Business

The 16-time reigning champion lost his spot in this year's competition after signing an endorsement deal with a company that makes plant-based hot dogs, potentially clearing the way for an underdog.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady while signaling it can cut rates only once this year. The decision came after data earlier showed inflation cooling slightly.

Graphite is sort of the one-hit wonder of minerals. And that hit? Pencils. Everyone loves to talk about pencils when it comes to graphite. If graphite were to perform a concert, they'd close out the show with "pencils," and everyone would clap and cheer. But true fans of graphite would be shouting out "batteries!" Because graphite is a key ingredient in another important thing that we all use in our everyday lives: lithium ion batteries.

Almost all of the battery-ready graphite in the world comes from one place: China. That's actually true of lots of the materials that go into batteries, like processed lithium and processed cobalt. Which is why it was such a big deal when, earlier this year, President Biden announced a tariff package that will make a bunch of Chinese imports more expensive. Included in this package are some tariffs on Chinese graphite. He wants to create a new battery future—one that doesn't rely so much on China.

In this episode, we get down on the ground to look at this big supply chain story through the lens of one critical mineral. And we visit a small town that realizes that it might be the perfect place to create an American graphite industry. And we find that declaring a new battery future is one thing, but making it happen is another thing entirely.

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The Federal Reserve introduced a visual tool called the "dot plot" in 2012 to communicate where officials think interest rates should be in the coming years. The dot plot is eagerly dissected by Fed watchers looking for insight on future policy, but others think that the dot plot has become a visual example of just how little the Fed can predict where the economy is going.

Today on the show, we decode the dot plot and hear why some think that the Federal Reserve's artistic exercise should be scrapped altogether.

The Federal Reserve's latest dot plot (page 4)

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The Labor Department reports Wednesday on what happened with inflation last month. Later, the Federal Reserve will provide an updated forecast of where interest rates are going.

A newspaper in a Minnesota prison began publishing more than a century ago. The paper covers prison life and gives its writers purpose. It’s one of around two dozen similar publications nationwide.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released proposed federal regulations that would prevent unpaid medical bills from being counted on consumers’ credit reports.

A tech company out of San Diego is working to solve the vexing problem that is child care, by creating a platform where employers, working parents and child care providers can connect and transact.

Dental Therapy could be one solution for improving oral care in underserved rural communities. What new momentum is there for dental therapy, and why is the American Dental Association pushing back?