Climate-Fueled Disasters Threaten ‘Insurers of Last Resort’
Increasingly intense hurricanes, wildfires and other climate disasters have forced these state-run backstop insurance groups into a role typically assumed by the private sector as the primary insurer within their borders
Elon Musk Owes His Success to Coming in Second (and Government Handouts)
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, owes his superstar success to self-satisfied competitors who blew obvious opportunities
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Basic Income Gives Money without Strings. Here’s How People Spend It
Pilot programs across the U.S., including new research funded by OpenAI, offer a glimpse of how a universal basic income could improve lives
The Legacy of Lynchings Still Hurts the Economic Prospects of Black Americans
Despite progress, the long shadow of racial violence continues to undermine economic opportunities for African Americans today
We’re Not Asking the Right Question to Solve the Overdose Crisis
Drug policy continues to fixate on symptoms rather than the actual disease
Phantom Costs Explain Why Some Deals Seem ‘Too Good to Be True’
Fear of phantom costs pushes us to avoid “free money” or “too good to be true” offers
Converting Offices to Apartments Gives Empty Buildings a New Lease on Life
Employees are working remotely, and office buildings are standing empty, inspiring some cities to work through the challenges of converting these structures into new apartments
Hurricanes Caused Lost Income among at Least Half of Local Residents
Nearly half of residents lost income after a hurricane, a new study shows. Most were low-paid hourly workers in storefront shops
How Climate Disasters Could Destabilize Major Banks
Both climate-driven disasters and the clean energy transition pose risks for the world’s largest financial institutions
Low-Earth Orbit Faces a Spiraling Debris Threat
Millions of human-made objects travel at high speeds in low-Earth orbit, polluting space and increasing the chance of collision with satellites and other spacecraft
Tech Billionaires Need to Stop Trying to Make the Science Fiction They Grew Up on Real
Today’s Silicon Valley billionaires grew up reading classic American science fiction. Now they’re trying to make it come true, embodying a dangerous political outlook
Christmas Tree Economics, Explained
Economists dive into the financial impact of Christmas trees—real and artificial alike—on the U.S.