Editor's note

Hurricane Harvey’s massive flooding has killed at least 60 people, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and destroyed or damaged more than 100,000 homes. As the storm’s victims shift from survival to recovery, officials are beginning to calculate its economic toll, which some put as high as $180 billion – almost double that of Katrina. But what about the financial toll on individual lives? New research co-authored by Case Western economist Justin Gallagher examines what happened in the months and years after Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. The findings contain both good news and bad for Harvey’s victims.

The North Korean crisis worsened Sunday with Kim Jong Un’s regime detonating a sixth nuclear bomb. Conversation contributors – from around the world – provide perspective and context.

And as students return to fall sports, researchers share their work looking at how the relative size of two fingers – the index and ring fingers – can play a role in determining a person’s physical abilities.

Bryan Keogh

Editor, Economics and Business

Top story

The financial impact of Hurricane Katrina on individual lives has been little studied until now. Reuters/Robert Galbraith

What victims of Hurricane Harvey can learn from Katrina as rebuilding begins

Justin Gallagher, Case Western Reserve University

Researchers examined credit data on the victims of Hurricane Katrina to understand how the disaster affected their personal finances, revealing important lessons for those hurt by Harvey.

Environment + Energy

Economy + Business

Science + Technology

Politics + Society

Health + Medicine

  • Finger size does matter... in sports

    Grant Tomkinson, University of North Dakota; Makailah Dyer, University of North Dakota

    Athletic ability is often linked to size – of muscles and bones. New studies are suggesting, however, that the relative size of two fingers could be more predictive of ability.

Education

  • Want a job? It's still about education.

    Shaun M. Dougherty, University of Connecticut

    As technology and the labor market rapidly evolve, so too does the value of a high school diploma. Despite the changes, one thing remains true: Education is still the cornerstone of career success.

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