CHICAGO  —  War is horrific, no matter how it is waged. Nevertheless, Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, with its scenes of Ukrainian civilians being murdered or driven from their homes, undoubtedly had to be opposed.

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.