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Every story is an economic story
  • We heard a lot of rosy retail forecasts heading into the holiday season. Consumer confidence was high, the economy was strong and sales were going to be great. How’d it pan out? A bit of a mixed bag, actually. Some big retailers, like Target and Costco, have posted strong holiday sales results. Others, like Macy’s […]

  • Fantasia Pettis, 25, works at a Subway franchise in Cleveland, where she makes Ohio’s minimum wage, $8.55 per hour. “It’s a struggle,” she said when asked if she's getting by.
    Adrian Ma/Marketplace

    Several states automatically increase their minimum wage based on inflation. But is it enough?

  • A prospective student enters the Harvard University Admissions Building in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
    Glen Cooper/Getty Images

    High school students weigh in on admissions policies and race as the college application season comes to a close.

  • Around 400,000 furloughed federal workers and contractors aren’t being paid as a result of the government shutdown. And that’s hurting not just their households, but also the economy at large.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

  • The business that’s not happening, thanks to the shutdown
    Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

    From mergers and food regulation to taxes and immigration, daily commerce is in limbo.

  • Airline tickets are priced to confuse
    Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

    Sometimes flying a longer distance is less expensive.

  • For the first time in four years U.S. carbon emissions increased, mostly because a booming economy used more energy resources, even with a shift toward renewable energy and natural gas. But can a booming economy and rising emissions decouple? Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

  • The head of the World Bank, Jim Kim, announced his resignation Monday — a surprise given that he’s still got a few years left on his term. So now the search is on to find his replacement. Traditionally, the World Bank’s been led by an American, while the International Monetary Fund has been run by […]

  • A hog is prepared for showing at the Iowa County Fair in July in Marengo, Iowa.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Between unresolved tariffs and a partial government shutdown, it's a tough moment for American farmers.

  • California lawmakers are back in session after a holiday break, and a new governor is in place. One of the sticky issues all those folks might have to confront is what to do about the troubled utility Pacific Gas and Electric. The investor-owned utility provides gas and electricity to more than 5 million Californians. And […]

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