The economy remains strong. Unemployment and inflation remain low, while wages are increasing. The economy entered the third quarter growing at 3.1%. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have probably lowered growth in the third quarter by lowering retail sales, shutting down manufacturing plants, and slowing homebuilding and home sales. However, the economy is expected to regain its momentum in the fourth quarter when communities rebuild. This should add pressure to wages and prices. More

What is the “raison d’être” of your home town? It probably relates to its economy. I love economic history, particularly for small towns. How much has the economic history of your community affected your life. I bet the influence is significant. Cities change. They thrive if they take advantage of economic trends, but suffer when they fail to adapt. Our British contributor writes of how the economy has affected her town, Sunderland England. More

On September 24, 2017, Germany elected members of the 19th Bundestag. The Bundestag is the federal assembly elected by Germans, who in turn elect the federal chancellor. To qualify for representation in the Bundestag a party needs at least five percent of the popular vote. The Christian Democrats (CDU) won the most seats, virtually More

Earlier this month, Apple released its iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Smartphones in general are not cheap, but the iPhone 8 retails for $699 and the iPhone 8 Plus comes in at $799. I have heard many of my friends debating over whether or not it’s worth such a high price tag. While those prices seem extremely steep at first glance, I began thinking about all of the items that our smartphones have replaced. As all of these things are added up, it makes the price surprisingly more reasonable. More