Addressing America’s Debt Problem
America has a debt problem. The U.S.’s debt is currently at $35 trillion and is increasing with no end in sight. Over the past ten years, “Interest expenses … have remained fairly stable due to low interest rates,” according to the Treasury Department. However, the rate hikes from the past few years meant that the...Continue reading→
Will AI Be a Job Killer?
One of the potent questions of the AI era is: what will happen to American jobs? With the rise of technologies like Chat GPT4 and Tesla’s Optimus robots, many Americans are concerned about the future of the labor market. Job Disruption Some economists think AI will have a positive impact on jobs. One study from...Continue reading→
Should Birth Be Free?
There are a lot of proposals aimed at supporting families – child tax credits, baby product tax exemptions, and family leave. But there’s another proposal that has been gaining steam the past few years – making birth free. Birth Rates Anxiety over declining fertility rates has brought enthusiasm in Catholic circles around the possibility of...Continue reading→
The Rising Price of Gold
The shiniest new investment on the market is…gold. Recently, the metal’s futures are up over 14% and the price per ounce has hit record highs – rising about 20% this year. Why Now? According to CNN, “Central banks see gold as a long-term store of value and a safe haven during times of economic and...Continue reading→
Painting the American Retirement Picture
Over the next six years, 30 million Baby Boomers will retire. Yet, “just over half have no more than $250,000 in financial assets,” according to the Wall Street Journal. That means those seniors will need to rely on Social Security benefits more than their earned assets. However, economists debate if America has a retirement crisis....Continue reading→
Is Marijuana More Dangerous Than You Think?
As weed legalization spreads, Americans are evaluating the negative effects of marijuana. The drug, legal in twenty-four states, has been linked to several health concerns. According to The Wall Street Journal, “more frequent use of marijuana that is many times as potent as strains common three decades ago is leading to more psychotic episodes.” Recently,...Continue reading→
Economic Impact of New Minimum Wage Law
California is giving fast food workers a boost. A new $20 minimum wage went into effect for California fast food workers in April 2024. According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, the new bill also establishes a Fast Food Council which “is empowered both to make future increases to the minimum wage and to...Continue reading→
The Problem of Decreasing Global Fertility
“Overpopulation is now the dominant problem in all our personal national, and international planning.” Those foreboding words were written in 1968 by Paul Ehrlich, former professor of Population Studies at Stanford University. His book, The Population Bomb, sparked international fear about overpopulation. Almost 60 years later, a new problem has captured the attention of many...Continue reading→
The Importance of Vitamin D
The vitamin industry is big and growing. Last year alone, the ‘vitamin & supplement manufacturing industry’ took in $40.9 billion, a 2.2% increase from 2022. The NIH estimates that about one-third of all US adults take multivitamins and about one-quarter of children and adolescents do too. Rays of Hope? While the efficacy of multivitamin is...Continue reading→
Reversing the Loneliness Trend
The U.S. Government is concerned about loneliness – so much so that the Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, released a warning last year. “Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health,” he said. Alone Time The increase in loneliness is linked to several...Continue reading→
The Future of Your Taxes
As the election heats up, so does the debate about tax policy. At the center of much of the tax conversation is former president Trump’s tax bill from 2017. The bill capped top taxable rate at 37%, increased the standard deduction (the portion of your income not taxed), doubled the Child Tax Credit to $2000,...Continue reading→
Reviving Church Attendance
Church attendance among Americans has declined in most religious groups, according to a new Gallup Poll. This continues a decades-long slide begun at the turn of the 21st century. Church Attendance According to the poll, Mormons have held mostly steady, declining only 1%, while Catholics had one of the steepest drops of weekly or nearly...Continue reading→
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