Economy

U.S. Forest Service aims to build more affordable housing for staff in Colorado

5:14am September 27, 2023

by Andrew Kenney

The agency is in charge of millions of acres in Colorado's mountains, but staff can hardly afford to live there. That's the impetus for a housing project on land in resort communities of the Rockies.

Economy

Is retail theft getting worse?

5:12pm September 26, 2023

Retailers are blaming thieves for falling profits. It's the biggest part of a problem called "shrink."

The waters of the Ha' Kamwe' hot springs are healing and sacred, says Ivan Bender, the caretaker of the Cholla Canyon Ranch, which belongs to the Hualapai Tribe. Less than a hundred yards away, an Australian mining company called Arizona Lithium has been exploring for lithium.

The U.S. needs minerals for green tech. Will Western mines have enough water?

2:42pm September 26, 2023

by Julia Simon

As the U.S. plans new mines for copper, lithium and other metals to use in green technologies, mining projects in the West could threaten scarce water supplies.

Queue Listen Now

A Spelman College graduate waves during the school's 2023 commencement ceremony on May 21. Recent college graduates are due to make their first student loan payments in the coming weeks.

How new borrowers can prepare for their first student loan payment

10:47am September 26, 2023

When student loan bills begin coming due in October, new borrowers will take their first steps on the long road to paying off their debt. These tools and tips can help ease the journey.

Customers at SolDias ice cream shops in Texas are encouraged to pay with cash instead of credit cards. Owner Victor Garcia is backing a legislative effort that aims to lower credit card processing fees through increased competition.

Why many business owners would love it if you stopped using your credit card

10:21am September 26, 2023

by Scott Horsley

The fees merchants pay for accepting credit cards are much higher in the U.S. than in Europe. Ice cream shop owner Victor Garcia, for example, paid more than $25,000 in swipe fees last year.

Queue Listen Now

US-British economist Angus Deaton speaks at a press conference after winning the Nobel Prize for Economics at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, on October 12, 2015.

A Nobel prize-winning immigrant's view on American inequality

7:17am September 26, 2023

by Greg Rosalsky

In a new book, Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton offers a scathing critique of American politics and economic policy.

Maine's housing crisis contributes to a big increase in student homelessness

5:10am September 26, 2023

by Robbie Feinberg

The state of Maine is launching a first-of-its-kind program under which schools can financially assist families with rent, utilities and other household expenses.

Morning news brief

5:08am September 25, 2023

Striking Hollywood writers reach a tentative deal with studios. If the government shuts down, what impact would that have on the economy? One in four inmate deaths happens in the same federal prison.

Economy

Economists wonder what impact a government shutdown would have on the economy

5:08am September 25, 2023

Without a deal on Capitol Hill, current spending laws expire on Sept. 30. Ahead of a potential government shutdown, Wall Street is gaming out what it could mean for the U.S. economy.

Economy

A new bill could reduce the fees shop owners are charged when customers swipe a card

8:23am September 24, 2023

by Scott Horsley

Retailers have long complained about so-called "swipe fees" on credit cards. And now there's a showdown in Congress that pits retailers against the credit card industry. What's at stake for shoppers?