Economy

Texas lawmakers are considering a measure to limit charitable bail funds by restricting who they're allowed to help. State Senator Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican, said the goal of the legislation they're working on is to keep habitual and violent offe

A Texas GOP Bill Would Make It Harder For Nonprofits To Bail People Out Of Jail

6:15am July 29, 2021

by Jen Rice, Houston Public Media

People such as Tonya Galvan and Hervis Rogers, a man accused of voting illegally, would likely be forced to stay behind bars much longer if this Republican bill becomes law.

President Biden speaks Wednesday at a Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pa., about the importance of U.S. manufacturing and buying products made in America.

Biden Wants To Raise The Threshold For Products Considered Made In America

6:29pm July 28, 2021

by Scott Detrow

The federal government has to spend tax dollars on products made in America, but purchases qualify for that label with 55% of their materials coming from the U.S. Biden wants to raise that percentage.

Children and teachers from the KU Kids Deanwood Child Care Center complete a mural in celebration of the launch of the child tax credit on July 14 in Washington, D.C. Tens of millions of parents have received their first monthly child tax credit payment,

Economy

You Might Consider Opting Out Of The Child Tax Credit. Here's Why

8:58am July 28, 2021

by Andrea Hsu

The first monthly enhanced child tax credit payment has landed, but some families are now opting out. Here's how to decide whether it makes sense for you.

Walmart has a plan to pay for its workers to get college degrees without going into debt.

Walmart Offering Full College Tuition And Books For Employees

5:11pm July 27, 2021

by Jonathan Franklin

As a result, approximately 1.5 million part-time and full-time Walmart and Sam's Club workers in the U.S. will be able to earn college degrees or learn trade skills without the burden of debt.

The Behavioral Economics Manifesto Gets Revised

3:23pm July 27, 2021

by Greg Rosalsky

We speak with the Nobel Prize-winning founder of behavioral economics about the new — and last — version of his classic book, Nudge.

Delta Variant Sparks Concerns About What's Next For U.S. Economic Recovery

7:44am July 27, 2021

NPR's Noel King talks to Heather Boushey, senior economic adviser to President Biden, about how the pandemic is impeding America's economic recovery, and how vaccinations will help.

Safiya Kitwana of Lithonia, Ga., is a single mom with two teenage kids who lost her job in the pandemic. A federal program would pay all her back rent so she could keep her home. But DeKalb County, Ga., will only pay 60% of people's back rent, and Kitwana

Georgia County Tried To Help Everyone Facing Eviction. Now A Crisis Looms

2:36pm July 23, 2021

A federal moratorium on evictions ends next week. But $50 billion from Congress to help Americans behind on rent isn't reaching many who need it. One problem: local rules that deny people the help.

A farmer holds soybeans from her Nebraska farm in 2019. Today, farmers are struggling to find containers that can ship their products to Asia.

Economy

Farmers Have A Big Problem On Their Hands: They Can't Find A Way To Ship Their Stuff

1:48pm July 23, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Cargo ships are unloading containers in the U.S. and immediately shipping them out, empty, to Asia. That's frustrating American farmers and exporters who are struggling to get products overseas.

Economy

Transportation Tie-Ups Are Causing Headaches For The Export Business

7:41am July 23, 2021

by Scott Horsley

The bottlenecks aren't just making it hard for Americans to get their hands on imported products. They're also hurting exporters whose containers may leave U.S. ports empty.

How Unemployment Can Disproportionately Affect Neighboring States

5:54am July 23, 2021

by Anthony Brooks

The recovery from the pandemic-induced recession can differ from state to state. We dig into the reasons behind the vast disparities in jobless rates in New Hampshire and neighboring Massachusetts.