Abstract: Disruptions to global supply chains have taken on a new level of complexity in recent months, this time caused by a shortage of shipping containers. Despite estimates of as many as 180 million shipping containers in existence worldwide, increased demand for goods combined with…
This podcast is being recorded early in January 2021. The vaccines are starting to roll out slowly across the country, offering some hope that this pandemic will be moderating soon. So we decided it’d be a good idea to talk about the economics of vaccines.…
Social media platforms like Facebook rely on a targeted-ad business model, which generates revenue by using detailed behavioral information to direct ads to individual members. That bland description fails to convey even a hint of the profound threat this business model poses to the nation’s…
In 2008, American Airlines became the first major airline in the US to announce they would begin charging an additional fee for checked baggage. Initially, the fees were added to offset the high price of fuel, which is an airline’s main marginal cost. However, now…
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner grocery and drug stores are starting to stock their shelves with many of the usual sights: Teddy Bears, candy heart candies, roses, and greeting cards. These products have been staples of the Valentine’s holiday for decades. However, in…
Last year, the U.S. economy shrank by 3.5 percent as Americans had their lives turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. This made 2020 the worst year for growth since 1946 when the economy contracted by more than 11 percent in the immediate aftermath of…
This video explores the new agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union that was reached after a tumultuous four-year period of withdrawal negotiations. Under the new agreement, goods between the United Kingdom and the European Union will continue to flow unfettered by tariffs…