Tuesday's Assorted Links
NASCAR, helicopter parents, real income, credit card debt, and Sweetgreen
Hi y’all! Here are five stories from this week that contained some neat applications of economic principles or are related to teaching:
NASCAR execs are keeping a close eye on the price of gas, but not because of the cars on track [Sportico]
Recruiters say parents are increasingly applying for jobs on behalf of their adult children [Kanebridge News | The Wall Street Journal]
Americans got their biggest raises in 40 years, but inflation took most of it [CBS News]
Credit card debt rises to $1.26 trillion, nearing an all time record [ABC News]
Fast casual salad chain Sweetgreen saw its stock drop 29% over the past month despite not having direct ties to the contaminated greens [Yahoo! Finance]
A viral tweet complaining about the price of burritos has set off a political food fight, but none of the pundits weighing in actually explained where the price comes from. This week’s article breaks down the economics behind the outrage by looking at inflation-adjusted prices, minutes of labor, and the delivery-app markup hiding in plain sight. The numbers don’t say what you’d expect:
The Great $20 Burrito Panic of 2026
What started as a common gripe about the cost of eating out for lunch turned part of the internet upside down. A spokesperson for Turning Point USA shared the complaint on his social media account, igniting an online debate about affordability. The original post has already been viewed more than 3 million times over the past two weeks.
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