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Three Questions

  • The Fed’s Many-Headed Dilemma

    According to Prof. William B. English, when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed and sent ripples through the financial system, the Federal Reserve’s challenge of pursuing maximum employment and low inflation “got even harder.”

    The Federal Reserve building seen past caution tape
  • What’s Next for the Startups That Banked with SVB?

    Federal intervention restored access to startups’ funds, but Yale SOM’s Song Ma says there are important lessons in the episode for founders, starting with diversifying their financial relationships.

    Customers at Silicon Valley Bank headquarters, seen through a window.
  • Is the Collapse of SVB the Start of a Banking Panic?

    Silicon Valley Bank, a financial hub for tech startups, failed and was seized by regulators this week. Prof. Andrew Metrick, who has studied past financial crises, explains how SVB’s balance sheet got squeezed and what's next for the banking sector.

    SVB sign
  • No, That New Study Doesn’t Show that Masks Are Useless

    We asked Prof. Jason Abaluck, who co-authored a landmark randomized trial of mask promotion in Bangladesh, what conclusions we can draw from the recent Cochrane Review—and what the evidence says about the effectiveness of masks.

    A group of airline passengers, one of whom is wearing a mask.
  • The Balloons Signal a New Age of Mass Surveillance

    Prof. Paul Bracken, an expert in global competition and strategy, says these encounters reveal an urgent need for citizens and governments to catch up on how much we’re already being spied on.

    A high-altitude Chinese balloon over Billings, Montana, on February 1.
  • Will the Backlash from the Right Slow ESG Investing?

    A string of Republican-led states have pulled funds from firms that use environmental, social, and governance criteria in making investments. We asked Yale SOM’s Todd Cort what the political backlash means for the future of ESG investing.

    Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst questioning finance industry executives about ESG investing at a hearing in December 2022.
  • The End of Noncompete Agreements May Be Near

    Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission unveiled a proposal that would block companies from limiting their employees’ ability to work for a rival through noncompete agreements. We asked Yale SOM’s Fiona Scott Morton about the ban’s potential impact on wages, innovation, and the economy as a whole.

    A drawing of a bird escaping a cage
  • How to Give Better Gifts

    Do your loved ones want their presents to be expensive or thoughtful? Do they want to be surprised or to get items from their wish lists? We asked Professor Nathan Novemsky, a psychologist and expert in consumer behavior, to explain some of the common mistakes that gift-givers make.

    Illustration of a gift
  • Did Ticketmaster’s Market Dominance Fuel the Chaos for Swifties?

    Taylor Swift fans scrambling for concert tickets faced endless queues and crashes on the Ticketmaster website. Yale SOM economist Florian Ederer explains the antitrust issues at play and the tradeoffs inherent in satisfying overwhelming demand.

    Taylor Swift performs at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2019.
  • Will the Fed Keep Raising Rates?

    We asked Prof. William English, a former Fed official, to interpret the announcements at the Federal Open Market Committee’s monthly meeting last week.

    Federal Reserve Board chairman Jerome Powell answering questions at a news conference.