Economy

A person goes to the pump at a gas station in Arlington, Va., on July 29, 2022. Gas prices have come down significantly since peaking last year but they could rise again after Saudi Arabia and other countries said they would collectively cut oil production by more than one million barrels.

Economy

5 things to know about Saudi Arabia's stunning decision to cut oil production

6:30pm April 03, 2023

by Camila Domonoske

Oil prices surged after Saudi Arabia and some other oil producers announced they're reducing their oil output. That will send gas prices higher – and benefit energy companies in America.

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Saudi Aramco engineers walk in front of a gas turbine generator at Khurais oil field during a tour for journalists, about 93 miles east-northeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2021.

Saudis, other oil giants announce surprise production cuts

6:01am April 03, 2023

by The Associated Press

Higher oil prices would help fill Russian President Vladimir Putin's coffers as his country wages war on Ukraine and force Americans and others to pay even more at the pump amid worldwide inflation.

James Tucker got an efficient heat pump for his home near Oakland, Calif., last year. Now homeowners can get new credits for heat pumps from federal climate legislation.

6 things to know about heat pumps, a climate solution in a box

9:55am April 01, 2023

by Julia Simon

Sales of super-efficient electric heat pumps are rising in the U.S. But what are heat pumps? And why do some call them a key climate solution?

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What do banks do when no one is watching? It's up to bank examiners to find out

4:22pm March 31, 2023

High-profile bank failures in the last several weeks are putting the spotlight on bank examiners: the government employees who perform regular check-ups of the country's financial institutions.

A Social Security trust fund is expected to run short of cash by 2033, according to new estimates, which would potentially reduce benefits to millions of Americans who depend on the program.

Social Security is now expected to run short of cash by 2033

4:22pm March 31, 2023

by Scott Horsley

Policymakers will need to patch the Social Security program by 2033 to avoid draconian cuts in benefits, a year earlier than had been predicted. A trust fund for Medicare will run out of cash by 2031.

Internal Revenue Service taxes forms are seen on Feb. 13, 2019.

These are the states with the highest and lowest tax burdens, a report says

4:52am March 30, 2023

by Ayana Archie

A new report by WalletHub measured how much people pay in property, income and sales tax in proportion to the amount of money they make.

New NPR poll examines top issues for Americans

5:31pm March 29, 2023

by Domenico Montanaro

The economy still takes the top spot as the most pressing concern, but preserving democracy continues to rank high in NPR's polling, an aberration in American history.

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Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael S. Barr appears before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., on March 28, 2023. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has sparked scrutiny from lawmakers who want to know what went wrong and whether regulators did enough to oversee the lender.

5 things we learned from the Senate hearing on the Silicon Valley Bank collapse

4:20pm March 28, 2023

by Scott Horsley

A top federal regulator called the failure of Silicon Valley Bank a "textbook case of bank mismanagement" during a Senate hearing about what led to its spectacular collapse

A security guard looks out a door as customers line up at Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara, California on March 13, 2023.

Economy

SVB collapse could have ripple effects on minority-owned banks

2:29pm March 28, 2023

Four minority founders reflect on the health of minority-owned banks in the U.S. following the sudden collapse of SVB.

In North Carolina, Biden to compare economic plan with GOP's

9:56am March 28, 2023

by Associated Press

President Joe Biden will visit an expanding North Carolina semiconductor manufacturer on Tuesday as he launches an extended effort to spotlight the impact legislation passed earlier in his administ