CHICAGO  —  Smart economic policymaking invariably requires trading off some pain today for greater future gains. But this is a difficult proposition politically, especially in democracies.

CHICAGO — Price increases in the United States are spreading across goods and services, and inflation also can be seen in broad-based business inputs such as transportation, energy, and increasingly labour.

CHICAGO — Inflation readings in the United States have shot up in recent months. Labour markets are extremely tight.

CHICAGO — With President Joe Biden’s administration recommitting the United States to the Paris climate agreement, and with a major United Nations climate-change conference (COP26) coming later this year, there is new hope for meaningful global policies to meet the challenge.

CHICAGO — Digital payments are attracting growing interest, and eye-popping numbers abound, as demonstrated by the US payment processor Stripe’s recent $95 billion valuation.

CHICAGO  —  US President Joe Biden wants to “build back better” after the pandemic. It’s a widely shared goal. But what exactly does it mean, and how should we do it?Clearly, we should build back with more equality of opportunity.

CHICAGO — As the COVID-19 pandemic rages, governments in advanced economies have opened their coffers to support households and small businesses, spending on the order of 15-20 per cent of GDP in many cases.

CHICAGO — With the COVID-19 pandemic reinforcing concerns about economic inequality, left-behind communities, discrimination and climate change, there is increasing pressure on corporations to do more than sell a good widget at an affordable price.

CHICAGO — With the COVID-19 pandemic reinforcing concerns about economic inequality, left-behind communities, discrimination and climate change, there is increasing pressure on corporations to do more than sell a good widget at an affordable price.