Economy

Economy

Fed Expected To Raise Interest Rates For The First Time Since 2008

1:15pm December 16, 2015

For seven years, the Federal Reserve has been keeping short-term interest rates at zero. David Greene talks to David Wessel of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institution.

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Congressional Spending Bill Would Lift The Ban On Exporting Crude Oil

1:03pm December 16, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Such a move could be a boon for U.S. oil producers hoping to expand into the global market. The bill would also extend tax credits for wind and solar energy production.

Economy

House Plans Vote On Year-End, Must-Pass Tax And Spending Deal

11:44pm December 15, 2015

by Susan Davis

Republicans like the tax package; Democrats like the spending plan. The two parties are expected to put together enough votes to get the overall deal through the House, with a smooth road beyond.

Ambulances lined up following two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013.

Looking At Violence In America With A Financial Lens

8:52pm December 15, 2015

by NPR Staff

Health economist Ted Miller analyzes the financial toll of violence like mass shootings. He says the total cost of firearm injury in America is $235 billion a year.

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Graphic showing U.S. economic indicators

These Seven Charts Can Help You See What The Fed Is Doing

8:13pm December 15, 2015

The Federal Reserve's thinking about interest rates may seem a bit mysterious. But here are some graphs that should help you see where we've been, and why the central bank may be ready to raise rates.

How Former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker Tamed Inflation — Maybe For Good

7:27pm December 15, 2015

by David Kestenbaum

Inflation is so low that it's nearly nonexistent now. But it most certainly wasn't always that way. The Planet Money team tells the story of former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker's wild fight against inflation, his radical idea, and how the U.S. tamed inflation — maybe for good.

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Global Businesses Show Cautious Support For Climate Deal

4:15pm December 15, 2015

by John Ydstie

Business groups around the world are studying the climate change agreement reached in Paris over the weekend. Many support the idea of taking steps to limit carbon emissions but are worried about how reductions will be implemented and enforced.

Economy

Junk Bonds Regain Some Lost Ground After A Bruising Few Days

4:13pm December 15, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

The junk bond market rebounded a bit on Tuesday, but questions remain about what the recent rout means for the economy. Much of the downturn in high-yield debt has been in oil and natural gas.

Economy

Seattle City Council Votes To Allow Uber Drivers To Unionize

1:58pm December 15, 2015

by Ashley Gross

The council on Monday passed a first-of-its-kind ordinance that makes it possible for drivers with ride-hailing companies, such as Uber, to unionize and collectively bargain for better pay.

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De Desharnais, a homebuilder and real estate agent in Nashua, N.H., stands in front of a house her company is constructing. She says her company had 32 employees at the height of the housing boom, and now only has six despite the industry's gradual recove

Will A Fed Interest Rate Hike Slow The Housing Recovery?

1:54pm December 15, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Many construction companies are still recovering from the housing crash, and while buyers don't seem pressured by a looming Federal Reserve decision, higher rates would make mortgages less affordable.

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