Aaron Schrank

The contentious fourth round of NAFTA negotiations concluded in Washington, D.C. today without a deal in sight. Trade reps from Canada and Mexico rejected outright a number of hard-line protectionist policies proposed by U.S. negotiators, proposals which Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland described diplomatically today as “unconventional.” Could these seemingly irreconcilable sticking points on […]

Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago, passed a penny-per-ounce tax on soda late last year. The driving force was raising revenue in a state with deep budget woes. But legal challenges delayed the tax going into effect, and a strong campaign from the beverage industry has soured public opinion on the measure. It was repealed […]

The U.S. Virgin Islands remain devastated after two category 5 hurricanes hit within two weeks of each other in September. Many residents are still without shelter, power or internet. But the territory’s roughly 14,000 public school students, who had barely started their school year before Irma hit, will begin returning to their classrooms this week.  […]

Amazon announced this week a new service on the West Coast which could encroach on territory currently held by the likes of UPS and Fedex. The online retail giant said it’s going to be overseeing deliveries for third party sellers. It will still use UPS and Fedex, but it might also choose to use its […]

Government agencies are working on ways to trim their workforces, as requested by the Trump administration. Offering buyouts to federal employees is one way – but up till now the maximum that can be offered is $25,000. A Senate bill coming before a committee today could increase it to $40,000 – the first bump in […]

Rapper Eminem is one of a handful of artists with two albums that have had 100-week runs on the Billboard charts. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t put out any new music for four years. And soon, his fans won’t only be able to make merry with his music. They’ll also have a chance […]