Monday, October 18, 2021

War over minimum wage tells you a lot about economics

+ teaching kids to be creative ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Politicians, activists and economists have been fighting over the minimum wage for well over a century – at least since Massachusetts became the first state to create one in 1912. But while politicians and activists may base their support or opposition to a policy on belief, economists are supposed to ground their views in data.

The problem is economics involves the study of human behavior, which is notoriously hard to measure in a rigorous way, explains economist Veronika Dolar. So economists frequently turn to theory, models and abstraction to answer important questions, like whether raising the minimum wage will kill jobs. And this is why for decades most economists insisted the answer must be "yes."

One of this year's winners of the Nobel Prize in economics upended that theory-based consensus with a novel way to see the real-world effects of a minimum wage hike – changing the field of economics in the process, Dolar writes.

Also today:

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  • Turning work from home into an opportunity for rural communities
  • Does chewing ice damage your teeth?

  • Bryan Keogh

    Senior Editor, Economy + Business

    The fight over the minimum wage continues. AP Photo/John Raoux

    Does raising the minimum wage kill jobs? The centurylong search for the elusive answer shows why economics is so difficult – but data sure helps

    Veronika Dolar, SUNY Old Westbury

    The question is actually one of the most studied in all of economics and still doesn't have a definitive answer – though Nobel-winning economist David Card got us closer.

    Politics + Society

    Environment + Energy

    Education

    • Teachers must often face student attacks alone

      Charles Bell, Illinois State University

      Teachers say school districts have left them in the lurch in the wake of attacks by students. Some admit they resort to violence themselves to send a message to students who might want to test them.

    • How to nurture creativity in your kids

      James C. Kaufman, University of Connecticut

      Art classes and STEM toys are nice, but there are simple and free ways parents can encourage their child's creativity – or keep it from getting squashed.

    Health

    • Is chewing on ice cubes bad for your teeth?

      Matthew Cooke, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences

      A dentist explains why this is a habit worth breaking – no matter the cause or the strength of your cravings to keep doing it.

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    Wednesday, August 4, 2021

    5 myths about Cuba, debunked

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    Cuba has been in global headlines recently after rare anti-government protests erupted in July and led to at least 700 arrests, according to human rights organizations.

    Struggle, dissent, crackdown – it's a seemingly familiar cycle in Cuba. But what do you really know about this Caribbean island about 100 miles (161 km) from Florida?

    "Cuba remains largely an enigma to outsiders, and especially to Americans," writes Caroline McCulloch, a Cuba specialist at Florida International University. "Myths prevail because of Cuban government censorship and the United States' historic tendency – born of the Cold War – to stereotype and simplify the communist island."

    McCulloch explains five common misconceptions about Cuba and U.S.-Cuba relations.

    Also today:

    Catesby Holmes

    International Editor | Politics Editor

    Street view of Havana, Cuba, July 26, 2021, several weeks after mass protests broke out. Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images

    5 ways Americans often misunderstand Cuba, from Fidel Castro's rise to the Cuban American vote

    Caroline McCulloch, Florida International University

    Cuba: It's complicated.

    Ethics + Religion

    Environment + Energy

    Politics + Society

    Education

    Science + Technology

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