Economy Dec 15 Column: Several governments are destroying their own bank notes. Here’s why. Nov. 8 will be remembered in India for a long time to come. In a televised speech to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that cash notes representing 86 percent of the country’s circulating currency would no longer be…
Economy Dec 08 Column: Cyber systems can both nourish and poison us. We need to focus on the latter The same technologies that enable us to rapidly order an Uber or to instantaneously download the latest book by Michael Lewis can also empty our bank accounts or steal our identities.
Economy Dec 01 Column: What Italy’s referendum means for the European Union This weekend, Italians will vote on constitutional changes proposed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. And although the vote is technically about reforms the 41-year-old former Mayor of Florence wants to implement, Italians no longer see it that way. It's now…
Economy Nov 23 Column: The shocking amount of leftover turkey that ends up in landfills The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a shocking 35 percent of turkey meat does not get eaten during Thanksgiving. Where does it go? Into trash cans.
Economy Nov 17 Column: Our infrastructure is in disrepair. Will Trump invest in it? Investing in infrastructure could give the economy a much needed and almost immediate boost during a time of stubbornly low growth.
Economy Nov 04 Column: Is the military’s unpredictable budget leading to a readiness crisis? The United States may spend more money on its military than any other country in the world, but the Pentagon’s budget has suffered from a lack of predictability.
Economy Oct 27 Column: With its currency woes, will Nigeria let market forces do their job? Nigerian President Muhammudu Buhari has tried to control the currency market rather than allowing market forces to fully determine foreign exchange rates. But there are also signs of market liberalization.
Economy Oct 21 Column: What shadow economies cost us in dollars and lives We tend to think of markets as the open, above-ground institutions described in economics classes. But we miss a lot by ignoring the shadow economies that exist all over the world.
Economy Oct 11 Column: Could Hurricane Matthew turn the tide in Florida’s voting? The relationship between weather and turnout is proportional: the more extreme the weather, the more extreme its impact on turnout.
Economy Oct 06 Column: This South Korean shipping company’s collapse could affect you The potential ripples of this far-off event are a useful reminder of how interconnected our daily lives are with global developments.