After more than four decades at the Monitor, one tends to see patterns in the news. Whether it's a turn in the economic cycle or the dawn of a breakthrough technology, these events can change people's lives, sometimes dramatically. They're new and yet they include echoes from past changes in the economy and technology. As a senior economics writer, it's my job to cover these themes, separate the game-changers from the fads and put them in context in a way readers can easily understand the likely impact on their lives.
It helps to have a broad perspective. Born in Paris and raised in Indiana, educated in a two-room schoolhouse (many still existed in the 1960s) and a top university for journalism (Northwestern), I've had a varied and bilingual experience that has allowed me to relate to and empathize with the people I've interviewed in the Americas and Europe. My two daughters, adopted from China, have further internationalized that perspective. Currently, I'm interested in artificial intelligence and how it might (and might not) further human progress.
Stories by Laurent Belsie
- Message in US-China trade deal: Neither side wants a sudden breakup
- The Explainer US-China trade talks could temper tariff angst, but rivalry runs deep
- Hiring is up, GDP is down: Economy sends mixed signals as tariffs loom
- China is a big buyer of US soybeans. These farmers are bracing for tariff impact.
- Markets falter as Trump attacks Fed’s independence – and its chair
- View all