What they are, who pays them, and why they matter now

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Kent Jones, Professor Emeritus, Economics, Babson CollegeLeave a Comment

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case to determine whether President Donald Trump’s global tariffs are legal. Until recently, tariffs rarely made headlines. Yet today, they play a major role in U.S. economic policy, affecting the prices of everything from groceries to autos to holiday gifts, as well as the outlook for unemployment, […]

Time banks could ease the burden of elder care and promote connection

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Chao Guo, Professor of Nonprofit Management, University of PennsylvaniaLeave a Comment

Long-term care for older people is challenging for everyone. The costs are high and the quality of care is unpredictable at best, often falling short. The U.S. health care system is so hard to navigate that experts can find it aggravating. Even when people who need help with activities of daily living – a list […]

Black-market oil buyers will push Venezuela for bigger discounts following US seizure – starving Maduro of much-needed revenue

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Francisco J. Monaldi, Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy, Rice UniversityLeave a Comment

The U.S. seizure of an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast looks designed to further squeeze the economy of President Nicolás Maduro’s country. The Dec. 10, 2025, operation – in which American forces descended from helicopters onto the vessel – follows months of U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and was immediately condemned by the […]

Donor-advised funds have more money than ever – and direct more of it to politically active charities

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Brian Mittendorf, Professor of Accounting, The Ohio State UniversityLeave a Comment

Charitable giving in the United States has changed significantly in recent years. Two of the biggest changes are the swift growth of donor-advised funds and the increasingly blurred lines between charity and politics. Donor-advised funds, or DAFs, are charitable investment accounts. After donors put money or other financial assets into these accounts, the assets are […]

What national security truth-tellers reveal in an age of crackdowns

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Kate Kenny, Professor of Business and Society, University of GalwayLeave a Comment

Across the world, governments are tightening controls on speech, expanding surveillance and rolling back rights once thought to be secure. From anti-protest laws and curbs on workers’ rights to the growing criminalization of leaks and dissent, the trend is chilling: People who speak out about government wrongdoing are increasingly vulnerable, and the legal systems that […]

Best way for employers to support employees with chronic mental illness is by offering flexibility

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Sherry Thatcher, Regal Distinguished Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of TennesseeLeave a Comment

More than 20% of Americans will be diagnosed with mental illness in their lifetimes. They will, that is, experience conditions that influence the way they think, feel and act – and that may initially seem incompatible with the demands of work. Our new research suggests that what people living with chronic mental illnesses need most […]

Christmas trees are more expensive than ever in Colorado — what gives?

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Ali Besharat, Professor of Marketing, University of DenverLeave a Comment

The holiday season sparks a significant increase in consumer spending. This year, Black Friday alone saw consumers shell out a record US$11.8 billion. It’s the time of year when many Americans make purchases to decorate for the holidays — lights, ornaments and Christmas trees. If you bought a Christmas tree in Denver this year, you […]

How rogue nations are capitalizing on gaps in crypto regulation to finance weapons programs

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Nolan Fahrenkopf, Research Fellow at Project on International Security, Commerce and Economic Statecraft, University at Albany, State University of New YorkLeave a Comment

Two years after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, families of the victims filed suit against Binance, a major cryptocurrency platform that has been plagued by scandals. In a Nov. 24, 2025, filing by representatives of more than 300 victims and family members, Binance and its former CEO – recently pardoned Changpeng Zhao – […]

The US already faces a health care workforce shortage – immigration policy could make it worse

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Bedassa Tadesse, Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota DuluthLeave a Comment

As Americans gather for holiday celebrations, many will quietly thank the health care workers who keep their families and friends well: the ICU nurse who stabilized a grandparent, the doctor who adjusted a tricky prescription, the home health aide who ensures an aging relative can bathe and eat safely. Far fewer may notice how many […]

Billionaires with $1 salaries – and other legal tax dodges the ultrawealthy use to keep their riches

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Ray Madoff, Professor of Law, Boston CollegeLeave a Comment

Ray Madoff, a Boston College law professor, has written a new book: “The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy.” She recently spoke to Kara Miller, host of the podcast “It Turns Out,” about how the American tax system has changed over the past 40 years, widening inequality. Below is a condensed […]

Category: Finance