A review of global polling, including a 55-country UNICEF study, finds that outlook on the future varies sharply by country, income and demographics rather than tracking objective economic conditions. Western nations like the US, UK and France show surprisingly bleak expectations for coming decades, sometimes ranking below countries such as Lebanon and Morocco, while many lower-income nations report greater optimism despite facing similar or greater challenges.
nature.com
· 2026-08-31
Amid escalating political pressure from President Trump on the Federal Reserve, commentators are floating ways to strengthen the central bank's accountability mechanisms as a means of preserving its independence. The proposals aim to balance greater oversight of the Fed's decisions with protecting its ability to set monetary policy free from short-term political interference.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-08-30
Following Dolly Parton's death on August 25, attention has turned to the broader economic footprint she built around Dollywood in Tennessee. Beyond the theme park's roller coasters, her ventures included workforce housing, health centers, and other investments that supported the surrounding regional economy.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-08-28
Graze, a startup that lets users build and control their own social media feed algorithms, announced it is joining Flipboard. Over 21 months, Graze had delivered more than 41 billion posts to 12 million users, and its founder said combining forces with Flipboard would accelerate its mission rather than spending years rebuilding infrastructure already in place at Flipboard.
graze.leaflet.pub
· 2026-08-26
Capital F, an all-female-led venture firm founded by Margaret Coblentz and Dawn Dobras, has closed its first fund at $17 million. The firm plans to invest in women's health, digital commerce, and AI tools, sectors it says are shaped heavily by women's needs and behavior. Nearly 80% of the fund's limited partners are women, including former retail executives like Jenny Ming and Marta Benson.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-08-26
Iran's national currency fell to its weakest level ever on Monday, coinciding with Washington's preparations to unveil additional sanctions targeting the country's economy. Officials said the new measures are designed to intensify pressure on an economy already weakened by existing sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-08-24
Stanford economist Erik Brynjolfsson, working with the Digital Economy Lab, now says there is no evidence of economy-wide job losses from AI, though entry-level positions remain vulnerable. His updated research finds productivity growth accelerating instead, with nonfarm business productivity rising over 2% annually, the strongest pace since the late 1990s.
it.slashdot.org
· 2026-08-23
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