Smith Brain Trust

One of the smartest things you can do is pause in a volatile and uncertain world, says New York Times columnist and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman.

As lawmakers continue to grapple to find a fix for the DACA program, the Smith School's William Longbrake explains why it's imperative, strategically and morally, for business leaders to weigh in.

For stock markets, the nomination of Jerome "Jay" Powell comes as welcome news. Powell represents continuity for monetary policy in the United States, the Smith School's David Kass says. 

"Hell, no," said some on social media, of the new Amazon Key service, which grants delivery people access to your house. But experts predict that what they meant was: “Not yet. But soon, hell, yes.”

Smith School professors David A. Kirsch and Brent Goldfarb examine the feasibility of futuristic plans for a 600 mph hyperloop between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

No one is quite sure what's behind the wave of sonic attacks in Havana that have harmed at least 21 American diplomats and their family members. The matter remains a mystery. It's also a setback.

Oct. 19, 1987: Black Monday. Wall Street saw its biggest single-day stock market drop in history. Now the Smith School’s Albert “Pete” Kyle shares ideas on how future crashes might be prevented. 

The race between active and passive investment management is becoming really interesting. After years of growth among passive funds, experts are starting to ask: What's at risk?

There was a time when Richard Thaler's research was controversial. Now he has the 2017 Nobel prize in economics. The Smith School's Francesco D'Acunto discusses why his work is so influential.

Secession would put newly independent nation in the back of the line for European Union membership. "There is no grandfathering in," Smith School professor Kislaya Prasad says.