Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
College textbook prices have violently outpaced the rate of standard inflation by over eight hundred percent since the late 1970s, making them one of the most aggressively…
College textbook prices have violently outpaced the rate of standard inflation by over eight hundred percent since the late 1970s, making them one of the most…
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United States politicians implemented the Cash for Clunkers program in 2009, offering citizens up to forty-five hundred dollars to trade in their older, less fuel-efficient vehicles for destruction.
United States politicians implemented the Cash for Clunkers program in 2009, offering citizens up to forty-five hundred dollars to trade in their older, less…
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Porsche's Volkswagen announcement helped turn a bet against the stock into a scramble to buy it.
Porsche's Volkswagen announcement helped turn a bet against the stock into a scramble to buy it. In October 2008, Porsche disclosed 42.6% of VW's ordinary…
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50 Cent's bankruptcy court asked about his Instagram cash.
50 Cent's bankruptcy court asked about his Instagram cash. During his Chapter 11 proceedings, photographs of the rapper posing with stacks of money drew…
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Swedish match king Ivar Kreuger controlled over two-thirds of the entire global match production in the 1920s by lending massive sums of money to desperate European governments…
Swedish match king Ivar Kreuger controlled over two-thirds of the entire global match production in the 1920s by lending massive sums of money to desperate…
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Swedish blood donors can get a text when their donation is used.
Swedish blood donors can get a text when their donation is used. The notification connects a brief appointment with an event that happens later, out of the…
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Rhode Island’s game-studio gamble left a public bill.
Rhode Island’s game-studio gamble left a public bill. A state-backed $75 million bond deal helped finance 38 Studios’ move to Providence. The company released…
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Before ride-sharing apps completely disrupted the transportation industry, the artificial scarcity of New York City taxi medallions drove their individual value up to over one million dollars apiece by the year 2014.
Before ride-sharing apps completely disrupted the transportation industry, the artificial scarcity of New York City taxi medallions drove their individual…
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JCPenney removed the bargain ritual—and sales plunged.
JCPenney removed the bargain ritual—and sales plunged. Its 2012 overhaul replaced much of the familiar coupon-and-markdown cycle with a new pricing approach.…
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America briefly put sliced bread on the wartime chopping block.
America briefly put sliced bread on the wartime chopping block. In 1943, federal conservation rules stopped commercial bread slicing as officials sought…
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A school-lunch budget plan tried to count ketchup as vegetables.
A school-lunch budget plan tried to count ketchup as vegetables. Proposed U.S. rules in 1981 would have let condiments contribute toward school lunches'…
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Crassus bought houses while they were burning.
Crassus bought houses while they were burning. Plutarch describes the Roman financier buying threatened properties cheaply from frightened owners, alongside…
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Wampum could preserve an agreement as well as carry value.
Wampum could preserve an agreement as well as carry value. For Haudenosaunee people, patterns of shell beads recorded laws, traditions and political…
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Idi Amin handed businesses to loyalists and wrecked the economy supplying them.
Idi Amin handed businesses to loyalists and wrecked the economy supplying them. In 1972, Amin expelled Uganda's Asian population and redistributed seized…
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Borders handed its online bookstore to Amazon.
Borders handed its online bookstore to Amazon. In 2001, the bookseller outsourced its web sales to the company becoming its strongest online rival. Amazon…
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The U.S.
The U.S. once had a 94% top income-tax bracket. In 1944 and 1945, that marginal rate applied to taxable income above $200,000. It did not mean every dollar a…
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The sound of South Africa's World Cup was often made in China.
The sound of South Africa's World Cup was often made in China. During the 2010 tournament, industry estimates put most vuvuzela production in Chinese…
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America printed a $100,000 note the public could never spend.
America printed a $100,000 note the public could never spend. The 1934 gold certificate was intended for transactions between Federal Reserve institutions,…
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An English lease can legally price its annual ground rent at one peppercorn.
An English lease can legally price its annual ground rent at one peppercorn. For most new regulated residential long leases in England and Wales, the 2022 law…
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Customers pay Starbucks for some coffees long before anyone makes them.
Customers pay Starbucks for some coffees long before anyone makes them. Reloaded cards put cash in the company’s hands while the promised drinks remain…
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A New York price survey found a premium on women's personal-care products.
A New York price survey found a premium on women's personal-care products. The city's 2015 study compared similar male- and female-marketed goods and found…
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Ireland kept trading through a six-month bank strike in 1970 by leaning heavily on checks and personal trust.
Ireland kept trading through a six-month bank strike in 1970 by leaning heavily on checks and personal trust. Shopkeepers and publicans knew enough about…
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Money diverted from Malaysia's 1MDB development fund helped finance The Wolf of Wall Street.
Money diverted from Malaysia's 1MDB development fund helped finance The Wolf of Wall Street. The scandal also involved luxury assets and gifts, while the…
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You can rent hens instead of committing to a flock.
You can rent hens instead of committing to a flock. Chicken-rental businesses supply hens and equipment for a limited season, letting customers try backyard…
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