RadCasts

Joel Mokyr is a professor at Northwestern University, who — along with Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt — won the Nobel prize in economics earlier this week. Today, Mokyr joins the program to discuss how major technological changes can boost economic growth — that is, if politics and institutions can adapt quickly enough. Plus, why the bankruptcies of First Brands and Tricolor Holdings are raising questions about private credit markets and big banks’ exposure to them.

From the BBC World Service: Greece's government is voting on a bill authorizing private sector employees to work up to 13 hours a day, if both employee and employer agree. Labor unions have called mass strikes in protest, paralyzing the public sector. This comes as Greece faces high debt, rising inflation, and lower wages than much of the European Union. Plus, Japan is holding its biggest-ever technology trade show, centered on integrating AI into our daily lives.

Before the government shutdown, the Federal Communications Commission voted to end funding for Wi-Fi on school buses and the lending of hotspot devices from libraries. Nicol Turner Lee, author of “Digitally Invisible,” said this could further the digital divide for marginalized communities.