The week is kicking off with fresh spikes for oil prices after President Donald Trump reimposed the naval blockage on the Strait of Hormuz.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 How GAO is Fighting Fraud and Reducing Improper Payments in Government Spending The federal government loses hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud each year and millions more to payment errors—also known as improper payments. GAO helps federal understand the causes of these losses and works with them to reduce risks….
Interview with Isabel Schnabel, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, conducted by Mark Schieritz and Kolja Rudzio on 19 June 2026 25 June 2026 There is now a ceasefire in the Middle East, and oil prices have fallen. What does this mean for the economy in Europe, and in Germany in particular? This…
It’s not surprising that President Trump chose to be introduced at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall by country singer Lee Greenwood performing his signature song, “God Bless the USA.” Its lyrics, combining patriotism with combativeness, are perfect for Trump. “The flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away.” “I’m proud to be an…
This study provides pre-registered, experimental evidence on the use of non-generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to support students in large-enrollment undergraduate courses. We find the chatbot messaging increased students’ final grades and engagement with academic supports, such as tutoring. Treatment effects were generally consistent across student demographics, with the exception of treated women in a…
Earnings inequality among college graduates has grown, and returns to a bachelor’s degree (BA) vary substantially across colleges. We experimentally evaluate a program that shifted high-achieving, low-income students into higher-quality colleges. Students randomly offered a guarantee of four years of tuition and fees at the University of Michigan were 21 percentage points more likely to…
Growth theory is based on the assumption of exponential total factor productivity (TFP) growth, or that the conditional expectation of the next TFP increment is proportional to the current level of TFP. In the U.S., we find strong evidence that TFP growth is conditionally additive, not exponential. Even starting from low priors, Bayesian estimation selects…
