October 16, 2026By Scott B. MacDonald, Ph.D.Chief Economist Summary: To put it mildly, times are challenging. Inflation is up, voter moods are ugly, and the geopolitical landscape is increasingly more daunting. Volatility for markets is coming from many directions – the ups and downs of the AI industry; the playing out of higher interest rates on housing markets and the financial sector; higher oil and gas prices; inflation creeping into supply chains; and an increasingly heavy debt burden financed by higher interest borrowing. The geopolitical front is dominated by the ongoing US-Iran conflict, Houthi attacks on key Saudi infrastructure, a serious rift in US-Ukrainian relations, an escalation of Russian hybrid attacks on Ukraine’s European allies, and looming elections in Canada, France, US, Brazil, Israel, Grenada, New Zealand, and Spain. What to expect? The likelihood of a Fed rate hike is higher after the September inflation number (up from 22% to...
The Demographic Reckoning: Colleges and the Future of America’s Economy
October 27, 2026
October 16, 2026By Scott B. MacDonald, Ph.D.Chief Economist Demographics, Higher Education, and Future Economic Paths: It was H.G. Wells, author of The Time Machine and War of the Worlds, who stated, “History is a race between education and catastrophe.” In...
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