August 16, 2023

Last week, wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui caused unprecedented destruction, killing 106 people and leveling thousands of buildings. The worst damage occurred in the resort town of Lahaina, which will cost billions of dollars and several years to rebuild. Like many other Hawaiian communities, Lahaina relies heavily on the tourism industry, drawing 2 million visitors annually. Of course, thousands of tourists and residents have evacuated the town and the western side of Maui in recent weeks as dry Continue reading

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August 4, 2023

The YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is the video-sharing platform’s most popular creator, boasting more than 172 million subscribers and counting. Donaldson has parlayed his massive success on YouTube into numerous other businesses, including food brands like the snack line Feastables and MrBeast Burger. He co-founded the latter in 2020 after partnering with Virtual Dining Concepts, a company that specializes in serving food through “ghost kitchens.” These ventures take up residence in the kitchens of established restaurants Continue reading

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July 19, 2023

At the beginning of May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted to strike against major Hollywood studios, citing poor working conditions and declining pay as the primary causes of the work stoppage. Although the union does not appear to be any closer to signing a new deal than they were months ago, members of the WGA have recently seen their picket lines become stocked with new faces, some of which are quite famous. That’s because last week the Screen Continue reading

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July 12, 2023

According to consumer watchdogs, for years Bank of America charged customers a variety of “junk fees” while also mishandling accounts. Not only did the financial giant withhold perks that were promised to some credit card holders, but it also double-charged overdraft fees and secretly opened cards in customers’ names without their knowledge. As a result, Bank of America received a $150 million fine from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which Continue reading

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Retailers have long relied on credit cards and companies like Paypal to provide payment options for customers, but recently these services have faced some new competition. Firms like Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay offer “buy now, pay later” models that can be an appealing alternative to credit cards. As the video below shows, though, these services could potentially be dangerous to consumers while also failing to maintain steady profits for investors.

Questions:

  1. What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of using Continue reading
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June 15, 2023

The Writers Guild of America has been on strike for more than a month and a half as they continue to demand better working conditions in modern Hollywood. This video takes an in-depth look at how streaming services like Netflix and Hulu completely changed the business of writing for television, from shorter schedules and smaller residual checks to depriving writers of vital experience by keeping them off set. 

Questions:

  1. How does spending time “on set” allow writers to gain Continue reading
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On rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber as well as platforms like Airbnb, customers are encouraged to rate their overall experience out of five stars. The general goal of these ratings is to inform both the company and future customers about an individual’s performance on the job. After all, if an Uber driver keeps their car dirty or swerves all over the road, then the rider can leave a low rating to reflect their subpar experience. Then again, that’s how Continue reading

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The Covid-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of zero-contact transactions, with self-checkout terminals becoming ubiquitous in American grocery stores, big box retailers, sports stadiums, and many other businesses. While these stations can be convenient for customers and cost-effective for companies, there’s one feature that some people are not too happy about: prompts to leave a tip. “They’re cutting labor costs by doing self-checkout. So what’s the point of asking for a tip? And where is it going?” said Ishita Continue reading

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In 2017, English pop star Ed Sheeran got hit with a legal complaint alleging that the melody of one of his most popular songs was copied from another tune. According to plaintiffs in the lawsuit, his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” resembled the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On” to such a degree that it infringed on the latter song’s copyright. Sheeran vehemently denied any wrongdoing and challenged the suit, which lingered in court for years due to the Continue reading

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Lawmakers are once again butting heads about raising the debt ceiling, a limit on the total amount of money that the federal government is authorized to borrow. This video looks at the potential economic consequences that could follow if legislators fail to reach an agreement and default on the nation’s debt. 

Questions:

  1. How does debt help drive the U.S. economy?
  2. Why are U.S. bonds traditionally seen as reliable investments? How could that change if the country defaults on its debt?
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