Economy

A photo from Tacos y Birria La Unica's Facebook account.

Also hit by inflation? Your local taco truck

6:34am June 28, 2022

by Sean Saldana

Higher prices for gasoline, meat and vegetables and even cooking oil have put pressure on food trucks as they struggle to balance menu prices with customers' expectations of a low-cost meal.

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The strange underground economy of tree poaching

6:30am June 28, 2022

by Greg Rosalsky

A new book dives deep into the fascinating criminal world of tree theft and efforts to combat it.

Spectators watch as fireworks explode overhead during the Fourth of July celebration at Pioneer Park, on July 4, 2013, in Prescott, Ariz.

Some cities cancel Fourth of July fireworks because of shortages and fire concerns

8:46pm June 27, 2022

by The Associated Press

Some major fireworks displays are canceled again this year — some over wildfire concerns amid dry weather and others because of enduring pandemic-related staffing and supply chain issues.

Economy

What's causing inflation

4:09pm June 27, 2022

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to Josh Bivens from the Economic Policy Institute about what's really behind high prices and supply issues contributing to inflation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the head of Russia's Federal Financial Monitoring Service, Yury Chikhanchin, at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday.

What's happening with Russia's 1st default on foreign debt in a century

1:05pm June 27, 2022

by Alina Selyukh

The clock ran out on Russia's payments. But there's a twist: Russia does not consider itself in default because the country has the money, just its payments have been blocked by Western sanctions.

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President Biden appears with other G7 leaders on Sunday, as a summit at Elmau Castle in the German Alps gets underway. Biden announced a $200 billion U.S. investment as part of a global infrastructure project by major democracies to counter China's invest

Biden announced a $600 billion global infrastructure program to counter China's clout

1:42pm June 26, 2022

by Tamara Keith

A decade after China's global infrastructure program started, the U.S., G7 countries and private capital will invest in clean energy, technology and other projects in developing countries.

Economy

How a massive refinery shortage is contributing to high gas prices

5:00am June 26, 2022

by Brittany Cronin

Oil refineries have lost capacity over recent years, making it nearly impossible to increase supply and stabilize gas prices at the pump.

Did you put money down to buy a home that wasn't built yet and now are struggling to afford it because of higher mortgage rates? We want to hear from you.

Economy

Are rising interest rates giving you grief while you wait for your home to be built?

5:00pm June 24, 2022

by Chris Arnold

Many people are getting hurt financially because mortgage rates rose sharply while they were waiting for their new homes to be built. And now it's hard or impossible to buy them. Share your story.

The Fed's mistakes that led to this inflation mess

4:28pm June 24, 2022

Inflation has reached levels not seen since 1981. Could the Federal Reserve have acted sooner? One former Fed official points to some human errors he says led to the inflation mess we're in today.

Last year, President Biden announced "Build Back Better World," meant to compete with China's Belt and Road Initiative. This year at the G-7, Biden will unveil the first projects.

Biden said the G-7 would counter Chinese influence. This year, he'll try again

3:42pm June 24, 2022

by Tamara Keith

At the last G-7, President Biden announced a plan for the West to counter China's influence in low- and middle-income countries. But not much has happened since. This year, there's a relaunch.