Economy + Business - The Conversation

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, wearing a grey suit and a blue tie, speaks at a news conference in Washington on July 29, 2026.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, wearing a grey suit and a blue tie, speaks at a news conference in Washington on July 29, 2026.

US consumers and businesses are now facing a future of more expensive borrowing

John W. Diamond, Rice University

Shipping containers, cargo cranes and port facilities make for a colorful vista with the sea and mountains in the background.

Shipping containers, cargo cranes and port facilities make for a colorful vista with the sea and mountains in the background.

The US sells more to Brazil than it buys – but Trump is slapping steep tariffs on its exports anyway

Filipe Mendonça, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU) and Henrique Menezes, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB)

AI is supercharging money scams – here’s what you can do to protect yourself

Pawan Jain, University of Michigan Flint

An older man looks at a paper statement, with a confused expression, in front of his laptop.

An older man looks at a paper statement, with a confused expression, in front of his laptop.

The tourism industry is slowly waking up to solo travelers’ needs

Peter McGraw, University of Colorado Boulder

A male hiker with a large backpack stands over a body of water surrounded by plunging cliffs.

A male hiker with a large backpack stands over a body of water surrounded by plunging cliffs.

To crack the job market, internships can be just as key for young people as the degree

Matthew J. Mayhew, The Ohio State University; Courtney DeRoche, The Ohio State University, and Yun-Han Weng, The Ohio State University

An instructor and an intern in the BATTERI program work together in a factory.

An instructor and an intern in the BATTERI program work together in a factory.

Changes to Facebook and Instagram are key part of Meta’s $17B settlement with the states over harm to teens

Carolina Rossini, UMass Amherst

a man with curly hair wearing a business suit and tie surrounded by several other men outside a stone building

a man with curly hair wearing a business suit and tie surrounded by several other men outside a stone building

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Iran war and the economy

People stand on a street next to many metal cylinders.

People stand on a street next to many metal cylinders.

Oil shortages escalate from wars in Iran and Ukraine, with few signs of relief

Amy Myers Jaffe, New York University; Tufts University

Emerging Houthi–Al-Shabaab co-operation and the growing threat to Red Sea shipping

Brendon Novel, Université de Montréal

Houthi supporters dance to celebrate

Houthi supporters dance to celebrate

What’s in the price of a gallon of gas?

Robert I. Harris, Georgia Institute of Technology

A person stands between a gas pump and a vehicle, with gas prices of $4.29 for a gallon of regular displayed in the background.

A person stands between a gas pump and a vehicle, with gas prices of $4.29 for a gallon of regular displayed in the background.

War in the Middle East made the case for renewables – what’s happening in each country tells a harder story

Ezgi Canpolat, Harvard University

An aerial view of a very large array of solar panels in a desert.

An aerial view of a very large array of solar panels in a desert.

UAE’s OPEC exit has been long in the works – and may mark the beginning of a Gulf realignment

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University

A man in traditional Emirati dress looks out to a large oil pipeline.

A man in traditional Emirati dress looks out to a large oil pipeline.

Read more about the war in Iran

Economics

A stressed-out young woman sits in a shopping cart in a shopping warehouse.

A stressed-out young woman sits in a shopping cart in a shopping warehouse.

Shoppers are less peeved by cost hikes due to scarcity – but retailers more often blame their own rising costs

Hoorsana Damavandi, University of Tennessee; Kersi D. Antia, Ivey Business School, and Praveen K. Kopalle, Dartmouth College

US-Canada trade war deepens as Trump revives Depression-era trade tool – what’s at stake for consumers and the midterms

Kent Jones, Babson College

Two flags – one red and white with a red maple leaf, the other with white stars on a blue background and red and white stripes – wave next to a bridge with cars on it.

Two flags – one red and white with a red maple leaf, the other with white stars on a blue background and red and white stripes – wave next to a bridge with cars on it.

Trump’s ‘forever’ tariffs are kicking in for the long haul – and US consumers are footing the bill

Kent Jones, Babson College

Multi-hued shipping containers are stacked at the Port of Long Beach, Calif.

Multi-hued shipping containers are stacked at the Port of Long Beach, Calif.

Making the Fed more accountable to Congress and the public may be just what it needs to fend off Trump’s threats to its independence

Simon Bowmaker, New York University and Paul Wachtel, New York University

The seal of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, set in the floor at the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C., id depicted in a photo close-up.

The seal of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, set in the floor at the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C., id depicted in a photo close-up.

Labor votes: Discontent will accompany blue‑collar voters to the polls in the midterms

Robert Forrant, UMass Lowell

A man in suit and tie shakes hands with a man wearing a ball cap on stage.

A man in suit and tie shakes hands with a man wearing a ball cap on stage.

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Business

real estate tax bill

real estate tax bill

Florida’s proposed property tax amendment will require trade-offs – and some residents could end up with higher costs

Abigail Hall, University of Tampa

There’s a business case for companies to embrace sustainability – if it’s pitched the right way

Israa Ameen Thiab, Rochester Institute of Technology and Clyde Eiríkur Hull, Rochester Institute of Technology

A photo image shows a hand holding a large, rough-hewn pencil over a laptop keyboard, with a mobile phone next to it.

A photo image shows a hand holding a large, rough-hewn pencil over a laptop keyboard, with a mobile phone next to it.

Starbucks’ big marketing blunder in South Korea shows how cultural blind spots can put global brands in a bind

Karen Stollznow, University of Colorado Boulder; Griffith University

Why employers still place a premium on people skills, not AI, when they make hiring decisions

Murugan Anandarajan, Drexel University and Cuneyt Gozu, Drexel University

A Georgia Tech student in a light coral shirt, Michael Oh-Yang, shakes hands with company representatives at a job fair in Atlanta.

A Georgia Tech student in a light coral shirt, Michael Oh-Yang, shakes hands with company representatives at a job fair in Atlanta.

AI data center boom is leaving consumer electronics short of chips − even though they don’t use the same kinds

Vidya Mani, University of Virginia; Cornell University

an irridecent rainbow pattern reflects off a shiny surface covered with repeated patterns of rectangles of various sizes

an irridecent rainbow pattern reflects off a shiny surface covered with repeated patterns of rectangles of various sizes

Read more about business

Work

Dot dot dot symbols inside speech bubbles hover above humanoid chatbot robot working at computer.

Dot dot dot symbols inside speech bubbles hover above humanoid chatbot robot working at computer.

I surveyed workers to see if AI had caused job losses and was surprised by the findings

Jeffrey C. Dixon, College of the Holy Cross

The typical gig worker is changing – and struggling more than ever to make ends meet

Jacob Lederman, University of Michigan Flint

A Doordash worker with a face mask rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City during the COVID pandemic.

A Doordash worker with a face mask rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City during the COVID pandemic.

Layoffs tied to AI hurt worker productivity – and the reason may surprise managers

Mark Ma, University of Pittsburgh

An advertisement in San Francisco, Calif., for the AI company Artisan depicts a smiling woman against a purple background and reads: "Artisans won't complain about work-life balance."

An advertisement in San Francisco, Calif., for the AI company Artisan depicts a smiling woman against a purple background and reads: "Artisans won't complain about work-life balance."

Why working-class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world

Noam Lupu, Vanderbilt University and Nicholas Carnes, Duke University

A smiling man clasps hands with another man holding a 'Troy Jackson' campaign sign at a political rally.

A smiling man clasps hands with another man holding a 'Troy Jackson' campaign sign at a political rally.

Concierges, adjunct professors, potato chip tasters: US employers are relying more and more on ‘disposable’ workers

Paul Osterman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

A businessman is unable to reach next rung on a a ladder against a swirling backdrop.

A businessman is unable to reach next rung on a a ladder against a swirling backdrop.

Read more about work

Finance

An outstretched arm pokes through a pile of paper, holding a white flag signaling surrender.

An outstretched arm pokes through a pile of paper, holding a white flag signaling surrender.

Personal bankruptcy filings are soaring in 2026, signaling growing economic distress

Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University

Trump administration is withholding more than $1B in Medicaid funds from California and Minnesota, in latest example of weaponizing real and imagined fraud

Ben Zdencanovic, University of Cambridge

Agents, many wearing jackets or vests emblazoned with 'FBI,' exit a building with what appears to be a trove of documents.

Agents, many wearing jackets or vests emblazoned with 'FBI,' exit a building with what appears to be a trove of documents.

What are Trump Accounts for? They are more likely to help newborns start building nest eggs than help pay for their college education

Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University

A mother holds her young daughter who is placing a coin into a piggy bank.

A mother holds her young daughter who is placing a coin into a piggy bank.

Got money questions? How to get chatbots to give you accurate answers

Pawan Jain, University of Michigan Flint

A hand holds two coins in front of a laptop keyboard.

A hand holds two coins in front of a laptop keyboard.

Your bank’s AI just blocked your payment – what can you do?

Pragati Awasthi, Drexel University

A blue Visa credit card rests on a grey laptop.

A blue Visa credit card rests on a grey laptop.

Read more about finance

Philanthropy and nonprofits

Two large protrusions made of concrete stand atop a large construction project with many workers milling about.

Two large protrusions made of concrete stand atop a large construction project with many workers milling about.

Is it illegal for the president to spend ‘patriotic’ donations on a White House ballroom or anything else?

Ellen P. Aprill, University of California, Los Angeles

Trump administration’s Freedom 250 organization allegedly misdirected donors away from bipartisan America250 charity

Sarah Webber, University of Dayton

Fireworks go off against a dark sky with the word 'freedom' projected onto a monolith in the foreground.

Fireworks go off against a dark sky with the word 'freedom' projected onto a monolith in the foreground.

Foundations can outlive their charitable missions – and that’s a problem

Thomas Adam, University of Arkansas

Bill Gates looks contemplative while sitting in front of a window.

Bill Gates looks contemplative while sitting in front of a window.

A little-remembered Gilded Age millionaire helped make milk safe for American kids through his ‘retail giving’

Leslie Lenkowsky, Indiana University

This black and white photo is of a girl holding a bottle of milk and a basket outside a doorway.

This black and white photo is of a girl holding a bottle of milk and a basket outside a doorway.

Nonprofit fraud: Amid high-profile prosecutions, an accountant explains what’s really going on

Sarah Webber, University of Dayton

A man stares blankly ahead while walking and being videoed by a woman in a red dress.

A man stares blankly ahead while walking and being videoed by a woman in a red dress.

Read more about philanthropy and nonprofits

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