PBS News Hour - Making Sen$e

Fifty-five years after co-founding the rock band The Who, Pete Townshend is still at it. The lead lyricist and guitarist says he actually doesn't enjoy performing but views it as an "easy" job necessary to finance his lifestyle and support his family and staff. Economics correspondent Paul Solman sits down with Townshend to discuss aging, surviving child abuse and art's ability to inspire hope. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

More than 700 million people across the globe live on extremely low wages. This year, a trio of economists won the Nobel Prize for their work on addressing global poverty, using randomized control trials to test and improve social policy. Economics correspondent Paul Solman talks to two of those winners, husband-and-wife duo Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, about their work. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As the population ages and older workers are making up more and more of the labor force, some employers are taking notice and adjusting their own practices to retain valuable experience and skills. Economics correspondent Paul Solman has the story. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Entrepreneurs are often imagined as twenty-something recent college dropouts. But in fact, people ages 45 to 64 start businesses at higher rates than do their younger peers -- and plenty of seniors are in startup mode, too. Economics correspondent Paul Solman visits a New York City center that helps older adults upgrade their technology skills and realize their entrepreneurial dreams. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Artificial intelligence and big data are transforming the global economy. Less well understood, however, are the changes they are driving in creative industries specifically. Special correspondent and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell reports on the fundamental questions sophisticated data intelligence and machine learning raise for artists, designers and other creators. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Big data is disrupting nearly every aspect of modern life. Artificial intelligence, which involves machines learning, analyzing and acting upon enormous sets of data, is transforming industries and eliminating certain jobs. But that data can also be used to appeal more directly to what customers want. Special correspondent and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell reports.

A national strike by the United Auto Workers is now in its 18th day. The walkout of 46,000 employees affects more than 50 General Motors sites, and although the two sides continue to talk and are said to be making progress, several key issues remain to be resolved. William Brangham talks to Micki Maynard, a journalist who follows the automotive industry in Detroit, about the stakes for each side.

The United Nations has called climate change the "defining issue of our time." But new analyses suggest the planet's temperature will rise by even more than the UN had estimated -- and that warming creates ever-increasing energy consumption due to the need for more air conditioning. Paul Solman takes an updated look at the extreme risks the globe faces from potential worst-case scenarios.

Trade tensions between the U.S. and China are not expected to ease anytime soon, and in New England, tariffs are clawing away at lobster profits. Lobstering is a $1.5 billion industry that helps keep Maine's economy afloat. But due to China's retaliatory 25 percent tariff on U.S. crustaceans, it's Canada that is gaining the competitive edge. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

The U.S. government spends about 0.7 percent of GDP on scientific research and development, down from 2 percent in the 1960s. Less investment means fewer chances for breakthroughs like the weapon-seeking robots that saved thousands of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and created a new consumer products category. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on an effort to jump-start public R&D.