August 25, 2016

Planet Money Buys Oil, Loses About $800 on the Deal, and Makes Some Great Podcast Journalism

The NPR economics podcast Planet Money offers a great five-part introduction to the oil business and the place it plays in our economy. Along the way they offer insights into prices and market processes, innovation and industry change, and the many uses of fossil energy. The five part series does not go deep, but the reporters do cover the …

Planet Money Buys Oil, Loses About $800 on the Deal, and Makes Some Great Podcast Journalism Read More »

Elasticity of Supply Reduces Hotel Price Spikes

Major sporting events can substantially boost demand for hotel rooms and, given the difficulty of building new hotels on short notice, lead to price hikes and consumer complaints about price gouging. As I wrote four years ago, “Super Bowls usually produce price gouging complaints,” but the complaints were especially high that year given the selection …

Elasticity of Supply Reduces Hotel Price Spikes Read More »