Economy + Business - The Conversation

A woman idling an electric mobility grocery cart pays a cashier for groceries in a supermarket.

A woman idling an electric mobility grocery cart pays a cashier for groceries in a supermarket.

Social Security benefits will rise 3.6% in 2027, but that may not be enough to offset healthcare costs

Pankaj Agrrawal, University of Maine

An odd-shaped pepper is curled up like a "C," with orange, green and yellow coloring.

An odd-shaped pepper is curled up like a "C," with orange, green and yellow coloring.

Americans are stressed about grocery prices, so why do they toss or overlook so much ‘misfit’ food?

Jintao Zhang, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Why your boss matters more than remote or hybrid work when it comes to burnout and job satisfaction

Christos Makridis, Arizona State University; Institute for Humane Studies

A man is covered in sticky notes, suggesting overwork.

A man is covered in sticky notes, suggesting overwork.

The oil market that sets today’s gas prices was invented in western Pennsylvania

Brian C. Black, Penn State

A group of businessmen in a black and white photo.

A group of businessmen in a black and white photo.

Companies may be held liable when AI harms their clients and customers

Sarah Webber, University of Dayton and Kaitlin Newkirk, Xavier University

Robot steps on banana peel.

Robot steps on banana peel.

Turmoil within Dolly Parton’s estate underscores the precariousness of family businesses after founders die

Reid Kress Weisbord, Rutgers University - Newark and Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia

Dolly Parton waves aboard a flower-strewn wagon.

Dolly Parton waves aboard a flower-strewn wagon.

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Iran war and the economy

A cartoon chart shows a line trending upward, with a figure of a person hanging onto an upward-pointing arrow at the top.

A cartoon chart shows a line trending upward, with a figure of a person hanging onto an upward-pointing arrow at the top.

Why fuel prices may go higher still

Joshua Busby, The University of Texas at Austin and Greg Pollock, Georgetown University

Trump speculates on diesel fuel export ban as high prices ripple across US economy

Vidya Mani, University of Virginia; Cornell University

Trains wait in a railyard as a truck passes on a road.

Trains wait in a railyard as a truck passes on a road.

Oil and gas industry expected surplus – but war brought shortage instead

John Patrick Schoeneman Jr., Oklahoma State University

A person stands next to a truck holding a fuel-dispensing nozzle.

A person stands next to a truck holding a fuel-dispensing nozzle.

Oil and gas industry expected surplus – but war brought shortage instead

John Patrick Schoeneman Jr., Oklahoma State University

A person stands next to a truck holding a fuel-dispensing nozzle.

A person stands next to a truck holding a fuel-dispensing nozzle.

Oil shortages escalate from wars in Iran and Ukraine, with few signs of relief

Amy Myers Jaffe, New York University; Tufts University

People stand on a street next to many metal cylinders.

People stand on a street next to many metal cylinders.

Read more about the war in Iran

Economics

A shopper pushes a cart through a supermarket.

A shopper pushes a cart through a supermarket.

Fewer Americans are getting help buying groceries from SNAP benefits as states grapple with the program’s cascade of changes

Tracy Roof, University of Richmond

American women in communities with ample broadband access lose less time waiting for services, reducing time poverty

Mattia Caldarulo, Rochester Institute of Technology; Andrea Hetling, Rutgers University, and Gregory Porumbescu, Rutgers University - Newark

Many women wearing blue jeans and white T-shirts standing in a long line.

Many women wearing blue jeans and white T-shirts standing in a long line.

Cities keep shelling out taxpayer money for sports stadiums, yet the economics almost never makes sense

Abigail Hall, University of Tampa and Aaron D. Wood, University of Tampa

Atlanta's baseball stadium, Truist Park, is shown on September 11, 2026, in a memorial field presentation before that day's game.

Atlanta's baseball stadium, Truist Park, is shown on September 11, 2026, in a memorial field presentation before that day's game.

The US sells more to Brazil than it buys – but Trump is slapping steep tariffs on its exports anyway

Filipe Mendonça, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU) and Henrique Menezes, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB)

Shipping containers, cargo cranes and port facilities make for a colorful vista with the sea and mountains in the background.

Shipping containers, cargo cranes and port facilities make for a colorful vista with the sea and mountains in the background.

US consumers and businesses are now facing a future of more expensive borrowing

John W. Diamond, Rice University

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, wearing a grey suit and a blue tie, speaks at a news conference in Washington on July 29, 2026.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, wearing a grey suit and a blue tie, speaks at a news conference in Washington on July 29, 2026.

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Business

The chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Paul Atkins, poses during a closing bell ceremony at the Nasdaq, with an American flag behind him.

The chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Paul Atkins, poses during a closing bell ceremony at the Nasdaq, with an American flag behind him.

US regulators want to make corporate earnings reports less frequent, but investors have doubts

Tzachi Zach, The Ohio State University

It’s OK if managers step in to help their sales staff – but not too much

Daniel E. Chavez, University of Tennessee

A couple considers buying fruit at a grocery store, with bananas in the background, while a smiling manager offers help.

A couple considers buying fruit at a grocery store, with bananas in the background, while a smiling manager offers help.

The tourism industry is slowly waking up to solo travelers’ needs

Peter McGraw, University of Colorado Boulder

A male hiker with a large backpack stands over a body of water surrounded by plunging cliffs.

A male hiker with a large backpack stands over a body of water surrounded by plunging cliffs.

Why employers still place a premium on people skills, not AI, when they make hiring decisions

Murugan Anandarajan, Drexel University and Cuneyt Gozu, Drexel University

A Georgia Tech student in a light coral shirt, Michael Oh-Yang, shakes hands with company representatives at a job fair in Atlanta.

A Georgia Tech student in a light coral shirt, Michael Oh-Yang, shakes hands with company representatives at a job fair in Atlanta.

AI data center boom is leaving consumer electronics short of chips − even though they don’t use the same kinds

Vidya Mani, University of Virginia; Cornell University

an irridecent rainbow pattern reflects off a shiny surface covered with repeated patterns of rectangles of various sizes

an irridecent rainbow pattern reflects off a shiny surface covered with repeated patterns of rectangles of various sizes

Read more about business

Work

A young man with glasses looks confused and exasperated as he sits in front of a computer, while two colleagues discuss something behind him.

A young man with glasses looks confused and exasperated as he sits in front of a computer, while two colleagues discuss something behind him.

Gen Z communicates differently in the workplace, but older colleagues can still decode them

Jeff LeBlanc, Boston University

The typical gig worker is changing – and struggling more than ever to make ends meet

Jacob Lederman, University of Michigan Flint

A Doordash worker with a face mask rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City during the COVID pandemic.

A Doordash worker with a face mask rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City during the COVID pandemic.

Layoffs tied to AI hurt worker productivity – and the reason may surprise managers

Mark Ma, University of Pittsburgh

An advertisement in San Francisco, Calif., for the AI company Artisan depicts a smiling woman against a purple background and reads: "Artisans won't complain about work-life balance."

An advertisement in San Francisco, Calif., for the AI company Artisan depicts a smiling woman against a purple background and reads: "Artisans won't complain about work-life balance."

Why it’s more important than ever to jump-start entrepreneurial careers from the college classroom

Raghupathy Sivakumar, Georgia Institute of Technology

A collage photo shows cash bills and a graduation cap sitting atop an American flag, with a computer keyboard in the upper right corner.

A collage photo shows cash bills and a graduation cap sitting atop an American flag, with a computer keyboard in the upper right corner.

Why working-class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world

Noam Lupu, Vanderbilt University and Nicholas Carnes, Duke University

A smiling man clasps hands with another man holding a 'Troy Jackson' campaign sign at a political rally.

A smiling man clasps hands with another man holding a 'Troy Jackson' campaign sign at a political rally.

Read more about work

Finance

As presidential candidate, Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville, Tenn.

As presidential candidate, Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville, Tenn.

How Trump’s crypto winnings undermined the industry’s push for looser regulation

Lee Reiners, Duke University

Trump administration is withholding more than $1B in Medicaid funds from California and Minnesota, in latest example of weaponizing real and imagined fraud

Ben Zdencanovic, University of Cambridge

Agents, many wearing jackets or vests emblazoned with 'FBI,' exit a building with what appears to be a trove of documents.

Agents, many wearing jackets or vests emblazoned with 'FBI,' exit a building with what appears to be a trove of documents.

Personal bankruptcy filings are soaring in 2026, signaling growing economic distress

Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University

An outstretched arm pokes through a pile of paper, holding a white flag signaling surrender.

An outstretched arm pokes through a pile of paper, holding a white flag signaling surrender.

Got money questions? How to get chatbots to give you accurate answers

Pawan Jain, University of Michigan Flint

A hand holds two coins in front of a laptop keyboard.

A hand holds two coins in front of a laptop keyboard.

Your bank’s AI just blocked your payment – what can you do?

Pragati Awasthi, Drexel University

A blue Visa credit card rests on a grey laptop.

A blue Visa credit card rests on a grey laptop.

Read more about finance

Philanthropy and nonprofits

Two large protrusions made of concrete stand atop a large construction project with many workers milling about.

Two large protrusions made of concrete stand atop a large construction project with many workers milling about.

Is it illegal for the president to spend ‘patriotic’ donations on a White House ballroom or anything else?

Ellen P. Aprill, University of California, Los Angeles

Trump administration’s Freedom 250 organization allegedly misdirected donors away from bipartisan America250 charity

Sarah Webber, University of Dayton

Fireworks go off against a dark sky with the word 'freedom' projected onto a monolith in the foreground.

Fireworks go off against a dark sky with the word 'freedom' projected onto a monolith in the foreground.

Foundations can outlive their charitable missions – and that’s a problem

Thomas Adam, University of Arkansas

Bill Gates looks contemplative while sitting in front of a window.

Bill Gates looks contemplative while sitting in front of a window.

A little-remembered Gilded Age millionaire helped make milk safe for American kids through his ‘retail giving’

Leslie Lenkowsky, Indiana University

This black and white photo is of a girl holding a bottle of milk and a basket outside a doorway.

This black and white photo is of a girl holding a bottle of milk and a basket outside a doorway.

Nonprofit fraud: Amid high-profile prosecutions, an accountant explains what’s really going on

Sarah Webber, University of Dayton

A man stares blankly ahead while walking and being videoed by a woman in a red dress.

A man stares blankly ahead while walking and being videoed by a woman in a red dress.

Read more about philanthropy and nonprofits

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