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Ryan Kailath

Latest Stories (99)

American farmers are wary over possible trade war with China

Mar 23, 2018
Trade warriors are on the lookout for China to retaliate against the administration’s barrage of tariffs. A likely first target is agriculture — the U.S. exports massive amounts of sorghum and soybeans to China. In fact, China imports so much U.S. soy that some have said it can’t afford to restrict it with its own tariffs. […]

New tax law may provide window of opportunity for impoverished areas

Mar 21, 2018
It’s an ongoing problem: how to transform persistently poor parts of the country? Well a program coming out of the new tax law hopes to solve that problem. Today is the initial deadline for states to nominate “opportunity zones,” which will try to draw private investment to these areas. But the program may just make […]

Cities increasingly turn to fee increases to raise revenue

Mar 19, 2018
Cash-strapped American cities are increasingly asking their residents to pay higher amounts for mundane services as they struggle to pay for mounting pension obligations, cover costly infrastructure improvements and replace revenue depleted by the last recession. Bills are rising for everything from parking tickets and 911 calls to sewer service and trash pickup. Click the […]

Are trade deficits bad for an economy?

Mar 6, 2018
President Donald Trump was back on the topic of trade today. Taking questions at the White House, he said that the United States “has been taken advantage of” on trade. And he doubled down on his promise to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. They are needed, he said, because of trade deficits. But […]

After Florida school shooting, Congress takes a new look at school safety funding

Feb 28, 2018
President Donald Trump’s budget proposal called for cutting millions in funding to school safety programs like violence prevention and school counselors. Now, in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, state and federal officials have called for expanding such programs, and Congress is starting to explore funding for things like fences and security […]

The Weinstein Company files for bankruptcy

Feb 26, 2018
Sales talks fell through for the company behind critical hits such as "The Artist."
Producer Harvey Weinstein (R) and his brother producer Bob Weinstein (L) attend the New York premiere of the film "The Road" in New York City.
Mark Von Holden/Getty Images for Dimension Films

The turf war over taxes

Feb 20, 2018
New polling shows that public sentiment is growing more favorable toward the recent tax law. Maybe chalk that up to the little extra money many people are seeing in their paychecks as a result of new tax brackets. But in Washington, D.C., there’s still a fight going on about the new tax code — specifically, […]

New tax law includes incentives for poor areas

Feb 19, 2018
A line item in the tax law creates a new Opportunity Zone program, with incentives to draw business to underdeveloped places. This strategy has been tried by former administrations, and state and local governments, with results that have often been disappointing. Click the above audio player to hear the full story.

Even for cryptocurrency traders, the taxman cometh

Feb 15, 2018
As more people invest in cryptocurrency, will they report gains or losses to the IRS? One tax preparer says only a fraction of tax filers have reported cryptocurrency investments so far. How much money could the IRS be missing out on? And what should cryptocurrency traders be aware of when it comes to possible tax […]

Will the Met Museum's new ticket policy change its audience? Probably not.

Feb 13, 2018
Data shows a decision to visit a museum is more often a question of lifestyle than of finances.
People congregate at the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) on March 1, 2017 in New York City. 
Spencer Platt/Getty Images