PBS NewsHour - Making Sen$e

UC Berkeley sociologist Arlie Hochschild traveled to Louisiana, the second-poorest state, to explore why its neediest populations simultaneously rely on federal aid and reject the concept of "big government." As Paul Solman reports, the author and professor discovered many residents feel betrayed by their state's government for failing to protect them from toxic pollution that risks their health.

It's commonly believed that you need money to start a company, but a pair of British entrepreneurs are spreading a different message. Through their initiative PopUp Business School, Alan Donegan and his team train people with little capital, but a lot of ideas, how to turn their entrepreneurial visions into reality. Paul Solman reports on how the free program encourages aspiring innovators.

A quarter of the U.S. population is made up of people born from the mid-1990s to around 2010, known as Generation Z. When it comes to making purchases, this group is accustomed to buying online and using credit cards, but less familiar with cash. How does the absence of tangible currency, and the constant exposure to digital advertising, affect their relationship with money? Paul Solman reports.

Economic inequality is a major theme in the American political dialogue. As the country's wealthiest people continually become richer at the expense of the poor, some research suggests they may actually become less happy and healthy. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on the nuanced data and the challenges of evaluating a society's well-being. Transcript:

With trade negotiations between the U.S. and China now in high gear, President Trump has suggested he might delay the latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods, currently scheduled to take effect March 1. Paul Solman reports on the disadvantages China faces in these trade negotiations, what options the country may have to retaliate and why trade wars can be "very, very stupid" maneuvers.

What happens if you need a kidney transplant and don't know someone who is a biological match? A Nobel prize-winning economist has a solution: transplant chains. Donors agree to give to a stranger in exchange for a kidney for their loved one, but it has to start with someone willing to give without getting anything in return. Paul Solman has the story of two donors who volunteered to do just that.

The State of the Union fanfare is gone. What now? Join the PBS NewsHour's Amna Nawaz, Lisa Desjardins, Yamiche Alcindor and Daniel Bush as they dig into President Donald Trump's speech and the Democratic response. Which statements have traction and which are just rhetoric? As always, you can expect smart analysis, useful insights and the kind of conversation you won't get anywhere else.

Super Bowl LIII is just days away. For some players, it will be the pinnacle of their professional football careers. But after the glory and glamour of the NFL spotlight are past, these former athletes face a major challenge: What to do next? Paul Solman talks to former tight end Martellus Bennett about his entirely different post-NFL pursuit.

Jobs in the trucking industry are increasingly threatened by technology and the rise of driverless trucks. But what explains the contradictory dynamic between fears of job elimination and a current shortage of truck drivers in the U.S.? The NewsHour returns to the unusual story of driver Finn Murphy, who left college and a literary family for the open road. Paul Solman reports.

In the early 20th century, Standard Oil was broken up because of its vast power. Today, many think Facebook, Google or Amazon present similar threats, but they proceed unchallenged. In "The Curse of Bigness," law professor Tim Wu argues that America has abandoned antitrust enforcement and left us with an economy dominated by de facto monopolists. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

Socialism is becoming increasingly appealing among young Americans who value universal health care, free public college and living wages. In her new book, "Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism," Kristen Ghodsee argues that implementing socialist concepts would make women's lives more autonomous, manageable and fulfilling. Paul Solman reports for our weekly economics series, Making Sense.

The Lucas Brothers are an identical twin comedy duo raised in the inner city of Newark, New Jersey. Keith and Kenny both graduated from college and began law school before deciding to pursue comedy. Now in their 30s, the brothers use deadpan humor to critique American economic and racial inequality. Paul Solman talks to them about "generational poverty" and how they're surprised to still be alive.

Mary Daly dropped out of high school and ended up as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. As a part of our weekly series Making Sense, Paul Solman travels with Daly to Boise, Idaho, where through a unique lens of economic policy, she tries to help others find the same success in the workforce as she did.

The trucking industry has long faced a driver shortage, in part because of high risk, low pay and long hours. The rise of autonomous vehicles could alleviate that problem--but it could also eliminate jobs for a population of older men who lack college degrees and might have difficulty finding new work. Paul Solman explores the conundrum for our special Future of Work series.

As automation spreads through the American economy, experts say its impacts will be uneven. Key factors in determining that effect include geography and race, but likely even more important is education. With the rapid pace of technological evolution, will job training be able to keep pace? John Yang reports from the Inland Empire of California as part of our new series, the Future of Work.