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Latest Stories

Latest Stories

American consumers continue to rack up debt

Oct 7, 2024
Consumer credit overall increased, while revolving debt — that’s mostly on credit cards — was down 1.2%, according to the Federal Reserve.
High interest rates on credit cards have barely budged, despite the Fed's highly anticipated rate cut last month.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The CIA runs a nonprofit venture capital firm. What's it investing in?

Oct 7, 2024
Agency's taxpayer-funded investment arm seeks tech that could boost national security. It's made some smart bets, says Jon Keegan of Sherwood.
In 1999, the CIA created a venture capital firm to invest in technologies that could be used in national security programs.
Charles Ommanney/Getty Images

Facing a tough market and new rules, some real estate agents quit

Oct 7, 2024
For Nina Katsov, a real estate agent in Chicago, it was the hours. The nights and weekends showing houses. Always being on call. She recently had a baby, and on her husband’s first Father’s Day, she had to bail on brunch for a showing. “It was a little bit of a heartbreak,” she said. “Coming […]
The National Association of Realtors settlement has sent shockwaves across the real estate industry.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Authors Guild to offer "Human Authored" label on books to compete with AI

Oct 7, 2024
The Authors Guild will offer its 15,000 members a new certificate to place book covers: one that shows a book is written by humans and not artificial intelligence.
Coming soon to a bookstore near you? Labels that distinguish books written by humans.
Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Why labor force participation has stayed about the same for years, apart from the pandemic

Oct 7, 2024
Friday's jobs report showed the percentage of working age people in a job or looking for one was holding at 62.7% last month.
Prime-age labor force participation — those ages 25 to 54 — are helping to prop up a strong job market.
Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Is private equity in trouble?

Trader Jared Dillian says PE firms are having problems exiting their investments, and he worries that the sector poses systemic risk.
Blackstone, helmed by CEO Stephen Schwarzman, is one of the world's top private equity firms.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Why is there more work for specialty contractors like electricians?

Oct 4, 2024
It has to do with building new data centers and retrofitting old office buildings.
The specialty contractors sector includes electricians, plumbers and painters. Most of the new jobs in the sector are in nonresidential work.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

This is what it’s like to work in the death industry

Oct 4, 2024
Plus, "Hang Up" host Zakiya Gibbons defends her splurge and we learn about the economics of a much-memed stretch of road.
rural graveyard filled with old grave stones set on picturesque hill behind fieldstone wall
Getty Images

Boeing is a cautionary tale about current American manufacturing

Oct 4, 2024
Outsourcing work overseas has led to short-term financial gain in return for longer-term losses, like the ability to both make and innovate.
“In Boeing’s case especially, it [outsourcing] ended up more expensive than if it had kind of just stuck with its original culture of manufacturing first," says Jerry Useem, who has written about the company for more than 20 years. Above, Boeing 777s are assembled in its Everett, Washington, facility in 2011.
Stephen Brashear/Getty Images