Economy

Pay-by-the-month subscriptions are increasingly popular. But research suggests people often keep paying long after they intend to.

Yes, people often forget to cancel their monthly subscriptions — and the costs add up

1:30pm August 30, 2023

by Scott Horsley

From streaming TV to razor blades by mail, Americans are buying more goods and services through pay-by-the-month plans. New research shows they often keep paying long after they want to.

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A few tourists stand under a rainbow as the clouds clear at Haleakalā on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Though much of the island is untouched, tourism is down drastically.

On Maui, a desperate plea to tourists: Please return

1:16pm August 30, 2023

by Kirk Siegler

When the deadly wildfires ignited on Maui, tourists were turned away. Three weeks later, business owners are eager for them visit — responsibly.

How China got to its current economic state

6:28pm August 29, 2023

by Emily Feng

China's economic recovery has been dramatically slower than expected, its biggest property firms are courting bankruptcy, and youth unemployment is at a record high.

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Economy

Is the Federal Reserve going to continue to hike interest rates?

7:22am August 28, 2023

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institution, about economic growth, and what might be the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates.

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Economy

How Americans are spending money

8:08am August 27, 2023

Back-to-school spending reached another record this year, while other spending is giving some indications of how Americans feel about the economy.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is set to become the latest government official to travel to China amid rising tensions between the two countries. The worsening relations are leaving American companies facing an uncertain environment.

Economy

How high tensions between China and the U.S. are impacting American companies

11:56am August 26, 2023

by David Gura

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is set to travel to China at a time when U.S. executives and investors are facing increasing uncertainty and risk doing business there.

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The soaring price of rice is affecting many parts of the world where it's the staple diet

8:07am August 26, 2023

by Scott Simon

A combination of climate change and shifting trade practices has sent the price of rice soaring. This is problematic in many parts of the world, where the grain is the staple of regional diets.

How a home mortgage 'lock in' impacts the entire housing market

5:58pm August 25, 2023

The average mortgage rate in the U.S. is now over 7%, its highest level in more than 20 years. That has some homeowners feeling locked in, tethered to their low interest rates and unable to move.

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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell arrives for a meeting of financial regulators in Washington, D.C., on July 28, 2023. Powell warned on Friday the fight against inflation still "has a long way to go."

Economy

Fed Chair Jerome Powell warns the fight against inflation is far from over

4:58pm August 25, 2023

by Scott Horsley

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said interest rates could stay elevated for an extended period to bring inflation to the central bank's 2% target.

A maintenance worker sweeps the street in front of a row of new homes in Fairfax, Va., on Aug. 22. Sales of new homes are taking off as current homeowners are reluctant to sell their houses, because they would face a higher mortgage for their next one.

Economy

These are 5 ways surging mortgage rates are reshaping the housing market

5:00am August 25, 2023

by Scott Horsley

The housing market is showing a split: Sales of existing homes were down last month, but sales of newly built houses were up.