Author: kmenke

Emma Gonzalez speaking a podium for a March For Our Lives event Research Brief / Politics

The Odd History of Gun Legislation Following Mass Shootings

GOP legislatures often made firearm laws looser after infamous events

An aerial view of California's Shasta Lake taken in 2024 Research Brief / Global Warming

The New Math for Reservoir Management Amid Climate Change

Sacramento River Basin serves as a test case for conserving water over unpredictable weather cycles

An illustration of two figures marching inside endless treadmills. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The More They Do It, the More Some People Prefer To Continue a Tedious Task

Even when there’s an easy-to-access better alternative, some prefer their rut

A castle with a moat Research Brief / Investing

The Moat That Keeps Complex Asset Strategies Profitable

Andrea Eisfeldt finds that hedge funds with infrastructure to execute sophisticated arbitrage crowd out less-expert investors

Multicolored soap bubbles on a black background. Research Brief / Investing

The Mechanics of How Social Media Turbocharges Asset Bubbles

Establishment media coalesces around a lone narrative, but online chatter hops between storylines, sometimes shocking traders

Qanon supporters in a crowd Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The Malleability of Who Falls for Conspiracy Theories

It’s not just sheep — even go-getters can be susceptible when they feel less in control

Colleagues sitting at table in conference room at business meeting. Research Brief / Productivity

The Makeup of Your Team Should Dictate How and When You Have Meetings

Team size and how staffer productivity varies are crucial considerations

Quiz

The Low-Paid Workers Who Make AI Go

Also: A bot lets young adults text with their 60-year-old selves; when nonprofits should let volunteers call dibs on tasks; and how hard times affect political beliefs and preferences

Monochrome picture of people disembarking a ship Feature / Politics

The Long-Term Political Influence of Immigrants

Europeans brought an appreciation of social welfare programs that still resonates

Research Brief / Advertising

The Long History of Middlemen Earning a Lucrative, Fixed Commission

Ad agencies’ 15% fee lasted 100 years longer than it might have

Quiz

The Key To Spotting a Coming Recession? Local Banks

Also: De-macho-ing job ads alters the applicant pool; old bank learning new tricks

Bird's eye view of a suburb Research Brief / Housing

The Housing Meltdown Would Have Been Far Worse Without California’s Anti-Foreclosure Laws

Restraining lenders saved hundreds of billions in home value

A view of the back of a young woman in white shirt with black polka dots and a black purse looped through her arm sits on stairs outside Research Brief / Minimum Wage

The High Cost of Losing a Minimum Wage Job

Contrary to assumptions, low-wage workers lose substantial income in years after layoff

Illustration of a young man looking into a mirror, reflecting his older self Feature / Time

The Healthy Upside of Thinking about an Older You

Consciously imagining our older self can spur us to take better care of ourselves now

Aerial shot of a port Forecast / International Trade

The Dollar: That Other Trade Problem

A strong currency makes U.S. exports harder to sell, even outside of China

Research Brief / COVID-19

The Dollar Store Fix for Vaccination Deserts

Pharmacies aren’t everywhere — adding dollar stores could reduce average distance to vaccination by 62%