Colleges Try to Head Off a Coming Enrollment Crisis
Summary
Health care costs are set to rise sharply, while Walmart’s stock fell after reporting its weakest sales growth in six years, though it raised full-year estimates. Meanwhile, falling birth rates threaten college enrollment, causing a flight to elite schools and potential closures for smaller institutions. The episode also covers California’s AI investment boom, Treasury Secretary Bessent’s bond market interventions, and the resurgence of claw machines.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: ReliaQuest Agentic Defense
Intro: Healthcare costs, Walmart sales, college demographics
Rising healthcare costs for employers and workers
Record AI venture capital funding in California
Walmart earnings miss and retail competition with Target
Treasury bond buybacks and $40 trillion debt
Sponsor: AI That Means Business
College enrollment decline and flight to elite schools
Strategies for less prestigious colleges to attract students
International student challenges and school closures
The resurgence of claw machines and claw-cades
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