Oct 05 The unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been since 1969. Here’s why By Gretchen Frazee The unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in September, the lowest since the Vietnam War. The economy added 134,00 jobs, fewer than expected because of losses from Hurricane Florence. Continue reading
Oct 04 Watch 8:05 Why your recyclables might have no place to go By Paul Solman, Sarah Clune Hartman Until this year, China had been America's -- and the world's -- number one recycling market. But China has shut its doors to plastic waste, which could result by 2030 in more than 100 million tons of trash with nowhere… Continue watching
Oct 04 How taxing sugary drinks affects a community’s health and economy By Gretchen Frazee Studies show a "sin tax" reduces consumption of sugary drinks but also increases shopping in suburbs that lie outside the taxable area. Continue reading
Oct 04 Trump administration makes another move to revive the for-profit college industry By Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed The Education Department is recommending restoring a controversial college accrediting agency, giving it a year to resolve remaining concerns. Continue reading
Oct 03 Watch 13:03 Fed Chair Jay Powell: U.S. may be in a different era for workers’ wages despite economic gains By Judy Woodruff Federal Reserve chairman Jay Powell discusses the state of the economy, bigger changes in the job market and why wages haven’t caught up with other economic trends in a conversation with Judy Woodruff. At the Atlantic Ideas Festival, Powell also… Continue watching
Oct 03 Why you should consider switching your Medicare coverage during open enrollment By Philip Moeller Medicare's open enrollment period could be especially complicated this year, in part because if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you also will have the entire first quarter of next year to change your plan. Continue reading
Oct 03 WATCH: Powell says Fed is focused on ‘controlling the controllable,’ not politics By Joshua Barajas, Gretchen Frazee The Federal Reserve chair's comments came as part of a conversation with PBS NewsHour anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff during The Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C. Continue reading
Oct 02 Oversight positions for Social Security, Medicare still vacant after 3 years By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press The public trustees — one Republican, one Democrat — typically help oversee annual financial reports and certify that the estimates are unbiased. Continue reading
Oct 02 Why Social Security’s annual increase doesn’t actually keep up with cost of living By Paul Solman The government adjusts Social Security benefits each year based on inflation rates, but that increase has not kept up with the rising cost of medical care and other expenses. Continue reading
Oct 02 AP fact check: New trade deal not as big as Trump claims By Paul Wiseman, Calvin Woodward, Associated Press President Donald Trump inaccurately described his new trade deal with Canada and Mexico as the biggest ever — it's not even close — and glossed over some possible consequences of the agreement, such as higher car prices. Here's a closer… Continue reading