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Three Questions

  • What Will It Take to Make Housing More Affordable?

    We asked Prof. Cameron LaPoint, whose research interests include real estate and household finance, if Kamala Harris’s proposal can make a difference.

    Construction of new housing in Falls Church, Virginia, in 2023.
  • The Fed Is Cutting Rates Soon. Should I Wait to Get a Loan?

    Many homebuyers and other borrowers incorrectly believe that they get a lower rate by waiting until a cut becomes official, according to Prof. Kelly Shue. This misconception is so widespread that it can undercut the effectiveness of Fed monetary policy.

    Mortgage rates in the window of a Bank of America office
  • How Could the Lawsuit against Apple Shift the Smartphone Landscape?

    We asked Prof. Fiona Scott Morton, the former chief economist for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, how a successful suit would change the devices and services available to consumers.

    iPhones on display
  • What Have the Bots Learned about Us?

    The emergence of generative AI has opened new possibilities for the mass creation and dissemination of misinformation. Are the major social media platforms ready? We talked to Prof. Tauhid Zaman, who studies how bots manipulate opinion on social networks.

    A closeup of a women's eye with a computer screen reflected in it
  • What Does a Record Stock Market Mean?

    We asked Yale SOM’s William Goetzmann, an expert on financial markets and the history of finance, what soaring stock prices say about the economy and the future of the markets.

    A trader in front of computer terminals at the New York Stock Exchange
  • When Companies Reverse Their Climate Commitments

    Companies announce climate goals with great fanfare—but all too often, they eventually scale back or fail to implement those pledges. We asked Yale SOM’s Todd Cort how significant these reversals are and what should be done to encourage companies to keep making progress.

    Climate protesters outside AIG headquarters in Manhattan in 2021.
  • What Went Wrong at OpenAI?

    Days after he was suddenly fired, CEO Sam Altman returned to OpenAI on November 21, and the board that removed him was overhauled. We asked leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld how the company’s structure and the performance of the board contributed to the chaos.

    Sam Altman
  • Can China Reverse Its Economic Slump?

    Earlier this week, the Chinese central bank unexpectedly cut a key interest rate in an effort to reinvigorate a stalling economy. We asked Yale’s Stephen Roach about the outlook for China and the rest of the world.

    The sun setting over a vast field of shipping containers
  • The Secret of the Barbie Movie’s Marketing Success

    Barbie is a genuine phenomenon, reaching $1 billion in worldwide box office in only three weeks on the strength of legions of pink-clad moviegoers. We asked Yale SOM’s Zoe Chance, a former Mattel brand manager, about the movie’s marketing and message.

    Fans in New York’s Times Square wearing Barbie clothes for the opening of Barbie movie on July 21, 2023.
  • 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