Business

Taxpayers are cautioned that refunds are likely to be smaller this year

7:41am January 23, 2023

The IRS starts accepting 2022 tax returns Monday. Jan Lewis of the American Institute of CPAs says some taxpayers might receive smaller refunds as many pandemic-related breaks are no longer available.

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The Fed has been raising interest rates. Why then are savings interest rates low?

5:05am January 23, 2023

When the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates, the interest rate on savings account usually follows in step. But recently, that logic hasn't held up. (Story aired on ATC on Jan. 15, 2023.)

National

Why higher winter temperatures are affecting the logging industry

5:05am January 23, 2023

by Henry Epp

It's been an unusually warm winter in the Northeast. Loggers there need frozen ground to reach some forested areas. (Story first aired on Jan. 21, 2023 on Weekend Edition Saturday.)

Economy

How to stay safe while using digital payment services like Zelle and Venmo

8:02am January 22, 2023

by Ayesha Rascoe

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to Kate Fitzgerald, a senior editor at American Banker, about what consumers should know about digital payment services like Zelle and Venmo.

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U.S. taxpayers are navigating several changes in this year's tax filing season, which runs from Jan. 23 to April 18. Here, the Internal Revenue Service building is seen in Washington, D.C.

Your tax refund will likely be smaller this year. Here are more things to know

5:00am January 22, 2023

by Bill Chappell

The IRS starts accepting tax returns for 2022 on Jan. 23. A financial expert breaks down the changes from last year, and shares her tips for coping with tax season.

Economy

What's behind the rising price of eggs

1:25pm January 21, 2023

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Ron Eichner, the owner of Eichner's Family Farm in Wexford, Pa., about how rising production costs and the avian flu are inflating the price of eggs.

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A display of Starbucks coffee pods at a Costco Warehouse in Pennsylvania. A recent article says using coffee pods might be better for the climate, but the science is far from settled. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Environment

Yeah, actually, your plastic coffee pod may not be great for the climate

10:18am January 21, 2023

by Julia Simon

Across social media, headlines this week said that single use coffee pods may be more climate friendly than other ways of making coffee. That may not be the case, based on the science.

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Oil tankers are seen at the Sheskharis complex, part of Chernomortransneft JSC, a subsidiary of Transneft PJSC, in Novorossiysk, Russia, on Oct. 11. This is one of the largest facilities for oil and petroleum products in southern Russia.

World News

Russia has amassed a shadow fleet to ship its oil around sanctions

6:01am January 21, 2023

by Jackie Northam

Russia would have to use tankers willing to get around sanctions to ship its crude to Asia. It's known in the oil industry as a "shadow fleet."

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Border officials are reporting a spike in people attempting to smuggle eggs into the U.S.

Economy

As prices soar, border officials are seeing a spike in egg smuggling from Mexico

6:00am January 21, 2023

U.S. egg prices have climbed 60% in the past year, making it tempting to bring eggs over from Mexico, where prices are lower. But those who try to smuggle them risk thousands of dollars in fines.

In this courtroom sketch, Elon Musk, left, with shareholder attorney Nicholas Porritt, appears in federal court in San Francisco on Friday.

National

Elon Musk takes the witness stand to defend his Tesla buyout tweets

2:12am January 21, 2023

by The Associated Press

Two tweets in 2018 led to a class-action lawsuit alleging Musk misled investors, pulling him into court for about a half hour to deliver sworn testimony in front of a nine-person jury.