Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 20h

This is wild… Qatar will be building an Air Force base in my home state of Idaho to train pilots alongside US soldiers.

www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/heg...

Hegseth announces Qatar will build air force facility at U.S. base in Idaho

The move is a sign of increasingly close ties between the U.S. and Qatar.

www.cbsnews.com

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 1d

Fun fact: You can write clarinet lessons off on your taxes! (with a note from your dentist) It’s one of thousands of exemptions

I look at why U.S. taxes are so complicated for @marketplace.org with @dashching.bsky.social & Larry Zelenak @dukelaw.bsky.social

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/1...

taxes.you

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 1d

You had me at Frankenlatte

Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 1d

Ah! You are 100% right. I stand corrected

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 2d

Gold prices just hit an all-time high: Why gold is having a glow up right now.

#gold #economy #dollar

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 6d

Hey, that's my Econ 101 students! Talking econ! In the public square! With the great @svaneksmith.bsky.social!

Love you guys.

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

deenashanker.bsky.social @deenashanker.bsky.social · 8d

As the world feels more out of control and spending money on food grows more burdensome, perhaps there’s never been a better time to comfort ourselves with something new to dip our feelings in.

MY LATEST on condiments and why we can't stop buying them.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Why America’s Fridges Are Overflowing With Sauce

The pandemic is over, but households are still stocked up on fancy ketchups and chili crisp like the world could end tomorrow.

www.bloomberg.com

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 8d

We now have no-added sugar ketchup, pickle-flavored ketchup and pizza-flavored ketchup, but that doesn’t mean the $12 billion US condiment market is done expanding.

Why America’s Fridges Are Overflowing With Sauce

The pandemic is over, but households are still stocked up on fancy ketchups and chili crisp like the world could end tomorrow.

bloom.bg

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 8d

Ah—I did not mean to make the shutdown sound like a quibble. It is causing real harm. But the money I think is an excuse. I was trying to make the point that this big fight shutting down the govt is over what amounts to almost a rounding error in the budget

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 8d

Relatively speaking, it is pocket change but you’re right—these are not tiny amounts of money

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 9d

The government shutdown comes down to a couple of very tiny parts of the U.S.’s giant $7 trillion budget
#economy #shutdown #healthinsurance

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 10d

Whoa, White House withdraws Trump’s controversial nominee to lead BLS after ousting predecessor over jobs data
www.cnn.com/2025/09/30/p...

White House withdraws Trump’s controversial nominee to lead BLS after ousting predecessor over jobs data | CNN Politics

The White House has sent paperwork to the Senate to withdraw the nomination of E.J. Antoni as head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three sources told CNN.

www.cnn.com

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 11d

Let's do lunch. Today!

Who: You. And me. And @svaneksmith.bsky.social. Maybe a mystery guest.
What: Making sense of the current economic moment
Where: Online
When: 1pm EST
Why: Figuring out how to do business in this environment

Click: michiganross.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Leading Through Economic Uncertainty: A Live Conversation with Justin Wolfers & Stacey Vanek Smith. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email...

The economy doesn’t pause for quarterly reports—and neither can you. From shifting trade tensions to labor market challenges, today’s headlines can feel overwhelming, even contradictory. How do you di...

michiganross.zoom.us

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.bsky.social · 15d

lol in the meantime, catch me on Mornings with @zerlinamaxwell.bsky.social on Sirius XM Radio tomorrow for #FeministFridays! I am so grateful to Black women in journalism who have really made this book front and center for our communities and beyond. ❤️

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

Conor Sen @conorsen.bsky.social · 15d

*KLARNA GROUP SHARES FALL BELOW $40 IPO PRICE FOR FIRST TIME

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

Food Tank @foodtank.bsky.social · 15d

“Food is medicine” isn’t new; it’s wisdom passed down for generations. 🌱

Grace Young reminds us that Chinese cuisine teaches sustainability: eating with the seasons, cooking with care, honoring vegetables, and respecting local food traditions. #ClimateWeekNYC

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 16d

I think that's such a smart point. Yes! Economists will sometimes call this the "K-shaped" economy. The markets are hitting records, so stock holders (who tend to be wealthier) are doing well... meanwhile hiring is stagnant, inflation is high, so not great for lower wage workers

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 17d

Is the economy in stagflation? Technically no… but also, not “no”. Many economists are calling this moment “stagflation lite” (ht @byheatherlong.bsky.social and her excellent article in @washingtonpost.com )

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

Matt Levine @matt-levine.bsky.social · 18d

When some of these newsletters become big, there is a sort of arrogance that creeps in and they really don’t care that much about readers anymore. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...

Private Equity Is Getting Boring

Also VC competition, the DallasNews deal, AI in finance, stablecoin lending and black swans.

www.bloomberg.com

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 18d

In a moment of tariffs, war, and increasingly tense geopolitics, what happens to the global economy (and all of the people living in it)?

Please join me for a conversation with economist
@SongweVera this afternoon. #sdim25

www.weforum.org/meetings/sus...

Growth under Pressure

While global debt is forecast to increase to 100% of global GDP by the end of the decade, the economy is facing numerous headwinds, from fragmentation, environmental shocks, demographic pressures and ...

www.weforum.org

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Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · 22d

Happy Science Friday! Here’s what we’re covering today on the show. Listen on your local public radio station, 2-4 p.m. ET. 🧬🐦🎧

A black bird with red crest brings a mouthful of food to a chick waiting in a tree hole with its beak open. Text says: September 19 A trailblazing geneticist, prepping for an asteroid impact, rare birds' comeback, and more

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 22d

Omg!!! Is this how the AI revolution starts

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 22d

A very big week for the Federal Reserve! We saw the first interest rate cut or 2025… and then there was allll the drama behind the scenes.

#economy #federalreserve #jeromepowell #interestrates

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Stacey Vanek Smith @svaneksmith.bsky.social · 22d

It was wonderful getting to talk Fed policy with the great @leilafadel.bsky.social on @npr.org this morning… especially since I got to hear ✨ Scott Horsley just before. 📈 (he even brought up the dot plot)

www.npr.org/2025/09/18/n...

fornpr.org

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Reposted by Stacey Vanek Smith

David Gura @davidgura.bsky.social · 24d

Peter Coy pens a letter to current students at the college paper he edited in 1979:

"Wash away any thought you might have that journalism will reliably provide you with a comfortable standard of living."

ANNIVERSARY | Peter Coy

Former editor-in-chief Peter Coy '79 gives some prudent advice to young writers considering a career in journalism.

www.cornellsun.com

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