Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

Are we still living in Milton Friedman’s economy?

Nov 15, 2023
A conversation about the life and legacy of economist Milton Friedman with historian Jennifer Burns.
Milton Friedman, one of the most famous economists of the 20th century, died in 2006. But his ideas remain a presence in economics today.
STAFF/AFP via Getty Images

Preparing for a bump in book sales, post-Nobel win

Oct 6, 2023
The new Nobel laureate in literature, Jon Fosse, is known in much of the world, but has yet to become a household name in the US.
Norwegian writer Jon Fosse — recent recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature — poses for a photo at his home near Frekhaug, Norway, on Oct. 5.
Eirik Hagesaeter/Bergensavisen/AFP via Getty Images

That best-selling romance book? It might be based on fan fiction

Sep 6, 2023
Major publishing houses are looking to popular fan fiction sites to find new authors.
One popular fan fiction romantic pairing is Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver in the "Star Wars" movies, and Rey Skywalker.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Thanks to fans, the literary legacy of a beloved pony lives on

Jul 21, 2023
A museum asked the public to pony up funds to buy the ranch in the "Misty of Chincoteague" books. Thousands of readers delivered.
The taxidermied body of Misty the horse in the Museum of Chincoteague Island.
Kimberly Adams/Marketplace

Americans are spending less on hobbies. How's that affecting stores that rely on them?

May 18, 2023
Commerce Department data shows retail sales for sporting goods, hobby, instrument and book stores were down 5.4% in April compared to a year ago. Sales for garden equipment and supplies were down too.
Lindsay Farrell, who works at Canton Games in Baltimore, holds out a 100-sided die. It costs $44.99. Stephanie Hughes / Marketplace

How private equity creates a "circle of pain" in the US economy

Apr 27, 2023
Private equity "is a major driver of the enormous gulf between rich and poor in this country," says author Gretchen Morgenson.
The private equity firm Blackstone Group, led by Stephen A. Schwarzman (center) is among the top buyers in leveraged buyouts over the last several decades.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Amid dire climate change projections, a new book argues that hope still matters

Apr 24, 2023
Well-known author Rebecca Solnit co-edited “Not Too Late,” which argues we shouldn't view climate change as a battle we've already lost.
"Not Too Late," said co-editor Rebecca Solnit, is "a toolbox to equip people with the ideas, the hope, the confidence, the context, to go out and do something."
Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

How low unemployment lifts workers at the bottom

Mar 29, 2023
In "Moving the Needle: What Tight Labor Markets Do for the Poor," authors Newman and Jacobs advocate letting tight labor markets stay that way.
"When unemployment goes below about 4.5%, folks who've been out of work find work and keep work," said author Elisabeth Jacobs.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

As book bans sweep the country, an adaptation for young readers pushes back

Mar 6, 2023
Heather McGhee's new version of "The Sum of Us" urges transcending racial barriers and creating "common solutions to our common problems."
Author Heather McGhee greets a young girl as she buys books for her middle school teachers at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. McGhee adapted her book "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together" for a young audience.
Paul Peachey

Making a major life change? These financial steps can help

Whether you've decided it's time to change jobs or you're dealing with an unforeseen circumstance.
Ridofranz via Getty Images