Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
London taxing drivers to fund underground trains
Drivers pay a charge, and London puts the proceeds into buses and the Underground. The people paying to drive help fund alternatives to driving.
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Kansas wheat farmers losing to Chicago basis risk
The hedge locks in a Chicago futures price, not the price at the farm. The gap between the two—the basis—can widen when transport is costly or silos are full,…
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The US oil reserve can move prices without releasing oil
Traders can react to the prospect of more oil before a single barrel leaves storage. If officials announce a possible release, traders may expect extra supply…
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How a luxury district was linked to poor neighborhoods
The financing plan needed future tax growth, so the district’s map reached beyond Hudson Yards into nearby low-income neighborhoods. Those taxes could help…
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Why Mumbai's slums are worth billions
In Dharavi, generations of residents built a community on valuable land without formal property deeds. Redevelopment proposals offer high-rise apartments to…
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How old software brought Southwest to a standstill
When the winter storm scrambled Southwest’s operations, its decades-old crew-scheduling system struggled to put them back together. The recovery failure…
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Barbados can pause debt payments after a disaster
After a major climate disaster, a catastrophe clause can let Barbados pause debt repayments instead of facing bills immediately. The breathing room is written…
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Airplane noise can erase billions in home value
Aircraft noise can lower home values around Heathrow, and economists use those price changes to estimate the cost. Across whole neighborhoods, the losses can…
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The hidden tax on money sent home
A worker sends money home, but the government forces the transfer through an official exchange rate set artificially low. The family receives less value, and…
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Disney exploits consumer surplus with bundles
A bundle can look like a deal while charging you for services you rarely use. If one show is the reason you subscribe, the extras may be part of the price you…
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Microsoft Japan got more done in four days
A shorter week didn’t mean shorter paychecks at Microsoft Japan. The company trimmed meetings to 30 minutes and cut busywork, then saw sales per employee rise…
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Why making chips in Arizona costs so much more
Arizona doesn’t have Taiwan’s deep pool of semiconductor workers or its supplier network. TSMC has had to bring in workers from abroad, adding to the cost of…
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China prints money while freezing its economy
The People’s Bank of China buys foreign currency to hold the yuan down, then ties up domestic bank reserves so the added money does not simply flood…
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Tether replaced its commercial-paper holdings with Treasuries
In October 2022, the stablecoin issuer said it had eliminated commercial paper from its reserves and replaced it with U.S. Treasury bills. A token can keep…
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When inflation becomes a betting market
Instead of just arguing about next month's inflation, traders can wager on whether the CPI reaches a set level. Platforms such as Kalshi let them buy…
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Costa Rica pays landowners to keep forests standing
Costa Rica uses money raised by a fossil-fuel tax to pay rural landowners by the hectare for keeping forests standing. The payments put a price on benefits…
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Adani Group faced massive backlash over misusing green bonds for heavily polluting coal projects
The green label was supposed to help fund cleaner activity, but largely self-reported standards can leave room for companies to raise cheaper debt and use it…
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How the Fed's bond sales can raise mortgage costs
Mortgage rates can feel the Fed’s absence as well as its purchases. When it stops buying mortgage-backed securities—or sells them—buyers have to absorb more…
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Detroit bankruptcy crushed neighboring town credit
Detroit’s bankruptcy spooked bondholders beyond the city limits. They demanded higher yields from nearby, affluent Michigan municipalities because those towns…
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Medellín's tourist boom reached inside residential buildings
Short-term rentals brought visitors into apartment buildings in El Poblado, prompting complaints and city inspections. The economic tension is close to home:…
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Hudson Yards funded itself with future tax revenue
The city borrowed against property taxes it expected the development to generate in the future. Those projected taxes backed the bonds used to fund Hudson…
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How the Dodgers reshaped Ohtani’s salary
Ohtani agreed to wait for nearly $700 million until his playing days are over. The delay lowers the contract’s present value—and the amount the Dodgers count…
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Why Argentina keeps printing pesos
Debt bills still come due when tax money isn’t enough, so Argentina’s government has leaned on the central bank to create pesos. That pays obligations, but…
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Brazil beat hyperinflation with a currency that didn't exist
People kept paying in cruzeiros, even as those prices spiraled, but wages, taxes, and price tags could be set in the stable URV. Once people could trust the…
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