownership law just to let it in. The country’s strict Black Economic Empowerment rules – which require local ownership stakes – have been a barrier to Starlink’s rollout. But with demand high, officials are bending those rules to smooth the way for Musk’s low-orbit constellation. It’s a striking example of technology dictating policy: a space-based service pushing a nation to adapt its economic regulations. As the global space industry rockets toward an estimated $500+ billion market by 2029, expect more terrestrial governments to adjust their playbooks in response to the new space race.

The Music Cities: Nashville Reigns, Hartford Surprises

Which U.S. cities are best for musicians in 2025? A new analysis puts Nashville at #1 – no shocker there, as Music City boasts an incredible 4.66 live music venues per 100k residents (meaning ample stages for performers). Los Angeles and Las Vegas also make the top ranks, fueled by big audiences and industry presence. But the real eyebrow-raiser is #5 on the list: Hartford, Connecticut. This unassuming New England city cracked the top five thanks to three major music schools pumping out young talent – so much talent, in fact, that it’s flooded the zone and kept average musician earnings to just $506 a week. In other words, Hartford has more great musicians than it knows what to do with. The takeaway? Vibrant music scenes aren’t just in the usual suspect cities, and sometimes an oversupply of artistry can become its own economic challenge.

About Street Economics Daily

Street Economics Daily cuts through noise, jargon, and bureaucracy to deliver sharp, actionable insights for civic and economic development professionals. Blunt, irreverent, and grounded firmly in reality, it’s essential daily reading for city leaders who refuse to settle for outdated strategies.

BusinessFlare | Street Economics | Drama Meter | The Music Cities | Goodnight’s Red River