Editor's note

The birth of a granddaughter took Walmart’s executives to mountaintops and melting Arctic glaciers and culminated in an ambitious project to test whether the world’s biggest retailer could make sustainable products affordable. Business school professors Andrew Spicer and David Graham Hyatt spent five years poring over internal documents as well as interviewing executives, suppliers, farmers and others who had a stake in the program. They wanted to know: Could Walmart bring sustainability to the masses?

When students start their first year of high school, many will experience a phenomenon known as “ninth-grade shock.” But the stress of freshman year in high school can be overcome if students are taught a “growth mindset” that enables them to become more optimistic about their ability to adapt.

Earlier this summer, Saudi Arabia lifted the decades long ban on women’s driving. Seemingly at odds with the decision to grant women more freedom, Saudi authorities have arrested prominent feminists, leading recently, to a diplomatic spat with Canada. Rutgers–Newark’s Nermin Allam argues that all this goes to show that the reforms are limited and the kingdom remains adamant on not opening more space for women.

Bryan Keogh

Economics + Business Editor

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Can Walmart go green while maintaining its commitment to low prices? AP Photo/Tom Uhlman

Walmart tried to make sustainability affordable. Here’s what happened

Andrew Spicer, University of South Carolina; David Graham Hyatt, University of Arkansas

Two business professors spent five years studying Walmart's ambition project to bring sustainability to its millions of budget-conscious customers – a plan that began with the birth of a granddaughter.

Up to two-thirds of students experience ‘ninth grade shock,’ which can affect everything from grades to mental health. ABO Photography/www.shutterstock.com

The start of high school doesn’t have to be stressful

David Yeager, University of Texas at Austin; Hae Yeon Lee, University of Texas at Austin

While transitioning to the ninth grade can be stressful for many students, teaching students to be more optimistic can better enable them to cope with the challenges, research psychologists argue.

A woman in Saudi Arabia drives to work for the first time in Riyadh. AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty

Saudi women can drive, but are their voices being heard?

Nermin Allam, Rutgers University Newark

Saudi Arabia has arrested a number of feminists, while bringing in reforms for women. An expert argues why this goes to show that the kingdom remains adamant on not opening space for more voices.

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