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This Is Bad Stock Market News
Journalism, Macroeconomics

This Is Bad Stock Market News

6 Sep 2020 29 Oct 2021

When stock prices go up, is that good? And when they go down, it’s bad? That apparently is what many financial reporters assume, and they keep reminding us of …

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Editor Misses Story Right Under His Nose (Didn’t Do the Math)
Journalism

Editor Misses Story Right Under His Nose (Didn’t Do the Math)

25 Jul 2020 4 Sep 2020

There’s a lot of sloppy reporting about Coronavirus and here is a representative case. Global Report: Nearly a quarter of people in Delhi have had coronavirus, study finds.Antibodies found …

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Hello WSJ: When Was the Future Not Uncertain?
Journalism

Hello WSJ: When Was the Future Not Uncertain?

22 Jul 2020 19 Aug 2020

Article contains image of Wall Street Journal article “How to Make Money Decisions When the Future Is Uncertain”.

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The Media Ignore These Coronavirus Protection Strategies — You Shouldn’t
Health, Journalism

The Media Ignore These Coronavirus Protection Strategies — You Shouldn’t

1 Jul 2020 11 Jan 2021

The world’s journalists report every day about the importance of masks and social distancing. But they have virtually nothing else to tell you about protecting yourself from Coronavirus. At …

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What’s Wrong With Farmers Markets
Microeconomics

What’s Wrong With Farmers Markets

1 May 2020 10 Jan 2022

New Jersey USA, where I live, is awash in seasonal farmers markets. What’s not to love about that? They support local agriculture, and we get fresh nutritious food right …

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Nuclear Power: The Missing Cost-Benefit Analysis
Microeconomics

Nuclear Power: The Missing Cost-Benefit Analysis

7 Nov 2019 16 Oct 2020

An influential new book A Bright Future says the world need lots more nuclear energy to slow the carbon emissions that cause climate change. Renewable energy sources are okay …

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This Is the World’s Other Existential Crisis (Why Isn’t It In the News?)
Journalism, Macroeconomics

This Is the World’s Other Existential Crisis (Why Isn’t It In the News?)

16 Aug 2019 9 Oct 2020

Climate change is an “existential” crisis facing the world — at least according to news headlines. But there’s another looming crisis of the existential variety, that few reporters ever …

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Why You Should Buy A Plug-In Hybrid Car (And What Automotive Writers Fail To Tell You About Them)
Journalism, Microeconomics

Why You Should Buy A Plug-In Hybrid Car (And What Automotive Writers Fail To Tell You About Them)

20 May 2019 14 Sep 2020

Please try this simple thought-experiment about a little car trip: Assume you have a gasoline-powered, non-hybrid automobile that gets an average 24 miles per gallon. (Metric values below for …

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Silicon vs Silicone, For the Last Time
Journalism

Silicon vs Silicone, For the Last Time

20 Jan 2019 3 Sep 2020

To: Editors of The Guardian Subject: “Europe’s Silicone Valley”Message: Check your chemistry! Let’s clear this up once and for all. Computer chips are made of silicon. That’s element number …

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The Numbers Don’t Add Up
Journalism

The Numbers Don’t Add Up

20 Jan 2019 16 Aug 2020

This is an excerpt from a local newspaper owned by Gannett. Something struck me as puzzling. Can you spot it? Teaneck Opens Full-Day Pre-K Classes Through Grant About a …

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I’ve Seen This Mistake Probably Thousands Of Times
Journalism

I’ve Seen This Mistake Probably Thousands Of Times

10 Jan 2019 29 Aug 2020

If I tell you I have hundreds of dollars hidden under my mattress, maybe you will pity me. Obviously, having some amount between $100 and $999 will not get …

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Elizabeth Warren, Libertarian
Macroeconomics

Elizabeth Warren, Libertarian

7 Jan 2019 18 Aug 2020

U.S. progressives have lionized Senator Elizabeth Warren as champion of the 99 percent against the powers of Wall Street. But how many have looked up her views on education? …

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How Would You Solve This?
Microeconomics

How Would You Solve This?

2 Jan 2019 18 Aug 2020

What to do about a shortage of liquor licenses… or taxi licenses… New Jersey USA has a shortage of liquor licenses. Laws dating to the end of Prohibition limit …

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Who Is An Economist?
Journalism, Macroeconomics

Who Is An Economist?

1 Jan 2019 21 Aug 2020

Can someone be an economist, without a Ph.D. degree in the subject? The unwritten rule in USA is: No. This can get awkward. The chairman of the Federal Reserve …

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