PBS News Hour - Making Sen$e

By PBS NewsBusiness

PBS News Hour - Making Sen$e episodes

August 20, 2019 CEOs are saying they need to be more socially minded. Will anything change?
For decades, the driving goal for corporate America has been maximizing stockholders' profits. So what made nearly 200 of the country's most prominent companies issue a joint statement this week, representing a major philosophical shift? John Yang talks to Steven Pearlstein of The Washington Post and author of "Can American Capitalism Survive?"
8 min
August 15, 2019 An economist's analysis of data on parenting, from breastfeeding to co-sleeping
Raising a child is complicated and potentially confusing, with conflicting advice available everywhere a parent turns. Economist Emily Oster, a mother of two, dug into the data to help other parents make informed choices about managing their little ones -- and found some surprising results that challenge conventional parenting wisdom. Business and economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.
9 min
August 01, 2019 Can reparations help right the wrongs of slavery?
The first African slaves arrived in North America 400 years ago this month, landing at Jamestown in what's now Virginia. Recently, the idea of paying reparations for the atrocity of slavery has been earning new attention, even making its way into 2020 presidential debates. Economics correspondent Paul Solman examines the question of whether a debt might be owed to generations of slave descendants.
11 min
July 18, 2019 Why small cannabis growers want to produce the Champagne of pot
The state government of California is currently developing rules that will define whether a geographic area can be deemed a marijuana growing region. For small farmers, who are threatened by industrial competitors and the cost of regulation, survival may depend on customers caring about the specific location and soil in which their cannabis is grown. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.
9 min
July 11, 2019 Marijuana has become big business. So why are small growers struggling to survive?
As marijuana has been legalized in states across the country, investors have identified a major business opportunity. Still, the cannabis market isn't all easy money. In California, new companies are scaling up operations, but some smaller ones fight to survive, challenged by the new regulations that accompany legalization and stiffer competition. Economics correspondent Paul Solman has the story.
9 min
June 27, 2019 This Kansas program links a company's past to its future
Transitioning a business to a new owner has its challenges. But a program run by the business school at the University of Kansas aims to match those seeking to sell their companies with potential buyers seeking business opportunities. Peter Tubbs of Iowa Public Television reports on the importance of this link between people entering and exiting business that are critical to local communities.
6 min
June 13, 2019 Can 'baby bonds' help the U.S. close its staggering racial wealth gap?
Whites in the U.S. have much greater household and individual wealth than blacks and other minorities. In fact, the typical black household has about 10 cents for every dollar of wealth in a typical white household. Some economists and politicians believe this racial wealth disparity will continue to widen unless it's addressed. As Paul Solman reports, one idea for closing it begins at birth.
10 min
May 30, 2019 This La. battle is between big industry and a Green Army
General Russel Honore commanded an infantry division in Korea and saw action in Operation Desert Storm, but it was his service as Commander of the Joint Task Force Katrina in 2005 that won him national acclaim. The experience of viewing Louisiana's industrial pollution up close, he says, also radicalized him. Now an environmental activist, the general is taking on big oil. Paul Solman reports.
10 min
May 16, 2019 What Gen Z college grads are looking for in a career
The oldest members of Gen Z, the population segment born after 1996, are leaving college and entering the workforce. How do their expectations and outlooks vary from those of the Millennials who have recently reshaped the modern workplace? Economics correspondent Paul Solman and financial journalist Beth Kobliner talk to Gen Z college students as they approach graduation and anticipate careers.
8 min
May 09, 2019 Dutch businesses work to test the concept of a circular economy
The Netherlands has become a global leader in implementing the tenets of a "circular economy," a radical new approach to sustainable living that focuses on reducing consumption, minimizing waste and reusing nearly everything. As Jeffrey Brown reports, some Dutch companies are repurposing discarded materials into other marketable goods, but it can still be a challenge to convince investors.
8 min

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Every week, we cover the world of economics like no other podcast. From an inside look at the massive market for collector sneakers to the corporate costs for businesses that dabble in Trump era…