Business

Former Florida lawmaker Joseph Harding has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges related to COVID-19 relief funds. The 35-year-old is scheduled for sentencing in July.

Ex-Florida lawmaker behind the 'Don't Say Gay' law pleads guilty to COVID relief fraud

11:43am March 22, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

Joseph Harding, who resigned after his December indictment, pled guilty in federal court to wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements on small business loans.

Politics & Government

Jack Daniel's tells Supreme Court its brand is harmed by dog toy Bad Spaniels

10:33am March 22, 2023

by Nina Totenberg

The whiskey maker argues that the toy named Bad Spaniel infringes on its trademark, confuses consumers and tarnishes its reputation.

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Economy

The Fed must decide whether to press ahead with raising interest rates

8:08am March 22, 2023

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Peter Conti-Brown of The Wharton School about whether the Fed keeps raising interest rates. The increases so far have eased inflation, but also put stress on some banks.

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Bob Schroeder, an organizer with 350Juneau, sawed credit card replicas in half outside a Wells Fargo branch in Juneau, Alaska.

National

Climate activists target nation's big banks, urging divestment from fossil fuels

6:38am March 22, 2023

Across the U.S. on Tuesday, people gathered outside major banks demanding that financial institutions shift away from investing in fossil fuel projects.

Economy

Fed is expected to boost its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point

5:14am March 22, 2023

The Federal Reserve will decide Wednesday whether to keep raising interest rates to combat high inflation. The decision has been clouded by recent turmoil in the banking system.

A truck drives by a car wash in New York City. Public officials are warning Jewish customers of price gouging at local car washes ahead of Passover.

As Passover nears, New York's AG warns Jewish customers about car wash price gouging

5:00am March 22, 2023

by Jaclyn Diaz

For Passover, many Jews clean their homes and cars. The New York attorney general's office said there are reports of car washes raising their prices 50% for Jewish customers ahead of Passover.

The TikTok Inc. building is seen in Culver City, Calif., on March 17, 2023. TikTok on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, rolled out updated rules and standards for content and users as it faces increasing pressure from Western authorities over concerns that material on the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app could be used to push false information.

National

TikTok CEO to lawmakers: Americans' data not at risk of 'authorized foreign access'

11:24pm March 21, 2023

by Bobby Allyn

The boss of the hit video-sharing app will deliver remarks to lawmakers in Washington on Thursday in an attempt to assuage growing fears about the app's connections to China.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that depositors at small banks could be eligible for the same kind of protection extended to customers at two regional banks that failed this month. Yellen made the remarks at a speech she delivered to the American Bankers Association on March 21, 2023.

Janet Yellen says the U.S. is ready to protect depositors at small banks if required

5:15pm March 21, 2023

by Scott Horsley

The Treasury Secretary said the administration is committed to protecting the U.S. banking system and customers who trust their money to it.

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An unhoused individual sleeps under an American flag blanket in New York City on Sept. 10, 2013. In 2021, approximately 11% of Americans lived below the federal poverty line.

Private opulence, public squalor: How the U.S. helps the rich and hurts the poor

4:41pm March 21, 2023

by Dave Davies

Poverty, by America author Matthew Desmond says if the top 1% of Americans paid the taxes they owed, it would raise $175 billion each year: "That is just about enough to pull everyone out of poverty."

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Why should you care about the knotty problems of the banking world? Below are a few possible consequences to watch.

Could the banking turmoil affect you? 5 ways it might

3:22pm March 21, 2023

by Alina Selyukh

There are possible consequences for regular people, small businesses and the economy.