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Sep 3, 2020

The giant federal deficit, approaching WWII levels

The debt looks a lot like it did in 1946. Also, another 880,000 people signed up for jobless benefits. That seems down, yet it is a false comparison. And, KFC is caught between the Trump administration and Chinese tech companies.

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A national debt counter from mid-June. The U.S. is approaching a position it has not seen since World War II, as the amount of government debt is on pace to exceed the size of the nation's economy.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

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Segments From This Episode

U.S. debt is hitting historic heights. How much of a problem is that?
by David Brancaccio, Candace Manriquez Wrenn, Erika Soderstrom and Alex Schroeder
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
The last time the deficit was this high, as a percentage of the total economy, was 1946.
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Why it's hard to compare the latest reading on people filing for unemployment
Any way you cut it, the economy is not recovering fast enough, says Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton. She breaks down the numbers.
Diners in China use WeChat to order from KFC. With the Trump administration's ban, that's a problem for the fast food company.
The BBC’s Robin Brant has more.

Music from the episode

The Team

David Brancaccio Host
Victoria Craig Host, BBC
Stephen Ryan Senior Producer, BBC
Jonathan Frewin Producer, BBC
Daniel Shin Producer
Jay Siebold Technical Director
Meredith Garretson Morbey Senior Producer
Alex Schroeder Producer
Erika Soderstrom Producer
Rose Conlon Producer
Brian Allison Technical Director

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The giant federal deficit, approaching WWII levels

Subscribe:

Segments From This Episode

U.S. debt is hitting historic heights. How much of a problem is that?

Why it's hard to compare the latest reading on people filing for unemployment

Diners in China use WeChat to order from KFC. With the Trump administration's ban, that's a problem for the fast food company.

Music from the episode

The Team