Economy

What You Need To Know About The $22 Trillion National Debt

10:15pm February 14, 2019

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Jason Furman, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama, about the national debt that's currently at $22 trillion.

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Economy

Your Questions, Answered ❤️

6:04pm February 14, 2019

Today we answer listener questions about age discrimination; how work hours are counted; and whether the economy is running out of people to take jobs.

Retail sales fell 1.2 percent in December, the most in nine years. The drop cut into forecasts for economic growth.

Americans Tightened Their Belts And It Might Hurt Economic Numbers Important To Trump

5:46pm February 14, 2019

by Scott Horsley

What started off as a strong holiday shopping season ended with a whimper, as December retail sales posted the sharpest drop in nine years. That could mean GDP growth will miss the president's target.

Taxpayers faced with smaller refunds or higher taxes have been airing their grievances online.

Anger, Confusion Over Dwindling Refunds. Is Trump's Tax Plan To Blame?

5:18pm February 14, 2019

by Daniella Cheslow

Tax refunds so far have been smaller than last year's. Some taxpayers kept a bigger share of their income, but for others it reflects an overhaul that rewarded high earners the most.

Arts
Economy

North Carolina Wines On The Rise From The Mountains To The Coast

4:57pm February 14, 2019

by David Ford

At the historic Millennium Center in Winston-Salem, the first flight of a wine competition winds down in an enormous, sun-drenched lobby.

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Economy

High Point Market Estimated Impact Reaches $6 Billion

9:44am February 14, 2019

by Paul Garber

The first major survey of the High Point Furniture Market in six years has been released, showing growth despite some political challenges for the international event.

Members of the nascent United Auto Workers Union (UAW) during a sit-down strike in the General Motors Fisher Body Plant in Flint, Michigan. (Photo by Sheldon Dick/Getty Images)

Economy

The Strike That Changed U.S. Labor

5:59pm February 13, 2019

The 1937 agreement between GM and the United Auto Workers union ushered in a period of strength for organized labor. Today, labor is nowhere near as powerful as it used to be. What happened?

Germany's Lufthansa airline hopes to put the brakes on the practice of "hidden city" ticketing, saying a passenger owes it more than $2,000 because he didn't use part of his round-trip route.

Lufthansa Airlines Sues Customer Who Skipped Part Of His Return Flight

3:55pm February 13, 2019

by Bill Chappell

The Lufthansa passenger paid around $741 to fly business class from Oslo to Seattle and back. But on his return trip, he got off in Germany — and the airline wants him to pay more than $2,000.

The Treasury Department data comes as tax revenue has fallen and federal spending continues to rise.

U.S. National Debt Hits Record $22 Trillion

2:19pm February 13, 2019

by Bill Chappell

Federal deficits are now expected to average $1.2 trillion, or 4.4 percent of gross domestic product — far higher than the average over the past 50 years.

Journalist: Kleptocrats' 'Ill-Gotten Fortunes' Are Being Parked In U.S. Real Estate

1:18pm February 13, 2019

by Terry Gross

Atlantic journalist Franklin Foer says American real estate became a "giant magnet" for Russia's kleptocratic fortunes after lobbyists pushed to allow anonymous shell companies to buy properties.

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