Economics Archives

On this week’s podcast, Nicole, Jamelle, Monica and G.D. sit around an actual dinner table to discuss some depressing new stats about the academic woes of black boys. They also try to make sense of some high-profile attempts to regulate food purchases (including a push to forbade people on government assistance from buying soda, a Read More

Crossposted from ColorLines. A job deferred is a dream deferred. The Great Recession has set youth unemployment rates skyrocketing to unprecedented altitudes, leaving 4.4 million young people without work just as we begin our careers—a stunning share of them African Americans. There are of course immediate consequences—wrestling with college loans, overstaying our welcome at our Read More

Apologies for the delay on this week’s podcast. There were a grip of technical issues we had to straighten out. But without further ado… This week, Jamelle, Nicole, Joel and Monica discuss the reaction to Inez Sainz‘s reports of sexual harassment, the surprising D.C. mayoral primary and its implications, and why (or whether) black folks Read More

On Twitter, PB’s Blackink called out this essay on why black people don’t tip.  G.D. and I argued over how much of the piece is tongue-in-cheek (maybe I’m just hoping most of it is it is), but here’s some poorly written armchair psychology as to why: And that’s the problem. Like it or not, as Read More

Crossposted from Campus Progress. One in eight Americans — a record high in both raw numbers and percentage of the population — are on food stamps. Many are recent additions due to the recession. Yet food stamp benefits are being reduced to help pay for other recession-fighting programs and secondary food initiatives. Colorlines reports that Read More

cross-posted from U.S. of J. Researchers at the University of Washington further illustrate the link between poverty and obesity: The percentage of food shoppers who are obese is almost 10 times higher at low-cost grocery stores compared with upscale markets, a small new study shows. Researchers say the striking findings underscore poverty as a key Read More

[cross-posted from U.S. of J.] C.H. at Democracy in America flags a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts on the effect of marriage on economic mobility for children: Messrs DeLeire and Lopoo find that marriage has a positive effect on economic mobility for children of all races. Among those who are born in the bottom Read More

Lauren Kelley does the math on Panera’s new pay-what you-can experiment: The company opened a nonprofit “community café” in a suburb of St. Louis, near Panera’s headquarters, that’s different from every restaurant you’ve ever been to. At this restaurant, there are no prices on the menu. Instead, customers are told to pay what they can Read More

cross-posted from TAPPED A few days ago, The New York Times had a light-hearted story about how Bronx residents like to saunter down to the Cross Bronx Expressway, or stare at it contemplatively from their windows, as a source of entertainment or an inspired, quiet reverie. They used a study showing that the highway has Read More

So you may have heard: after eluding progressive presidents and lawmakers for nearly a century, House Democrats finally approved sweeping legislaton that would bring  America to near-universal health insurance coverage. The bill nearly died several times in the interminable debate, with interventions from President Obama and deft maneuvering by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (props due) keeping it alive. No matter Read More

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