R.I. could be leader in new type of health reimbursement arrangements
As of Jan. 1, businesses have a new way to provide health coverage for their employees. Called an Individual Coverage HRA , this health...
There are plenty of jobs, but where are the wages?
The most disappointing feature of the most recent jobs report is that wages did not grow very much, even though the U.S. economy is...
Making the case for STEAM, not STEM
If you looked up at the sky on Oct. 19, 2019, you might have caught sight of history being made somewhere among the stars....
Cities will be the beneficiaries of census power shakeup
New state population estimates for 2019, released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau, have given political scientists the data they need to project changes...
The comforting myths of health care costs
After this season of shopping, we Americans have shown our savvy. We know that steep markdowns are illusory, that the “real” price to the...
The numbers show soccer is future of U.S. sports
If you’re in the business of professional sports right now, the fundamentals are cause for concern. Attendance is falling, even in the midst of...
How Instagram changed the way we shop
On Oct. 6, 2010 – the first year of the decade now drawing to a close – the following headline appeared above a modest...
The dollar is down, but not out as world’s reserve currency
The U.S. dollar’s position as the world’s reserve currency might be weakening. In the last few years, the fraction of global reserves denominated in...
Big gain in stock market not really so big
Major U.S. stock markets, depending on which index you prefer, are up anywhere from 21% to 33% this year. Those are big gains, making...
Worthless holiday shopping hype returns
Let’s get this out of the way upfront: Retail sales were not up 16% during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Nor were they up 14%...
