Economy Jul 26 How the Federal Reserve uses higher interest rates to tame inflation Interest rates are headed higher again, as the Federal Reserve resumes its fight with inflation. That effort is almost a year and a half old now. At the same time, Fed Chair Jay Powell wants to tame inflation without tipping…
Nation Jul 11 Non-alcoholic beverages flourish as more Americans cut back on drinking U.S. beer sales traditionally peak in the summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day. But what’s in those beers is changing. While non-alcoholic beer, wine and cocktails make up a small fraction of the overall market, sales are rapidly rising.
Nation Jul 08 Why automated speed cameras disproportionately affect Black and brown drivers Cities across the country have used automated speed cameras in traffic enforcement for decades. Today, nearly 200 communities have them in place. But critics say that in places like Chicago, the tickets and fines they generate fall disproportionately on Black…
Nation Jun 22 The impact of the nation’s first cash reparations program for Black residents In 2019, Evanston, Illinois, passed the first reparations law in American history. It set out to address decades of segregation and legalizing housing discrimination. Economics Correspondent Paul Solman recently visited the Chicago suburb to follow up on the program. It's…
Economy Jun 02 U.S. economy adds more jobs in face of inflation and interest rate hikes The latest jobs report shows the labor market remains strong despite rising interest rates. That's good news for workers but it complicates the Federal Reserve's efforts to curb inflation. Economics Correspondent Paul Solman looks at the connections between the labor…
Economy May 18 Economic experts on what could happen if Congress fails to raise debt ceiling Congressional and White House negotiators met again Thursday as they try to reach a deal on the debt ceiling. President Biden and Speaker McCarthy said they believe they can get an agreement next week. But fears of a default still…
Economy May 05 Jobs report shows strong employment growth but many still choosing gig economy The U.S. labor market is again showing signs of resilience and unexpected strength amid other economic clouds. The latest report found job growth higher than expected in April with 253,000 new jobs spread throughout many sectors of the economy. Paul…
Economy Apr 27 What the latest GDP report says about the strength of the U.S. economy The newest GDP data suggests the U.S. economy is slowing down. Consumers are still spending and companies are still hiring and investing, but it’s not at the same pace as last year. At the same time, the economy continues to…
Health Apr 18 Long COVID symptoms keeping many Americans from returning to work Three years after the start of the pandemic, some 16 million Americans have long COVID, meaning their symptoms continue well after the initial infection. An estimated 4 million people say long COVID has significantly reduced their ability to carry out…
Economy Mar 28 The factors behind Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse As lawmakers hold hearings about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Economics Correspondent Paul Solman takes a look at what factors were behind the second-largest bank failure in U.S. History.