Making Sen$e Dec 20 Comedy duo the Lucas Brothers on ‘survivor’s guilt’ and Bernie Sanders The Lucas Brothers are an identical twin comedy duo raised in the inner city of Newark, New Jersey. Keith and Kenny both graduated from college and began law school before deciding to pursue comedy. Now in their 30s, the brothers…
Making Sen$e Dec 13 Can a high school dropout turned top economist give a new perspective to the Fed? Mary Daly dropped out of high school and ended up as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. As a part of our weekly series Making Sense, Paul Solman travels with Daly to Boise, Idaho, where through a…
Making Sen$e Dec 06 Could driverless vehicles spell the end of the road for truck drivers? The trucking industry has long faced a driver shortage, in part because of high risk, low pay and long hours. The rise of autonomous vehicles could alleviate that problem--but it could also eliminate jobs for a population of older men…
Making Sen$e Nov 29 How technological innovation could amplify income inequality Technological advancement often brings the promise of increased efficiency in the workplace. But it also means apprehension about humans potentially being replaced by automation and artificial intelligence. In a new series, "The Future of Work," Paul Solman explores the concept…
Making Sen$e Nov 28 Why a Nobel laureate in economics thinks bitcoin is toast The price of bitcoin has slowly gained back up some of its value after a precipitous drop this month.
Economy Nov 22 On Thanksgiving, a look back at colonial capitalism Similar to today’s immigrants, the pilgrims journeyed to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in search of reprieve from the economic, political and religious hardship they faced in Europe. In order to survive, these settlers worked the land and sent profits back to investors…
Making Sen$e Nov 08 Has Amazon selected its next headquarters? For over a year, cities across North America have competed to lure Amazon's next headquarters, which the company said would bring up to 50,000 jobs to the chosen site. But as Paul Solman explains, new reports indicate the company may…
Nation Nov 01 Elderly Maine considers tax hike to fund universal home care On November 6, Maine voters will consider a proposal to provide free home care to people 65 and older and those with disabilities. The plan, “Question 1” on the ballot, would be funded by an additional 3.8 percent tax on…
Making Sen$e Oct 30 5 new ways China can retaliate in the tariff war There are a number of ways China could fight back against U.S. tariffs. The question is whether those steps would hurt China more than the U.S.
Making Sen$e Oct 25 How these penny-pinchers retired in their 30s Eschewing consumer culture, Pete Adeney, also known as Mr. Money Mustache, practices an extreme frugality that allowed him to retire at age 30. Avoiding car use, DIYing and investing in stock market index funds are among the tactics he and…