From a great and vanished African civilisation to NASA’s quest to find funnier, kinder astronauts and the mathematical formula that could save democracy—our double issue has plenty to read over Christmas. Clues to 18 special articles are on the cover https://t.co/HFiIRBPF56 pic.twitter.com/V9mRUL3Ije
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 17, 2021
Tag Archives: Analysis
Inside Views: The Journey Of A Shipping Container
The global pandemic triggered sky-high spending on manufactured goods. This increased spending created a huge bottleneck in the supply chain that could last for years. WIRED takes a look at the journey of a single shipping container; and with the help of supply chain analyst Lora Cecere, breaks down all the roadblocks a shipping container will encounter in 2021 and beyond.
Analysis: Federal Reserve Tapering Explained (WSJ)
The Federal Reserve says it will accelerate the wind-down of its bond-buying program, the biggest step the central bank has taken in reversing its pandemic-era stimulus. Here’s how tapering works, and why it sends markets on edge. Photo illustration: Adele Morgan/WSJ
Housing: Why Rents Are Rising In The U.S. (CNBC)
Fresh numbers from the fall of 2021 suggest that rents will increase at a rapid pace in the coming years. That’s a problem for Americans; many spend 30% or more of their income on rent. A decade-long slowdown in house building is coming to a close, which could help renters.
But the new developments in construction are generally for high-end and luxury apartment units. Experts say the market conditions are pushing people further away from their jobs and weighing on the economy writ large. Market indicators suggest that rent hikes are coming in 2022.
Average rents for a one-bedroom apartment in the booming suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, have more than doubled year over year, according to data from Apartment Guide. Meanwhile, rents in Manhattan have reached fresh records as life returns to the cities, according to Zumper.
The problems aren’t confined to the usual suspects, however. Rents for single-family homes across the country jumped more than 9% on average in August 2021 from the prior year, according to a report from the analytics firm CoreLogic.
Rents are moving fastest in the buzzy enclaves across the South and West. For Maria Arredondo, a teacher based in Austin, Texas, a sudden rent hike of nearly $400 forced her to make a move. “If I had signed the lease … it would be taking a lot of my savings. And so I decided to move to a new building, losing about 150 square feet,” she told CNBC. Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics said the strains on the housing construction market were building well before the pandemic took hold in the states.
“There’s a lot of evidence that the lack of housing closer to where the demand is and urban cores is having a meaningful negative consequence on long-term economic growth.“ Generous monetary and fiscal policies have juiced demand for goods and services coming out of the pandemic. All that extra money sloshing around the economy is bubbling up into the rent. The fresh demand is giving investors a reason to jump into the market.
Experts say that’s boosting desperately needed supply. But there’s a catch: The homes being built are priced into the high end of the market. As a result, the evidence suggests that renters will be paying more for shelter this decade.
Analysis: How Cadillac And Lincoln Lost Their American Luxury Status
Lincoln and Cadillac were once two aspirational car brands for American consumers. They slowly lost their dominance and prestige to imports. Now they are trying once again to reinvent themselves by reaching into their histories, playing to their strengths, and pushing forward with cutting edge technology.
Views: Hong Kong Builds Housing For 2.5 Million
Hong Kong will develop a new metropolis in its northern part to accommodate 2.5 million people and better integrate itself into the overall development of the country, according to the annual policy address delivered Wednesday by Chief Executive of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam.
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta in South China.
Analysis: Rise Of Sports Betting In The U.S. (CNBC)
Sports betting in the U.S. is booming. During the 2021 NFL season an estimated 45 million Americans are expected to wager at least $12 billion. Since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling, sports betting is now legal in more than 30 states.
A flood of new customers eager for risk and excitement has made DraftKings one of the nation’s biggest sportsbooks. In the third quarter of 2021 DraftKings revenue rose 60% from the year prior to $213 million. During that same period with mobile betting launching in several states the number of its monthly unique paying customers rose 31% to 1.3 million.
And the online sports betting and gaming industry in the U.S. is just starting to grow. As of 2021 only 4% of gross gaming revenue in the U.S. was generated online compared with 45% in a more mature market like the UK. The online sports betting market in the U.S. is expected to be worth nearly $40 billion by 2033. So what does the future look like for legal sports betting in America and what challenges lie ahead for sports betting providers like BetMGM, FanDuel and DraftKings?
News Analysis: Venture Capital, China Silences Peng Shuai, Museum Fires
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: the venture-capital industry is being turbocharged, what the fate of star tennis-player Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule in China (10’52) and, when a museum is on fire, how do you decide what to save? (19’09).
Air Travel: Why Airport Security Is So Slow (CNBC)
There once was a time when getting through airport security was quick and easy. But after the attacks on 9/11, the TSA, or Transportation Security Administration, was created and security screenings became much more thorough. With millions of people passing through TSA checkpoints everyday, this can create excruciating long lines, especially during holiday travel. Despite enhancements in technology like millimeter wave imaging and CT scanners, the airport security process has been slow to evolve. But that may soon be changing.
Delta, JetBlue, and American Airlines are just a few of the U.S. airlines starting to test facial recognition for boarding and TSA checkpoints. The TSA is also working with companies on designing better screeners so passengers don’t have to remove anything from bags and can leave their shoes on. CNBC explores how far we’ve come in airport security and the ways the TSA and airlines are looking to speed up and make airport security even safer.
Urban Analysis: The Rise & Problems Of Megacities
By 2050, 6 billion people could be living in megacities. How should the challenges caused by rapid urbanization be handled in the world ahead? Film supported by @Mission Winnow
Video timeline: 00:00: What are megacities? 01:01: The problem with megacities 03:07: How is Ahmedabad tackling rapid urbanisation? 04:45: How can cities manage traffic? 07:04: The problem with waste 08:00: How is Recycle Central revolutionizing trash? 10:58: What are the most urgent issues to resolve?