Tuesday's Assorted Links

Ozempic, U.S. Census, checked baggage, black market cannabis, and workplace productivity

Hi y’all! Here are five stories from this week that contained some neat applications of economic principles or are related to teaching:

1. A month’s supply of Ozempic could be produced for less than $5, but it’s currently priced at around $935 before insurance [CNBC | Original Study]

2. The United States changed how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity for the first time in 27 years to better count Americans with Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and North African heritage [Associated Press]

3. Dynamic pricing is coming for your suitcase as one airline will set prices ranging from $35 to $50 depending on travel dates and other factors [CNN]

4. Black market cannabis thrives in California despite legalization [NPR]

5. A restaurant chain cut workers’ steps by 9,000 a day to cut costs [Bloomberg]

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From the bustling activity in accommodations to the decisions being made by spectators, the solar eclipse is providing lessons in scarcity, demand, and the consequences of human behavior on a larger scale. While millions may gaze toward the sky today, let’s look more closely at the economic behavior playing out on the ground.

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