Economics | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/economics/RSS feed for EconomicsenFri, 27 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000Fish Traps Have Been Banned on the Columbia River for Nearly a Century. Could Bringing Them Back Help Save Salmon?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-traps-have-been-banned-on-the-columbia-river-for-nearly-a-century-could-bringing-them-back-help-save-salmon-180988439/A new experiment is testing the commercial success of fish traps in Washington and Oregon. Even as some conservationists embrace the technique, its return has reopened old wounds among local fishersFri, 27 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-traps-have-been-banned-on-the-columbia-river-for-nearly-a-century-could-bringing-them-back-help-save-salmon-180988439/Ireland Launches Its Permanent ‘Income for the Arts’ Scheme, Becoming the First Government Committed to Paying Artistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ireland-launches-its-permanent-income-for-the-arts-scheme-becoming-the-first-government-committed-to-paying-artists-180988226/The permanent Basic Income for the Arts scheme was announced last fall, following a nearly identical pilot scheme. Come spring, Irish artists will be able to apply for three years of weekly stipends: a value of almost $60,000Thu, 19 Feb 2026 19:52:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ireland-launches-its-permanent-income-for-the-arts-scheme-becoming-the-first-government-committed-to-paying-artists-180988226/Have We Reached the Final Days of the Mass-Market Paperback?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/have-we-reached-the-final-days-of-the-mass-market-paperback-180988139/One of the largest paperback distributors has decided to stop supporting the format, which has been making reading accessible to the masses since the 1930sWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:42:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/have-we-reached-the-final-days-of-the-mass-market-paperback-180988139/Flesh-Eating Screwworms Are Creeping Closer to a Comeback in the United Stateshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/flesh-eating-screwworms-are-creeping-closer-to-a-comeback-in-the-united-states-180987903/Eradicated since 1966, the pests have recently been detected in Mexico within 70 miles of the U.S. borderFri, 19 Dec 2025 14:39:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/flesh-eating-screwworms-are-creeping-closer-to-a-comeback-in-the-united-states-180987903/How Landlocked Idaho Became a Leader in Urban Surfinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-landlocked-idaho-became-a-leader-in-urban-surfing-180987688/Boise's wave park is attracting outdoor adventurers—and the innovative public works project is inspiring other citiesFri, 14 Nov 2025 13:56:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-landlocked-idaho-became-a-leader-in-urban-surfing-180987688/A Family Found These Rare Tudor Coins Buried in Their Backyard. Now, the Trove Is Heading to the Auction Blockhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-family-found-these-rare-tudor-coins-buried-in-their-backyard-now-the-trove-is-heading-to-the-auction-block-180987561/Discovered in southern England, the collection features dozens of gold and silver coins dating to the 15th and 16th centuries—including several inscribed with the initials of Henry VIII's wivesFri, 24 Oct 2025 17:48:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-family-found-these-rare-tudor-coins-buried-in-their-backyard-now-the-trove-is-heading-to-the-auction-block-180987561/Ireland Makes a Program Offering Basic Income for Artists Permanenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ireland-makes-a-program-offering-basic-income-for-artists-permanent-180987523/After a successful three-year pilot, the country will continue to provide 2,000 artists with $1,500 per monthFri, 17 Oct 2025 16:38:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ireland-makes-a-program-offering-basic-income-for-artists-permanent-180987523/Twelve Failed Constitutional Amendments That Could Have Reshaped American Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/twelve-failed-constitutional-amendments-that-could-have-reshaped-american-history-180987425/These proposals sought to change the United States' name, abolish the presidency and the vice presidency, and set a limit on personal fortunes, among other measuresMon, 06 Oct 2025 13:18:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/twelve-failed-constitutional-amendments-that-could-have-reshaped-american-history-180987425/Wildfire Smoke Will Likely Kill Thousands More Americans Each Yearhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wildfire-smoke-will-likely-kill-thousands-more-americans-each-year-180987373/A new analysis finds that 30,000 more Americans are expected to die from wildfire-smoke exposure annually by 2050Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:13:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wildfire-smoke-will-likely-kill-thousands-more-americans-each-year-180987373/Sweden Releases an Official Cultural Canon That Features IKEA and 'Pippi Longstocking'—but Not ABBAhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sweden-releases-an-official-cultural-canon-that-featutes-ikea-and-pippi-longstocking-but-no-abba-180987298/Critics of the list, which features 100 artworks and other cultural creations from before 1975, say the selections are exclusionaryMon, 08 Sep 2025 18:19:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sweden-releases-an-official-cultural-canon-that-featutes-ikea-and-pippi-longstocking-but-no-abba-180987298/