Trade Deficits, Stock Buybacks, and 5G

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Ikea’s 3D-Printed Add-Ons Make Its Furniture More Accessible for People with Disabilities

Dami Lee | The Verge | Tweeted by Jennifer Huddleston

Ikea furniture is popular and affordable, but not always accessible to people with disabilities. To remedy this, Ikea Israel teamed up with nonprofits to promote the use of 3D printing to make add-ons for their furniture.

The Worst Idea (So Far) in Democrats’ War on Big Tech

Michael R. Strain | Bloomberg Opinion | Retweeted by Alex Tabarrok

Calls to break up big tech companies such as Google and Facebook are unwarranted, and could have major ramifications on Americans’ way of life.

5G’s Potential, and Why Businesses Should Start Preparing for It

Omar Abbosh and Larry Downes | Harvard Business Review | Retweeted by Brent Skorup

A recent survey shows many business leaders neither understand 5G technology nor its disruptive nature. Businesses must prepare for unknown applications of the new technology.

A US Trade Deficit Is Not a Sign of a Weak Economy but Rather a Magnet for Investments

Omar Al Ubaydli | The National | Shared by Donald Boudreaux

Many of President Trump’s protectionist policies were implemented to decrease the US trade deficit. These policies have failed to achieve their stated goal, and the goal itself is antithetical to a strong economy.

The Stock Buyback Panic

The Editorial Board | The Wall Street Journal | Tweeted by Veronique de Rugy

Politicians on both sides of the aisle have proposed measures to disincentivize stock buybacks. These short-sighted proposals come from a misunderstanding of the process itself.

The People Who Eat the Same Meal Every Day

Joe Pinsker | The Atlantic | Shared by Tyler Cowen

People in offices around the world eat the same lunch every day. Does this consistency only speak to their palate, or something deeper about their personality?

I Gave My Kidney to a Stranger to Save My Brother’s Life

Yogita Patel | The Wall Street Journal | Tweeted by Christine McDaniel

Economics is everywhere. For example, game theory helped save the lives of four individuals who needed kidney transplants.

Cottage Clusters: Portland’s Chance to Build Community in a New Way

Michael Andersen | Medium | Tweeted by Emily Hamilton

A recent housing policy proposal in Portland did not include a viable path for cottage clusters. The basic idea of “cottage zoning” is that developers can build more smaller homes on a tract of land that would have a few large homes, to drive down costs and build community.

Oakland’s Athletics Need a Home. They May Get One — and Provide 6,000 More

Bill Shaikin | Los Angeles Times | Retweeted by Salim Furth

The Oakland Athletics need a new ballpark, and are willing to build 6,000 housing units to make it happen. City officials are unsure if the baseball team is up to the task of developing land in areas in desperate need of affordable housing.