Authors are already squeezed financially. Will AI make it worse?

Jul 18, 2024
Many writers see AI as a threat, says Rebecca Ackermann. Outcomes are uncertain, but there's widespread worry about being replaced as creators.
The Authors Guild recommends that writers try to protect their work by including AI clauses in book contracts, says journalist Rebecca Ackermann.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Working toward an economy that meets everyone's needs

Natalie Foster, President of the Economic Security Project, discusses the important role of government guarantees in shaping the future of the economy.
In her new book, Natalie Foster explores the feasibility of a new economic framework that would mean more economic stability for everyday Americans.
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Are we still living in Milton Friedman’s economy?

Nov 15, 2023
A conversation about the life and legacy of economist Milton Friedman with historian Jennifer Burns.
Milton Friedman, one of the most famous economists of the 20th century, died in 2006. But his ideas remain a presence in economics today.
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Preparing for a bump in book sales, post-Nobel win

Oct 6, 2023
The new Nobel laureate in literature, Jon Fosse, is known in much of the world, but has yet to become a household name in the US.
Norwegian writer Jon Fosse — recent recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature — poses for a photo at his home near Frekhaug, Norway, on Oct. 5.
Eirik Hagesaeter/Bergensavisen/AFP via Getty Images

That best-selling romance book? It might be based on fan fiction

Sep 6, 2023
Major publishing houses are looking to popular fan fiction sites to find new authors.
One popular fan fiction romantic pairing is Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver in the "Star Wars" movies, and Rey Skywalker.
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Thanks to fans, the literary legacy of a beloved pony lives on

Jul 21, 2023
A museum asked the public to pony up funds to buy the ranch in the "Misty of Chincoteague" books. Thousands of readers delivered.
The taxidermied body of Misty the horse in the Museum of Chincoteague Island.
Kimberly Adams/Marketplace

Americans are spending less on hobbies. How's that affecting stores that rely on them?

May 18, 2023
Commerce Department data shows retail sales for sporting goods, hobby, instrument and book stores were down 5.4% in April compared to a year ago. Sales for garden equipment and supplies were down too.
Lindsay Farrell, who works at Canton Games in Baltimore, holds out a 100-sided die. It costs $44.99. Stephanie Hughes / Marketplace

For public good, not for profit.

How private equity creates a "circle of pain" in the US economy

Apr 27, 2023
Private equity "is a major driver of the enormous gulf between rich and poor in this country," says author Gretchen Morgenson.
The private equity firm Blackstone Group, led by Stephen A. Schwarzman (center) is among the top buyers in leveraged buyouts over the last several decades.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Amid dire climate change projections, a new book argues that hope still matters

Apr 24, 2023
Well-known author Rebecca Solnit co-edited “Not Too Late,” which argues we shouldn't view climate change as a battle we've already lost.
"Not Too Late," said co-editor Rebecca Solnit, is "a toolbox to equip people with the ideas, the hope, the confidence, the context, to go out and do something."
Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

How low unemployment lifts workers at the bottom

Mar 29, 2023
In "Moving the Needle: What Tight Labor Markets Do for the Poor," authors Newman and Jacobs advocate letting tight labor markets stay that way.
"When unemployment goes below about 4.5%, folks who've been out of work find work and keep work," said author Elisabeth Jacobs.
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