May 26 What Social Security has yet to get right: It’s your maximum age of life that matters By Laurence Kotlikoff Social Security is an insurance company. It's taking money from us and promising insurance benefits in exchange. But insurance companies don't go out of their way to encourage people to ignore risks and focus on average outcomes. Continue reading
May 21 Watch 7:49 Fishermen and farmers fight over water in California By PBS News Hour Facing a multi-year drought, California's rivers are too shallow and warm for salmon. Meanwhile, record production of thirsty nut crops like almonds and walnuts has diverted water from the river delta. But just as environmentalists blame nut farmers for bleeding… Continue watching
May 21 As they lay dying: Medicare rules rob voiceless ALS patients of the ability to communicate By Philip Moeller In early 2014, Medicare changed some of its rules and effectively took away the ability of many people with ALS to communicate. Despite upcoming changes, the current limitations are still being felt by patients and their families. Continue reading
May 20 Watch 6:09 DOJ gets unprecedented guilty plea by five banks for rigging currency markets By PBS News Hour Five major banking institutions pleaded guilty to rigging currencies and manipulating the foreign exchange market in a case brought by the Department of Justice and other authorities. The banks were accused of manipulating the world's largest and least-regulated trading market,… Continue watching
May 20 In America, inequality begins in the womb By John Komlos Sadly, zip codes of birth do matter in the U.S. and they matter more than we think, argues economist John Komlos. Continue reading
May 18 A cautionary tale about taking retroactive Social Security benefits By Laurence Kotlikoff The more I talk to people, the more I understand how easy it is to make major mistakes in taking Social Security benefits if you don't know exactly what you're doing or, equally important, don't know exactly what Social Security… Continue reading
May 15 Racism, riots and economics: If history is the guide, why Baltimore won’t recover soon By Paul Solman What do the race riots of the 1960s suggest for the economic recovery of places like Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, today? Boston University economics professor Robert Margo has studied the long-term effects, and says that even where the physical damage… Continue reading
May 14 Watch 6:18 Will the proposed Asia trade pact give U.S. companies more customers? By PBS News Hour Continue watching
May 14 Watch 6:55 Do better-paid workers equal better business? By PBS News Hour Recently, insurance company Aetna voluntarily upped its minimum wage to $16 per hour, giving roughly 6,000 of its lowest-paid employees an average raise of 11 percent. Next year, the company also plans to offer lower-cost benefits to some workers. What’s… Continue watching
May 13 Watch 7:15 Trade bill is one of the most important in U.S. history, says Sen. Hatch By PBS News Hour Supporters of a proposed trade pact with Asia ran into a roadblock Tuesday when a test vote on giving President Obama fast-track authority failed in the Senate. Judy Woodruff talks to Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, a co-sponsor of… Continue watching