Why corporate America is mostly staying quiet as federal immigration agents show up at its doors

When U.S. Border Patrol agents entered a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota, in early January, detaining two employees, it marked a new chapter in the relationship between corporate America and the federal government. Across the Twin Cities, federal immigration enforcement operations have turned businesses into sites of confrontation — with agents in store parking lots […]

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Will a ‘Trump slump’ continue to hit US tourism in 2026 − and even keep World Cup fans away?

With an upcoming FIFA World Cup being staged across the nation, 2026 was supposed to be a bumper year for tourism to the United States, driven in part by hordes of arriving soccer fans. And yet, the U.S. tourism industry is worried. While the rest of the world saw a travel bump in 2025, with […]

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Has globalization lessened the importance of physical distance? For economic shocks, new research suggests ‘yes’

National economies are increasingly moving in sync and responding to the same booms and busts as a result of near-instantaneous communications and interdependent global supply chains. This is a sharp change from much of the 21st century, when economies were primarily affected by economic shocks in neighboring countries. That’s what we found in a paper […]

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Aldi is coming to Colorado, and the disruption could lead to lower food prices

Grocery prices have risen by 25% in Colorado over the past five years, more than wages have grown over that same period. One of the top issues facing Americans is the cost of living relative to housing, health care and food, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey from December 2025. Food prices are a more acute […]

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Denmark’s generous child care and parental leave policies erase 80% of the ‘motherhood penalty’ for working moms

For many women in the U.S. and around the world, motherhood comes with career costs. Raising children tends to lead to lower wages and fewer work hours for mothers – but not fathers – in the United States and around the world. As a sociologist, I study how family relationships can shape your economic circumstances. […]

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3 things to know about Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nod for Fed chair

After months of speculation, President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh on Jan. 30, 2026, to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve. If confirmed by Congress, Warsh will inherit leadership of the U.S. central bank at a delicate time. For months, current Fed Chair Jerome Powell has come under attack from the Trump administration […]

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Resolve to network at your employer’s next ‘offsite’ – research shows these retreats actually help forge new connections

What do you do when an announcement about an “offsite” hits your work inbox? Chances are you might sigh and begrudgingly add the event to your calendar. These events, also called retreats, bring colleagues together for a mix of structured activities and free time – freeing them from their regular work obligations. For one or […]

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Has the Fed fixed the economy yet? And other burning economic questions for 2026

The U.S. economy heads into 2026 in an unusual place: Inflation is down from its peak in mid-2022, growth has held up better than many expected, and yet American households say that things still feel shaky. Uncertainty is the watchword, especially with a major Supreme Court ruling on tariffs on the horizon. To find out […]

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With less charitable giving flowing directly to charities, a tax policy scholar suggests some policy fixes

Law professor Ray Madoff is the co-founder and director of the Boston College Forum on Philanthropy and the Public Good. In an interview with Emily Schwartz Greco, The Conversation U.S. philanthropy and nonprofits editor, Madoff sums up some of the main points about charitable giving she makes in her 2025 book, “The Second Estate: How […]

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How the Supreme Court might protect the Fed’s independence by using employment law in Trump v. Cook

Most of the Trump administration’s legal disputes involving the firing of high-level officials deal with the scope of presidential power. On Jan. 21, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in one of the most significant cases of this kind to date. It was brought by Lisa Cook, a member of the Board of […]

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