ECONOMY

Higher Wages, Lower Prices Give Consumers A Break

1:54pm March 02, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

Something very unusual is happening in the U.S. economy. Traditionally, workers lose buying power to rising prices. But lately, paychecks and prices have been heading in opposite directions.

Bigger paychecks plus lower prices add up to more buying power for consumers.

Wages And Prices: A Welcome Breakup

1:49pm March 02, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

A Commerce Department report shows paychecks are fatter, prices are leaner and Americans are saving more. Meanwhile, prices fell by 0.5 percent. That's helping consumers on the rebound from recession.

Lincoln has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in revitalizing its downtown, a historic area called Haymarket, to create a more culturally vibrant urban center that is helping the city keep and attract young adults.

A Nearly Recession-Proof City Is Not Slowing Down

8:15am March 02, 2015

by David Schaper

The unemployment rate in Lincoln, Neb., is one of lowest in the U.S., thanks to a well-educated workforce. The focus now is on finding workers and keeping young people from leaving.

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Jorge Cham is the creator of PHD Comics and received his doctorate in mechanical engineering at Stanford University. PHD (Piled Higher and Deeper) is a comic strip about life (or the lack thereof) in academia. See more of his work at www.phdcomics.com.

A Glut Of Ph.D.s Means Long Odds Of Getting Jobs

2:54pm March 01, 2015

by Brenda Iasevoli

Only 1 in 5 Ph.D.s in science, engineering and health end up with faculty teaching or research positions within five years of completing their degrees. But universities keep churning them out.

Using A Can Of Coke To Explain A Currency Lesson

9:04am February 27, 2015

by Stacey Vanek Smith

The U.S. economy has been doing well. That's pushed the value of the U.S. dollar up — relative to other currencies. A strong dollar sounds like good news, but there are winners and losers.

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Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp stands on the docks as tribal crabbers unload their catch. The tribe has vowed to fight the oil train-to-ship terminals proposed for Grays Harbor.

Washington State County Unsure If It Can Take Wave Of North Dakota Crude

2:42pm February 24, 2015

by Ashley Ahearn

Once a booming timber area, Grays Harbor County is the site of three proposed oil terminals. The local fishing industry sees the uptick in oil movement as a big risk, with limited economic benefits.

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Analysts Fear A Prolonged Drop In Oil Prices Will Hurt Oklahoma's Banks

2:39pm February 24, 2015

by Frank Morris

Oklahoma oil is expensive to produce, so the sharp drop in prices has forced many drilling companies to cut jobs. If prices stay low, the pain could spread to the banks that finance the oil industry.

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A truck drives on top of a levee that protects a soybean field in New Madrid County, Mo., when the Mississippi River floods.

Army Corps Project Pits Farmland Against Flood Threat

1:26pm February 24, 2015

by Kristofor Husted

A levee project would cordon off lucrative farmland along the Mississippi River in southeastern Missouri. But towns in Illinois say that puts them at risk of flooding while protecting rich farmers.

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Eurozone Approves Greek Overhaul Plan

11:47am February 24, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The Greek plan would keep Athens' budget under control while spending more on social programs. European ministers agreed to extend financial assistance by four months, but the IMF was more skeptical.

White House Moves To Protect Investors From Bad Retirement Advice

5:51pm February 23, 2015

by Chris Arnold

The White House says President Obama on Monday will direct the Department of Labor to craft new rules to require financial advisers to put their clients' interests ahead of their own.

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