How Squishmallow collecting helped me cope with grief, make new enemies and find ‘villains’ worth studying

I was one of the millions of people who lost someone to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the nonstop news about the “new normal,” my grief felt invisible. I took shallow solace in my phone and turned to social media to numb me from the reality that I now lived in: a world without my dad. […]

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Global Funding Gaps for Minority Entrepreneurs Cost Trillions in Lost Economic Potential

Despite growing awareness of diversity and inclusion, minority business founders across the globe continue to face systemic barriers to accessing capital—resulting in significant economic, social, and developmental losses. From venture capital deserts to underbanked communities, the lack of funding for minority-owned enterprises is not just a moral issue—it’s a global economic liability. 📉 The Scale […]

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4 decades after the landmark book ‘Alone in a Crowd,’ women in the trades still battle bias – a professor-turned-welder reflects

A few years ago, while working as a professor and as a welder at a small repair and fabrication shop, I went looking for books about women in the skilled trades. In the few I found, one stood out in how it made way for tradeswomen’s voices: political scientist Jean Reith Schroedel’s 1985 classic “Alone […]

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Nvidia Backs Intel with $5 Billion Investment to Accelerate Turnaround

18 September 2025 — Nvidia has announced a $5 billion investment in Intel, signaling strong confidence in the U.S. chipmaker’s long-term potential. The move follows a landmark federal initiative that saw the U.S. government take a major stake in Intel to revitalize domestic semiconductor production. Nvidia’s capital infusion is expected to significantly bolster Intel’s research […]

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UK Lands $42 Billion in US Tech Contracts and Commitments to Power AI Future

18 September 2025 — The United Kingdom has secured over $42 billion in artificial intelligence investments from major US technology firms, marking a transformative moment in transatlantic cooperation. The announcement coincided with US President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK and the unveiling of a new “Tech Prosperity Deal” aimed at deepening collaboration in […]

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Fed rate cut is attempt to prevent recession without sending prices soaring

The Federal Reserve on Sept. 17, 2025, cut its target interest rate as it shifts focus from fighting inflation to supporting the choppy labor market. As financial markets expected, the Fed lowered rates a quarter point to a range of 4% to 4.25%, its first cut since December 2024. The Fed’s decision to begin cutting […]

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US women narrowed the pay gap with men by having fewer kids

Women in the U.S. typically earned 85% as much as men for every hour they spent working in 2024. However, working women are faring much better than their moms and grandmothers did 40 years ago. In the mid-1980s, women were making only 65% as much as men for every hour of paid work. Women’s wages […]

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Does anyone go to prison for federal mortgage fraud? Not many, the numbers suggest

Mortgage fraud is back in the news. Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, is being investigated by the Department of Justice for allegedly making false statements when applying for a mortgage. Members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet are accused of similar wrongdoings. Could any of these people go to prison? Mortgage fraud is not a new […]

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Fed, under pressure to cut rates, tries to balance labor market and inflation – while avoiding dreaded stagflation

The Federal Reserve is in a nearly impossible spot right now. Markets are expecting a quarter-point interest rate cut to a range of 4% to 4.25% when the Fed policy-setting committee concludes its latest meeting on Sept. 17, 2025. After all, the slowdown in the jobs market, as well as a massive revision to past […]

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Even professional economists can’t escape political bias

Republican-leaning economists tend to predict stronger economic growth when a Republican is president than Democrats do – and because of this partisan optimism, their forecasts end up being less accurate. I’m an economist, and my colleagues and I found this by analyzing nearly 40 years of responses to The Wall Street Journal’s Economic Forecasting Survey. […]

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