'Universal basic income is a brilliant idea'. Here's why.

The welfare state is broken. UBI is the smarter, more effective option.

  • The welfare state is an ineffective and expensive system that hurts and targets the poor more than it helps. Universal basic income is a better alternative that could work.
  • The question becomes, then, where would the money for UBI come from? There are a myriad of reasons why UBI via taxes would be a bad idea. Instead, we should look to socially produced capital.
  • Companies rely on people to be successful, so a percentage of all shares of all companies should go into a public equity trust and the dividends should be distributed to every member of society equally.

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How will COVID-19 impact the economy?

Economics professor Stephen M. Miller shares his insights in this exclusive interview.

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  • Stephen M. Miller, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, gives insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts American economies.
  • Calling it a "trade-off between public health and economic health," Miller explains why social distancing is a necessary measure to avoid a total crash of economies.
  • The SIR model, which is a guide to assessing how much of the population is actively infected, shows what could happen if the active cases of infection goes above 10% of the population.
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Do you have a cold, the flu, or COVID-19?

What symptoms to watch for, how to get tested, what to do if you're sick, and when to go to the doctor.

Credit: Siouxsie Wiles and Toby Morris, The Spinoff
  • Differences in symptoms exist between a cold, the flu and coronavirus.
  • The CDC issued specific recommendations about what to do if you're sick and when to get tested.
  • Calling the doctor is important if you feel sick or have questions.
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3 million people move to urban areas every week. How will we meet the challenge?

Cities of the future won't just be incredibly populated, they'll also be smarter than ever.

  • Globally we are adding about 3 million people to urban areas each week. Over the course of the year, this number can be equated to roughly 50 Chicagos.
  • This influx of people could make everyday life in urban areas more chaotic than ever. We will need a new playbook for how cities can better handle this massive influx of people.
  • With such population surges, we can use citizen-centric data—computational power—to make the infrastructure of cities run smoother and more efficiently.
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Two-thirds of U.S. students attend diverse schools

School diversity is less widespread in central and northern states

Image courtesy of Cédric Scherer
  • In 2020, there will be more children of color than white children in the U.S.
  • These maps indicate how racial diversity is changing the demographics of America's schools
  • Diversity has massively increased, but more so in the south and on the coasts than elsewhere
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