Category: Finance

Imagine you have a bag you really like. It felt like “the one” when you bought it. Over time, it starts to look worn. There are some scuffs on it. Nothing is actually wrong with the bag, and it still works exactly as it should. Yet, once you notice those imperfections, you start thinking about […]

The buzzword of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections may be affordability, but growing anger over inequality is behind the sentiment. A Pew Research survey released in October 2026 found that roughly 6 in 10 Americans – including 4 in 10 Republicans – believe there’s too much inequality in the U.S. And a growing share from […]

A massive federal spending effort to combat climate change passed in 2022 without a single Republican vote in the U.S. House or the Senate. But the billions of dollars it authorized benefited Republican and Democratic politicians alike – so long as they were already in the House of Representatives – according to an analysis I […]

If you need to participate in video meetings for work, you’ve probably experienced more than one disruption, whether it’s kids darting around or home renovation noise. Meetings that use Zoom and similar software are a fixture of remote work, which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains prevalent. As of August 2026, 36% of American […]

Monthly checks for the nearly 76 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits will rise by 3.6% in 2027. The increase, announced on Oct. 14, 2026, is the largest since the one that took effect in 2023. This cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is how the government tries to make sure that the value of Social […]

A spike in diesel prices is hammering broad sectors of the U.S. economy – especially agriculture and shipping – and becoming a flash point ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. This squeeze has prompted Republicans from hard-hit farm states to call for a ban on U.S. diesel exports, with President Donald Trump reportedly weighing […]

Imagine an artificial intelligence system that has performed reliably for months. Its recommendations are almost always right, and the employee reviewing them has learned that close scrutiny rarely changes the outcome. Then something unusual happens. The AI makes an error or can’t proceed and needs human intervention. The employee is expected to step in and […]

Artificial intelligence has moved quickly from a novelty on the job to a common workplace tool. Gallup found that 52% of U.S. employees and 68% of professional services workers were using AI by February 2026. Thomson Reuters similarly found in spring 2026 that 74% of professionals use AI several times a week for work. This […]

The nearly 76 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits are slated to find out on Oct. 14, 2026, how much their monthly check will rise. This cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is how the government tries to make sure that the value of Social Security benefits keeps up with inflation. Without it, the same payment […]

There’s a paradox that drives the shopping decisions of many Americans: Almost three-quarters say they’re feeling stressed out about skyrocketing grocery bills. But they keep discarding large quantities of food that’s safe to eat, from crooked carrots to surplus yogurt to “best before” items pulled from shelves early. Overall, the U.S. government estimates that 30% […]