Investing in Community
Banks help people save money for things they might want in the future. They also provide loans to help people get money to buy a car or a house, or to start a small business. Banks help businesses and communities grow. However, not everyone has the same access to banks. The lack of access to […]
YOU DECIDE: Businesses at a Tipping Point
Imagine you’re buying a cup of coffee at a local cafe. A server brings the coffee to you. When you pay for it, you give an extra amount, called a gratuity or a tip, to the server. This is a common practice in places like restaurants. But lately, consumers have noticed greater expectations for tips. […]
The Euro Goes Digital
The euro is the official currency of the European Union, or EU, and it has been around for almost 25 years. But now, the European Central Bank (ECB) is considering creating a digital form of the euro. What does that mean, and how might it change the future of how people buy and sell things […]
China’s Solar Energy Dominance
Solar power, wind power, and hydropower are examples of renewable energy sources. Did you know that China controls most of the solar energy production worldwide? Here, btw takes a closer look at the situation. Consequences of China’s Control Recently, the demand for renewable energy in Europe has skyrocketed. When Russia invaded Ukraine, many European nations […]
Chilean Government Wants to Partner in Lithium Mining
In April 2023, Chile’s President Gabriel Boric introduced a plan for the government to partner with private business in the nation’s profitable lithium industry. Boric said that government involvement will ensure that profits are spread fairly to workers, environmental concerns are addressed, and indigenous and wildlife populations are protected. Critics, on the other hand, say […]
Eli Lilly Lowers Cost of Insulin to $35 Monthly
In January 1922, 14-year-old Leonard Thompson lay dying in a Canadian hospital. Thompson had diabetes and his body did not produce insulin. For thousands of years, there was no medicine for diabetes. Adults or children in Thompson’s condition would live for only weeks, months, or maybe a few years. Then, a Canadian surgeon named Frederick […]
ICARDA Helps Farmers Worldwide Keep Crops Growing
Wheat farmers in the United States can have their entire crop wiped out by a pest. In Morocco, drought conditions have made growing food difficult. Extreme weather in Ethiopia has resulted in challenges meeting the food demands of the country’s population. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, or ICARDA for short, […]
Study Reveals Benefits of a 4-Day Workweek
A pilot program of a 4-day workweek recently concluded in the United Kingdom. The study lasted from June to December 2022. The largest study to date, it involved 2,900 employees from 61 companies. To test a shorter workweek, employees were paid for five days of work each week, but only asked to work the equivalent […]
State and Local Minimum Wage Increases in 2023
In 2023, an estimated 8.4 million American workers will see a raise in their hourly pay. This is because 23 states and Washington, D.C., are increasing their minimum wage. The raises range from an additional 23 cents per hour in Michigan to $1.50 per hour in Nebraska. Twenty-seven cities and counties are also increasing their […]
No Free Money
The COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdown has been a disaster for many small businesses in the United States. To help address this problem, the federal government created the PPP, or Paycheck Protection Program. The first round of PPP money–$349 billion–was gone in just thirteen days. However, the second round–an additional $310 billion–still has about a […]