Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The 10-Year Treasury Rate: Why Is It Important and What Can Policy Do About It? | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 13d

What is the 10-year Treasury yield? What role does it play in the economy? What determines it? And what can the Treasury do to affect it?
econofact.org/the-10-year-...

What is the 10-year Treasury yield? What role does it play in the economy? What determines it? And what (if anything) can the Treasury do to affect it?

The Erosion of Central Bank Independence | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 14d

Kenneth Kuttner analyzes the relationship between a country's inflation rate and the effectiveness of its institutions.
econofact.org/the-erosion-...

Legal independence for central banks has increased around the world. But it is not a one-way road. What conditions lead to an erosion of autonomy?

3 6

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 16d

The independence of the Federal Reserve helps ensure it can make politically difficult decisions that are in the long-run best interest of the economy. @mwkleinphd.bsky.social explains: econofact.org/leaning-on-t...

The independence of the Federal Reserve helps to ensure that it can make politically difficult decisions that are in the long-run best interest of the economy.

Gun Violence in the U.S. | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 17d

The U.S. homicide rate is over 7 times greater than those of other industrialized economies, with guns accounting for 80% of homicides econofact.org/gun-violence...

Guns are the leading cause of death among children 1-19 in the U.S. and gun homicide the leading cause of death for young Black men. What policy options are there?

Why Has the Price of Gold Risen So Sharply? | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 19d

Charles Collyns and @mwkleinphd.bsky.social break down factors driving the recent increase in the price of gold.
econofact.org/why-has-the-...

Gold has a long history of being held as a financial asset by private investors and central banks, which can be the source of large shifts in its price.

Does the World Produce Enough Healthy Food? | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 19d

Healthy diets are are important for lifelong health and can protect against many diseases. Leah Costlow (Michigan State) analyzes if the world produces enough healthy food.
econofact.org/does-the-wor...

The world produces enough food for all people to consume sufficient calories, but not healthy diets. Access to healthy diets varies by region.

Taking Stock of the Economy: Fed Independence, Tariff Uncertainty, and a Shrinking Workforce | Econofact Chats

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 22d

EconoFact Chats features a wide-ranging discussion with a panel of distinguished economic journalists on the state of the U.S. economy.
econofact.org/podcast/taki...

A wide ranging discussion with a distinguished panel of economic journalists on the current state of the U.S. economy.

How Immune Is the Federal Reserve From Political Pressure? | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 24d

@tdecon.bsky.social's analysis of personal interactions between US presidents and Federal Reserve officials between 1933 and 2016 shows that there were times when pressure from the president influenced the Fed’s activities at the expense of price stability.
econofact.org/how-immune-i...

An analysis of meetings between US presidents and Fed officials finds times when presidential pressure influenced the Fed at the expense of price stability.

2

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 26d

@mwkleinphd.bsky.social explains why the Federal Reserve's independence is essential for making politically difficult decisions that are in the long-run best interest of the economy.
econofact.org/leaning-on-t...

The independence of the Federal Reserve helps to ensure that it can make politically difficult decisions that are in the long-run best interest of the economy.

The U.S. Economy: Still the “Envy of the World”? | Econofact Chats

3 19

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 27d

On EconoFact Chats this week, @MarkZandi (Moody's) discusses the economic impacts of tariffs and a more restrictive immigration policy: econofact.org/podcast/the-...

A discussion with Mark Zandi on the impact of tariffs and a restrictive immigration policy on U.S. economic growth and inflation.

Immigration and Waning US Labor Force Growth | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · 28d

What are the consequences for US labor markets and GDP if immigration does not continue to sustain workforce growth? econofact.org/immigration-...

The growth of the working-age population born in the U.S. has slowed dramatically — particularly among less-educated workers. Has immigration filled the gap?

The U.S. Economy: Still the “Envy of the World”? | Econofact Chats

Reposted by EconoFact

Michael Klein @mwkleinphd.bsky.social · 29d

@markzandi.bsky.social discusses the state of the economy (worrying), threats to the Fed (chilling), the national debt (rising) and AI (promising) in the new @econofact.bsky.social podcast. econofact.org/podcast/the-...

A discussion with Mark Zandi on the impact of tariffs and a restrictive immigration policy on U.S. economic growth and inflation.

Gold price hits record high—what it says about US economy

2 1 3

Reposted by EconoFact

The Fletcher School @fletcherschool.bsky.social · Sep 5

Professor @mwkleinphd.bsky.social quoted in a piece on the rise of global investments in gold. @newsweek.com @econofact.bsky.social

www.newsweek.com/gold-prices-...

Experts cited heightened uncertainty around trade and monetary policy among the many factors fueling gold's recent rally.

www.newsweek.com

Covering What Matters in Economic Journalism | Econofact Chats

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · Jul 29

Heather Long (Navy Federal Credit Union) reflects on her career as an economic journalist, highlighting her efforts to look beyond broad statistics to get a more nuanced and deeper insight into the state of the economy econofact.org/podcast/cove...

Heather Long reflects on her career as an economic journalist, highlighting her efforts to look beyond broad statistics to get deeper insights on the state of the economy.

The Mystery of the Declining U.S. Birth Rate | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · Jul 28

The US birth rate has been declining for nearly a decade, with no clear link to demographic, economic, or policy changes. Melissa Kearney, Philip Levine, and Luke Pardue explore what’s driving this trend, and why it’s unlikely to reverse anytime soon. econofact.org/the-mystery-...

The U.S. birth rate has fallen by 20% since 2007. If sustained, this could impact economic growth, productivity, and social insurance programs down the line.

Reposted by EconoFact

The Fletcher School @fletcherschool.bsky.social · Jul 18

"The independence of the Federal Reserve helps to ensure that it can make politically difficult decisions that are in the long-run best interest of the economy," says Professor @mwkleinphd.bsky.social of @econofact.bsky.social.

econofact.org/leaning-on-t...

The independence of the Federal Reserve helps to ensure that it can make politically difficult decisions that are in the long-run best interest of the economy.

The Cost of Financing U.S. Government Debt | Econofact

Reposted by EconoFact

Michael Klein @mwkleinphd.bsky.social · Jul 23

Interest payments on the national debt are now bigger than spending on national defense. @dbergstresser.bsky.social in @econofact.bsky.social explains the sources of the increase in the interest burden of the debt & its maturity structure (and why that matters) econofact.org/the-cost-of-...

The relatively short maturity structure of US government debt means that increases in interest rates translate rapidly into higher interest costs.

Can the U.S. Reduce Its Reliance on Imported Rare Earth Elements? | Econofact

3 5

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · Jul 18

"Can the U.S. reduce its reliance on imported rare earths? Crescencia Maurer and Sharon Squassoni explain why China’s dominance in rare earth refining keeps U.S. supply chains vulnerable, and why building domestic capacity could take years.
Read more: econofact.org/can-the-u-s-...

The U.S. depends on China for rare earth components in many military and high-tech products. Building an alternative rare earth supply chain is years away.

https://econofact.org/can-the-u-s-reduce-its-reliance-on-imported-rare-earth-elements"

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · Jul 18

Why does Fed independence matter? @mwkleinphd.bsky.social @fletcherschool.bsky.social shows that countries with politically insulated central banks enjoy lower inflation without higher unemployment.
econofact.org/leaning-on-t...

The independence of the Federal Reserve helps to ensure that it can make politically difficult decisions that are in the long-run best interest of the economy.

https://econofact.org/leaning-on-the-fed-updated"

1 2

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · Jul 18

The Trump administration seeks tighter control of independent agencies. But, how immune is the Federal Reserve from political pressure? econofact.org/how-immune-i...

How Immune Is the Federal Reserve From Political Pressure? | Econofact

An analysis of meetings between US presidents and Fed officials finds times when presidential pressure influenced the Fed at the expense of price stability.

Understanding the Rise and Risks of Stablecoins | Econofact Chats

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · Jul 18

What are stablecoins? How are they beneficial? And what threats do they pose to consumer protection, financial stability, and monetary sovereignty? Udaibir Das of ORF explains econofact.org/podcast/unde...

A discussion with Udaibir Das on the potential benefits and risks of widespread adoption of stablecoins.

India’s Path To Becoming One of the World’s Largest Economies | Econofact

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · Jul 18

Can India reach high‑income status by 2047? Harald Finger & Nujin Suphaphiphat (The IMF) highlight that it will take ~8 % annual growth, lower trade barriers, modernized labor laws that expand formal jobs, and a durable increase in private investment econofact.org/indias-path-...

India is the fastest growing major economy in the world and it aims to reach high-income status by 2047. To do so, it must sustain strong growth over the next decades.

Dissecting the Budget Bill | Econofact Chats

EconoFact @econofact.bsky.social · Jul 14

How would the proposed budget bill affect taxes, spending, and the federal deficit? William Gale (Brookings Institute) explains why the plan would likely result in large cuts for high-income households while leaving many low-income households worse off. econofact.org/podcast/diss...

A discussion with Bill Gale, Co-Director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, on the 'Big Beautiful Budget Bill.'