Opinion

  We’ve heard a lot over this past election year about the economic struggles of Rust Belt states. But the most economically troubled state in the country may be Wyoming. That at least is the verdict of the Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States index, which currently ranks Wyoming dead last in absolute terms as well as in percentage change since …

  To firms planning to buy other companies with borrowed money in the new year: Please take a moment to reconsider and learn from those who have gone before you. US consumers feel great, right? The presidential election is over. Talk of jobs and infrastructure spending, coupled with stock-market indices flirting with all-time highs, is stoking excitement for the future …

  Few presidents have come into office as likely to fail as Donald Trump. This isn’t because of his various character flaws, or because he leads a divided party and nation. It’s because his central aim, to restore the age of American “greatness” — and in particular to bring back manufacturing jobs — is simply not doable. An overwhelming 85 …

  Bob Gates has worked in senior national-security positions for the last five presidents, Republican and Democratic. So it’s noteworthy — and to me, encouraging — that he is advising President-elect Donald Trump, too. Gates, a former defense secretary, CIA director and deputy national security adviser, spoke with me by telephone on Wednesday about the advice he’s giving Trump and …

  Few Italian operas come as epic as Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA. Thanks to an ill-timed and hubristic takeover as well as some questionable accounting practices, the 544-year-old pillar of Siena is on the brink of an ignominious nationalization. The final act, though, will drag on. One Italian official presented the outline of Monte Paschi’s rescue to …

  The imminent failure of Italy’s third-largest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena, is finally bringing the country’s long-festering banking crisis to the center of European leaders’ attention. This may be a blessing in disguise, offering the best chance yet to achieve a lasting solution — and even strengthen the European Union. Italy’s financial woes have been years in the …

  Syrian troops reclaimed rebel-held east Aleppo. The residents anxious to return to their homes entered into the war-ravaged city after the regime’s announcement of full control of the city. Assad army recaptured the former rebel stronghold after a landmark evacuation deal that saw thousands of opposition fighters and residents bussed out. The evacuation operation ended more than four years …

  As Beijing and more than 20 other cities in northern China have been plunged into another winter air-pollution crisis, with choking, toxic air and many people afraid to wander outside, observers wonder when China will start making significant progress on this problem. But there is some good news, namely that when it comes to clean air improvements, China probably …

  To firms planning to buy other companies with borrowed money in the new year: Please take a moment to reconsider and learn from those who have gone before you. It’s true that companies flop all the time. But those that borrow gobs of money have a narrower margin for error. And companies in some sectors popular for leveraged buyouts, …

  How much is a child’s future success determined by innate intelligence? Economist James Heckman says it’s not what people think. He likes to ask educated non-scientists — especially politicians and policy makers — how much of the difference between people’s incomes can be tied to IQ. Most guess around 25 percent, even 50 percent, he says. But the data …