Noah Smith

Former Bloomberg Opinion Columnist

Noah Smith is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion.

Latest

The AEP Coal-Fired John E. Amos Power Plant As EPA Reviews MATS

Bloomberg Opinion

West Virginia Needs Biden’s Bill More Than Manchin Politics

The Democratic senator should drop his opposition and embrace a spending plan that would give a crucial boost to one of the poorest constituencies in the nation.

September 29, 2021

September 29, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

West Virginia Needs Biden’s Bill More Than Manchin Politics

The Democratic senator should drop his opposition and embrace a spending plan that would give a crucial boost to one of the poorest constituencies in the nation.

The AEP Coal-Fired John E. Amos Power Plant As EPA Reviews MATS

September 25, 2021

September 25, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Why China's Evergrande Crisis Could Be Worse Than the U.S. Crash

With 30% of its GDP at risk, China’s economy is more vulnerable to a real estate bust than either America’s or Japan’s was when their bubbles burst.

Evergrande

September 22, 2021

September 22, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

FDR Needed Two Global Crises to Reshape the Economy. Will Biden?

Centrist Democrats threatened FDR’s transformative agenda until WWII came along. Social unrest and China weigh in the balance if Biden can’t crush a similar revolt.

President Biden Delivers Remarks On Economy

September 17, 2021

September 17, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Inflation Has Turned $15 an Hour Wages Into a Setback

Wages have risen this year, but inflation has made that money worth less than before, preventing any meaningful improvement in living standards.

Activists Rally In Washington, DC For $15 Minimum Wage

September 15, 2021

September 15, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

New York City Has Once Again Defied the Doomsayers. Here's Why.

By far the most densely populated metropolis in the country, Gotham offers a kind of urban living no other U.S. city has been able to replicate.

TOPSHOT-US-LIFESTYLE

September 14, 2021

September 14, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

How Free College Can Help Remake the U.S. Economy

Higher education should be more than just an upward mobility track for the country's youth; it needs to be a support system for key industries and the working class.

US-POLITICS-BIDEN

September 12, 2021

September 12, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

The Left's NIMBY War Against Renewable Energy

State and national leaders need to move more forcefully to override local protestors who are blocking new solar and wind developments under the guise of land conservation.

US-ENVIRONMENT-DROUGHT-CLIMATE-ENERGY

September 8, 2021

September 8, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Texas Abortion Law Ends an Era of Business Pragmatism

Political leaders are prioritizing dysfunctional culture wars over policies that promote investment and human capital, eroding the state's reputation as an economic juggernaut.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-BORDER

September 3, 2021

September 3, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

The Last Thing San Francisco Needs Is More Home Offices

As more workers split time between home and office, demand for more space and shorter commutes will grow, exacerbating shortages of urban housing in major business centers.

Working From Home And Learning Remotely As Illinois Positivity Rate Drops

August 29, 2021

August 29, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

How to Make Vietnam a Powerful Trade Ally for the U.S.

Helping America's old war-time foe transition to a more high-tech economy would make the Asian nation a more valuable strategic partner.

VIETNAM-US-DIPLOMACY

August 26, 2021

August 26, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Taiwanese Chips Made in Arizona Is the Future of U.S. Trade

A Taiwan chipmaker's new factory — and all the jobs that will come with it — provides a model for attracting foreign investment in a global economy shaped by automation.

Taiwanese Chips Made in Arizona Is the Future of U.S. Trade

August 19, 2021

August 19, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Trickle-Down Economics Has Failed Its Growth Mission

Decades of fiscal policy that made it cheaper for companies to invest hasn't succeeded in building many new factories. But the answer isn't trickle up, either.

Tour Of Construction At New FCA Assembly Plant

August 18, 2021

August 18, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Afghan Refugees Are No Economic Threat to Americans

Far from becoming a drain on public coffers, decades of research has shown refugees, over time, will pay back much more than they receive.

AFGHANISTAN-CONFLICT-EVACUATION

August 13, 2021

August 13, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Will New Mexico Prove a Universal Basic Income Can Work?

A statewide "stability stipend" under consideration there would provide the perfect laboratory to test the pros and cons of government cash benefits.

US-ECONOMY-MARKET-INDIAN

August 10, 2021

August 10, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Special Interests Are Last Barrier to Fixing Climate Change

New technologies mean governments don't have to worry about economic trade-offs, but fossil-fuel industries are still slowing progress.

Excavations at Mechel PJSC's Krasnogorsky Coal Mine

August 8, 2021

August 8, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

How Happy Is America?

More than a year of pandemic and social unrest has strained the nation's mental and emotional well-being, but may have also made us more resilient.

US-LIFESTYLE-TRAVEL-SUNSET-BEACH

August 5, 2021

August 5, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

America Squandered Decades Living for the Moment

Biden's $3.5 trillion spending plan is badly needed to refocus the U.S. economy on investing in the future.

Nightlife Begins To Return To Washington, D.C. With Concert And Dance Party

July 29, 2021

July 29, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Mass Evictions Are a Crisis the U.S. Knows How to Avoid

State and federal governments have spent the past year proving they know how to prevent people from losing their homes. Just keep doing that.

Evictions Continue Despite CDC Moratorium As COVID-19 Ravages U.S. Economy

July 26, 2021

July 26, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Why Delta Threatens to Undermine the Economic Recovery

Spoiler: It’s not more lockdowns.

NYC Covid Cases Rising As Delta Surges, Vaccines Slow

July 23, 2021

July 23, 2021

OpinionNoah Smith

Democrats Are Focusing on the Wrong Part of Medicare

Adding vision and dental benefits just makes it more expensive and hinders the ultimate goal of covering more people.

US-HEALTH-CLINIC-CHARITY