What a World Cup Format Change Cannot Hide — and What 48 Teams Reveals
The 2026 World Cup expanded to 48 teams and generated $15 billion. The format change exposed a tension between FIFA's commercial growth and competitive integrity.
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Economics
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What AI Efficiency Cannot Deliver — and What Workers' Hours Reveal
Tech leaders promise AI will reduce work hours. Workers report logging up to 90 hours a week. Research shows why efficiency gains become more work, not less.
The Professionals Training AI to Replace Them — and What the Data Workforce Reveals
Lawyers, scientists, and writers label training data for AI models that may automate their professions. The platforms face lawsuits over worker conditions.
What Transit Fees Cannot Legally Do — and What the Strait of Hormuz Reveals
Iran's fee regime in the Strait of Hormuz tests international maritime law. The gap between coercion and sustainability reveals the limits of geographic leverage.
What the Postal Service Cannot Stop Losing — and Why It Keeps Running
The USPS employs 640,000 people and generates $80.5 billion in revenue while posting annual losses. What the gap between scale and solvency reveals about universal service.
What Tariffs Cannot Stop — Chinese EV Sales Surge in Europe
EU tariffs on Chinese EVs reached 35.3 percent. Sales hit a record 14.2 percent market share anyway. What the gap between policy and market reveals about trade barriers.
How Government Savings Claims Get Made — What the GAO Found in DOGE's Wall of Receipts
The GAO audited DOGE's $110 billion savings dashboard and found most claims unverifiable. What the audit reveals about measuring government efficiency.