Economy

This obscure program lets Americans donate to help pay off the national debt

5:26pm May 26, 2023

The U.S. debt has led to plenty of partisan fights and ... charitable gifts. For decades, a government program has been collecting donations from Americans who want to help pay off the national debt.

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The latest on negotiations over raising the U.S. debt ceiling

4:38pm May 25, 2023

House Republicans and the White House are racing to clinch a debt deal, with just days before the U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills.

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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks to members of the media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 2023. The U.S. government will soon run out of cash to pay its bills unless it can raise or suspend its debt ceiling.

5 things people get wrong about the debt ceiling saga

10:55am May 25, 2023

by Scott Horsley

Did spending by President Biden and the Democrats rack up the country's debt? Is a default the same as a government shutdown? Here are answers to things people often get wrong about the debt ceiling.

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Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young speaks to reporters at the White House on March 10.

Biden is counting on Shalanda Young to cut a spending deal Republicans can live with

9:27am May 25, 2023

by Franco Ordoñez

Biden is leaning on Young's experience negotiating on Capitol Hill to help him find a way to cut through the raw politics of Washington and find an agreement to lift the debt ceiling.

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Preschool teacher Jaqueline Benitez depends on California's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help pay for food. If the debt ceiling isn't raised, SNAP and other federal payments would be delayed. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner)

Economy

3 ways to protect your money if the U.S. defaults on its debt

5:04am May 25, 2023

by Arezou Rezvani

From social security payments to interest rates, a lot hinges on a debt-ceiling deal. Personal finance experts say you should prepare for a possible debt default as you would a recession.

Fact check: Debt ceiling myths and misconceptions

4:25pm May 24, 2023

by Scott Horsley

If you're confused about the debt ceiling battle being waged in Washington right now, you're not alone. There are a lot of misconceptions about what's behind the drama and what's at stake. We'll separate fact from fiction.

Economy

Boom Supersonic and Dimensional Energy announce sustainable aviation fuel agreement

4:14pm May 24, 2023

by David Ford

Boom Supersonic, the aerospace startup that will be manufacturing i

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Economy

Area rural populations grew during pandemic, reversing trend

3:51pm May 24, 2023

by Paul Garber

Most of the seven counties in Northwest North Carolina that lost population in the previous decade saw some growth since the start of the pandemic.

President Biden meets with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. The U.S. can seem like the country that cried debt ceiling, but many say this year, the country might actually default. What happens to the economy and to regular people if it defaults?

So would a U.S. default really be that bad? Yes – And here's why

12:00pm May 24, 2023

by Stacey Vanek Smith

As the debt ceiling debate comes down to the wire, here is a look at some of the potential consequences if the U.S. defaults on its debt for the first time in history.

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Yazmin Lopez, here at home in Madison, Wis., first learned about credit scores from a personal finance book she picked up at Goodwill a few years after coming to the U.S. as a teenager.

Welcome to America! Now learn to be in debt

7:55am May 24, 2023

The U.S. economy counts on you to borrow money and stay in debt for a credit score. But what if you were taught to never owe anybody anything?

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