Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on The State of the American Economy
This past Sunday, Fareed Zakaria interviewed U.S. Treasury Jack Lew in a wide ranging discussion.
Finance
Economist Approach to Climate Change
Economist Approach to Climate Change
Recently, NPR’s Planet Money team discussed the economics of climate change legislation.
Here is a description of the story:
Climate change seems like this complicated, intractable problem. But maybe it doesn’t have to be.
On today’s show, we talk to a couple economists about a very simple idea that could solve the climate-change problem: Tax carbon emissions.
A carbon tax could be paired with cuts in the income tax. And it would drive down emissions without picking winners or losers, and without creating complicated regulations.
Are Baby Boomers Bankrupting Their Grandchildren?
Are Baby Boomers Bankrupting Their Grandchildren?
That was the proposition being debated on the BBC’s Moral Maze last week. Although this debate centers on the situation in the United Kingdom, this a debate is relevant to United States.
Tires, Tariffs, and Grizz: Oh My!
Tires, Tariffs, and Grizz: Oh My!
NPR’s Planet Money recently ran as story answering the question: “why are tire prices so damn high?” Here is a description of the story:
The price of tires has risen by about 40 percent in the past five years. That’s partly because rubber prices have gone up. But it’s also due to a tariff the U.S. imposed on Chinese tire imports.
As tire prices have risen, more people have been renting tires rather than buying them outright. And renting tires, it turns out, is often a bad deal in the long run.
On today’s show: How a celebrated attempt to help one group of people ended quietly hurting a much larger group. Also on the show: The Grizz.
For more, see our story Why More People Are Renting Tires. And see the paper we mention on the show, U.S. Tire Tariffs: Saving Few Jobs at High Cost.
Rockanomics and the US Economy: “It’s a Long Way to the Top . . .”
Rockanomics and the US Economy: “It’s a Long Way to the Top . . .”
“. . . if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll.” This quote from AC/DC and Jack Black’s School of Rock is applicable to a short story by NPR’s Weekend Edition. The segment discusses how the economics of the music industry can teach us lessons about the broader American economy. Most notably, both are currently in a state of radical inequality.
Here is a description of the story:
White House economic adviser Alan Krueger took some ribbing from his boss this week. President Obama noted that Krueger will soon be leaving Washington to go back to his old job, teaching economics at Princeton.
“And now that Alan has some free time, he can return to another burning passion of his: ‘Rockanomics,’ the economics of rock and roll,” the president said. “This is something that Alan actually cares about.”
In fact, Krueger gave a speech this week at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, where he said the music business offers valuable lessons about the broader U.S. economy.