Saying Goodbye to the Greenback: The Future of Dollar Dominance

Over the past half-century, the US dollar has become so crucial to international trade that it automatically comes to mind whenever foreign exchange is mentioned. Recently, however, it has become less certain whether its dominance as a reserve currency will continue. Due to changing economic and political trends, foreign nations — especially those with major roles in global markets such as India, Brazil, and China — are making more requests to conduct trade in other currencies.

The Dangers of Inflation

Inflation is the gradual loss of purchasing power, reflected in a broad rise in prices for goods and services. It reflects an increased cost of living in a country, causing reduced freedom in spending, fewer savings, and loss of goods and services. The world is going through a global recession and a steep decline in business activities, leading to universal problems and dangers.

The Great Debate: Do Environmental Policies Help or Harm the Public and Economy?

The global community has recently faced a challenge: how to mitigate the negative effects of climate change without harming the public. Rising temperatures, shrinking glaciers, and intense droughts are just the tip of the iceberg when discussing global warming and its effects on people and the economy. Scientists and governments worldwide have issued different environmental policies to try and slow down the effects of global warming, such as AIM, The (BEACH) Act, and the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Challenges and Opportunities: Restarting Federal Loan Payments in 2023

After a three-year pause, federal loan payments are resuming in October 2023. These payments are predicted to have neither positive nor negative economic effects on the US economy. The timing, however, could be better. People are still dealing with the post-pandemic challenges and side effects. With new variants coming out, people face many of the same challenges they did back in the day when COVID-19 first appeared.

OpenAI Heads in a New Direction — or So We Thought

ChatGPT has developed into one of the most significant tech platforms in the entire world. However, OpenAI, the “mother company” of ChatGPT, has been recently put under a different spotlight: power. This time, it’s not only about the technological power of the company but rather the power struggle of its leaders. From owning a small nonprofit in 2015 to a billion-dollar company today, CEO Sam Altman (along with co-founder Greg Brockman and chief scientist Ilya Sustkever) has brought OpenAI to the next level by strategically structuring the business to make a profit.

Putin’s Gas Embargo and its Implications on the EU

EU countries have paid more than 47 billion euros ($47.43 billion) to Russia for gas and oil since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24 of 2021; according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Moscow’s new payment scheme of foreign gas buyers having to deposit euros or dollars into an account at its privately owned Russian bank Gazprombank, has led to strict European action.

Barbie: A Passion Project Turned Financial Feat

The recent triumph of the Barbie movie has not only been a huge financial win for Mattel, but has also generated positive attention for the brand itself. Released in July, the Barbie movie has enjoyed an exceptional run at the box office, generating over $1.38 billion in worldwide revenue. The film has provided a significant boost to Barbie’s merchandise sales and sparked partnerships with over 165 retailers across the world, leading to the promotion and presence of Barbie dolls and merchandise in stores globally.

The Emergence and Efficiency of Influencer marketing

In today’s digital age, the landscape of marketing has undergone a major transformation. Traditional advertising methods, such as newspaper ads and phone banking, are no longer as effective as they once were, and businesses are constantly looking for innovative ways to engage with their target audience. One such strategy that has gained immense popularity is influencer marketing. According to our State of Influencer Marketing 2023: Benchmark Report, influencer marketing has grown into a $21.1 billion industry.

Chain Effects of China’s Real Estate Crisis

China has been taking devastating losses due to the real estate crisis. Soon, the United States may start to experience these effects as well. In recent years, China’s population has continued increasing and people began migrating to cities in search of new economic opportunities. As a result of rapid urbanization, cities were now able to provide migrants abundant labor, cheap land, and good infrastructure.

The Rise and Fall of Blue Apron

When Blue Apron, an American ingredient-and-recipe meal kit business, launched in August 2012, the company promised to disrupt grocery stores and restaurants with its innovative meal kits, delivering fresh, precisely-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes that consumers could prepare in the comfort of their own kitchens. After a positive initial reception, the company quickly found success, and reached its peak with a two billion dollar valuation in 2015 (Yahoo Finance).

Urban Doom loop in the U.S.

According to the New York Times, a doom loop is “when one negative event triggers another, which in turn triggers a new bad event or worsens the first.” An urban doom loop is characterized as a closed, self-reinforcing cycle that can describe the interconnected challenges that many modern cities face.

Examining the Economics of Movie Theaters

With the popularity of streaming services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many movie theaters close, the flock to cinemas has been challenging. CNBC notes that due to consolidation and location closures, total screens in the U.S. have declined by 3,000 since 2019. There are 40,000 screens today.

A Residency Boom: What It Means for the Las Vegas Economy

The popularity of concert residencies at various Las Vegas resorts has resulted in a boom to the local economy. People from all over the United States and the world travel to see their favorite performers sing and dance while spending money on transportation, hotels, food, beverage, and concert tickets. Additionally, many splurge on merchandise, experiences, and other forms of entertainment.

The Economic Issues Behind Disaster Capitalism

The devastating wildfires that destroyed 80 percent of Lahaina, Maui, in August also ignited a debate over local water rights. When the West Maui Land Company asked to suspend Lahaina’s water rights in order to fill the company’s reservoirs with water to fight the fire — a request that was granted by Hawaii Governor Josh Green — Native Hawaiians were outraged. “To take that away from them is just like colonization repeating itself all over again,” seventh-generation Native Hawaiian farmer Hokuao Pellegrino told CNN.

Is Pickleball Profitable?

Over the last few years, pickleball has grown in popularity and this year its popularity has exploded. Whether players are in their sixties or in their teens, everyone loves pickleball. It also seems that pickleball athletes not only love to play the sport, they also love to watch it. Social media such as Instagram and TikTok are rich with videos that can be entertaining, as well as helpful for players. In fact, there is even a web-based Pickleball Channel, which was started in 2014, but has also gained in popularity. Additionally, major pickleball tournaments can be seen on The Tennis Channel, CBS and ESPN. Pickleball seems to be everywhere.

Secondhand Stores Get New Life

Secondhand stores have increased in popularity recently. Both the drive to more sustainable, environmentally friendly shopping as well as the increase in inflation rates have launched this consumer trend. Retail prices continue to rise as U.S. annual inflation rates go against the consumer. December’s inflation rate of 3.4% was higher than the November rate of 3.1%. Although December 2023 experienced a lower rate compared to last year’s rate of 6.5% in December 2022, it was still above analyst expectations, according to CNN Business. High inflation rates result in consumer spending pressure as consumers feel the heat and cut back on discretionary spending. These moves have propelled the interest in secondhand shopping.

How Countries Use Price Elasticity to Shape Tourism

The 2023 holiday season has come to a close — for some people, this time marked the start of exciting travel to reunite with loved ones, explore new places, or simply unwind! Some people chose to escape the cold in North America or Europe and travel to beach destinations like Miami, the Bahamas, Goa, or even Bali, while others opt for the more adventurous vacations and travel to places like Aspen for skiing, or Peru for hiking.

The Economics of Basketball

Since 1891, basketball has grown into a worldwide athletic phenomenon. It originally started as an indoor sport in schools to engage students during harsh weather conditions in the winter. Soon it spread enough that the Nation Basketball Association was formed to oversee the sport as stated in the Sports History Network. Its popularity has increased as it transformed from neighborhood pick-up games to large arenas hosting professional players and thousands of fans. In the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), Basketball is one of the few sports that has a junior varsity team for both girls and boys in many schools throughout New York City, due to its popularity. .

Microsoft Surpasses Apple with the Help of AI

As generative A.I. brings new developments into the tech market, the decade-long competition between Apple and Microsoft for the top spot as the highest-market-value company faces a new age. On Friday, January 12, Microsoft officially surpassed Apple as the most valuable publicly traded company as the former’s market cap rose to $2.89 trillion while the latter’s dropped to $2.87 trillion.

Meat and the evolution of its plant-based alternatives

Worldwide meat production has reached 350 million tons in 2023, compared to 70 million tons back in 1961: a 400% increase as the amount eaten by people has doubled. In fact, meat consumption could increase by as much as another 160 percent by 2050. The growth of meat has been so important as the population keeps increasing.

How streaming services affect Fan Viewership in the NFL

While the 2023 NFL season brought joy to many fans this year, many were outraged at exclusive partnerships that the NFL had made with multiple paid streaming services, such as Amazon Prime and Peacock. For decades fans used to be able to watch NFL games comfortably live through their television providers or on their cable box.