Economics

Former Treasury secretary and current Harvard professor Larry Summers listens to remarks during a discussion on low-income developing countries at the annual IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, April 13, 2016, in Washington, DC. / AFP / Mike Theiler (Photo credit should read MIKE THEILER/AFP via Getty Images)

Larry Summers and the Crisis of Economic Orthodoxy Larry Summers and the Crisis of Economic Orthodoxy

The establishment’s repeated failures are creating room for heterodox ideas.

Jun 16, 2023 / Jeet Heer

William Spriggs, chief economist at the AFL-CIO, speaks during the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) economic policy conference in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

William Spriggs Was the Economist Who Fought for the Entire Working Class William Spriggs Was the Economist Who Fought for the Entire Working Class

From his days as a graduate student union leader, he championed an intersectional vision of economic, social, and racial justice.

Jun 15, 2023 / John Nichols

How Freddie Mac Helps Private Equity Profit From Tenant Misery

How Freddie Mac Helps Private Equity Profit From Tenant Misery How Freddie Mac Helps Private Equity Profit From Tenant Misery

Overloaded with debt, with maintenance and repairs cut back to the bone, tenants are being bled dry to make millions for speculators—with a crucial assist from the Federal Home Loa...

Jun 13, 2023 / Feature / Eileen Markey

Cornel West speaks at the 2019 Hutchins Center Honors W.E.B. Du Bois Medal Ceremony at Harvard University on October 22, 2019.

Cornel West Is the Right Man in the Wrong Party Cornel West Is the Right Man in the Wrong Party

An otherwise credible left-wing challenge to Biden is hampered by the dysfunctional People’s Party.

Jun 12, 2023 / Jeet Heer

In recent months, there has been a spike in demand for Ozempic, or semaglutide, due to its weight loss benefits, which has led to shortages.

Can the Rich and Powerful Live Forever? Can the Rich and Powerful Live Forever?

The madness of new longevity treatments.

Jun 12, 2023 / Katrina vanden Heuvel

There’s No Reason Filing Taxes Should Be So Hard

There’s No Reason Filing Taxes Should Be So Hard There’s No Reason Filing Taxes Should Be So Hard

In early 2024, a few taxpayers will participate in a pilot project to file their taxes for free directly to the government. It’s a great start.

Jun 9, 2023 / Bryce Covert

Biden and McCarthy sitting in chairs in the Oval Office

Next Time, Dammit, Just Default Next Time, Dammit, Just Default

Democrats feared a monster called “default”—but it’s just another Washington scare story.

Jun 9, 2023 / James K. Galbraith for The Nation

Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorcese on the set of

Raging Bullshit: Credits and the Hollywood Economy Raging Bullshit: Credits and the Hollywood Economy

The Max streaming platform debuted a credit system that obscures the actual work done by film writers and other creative workers. 

Jun 8, 2023 / Ben Schwartz

A sign on a bodega in Brooklyn reads,

The Racist, Insulting Resurgence of Work Requirements The Racist, Insulting Resurgence of Work Requirements

Work requirements expose the nasty underbelly of the vaunted American work ethic. We would rather the poor starve than risk that they might spend less time on the job.

Jun 8, 2023 / Bryce Covert

A comparison of an original and deepfake video of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

AI Doesn’t Pose an Existential Risk—but Silicon Valley Does AI Doesn’t Pose an Existential Risk—but Silicon Valley Does

The warning cries about the alleged dangers of AI is drowning out stories about the harms already occurring.

Jun 7, 2023 / Edward Ongweso Jr.

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