When it comes to finance, ‘normal’ data is actually pretty weird

When business researchers analyze data, they often rely on assumptions to help make sense of what they find. But like anyone else, they can run into a whole lot of trouble if those assumptions turn out to be wrong – which may happen more often than they realize. That’s what we found in a recent […]

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Plantation tourism, memory and the uneasy economics of heritage in the American South

The American South – and the nation more broadly – continues to wrestle with how to remember its most painful chapters. Tourism is one of the arenas where that struggle is most visible. This tension came into sharp relief in May 2025, when the largest antebellum mansion in the region – the 19th-century estate at […]

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Breaking the Cash Habit: The Urgent Need to Accelerate Digital Merchant Payments | Blog

From the dusty roadside kiosks of Senegal to the fresh produce markets of Kenya, a slow revolution is underway. QR code stickers cling to glass counters, handwritten USSD codes dangle from shelves next to tomatoes and mangoes, and merchants swipe between apps on smartphones with cracked screens to approve digital payments. Across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), […]

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For America’s 35M small businesses, tariff uncertainty hits especially hard

Imagine it’s April 2025 and you’re the owner of a small but fast-growing e-commerce business. Historically, you’ve sourced products from China, but the president just announced tariffs of 145% on these goods. Do you set up operations in Thailand – requiring new investment and a lot of work – or wait until there’s more clarity […]

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Minister Dooley Launches 2025 Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme

Dublin, 1 August 2025 – Minister of State for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley TD, today announced the opening of the 2025 Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme, designed to support continued innovation and efficiency across Ireland’s seafood processing sector. The scheme, which is administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food […]

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Strengthening collective labor rights can help reduce economic inequality

Despite the strength of the U.S. economy, the gap between rich and poor Americans is increasing. The wealthiest 1% of Americans have more than five times as much wealth as the bottom 50%, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. That’s up from four times as much in the year 2000. In 2024 alone, the wealthiest […]

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What is personalized pricing, and how do I avoid it?

Recently, Delta Air Lines announced it would expand its use of artificial intelligence to provide individualized prices to customers. This move sparked concern among flyers and politicians. But Delta isn’t the only business interested in using AI this way. Personalized pricing has already spread across a range of industries, from finance to online gaming. Customized […]

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EBRD Issues First Local Currency Subordinated Loan in Western Balkans to ProCredit Bank Serbia

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has extended a landmark €12 million equivalent subordinated debt facility in Serbian dinars to ProCredit Bank Serbia (PCBS), marking the first time such a loan has been issued in local currency in the Western Balkans. Strengthening Capital and Regulatory Resilience The facility is designed to reinforce PCBS’s […]

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Minister Burke Publishes Report Identifying €1.1 Billion Equity Financing Gap for Irish Scale-Up Enterprises

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, has published a new report titled Market Demand for and Supply of Scaling Finance in Ireland, revealing a significant €1.1 billion gap in equity financing for Irish enterprises seeking to scale and expand internationally over the next two to five years. Key Findings Commissioned by the Department […]

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Gene Hackman had a will, but the public may never find out who inherits his $80M fortune

Gene Hackman was found dead inside his New Mexico home on Feb. 26, 2025, at the age of 95. The acclaimed actor’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, had also died of a rare virus – a week before his death from natural causes. Details about the couple’s plans for Hackman’s reportedly US$80 million fortune are only starting […]

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