Of Interest
you are currently viewing:ICYMI: Report Shows 'Annoyance Economy' Rips Off Consumers for $165 Billion AnnuallyMarch 4, 2026--Spam and robocalls cost Americans over $32 billion annually, junk fees cost consumers $90 billion annually, and health care headaches cost $41 billion.
Groundwork Policy Fellow Chad Maisel and Stanford economist Neale Mahoney find that tactics such as obstructing cancellations can raise corporate profits by up to 200%. The annoyances are increasingly inescapable: Americans receive more than 130 million scam and illegal marketing calls each day, and over 20 billion spam texts each month. By draining money, time, and energy, the Annoyance Economy amplifies the cost of daily life and hits families hardest who are already stretched thin. As Americans face an affordability crisis, the Trump administration has let the "Annoyance Economy" flourish scrapping airline refund rules, repealing CFPB overdraft protections, and cutting enforcement against scams and abusive practices. Source: groundworkcollaborative.org |
Clear Orbit, Secure Future: A Call to Action on Space Debris
January 26, 2026-Space is the foundational infrastructure of the 21st-century global economy. From navigation and finance to climate monitoring, daily life on Earth depends on satellites. Yet this critical orbital infrastructure is under threat. Congestion from space debris is rising, creating a strategic vulnerability for the entire planet.
Mapped: AI Adoption Rates by Country
January 22, 2026--Key Takeaways
The UAE has an AI adoption rate of 64.0%, the highest globally in 2025.
Even though the U.S. is a global leader in AI infrastructure and frontier model development, it ranks 24th in AI adoption based on analysis from Microsoft.
'Frontier Market' Economies Haven't Lived Up to Potential Since 2010
January 20, 2026--Investment growth has halved, more than in other low- and middle-income economies
"Frontier market" economies-a cluster of mostly middle-income economies regarded as the proving ground for the next generation of economic superstars-have largely failed to live up to their potential in recent decades, a new World Bank study has found.
Women's Health Investment Outlook: 6% of Funding for Nearly 50% of the Population-Not Just a Gap, but Untapped White Space
January 20, 2026-Women's health represents a large and undercapitalized opportunity in global healthcare. Despite women and girls making up nearly half the world's population, women's health has captured just 6% of private healthcare investment. The fundamentals are strong, but funding remains limited and narrowly focused, historically confined to reproductive and maternal health.
Investing in Blue Foods: Innovation and Partnerships for Impact
January 19, 2026--The future of global food systems hinges on their ability to harness the full spectrum of natural and human potential. Thisa href="https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Investing_in_Blue_Foods_2026.pdf" TARGET="_blank">report focuses on one of the most promising food systems opportunities: the development of the blue foods sector, which has the capacity to drive economic growth, improve nutrition and strengthen climate resilience.
Global Value Chains Outlook 2026: Orchestrating Corporate and National Agility
January 19, 2026-Global supply chains face a new operating reality- one defined by persistent volatility and disruptions embedded in the global economy. Leaders face a defining challenge: how can supply chains be designed to remain resilient, competitive and investable when uncertainty is not temporary, but structural?
G20 Growth Outlook: 2026
January 14, 2026-The Group of 20 (G-20) constitutes around 85 per cent of the world output-bringing together the world's largest advanced and emerging economies. Any shift(s) in the growth rates across these economies offer us a glimpse into the broader trajectory of the world economy - which is set for uneven growth in 2026.
