Speaking of the Economy

James Stock, a professor of political economy at Harvard University, discusses his research on the effects of carbon taxes in the European Union and its implications for enacting similar taxes in the United States. Stock presented this research at the Climate Change Economics conference organized by the Richmond Fed in November 2020.

Tiffany Hollin-Wright and Erika Bell provide an overview of the benefits cliff, which can occur when workers who receive public assistance from the government earn a raise and then discover they make too much money to continue receiving help. They also discuss how the Richmond Fed's Community Development team and its collaborators are addressing this challenge.

Sarah Gunn and David Bass discuss economic and financial literacy and the role of the Federal Reserve in educating teachers, students and the general public about these topics.

Matt Martin provides his take on this rather tumultuous year and how it has impacted economic conditions in North Carolina and South Carolina. Martin is vice president and regional executive based at the Richmond Fed's Charlotte office.

Alex Marré discusses the ongoing challenges of bringing broadband Internet service to everyone who needs it. Marre is a regional economist based at the Richmond Fed's branch office in Baltimore.

Toan Phan talks about his research on the effects of climate change on economic growth, the work of other researchers who have studied climate change economics, and the conference he is organizing on this important, multi-faceted topic. Phan is a senior economist in the Research Department of the Richmond Fed.

Santiago Pinto discusses the potential long-term consequences of disruptions to K-12 education as a result of spending cuts and school closings associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Pinto is a senior policy economist in the Research Department of the Richmond Fed.

Renee Haltom shares what she has been hearing about Virginia's economy this year, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tiffany Hollin-Wright discusses the work being done by Community Development staff at the Richmond Fed and in the Federal Reserve to respond to current health and economic crises, in particular their disproportionate impact on communities of color.