The Effects of Minimum Wage on Productivity
It’s no secret that minimum wage laws lower employment for low-skilled workers, especially for teenagers seeking entry-level employment. The Congressional...
Economics
Nominal and Real Core Retail Sales Increase in July
Total nominal retail sales and food-services spending were unchanged in July following an 0.8 percent increase in June. From a...
Self-Driving Cars and the Nirvana Fallacy
“A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.” The first time I’ve quoted Joseph Stalin, his...
About That “0 Percent” Inflation in July
On Wednesday, August 10th, the Bureau of Labor Statistics release of the July 2022 Consumer Price Index data showed a...
Economics Can Help You Understand Why Warner Bros. Sunk $90 Million Batgirl Movie
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) recently made headlines when they canceled the release of their upcoming Batgirl movie, starring Michael Keaton,...
Industrial Output Posts Solid Gains in July
Total industrial production increased 0.6 percent in July after being unchanged in June. Over the past year, total industrial output...
Single-Family Starts and Permits Fell Again in July
Total housing starts fell to a 1.446 million annual rate in July from a 1.599 million pace in June, a...
Is the Inflation Reduction Act Really a Climate Policy Game-Changer?
Supporters of the Inflation Reduction Act are touting it as a game-changer on climate politics. New York Times columnist Paul...
Mega-Corporations Are Not Your Enemy
In modern political discourse, “corporation” is almost a slur. In 2021 Vermont US Sen. Bernie Sanders, responding to criticisms of...
Who Really Cheats the Government?
The poorly named Inflation Reduction Act has little to do with fighting inflation. It has more to do with tax...
Rents for One-Bedroom Apartments in Manhattan Hit a Record High of $5,100 in July. Here’s Why
Think your rent is too damn high? Well, taking a look at the latest figures out of Manhattan might make...
The Marquis de Lafayette: Remembering France’s Greatest Champion of Liberty, a ‘Hero of Two Worlds’
On this date in 1824—August 15—a great man arrived in New York at the start of a “Grand Tour” of...
