Education, Business, & Law

Wearing a suit and tie, Walter Palmer stands outside of Penn's School of Social Policy and Practice with his hands in his pockets.

The world according to Walter Palmer

The educator, organizer, and alumnus discusses his six decades of activism, growing up in the Black Bottom, studying and teaching at Penn, his work at CHOP, the student strike of 1967, the Vietnam War, Frank Rizzo, Donald Trump, school choice, gun violence, the Chauvin trial, and why he thinks racism should be declared a national public health crisis.

Greg Johnson ・

Notice taped to front door that reads FINAL NOTICE TO VACATE IMMEDIATELY.

How to strengthen housing safety nets

U.S. homeowners and renters need stronger safety nets than existing social insurance programs provide to prevent housing insecurity during economic downturns.

From Knowledge@Wharton ・

Person wearing a mask hanging a “We’re Open” sign on a window of a retail store.

Why some retailers succeed despite big disruptions

The retail industry was already in the midst of unparalleled disruption—then came COVID-19. Wharton’s Barbara Kahn discusses the growth of “new retail” in China, how Amazon has emerged even stronger from the pandemic, and shifts from “bad” to “good” retail.

From Knowledge@Wharton ・

Two senior citizens look at a calculator while seated at a table covered in paperwork.

Why older Americans are taking on more debt

Older Americans are accumulating more debt as they near retirement, according to research from the Wharton School that reveals a troubling trend in personal finance among people in their 50s and early 60s.

From Knowledge@Wharton ・



In the News


Marketplace (NPR)

Are people ready to step out in rented clothing again?

Cait Lamberton of the Wharton School expressed optimism about the future of formal wear rental. Consumer surveys she’s conducted have found “that when people think about reconnecting with those that they haven’t seen for a long time, they want to have been transformed,” she said.

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HealthDay

How 1.3 million Americans became controlled by conservatorships

Jasmine Harris of the Law School spoke about the U.S. conservatorship system. "The best type of guardianship is the one that never happens," she said. "We have to reimagine the types of community supports that we have in place to provide the scaffolding that I was talking about, that makes guardianship unnecessary."

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Wired.com

Earth’s unicorn population is exploding

David Hsu of the Wharton School comments on how huge returns for investors have amplified the venture capital cycle.

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NBC News

$450 million for Philly mass transit is running out. Where will that money come from?

Gilles Duranton of the Wharton School comments on how politics has often hampered more widespread taxing of commuters who drive into crowded downtowns.

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The Washington Post

White House launches climate initiatives to arm communities against floods, extreme weather

Carolyn Kousky of the Wharton School weighed in on proposed updates to the National Flood Insurance Program’s flood plain management standards. “It is critical that our building standards consider future increases in risk instead of being backward looking,” she said.

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