Subtle Effects of AI in the Workplace

The Quiet Way A.I. Is Hitting the Work Force
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/business/ai-raises-hiring.html
Lower wage growth and slower hiring in some sectors may be the result of artificial intelligence, especially for younger workers. 

As Expected, Fed Hikes Rates

FOMC STATEMENT:
https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20260916a.htm
The Federal Open Market Committee approved the following statement for release by a 12 – 0 vote:
The Committee decided to raise the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 3-3/4 to 4 percent, in support of the Federal Reserve's dual mandate. The Committee is continuing its policy of maintaining ample reserves in the banking system.
Economic activity is expanding at a solid pace. While uncertainty remains elevated owing, in part, to geopolitical developments, domestic spending has been resilient. Productivity growth is strong, and capital investment is robust. Job gains have kept pace with the workforce, and the unemployment rate has changed little.
Inflation remains elevated. Today's policy action will support a timelier return to the Committee's 2 percent goal. The Committee will deliver price stability. 

Setting Prices in the Real World

American Businesses Have No Idea How to Set Prices Right Now
https://www.wsj.com/business/american-businesses-have-no-idea-how-to-set-prices-right-now-061274e0
Businesses of all stripes are struggling to predict how long high energy costs will last. 

US - A Contributor to Economic Instability

The World Economy Is Becoming Wary of the U.S.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/business/trump-debt-sanctions-global-economy.html
America’s position of global economic stability is starting to look shakier as the Trump administration piles on debt and doubles down on sanctions.
 
E.U. Offers to Make Canada ‘Associate Member’ as U.S. Ties Weaken for Both
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/world/europe/eu-canada-associate-member.html
Canada and the European Union have been confronting an increasingly challenging relationship with the United States under President Trump. 

Declining Education Standards - Role of Policymakers

New York Dumbs Down Its Graduates
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/new-york-regents-exams-high-school-graduates-255bf7f9
The Board of Regents nixes its requirement to pass a graduation exam. 

Cognitive Offloading

An M.I.T. Report Warns A.I. Is Causing ‘Cognitive Surrender.’ Universities Are in a Bind.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/us/universities-ai-warnings-enthusiasm.html
As A.I. upends education, university leaders have been all over the map about how to respond. It can be very confusing for students. 

Europe's Immigration Concerns

There’s a Reason Europe Is So Obsessed with Immigration
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/opinion/europe-immigration-ceuta-far-right.html Immigration has become a prism through which all the continent’s ills are viewed.