In Singapore, few desserts are more beloved than pandan chiffon cake. Soft, fluffy, and bright green, the cake gets its flavor from pandan, a tropical plant sometimes called “Asian vanilla.” For decades, this cake has been a common sight in Southeast Asian homes and bakeries. Now it’s catching on globally, driven by both nostalgia and curiosity. In the U.S. and Europe, pandan is showing up in ice creams, lattes, and pastries, appealing to young consumers looking for new flavors rooted Continue reading

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April 30, 2025

When Rayne Heath, a tech worker in Ohio, started shopping for a stroller, she planned to wait until after her baby shower. But after hearing about new tariffs on Chinese imports, she rushed to buy a $1,200 Nuna stroller before the price jumped by nearly $200. Heath’s story is increasingly common among expectant parents. Essential baby gear like strollers, car seats, and cribs—already costly—are becoming even more expensive due to new tariffs as high as 145% on products from China. Continue reading

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April 25, 2025

With more than 55 billion U.S. bank notes circulating the globe, keeping the American dollar safe from counterfeiters is an ever-evolving challenge. This video explores the many safety features that countries employ to protect their cash, from frequent redesigns and watermarks to holograms and secret molecular identifiers.

Questions:

  1. What are some design features that countries use to keep their money safe from counterfeiters?
  2. Why hasn’t the U.S. redesigned the one dollar bill for more than 60 years? Do you think Continue reading
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April 23, 2025

For Walmart, rising tariffs and worries about a possible recession are major concerns. Those economic pressures could make it harder for the company to keep prices low, which is a big part of why shoppers choose Walmart in the first place. One thing that’s helping the company is its membership program, Walmart+. Members made up nearly half of all online spending on Walmart’s website and app last year. These customers shop more often and spend more money than those without Continue reading

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April 4, 2025

In 1995, Costco took a big risk by creating its own private label, Kirkland Signature, to compete against name brands in numerous product categories. As this video explains, though, the warehouse retailer’s gamble paid off handsomely. Kirkland earned more than $86 billion in sales last year, and now other retailers are following Costco’s lead by expanding their own private labels. 

Questions:

  1. What are some advantages that private label products give to retailers? What are some drawbacks?  
  2. Why did Continue reading
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April 2, 2025

In October, we examined the uncertain future of 23andMe, a company that helped popularize direct-to-consumer genetic testing. On Sunday, the company filed for bankruptcy and announced the resignation of its founder, Anne Wojcicki. The bankruptcy raises urgent questions about the privacy of sensitive DNA data provided by more than 15 million customers. Since the data isn’t protected by health-privacy laws, it’s unclear what that would mean for people who have used 23andMe. For example, insurance companies could buy and Continue reading

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March 27, 2025

In the early 2000’s, finance companies got in trouble for targeting young people with gifts like pizza and free t-shirts in order to get them to apply for credit cards with high interest rates and big fees. These fee-heavy accounts made it easy to turn a small debt into a very large debt, leaving some college students bankrupt before they could start their careers. In 2010, the U.S. made it illegal to give free gifts for credit card applications. Since Continue reading

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March 19, 2025

Baseball is known as “America’s Pastime,” but Japan has its own thriving baseball culture steeped in more than a century of tradition. Over the past 30 years, more Japanese players have come to the U.S. and Canada to join Major League Baseball, increasing the size of the league’s Japanese fanbase. Now that cultural exchange is paying off for the league with a whole new market for merchandise, ticket sales, and broadcast revenue. In 2024, MLB sponsorship revenue from Japan increased Continue reading

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March 14, 2025

Do you live within five miles of a Walgreens? If you’re like almost 80 percent of the U.S. population, the answer is yes. The Walgreens Boots Alliance has grown its pharmacy chain into a massive conglomerate since Walgreens’ founding in 1901. Less than a decade ago, it officially became America’s largest drugstore chain with more than 13,000 stores all the way from Norway to Chile, Alaska to Thailand. Its stock was so successful that the Dow Jones Industrial Average chose Continue reading

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March 12, 2025

Air travel is one of the most volatile industries in the global economy, and airlines routinely lay off hundreds of employees at once to balance budgets after major upheavals. One exception to this rule has long been Southwest Airlines. The Dallas-based carrier hasn’t laid off any staffers in its more than five-decade history. Even after the 9/11 terrorist attacks when revenue dried up and other airlines initiated mass layoffs, Southwest avoided forced job cuts thanks to employees who donated part Continue reading

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