Carolyn Silverman

Carolyn Silverman

Data Journalist

Carolyn Silverman is a data journalist for Bloomberg Opinion. She previously served as a data scientist for the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab.

Latest

U.S. And Israel Wage War Against Iran

Polymarket Bets on Iran War Show Limits of Prediction Markets for Wall Street

March 6, 2026

March 6, 2026

Polymarket Bets on Iran War Show Limits of Prediction Markets for Wall Street

U.S. And Israel Wage War Against Iran

December 19, 2025

December 19, 2025

AI Is the Hot Topic in Tech Earnings and a Blind Spot Everywhere Else

While discussion of AI dominates tech earnings calls, analysts are showing little interest in how — or whether — the rest of the economy is keeping up.

AI earnings call HP promo

December 17, 2025

December 17, 2025

OpinionRonald Brownstein and Carolyn Silverman

A New Way to Understand America’s Congressional Doom Loop

A simple 2x2 matrix can explain why the House of Representatives has found it harder and harder to get anything done.

Government Shutdown Looms As House And Senate Disagree On Funding Bill

December 12, 2025

December 12, 2025

Year in Review: 2025 in Graphics, Maps, and Visual Stories

The Year in Graphics

2025: The Year in Graphics (4x3 animated GIF V2)

October 20, 2025

October 20, 2025

OpinionCarolyn Silverman and Timothy L. O'Brien

Will Trump Do It? It Pays to Bet ‘No’

Polymarket data shows wagers against Trump taking action would have yielded returns similar to the S&P 500. And gambling that he'll actually follow through was a losing proposition.

Trump BBO feature

August 14, 2025

August 14, 2025

OpinionAndrea Felsted and Carolyn Silverman

From Gucci to Rolex: The Rise and Fall of Luxury in Music

Mentions of expensive brands in songs have sunk, underlining the sector’s bust. Can it reassert itself in popular culture once more?

June 16, 2025

June 16, 2025

OpinionJohn Authers, Richard Abbey and Carolyn Silverman

The US Is Exceptional — When It Comes to Rates

The Fed is expected to maintain its pause as the gap widens with other central banks.

Fed Chair Powell Speaks At Federal Reserve IF 75TH Anniversary Conference

April 17, 2025

April 17, 2025

OpinionLisa Jarvis and Carolyn Silverman

NIH Grant Cuts Aren't Saving Money. They're Wasting It.

The Trump administration says the canceled funding is about cost efficiency, but data shows that the opposite is happening.

Cut In NIH Funding Imperils Medical Research At University Of Illinois Chicago

March 18, 2025

March 18, 2025

OpinionDave Lee and Carolyn Silverman

Community Notes Can’t Save Social Media From Itself

The crowdsourced fact-checking system, which Meta adopted from X, is falling well short of stopping the spread of misinformation.

For Bloomberg Opinion Community Notes piece

December 24, 2024

December 24, 2024

2024: The Year in Graphics

The Year in Graphics

2024 Year in Graphics

December 19, 2024

December 19, 2024

OpinionJohn Authers, Richard Abbey and Carolyn Silverman

Central Banks Started a Rates Descent They Can’t Finish

The Fed’s cold feet on cuts shows that the world is down from a peak, but the changing terrain is no less dangerous.

202412-rates-homepage

November 29, 2024

November 29, 2024

OpinionParmy Olson and Carolyn Silverman

ChatGPT’s $8 Trillion Birthday Gift to Big Tech

Two years in, generative AI’s value to the world is still unclear. But these charts show that it’s been a bonanza for the largest tech firms.

Advanced Generative AI Tools as Major Tech Companies Urge Lawmakers to Avoid Heavy-handed Regulation

October 22, 2024

October 22, 2024

OpinionCarolyn Silverman and Mary Ellen Klas

This Is Why You Don’t Recognize Your State Government

A trove of legislative and electoral data reveals that when one party secures control, voters get ignored.

This Is Why You Don’t Recognize Your State Government

September 16, 2024

September 16, 2024

OpinionJohn Authers, Richard Abbey and Carolyn Silverman

Fed’s Rates Descent Can Start With a Step or Jump

The odds are 50-50 on a jumbo 50 basis points, but either way Powell won’t be alone at the peak any longer.

An ice climber screws in an ice screw anchor as he rappels down a 160' high ice wall in the Ouray Ice Park

July 30, 2024

July 30, 2024

OpinionRichard Abbey, John Authers and Carolyn Silverman

When Will the Fed Finally Start Down the Mountain?

The US looks lonelier than ever at peak rates. The FOMC’s options seem to be a first cut, or a step toward it.

Climber descending Cotopaxi Volcano, Cotopaxi National Park, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador, South America

June 20, 2024

June 20, 2024

OpinionLiam Denning, Jeff Davies, Elaine He, Carolyn Silverman and Taylor Tyson

Biden Is Giving Red Districts an Inconvenient Gift: Green Jobs

The White House’s policies have fueled plans for more than $200 billion in cleantech manufacturing investments — mostly in districts with Republican lawmakers opposed to the agenda.

2024-opinion-energy-ira-homepage

June 11, 2024

June 11, 2024

OpinionJohn Authers, Richard Abbey and Carolyn Silverman

For the Descent, Follow the Dots

While the Fed still plots its course down from high rates, other central banks are starting off on their own.

Climber descending Cotopaxi Volcano, Cotopaxi National Park, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador, South America

May 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

OpinionJohn Authers, Richard Abbey and Carolyn Silverman

The Fed Won’t Climb Down Yet. Others Can’t Wait

Our series on The Year of Descending Dangerously shows big central banks can’t hang on forever for the US to start cutting rates — but still fear going first.

Climber With Rope on Descending Part of The Ridge Below Bruach Na Frithe In The Black Cuillin. Isle of Skye, Scotland

March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024

OpinionJohn Authers, Richard Abbey, Elaine He, Carolyn Silverman and Taylor Tyson

The Great Rates Descent Will Be Nasty, Brutish and Long

In a new monthly project, Points of Return will track the world’s perilous journey out of the most far-reaching inflation and interest-rates turmoil in decades.

2024-opinion-rates-homepage