Economy – Articles, Analysis, Opinion

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Customers browse the fresh produce at a Wilkes-Barre, Pa., farmers market in June 2025. Jason Ardan/The Citizens' Voice via Getty Images

Who shops at farmers markets in the US?

Only about 1 in 5 of the Americans surveyed shop at farmers markets because they care a lot about food and enjoy buying, preparing and eating fresh food.
MP Materials’ Mountain Pass mine and processing facility in California was for years the only U.S. rare earth elements mine. Tmy350/Wikimedia Commons

The missing link in America’s critical minerals push isn’t mining – it’s processing expertise

America was once the global leader in rare earth element production, but as processing moved to China, the US lost capacity and expertise. It can get them back.
A few commissions, contracts or cancellations can dramatically change an artist’s annual earnings. Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images

We studied what happened when financially struggling artists received $1,000 a month, no strings attached, for 18 months

Opponents of guaranteed-income programs often argue that recipients will simply take the money and be less motivated to do any work whatsoever.
One of the most visible ways that Canada responded to President Donald Trump’s tariffs was by sharply restricting U.S. alcohol sales. AP Photo/Jill Colvin

Canada is kicking its US booze habit as trade tensions persist

Canada’s shunning of beer, wine and spirits from the US is a textbook example of how market access for politically exposed goods can quickly unravel.
Marketing trials aren’t conducted for scientific knowledge or the benefit of patients. Ekin Kizilkaya/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Clinical trials that are actually marketing ploys targeting doctors – how seeding trials put profit over patients

Some industry-funded clinical trials show signs of being designed to market drugs rather than to test them for their safety and effectiveness. Detecting these studies remains difficult.
FBI Director Kash Patel, right, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speak about the Southern Poverty Law Center’s indictment in April 2026. Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

Trump administration’s indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center breaks with norms – and may lack evidence of criminal wrongdoing

It’s unusual for federal authorities to take this kind of action when federal funding is not involved. And the SPLC does not accept government grants.
Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, Rufus, on a computer monitor on Dec. 1, 2024, in New York. Company apps, including Rufus, may make it easier to shop, but consumers might balk at giving up too much of the shopping experience. AP Photo/Peter Morgan

What we lose when artificial intelligence does our shopping

Retailers are racing to hand your shopping over to AI. Consumers are right to be wary – and not just about privacy.
Oakland County is known for its affluence, but some of its communities are experiencing changes in socioeconomic status. Notorious4life (talk) (Uploads), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Signs of economic instability emerge in Oakland County, one of Michigan’s wealthiest

A sociologist’s analysis of a Michigan county reveals pockets of economic instability as rising housing costs continue to pressure residents.
Whether in sports, music or business, all-women teams earn less. Minnesota Lynx guard Renee Montgomery drives between Indiana Fever guards Layshia Clarendon, left, and Shenise Johnson at a WNBA game in Minneapolis. AP Photo/Stacy Bengs

Why women in groups face a ‘collaboration penalty’ that solo female stars like Taylor Swift and Coco Gauff escape

All-women groups, whether in sports, music or business, are consistently underpaid compared to men. They’re seen as more threatening to the status quo.