Commentary

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 5 hours ago

A 49-mile stretch of Highway 2 is closed because of record-breaking flooding. Communities along the highway are feeling the impact. Overall, the state may see minor total economic impacts depending on the change in overall spending. https://buff.ly/P9efTBT Here's why - if the total spending only minimally changes (ie people vacation/spend similarly elsewhere in state) then the economic impacts have little change. If people do not spend at a similar rate, then we have negative impacts. Interestingly - highway repairs will have positive localized impacts and state impacts. Of course, results will vary by business and some are likely to be very negatively impacted.

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 1 day ago

In November, 1 in 4 US shoppers made a purchase using a “buy now, pay later” service. Long billed as a way to make large purchases more affordable with minimal debt, you can now find a way to use BNPL for almost anything. https://buff.ly/m2Ez2nb

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 1 day ago

Something we should all be paying more attention to: As the White House pushes for federal control of part of the country’s power grid in the service of AI, some state leaders see a power grab. https://buff.ly/TWMyDOU

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 1 day ago

Bankruptcies soar as companies grapple with inflation, tariffs. Businesses in vulnerable sectors found themselves caught between rising tariffs and beleaguered consumers. https://buff.ly/2oxNS3Q

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 1 day ago

The Economist features this Christmas special: How Jane Austen revealed the economic basis of society. Some unacknowledged truths about money. https://buff.ly/KbGPxBR

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 1 day ago

An interesting editorial from WaPo: More American manufacturing won’t mean that many more jobs. Bridgeport, Connecticut, shows how the nature of U.S.-based production is changing. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/12/25/manufacturing-bridgeport-jobs-future-skills/?utm_campaign=wp_todays_headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F463b39b%2F694e6ab752f684690bfb252f%2F5c7318feade4e23849e818a5%2F24%2F58%2F694e6ab752f684690bfb252f