Making Sen$e Jul 18 Why small cannabis growers want to produce the Champagne of pot The state government of California is currently developing rules that will define whether a geographic area can be deemed a marijuana growing region. For small farmers, who are threatened by industrial competitors and the cost of regulation, survival may depend…
Making Sen$e Jul 11 Marijuana has become big business. So why are small growers struggling to survive? As marijuana has been legalized in states across the country, investors have identified a major business opportunity. Still, the cannabis market isn’t all easy money. In California, new companies are scaling up operations, but some smaller ones fight to survive,…
Making Sen$e Jun 13 Can ‘baby bonds’ help the U.S. close its staggering racial wealth gap? Whites in the U.S. have much greater household and individual wealth than blacks and other minorities. In fact, the typical black household has about 10 cents for every dollar of wealth in a typical white household. Some economists and politicians…
Making Sen$e May 30 This La. battle is between big industry and a Green Army General Russel Honore commanded an infantry division in Korea and saw action in Operation Desert Storm, but it was his service as Commander of the Joint Task Force Katrina in 2005 that won him national acclaim. The experience of viewing…
Making Sen$e May 16 What Gen Z college grads are looking for in a career The oldest members of Gen Z, the population segment born after 1996, are leaving college and entering the workforce. How do their expectations and outlooks vary from those of the Millennials who have recently reshaped the modern workplace? Economics correspondent…
Making Sen$e May 02 How data drives Uber’s efficient but controversial business model With a presence in 65 countries, ride-sharing company Uber has conducted about 10 billion trips in its lifetime -- about 15 million per day. Paul Solman looks at how economists are using this treasure trove of data.
Making Sen$e Apr 25 In Louisiana, are billions of dollars in corporate tax exemptions paying off? Louisiana’s abundant natural resources represent enormous wealth, yet the state consistently ranks at or near the bottom nationally for many quality-of-life indicators. Like other states, Louisiana grants tax exemptions to businesses it wants to attract, but some are questioning whether…
Health Apr 04 Seriously ill children often resist treatment. Can offering simple rewards change that? Few scenarios are harder to witness than the suffering of a seriously ill child. For kids with life-threatening diseases, survival often requires procedures that are painful and scary. But a Washington nonprofit is encouraging kids to be active in their…
Making Sen$e Mar 28 Anxious about debt, Generation Z makes college choice a financial one The amount of student loan debt Americans hold is at a record high, and much of it is shouldered by Millennials--people in their late 20s and 30s. Now, children in Generation Z, the group born after 1996, are facing their…
Politics Mar 21 Why Louisianans blame government, not corporations, for pollution problems UC Berkeley sociologist Arlie Hochschild traveled to Louisiana, the second-poorest state, to explore why its neediest populations simultaneously rely on federal aid and reject the concept of “big government.” As Paul Solman reports, the author and professor discovered many residents…