Economy May 04 Federal Reserve implements largest interest rate hike since 2000 The Federal Reserve raised interest rates again Wednesday in an effort to stamp down surging inflation. It increased rates by a half-percentage point, a move that will affect the pocketbooks of millions of Americans. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said more…
Economy Apr 12 Why corporations are reaping record profits with inflation on the rise Despite rising inflation, major U.S. corporations are reporting record profits, as companies pass rising supply-chain costs onto consumers. Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores whether concentrated market power is contributing to inflation.
Economy Apr 08 Conventional economists sound alarm over cryptocurrency’s volatility There are now thousands of cryptocurrencies, and every day it seems a new non-fungible token, or NFT, is marketed. But is “digital mania” just another historic bubble bound to burst? Our economics correspondent Paul Solman explores the digital asset boom.
Nation Apr 01 A tribute to PBS NewsHour producer Lee Koromvokis NewsHour is saying farewell to one of our great producers who is retiring after a long career at the program. Lee Koromvokis has worked on hundreds of stories over the years and produced some of our best pieces, and the…
World Mar 31 How tough sanctions against Russia could permanently reshape the global economy The rise of oil prices since Russia invaded Ukraine five weeks ago is one key part of the larger economic fallout from the war and from the tough sanctions the U.S. and many other countries have imposed on Russia in…
World Feb 11 Canadian trucker blockades impact production on both sides of the border Truckers and protesters blocked a key border crossing between the U.S. and Canada for a fifth straight day. A court injunction issued late Friday ordered an end to that blockade. But for now trucks are blocking three border crossings, stopping…
Economy Feb 09 How rising prices are squeezing Americans who were already on a tight budget Many economists believe the spike in prices is going to be quite high compared to a year ago, while inflation's bite has been particularly pronounced on some groups of Americans. That includes seniors living on fixed incomes and millennials who…
Nation Jan 10 Political polarization prompts efforts to bridge the gap through shared experiences PBS NewsHour spent much of last week trying to examine what still divides our country and the deep polarization that preceded the Jan. 6 riots. Now, Paul Solman looks at multiple efforts to bridge those major political and cultural fissures…
Economy Dec 28 Why lumber costs fluctuated drastically during the pandemic, and how it affects inflation Home prices and rents have gone up this year. That’s in part because of the increase in the cost of lumber. Could the wild swings in the price of wood over the past two years be a sign of inflation…
Economy Dec 03 Analyzing the shipping backlog from one of America’s busiest ports Friday's jobs report offered mixed signals about the state of hiring, but one thing was clear: more people are trying to get back into the labor force. Supply chain issues are one key challenge as companies compete for workers and…