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Three Questions

  • 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
  • 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