Fitch just downgraded the U.S. credit rating — how much does it matter?
The U.S. is no longer rated at the top-notch AAA by Fitch. Here's what credit ratings are, and why they (mostly) matter.
Economy
Treasury officials report little fallout after the government's credit rating drop
Treasury officials say they've seen little fallout so far from the loss of the government's Triple-A bond rating. The Fitch rating agency downgraded government debt, citing a governance deterioration.
Amazon may have met its match in the grocery aisles
Amazon laid off workers at its brick-and-mortar grocery stores last week — the latest sign of the e-commerce giant's struggles to stand out in the competitive grocery landscape.
Sales are way down at a Florida flea market. A new immigration law could be to blame.
Florida's new strict immigration law threatens the state's economy and could hurt political ambitions for some GOP candidates. Vendors at a popular flea market are already seeing the impacts.
Fitch drops the United States' credit rating to AA+
Fitch Ratings cut the U.S.'s rating by one notch, moving it from the previous top-rated AAA to AA+, citing worsening governance as a key factor — just months after the country averted a debt default.
The U.S. loses its top AAA rating from Fitch over worries about the nation's finances
Fitch cut the federal government's top rating, citing rising deficits and a steady deterioration in governance over the last two decades. The action drew a sharp rebuke from the Biden administration.
Demand for cheap shrimp is driving U.S. shrimpers out of business
More U.S. shrimpers have sold their boats. Most Americans don't realize that the cheap, plentiful shrimp they buy in the market and order on pad thai is driving domestic shrimpers out of business.
How the shutdown of transport company Yellow could have ripple effects for truckers
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with trucker Alex Mai, who runs a YouTube Channel about trucking news, about how 30,000 workers are losing their jobs as the shipping company Yellow has shut down operations.
14 years ago the federal minimum wage was raised to $7.25 an hour. It hasn't changed
After hearing from a low-wage worker in California, NPR's A Martinez talks to Rev. William Barber of the Poor People's Campaign about why the federal minimum wage hasn't gone up in more than a decade.
Auto companies are making big profits, but still stumbling when it comes to EVs
The U.S. auto industry is experiencing unanticipated stumbles and challenges as it pivots to producing more electric vehicles, even as it makes large profits.