Economy

Economic news and global market trends

My excellent Conversation with Liaquat Ahamed

My excellent Conversation with Liaquat Ahamed

Here is the audio, video, and transcript.  Here is part of the episode summary: They start with that puzzle before moving through Gladstone’s startlingly self-interested bet on Egyptian bonds, Bismarc...

October 15, 2026
Why Diesel Prices Are So Much Higher Than Gasoline

Why Diesel Prices Are So Much Higher Than Gasoline

OPEC Sees Oil Demand Growth Surging to 2.6 Million Bpd in 2027 Robert Rapier is a chemical engineer in the energy industry. He has 25 years of international engineering experience in the chemical, oil...

October 13, 2026
Michael Woodford, Nobel Laureate

Michael Woodford, Nobel Laureate

I think of Michael Woodford as the kind of economist who studies something very specific very intensively and tries to get it just right.  But in his case he is not studying something small and irrele...

October 12, 2026
Robert E. Hall, Nobel Laureate

Robert E. Hall, Nobel Laureate

Alex has already covered this, I will add a few remarks. First, every Bob Hall paper is interesting!  Only a handful of economists can say the same.  Every paper has an idea, and some sort of novel co...

October 12, 2026
Michael Woodford Wins Nobel

Michael Woodford Wins Nobel

No one since Milton Friedman has done more to shape how central bankers think about their jobs than Michael Woodford. Woodford’s Interest and Prices (2003) has been called the central bankers’ bible. ...

October 12, 2026
The economics of agents

The economics of agents

From Patrick Collison: Assorted things I’ve been mulling over regarding agents in the economy: • Companies are in some sense the original superintelligence. It’s often the case that they can use their...

October 11, 2026
The origin of risk

The origin of risk

From the QJE, by Alexandr Kopytov, Mathieu Taschereau-Dumouchel, and Zebang Xu: We propose a tractable model in which risk, at both the micro and macro levels, is endogenous and driven by incentives. ...

October 09, 2026
States Bet on Virtual Power Plants to Cut Grid Costs

States Bet on Virtual Power Plants to Cut Grid Costs

Russia, Germany Add Diesel Supply as Fuel Market Scrambles for Barrels Felicity Bradstock is a writer and journalist based in Mexico City. She writes for energy websites and covers several other indus...

October 09, 2026