Say we achieve a soft landing. Then what?
Aug 16, 2023

Say we achieve a soft landing. Then what?

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If the Federal Reserve lands the economy softly, it'll want to maintain a cool, calm status quo. Plus, a technique for producing green energy inspired by a cactus.

Segments From this episode

Retail inventories have dropped. But discounts might stick around.

Aug 16, 2023
Over the last year, many retailers have been successfully using discounts to purge their excess inventories. Now, retailers might use discounts to lure skittish consumers.
Target announced its inventories were down 17% from last year.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

What kind of signal does FOMC unanimity send to markets and others watching the economy?

Aug 16, 2023
Dissent on interest rate decisions might send mixed messages to Wall Street about where the economy is headed.
Under Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, the FOMC has not had a single dissenting vote on interest rates since June of last year, which former FOMC member Tom Hoenig wasn't surprised by.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

U.S. equity investors think stocks are too expensive, survey finds

Aug 16, 2023
S&P Global’s investment manager index survey says most sectors are losing favor with investors. What's going on?
Climbing interest rates are pushing investors away from stocks and into bonds, per Gary Schlossberg with the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The economic and logistical realities of straw-bale building

Aug 16, 2023
One couple shares their experience with an alternative construction project.
David and Carrie Chew stand in the wooden frame of their incomplete straw-bale house in 2022.
Courtesy David and Carrie Chew

What comes after a soft landing?

Aug 16, 2023
There are only so many options. Ideally, they don't include a boom or a bust.
If the Federal Reserve tames inflation and avoids a recession, it will want to maintain the status quo — without a boom or a bust.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

How the prickly pear cactus inspired a scientist seeking alternatives to fossil fuels

Aug 16, 2023
Engineers at the University of Texas at El Paso have discovered a low-cost, "biomimetic" way of generating hydrogen gas.
Materials engineer Navid Attarzadeh with a prickly pear cactus. The form of the plant inspired a new design for hydrogen gas generation.
Zoe Kurland/Marfa Public Radio

Music from the episode

Cigarette Jang Beom June
Mean Green Snarky Puppy
Switch Cass McCombs
So We Won't Forget Khruangbin
Conduction Mocky
Soft Stud Black Belt Eagle Scout

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer
Maria Hollenhorst Producer II
Andie Corban Producer I
Sarah Leeson Producer I
Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II
Richard Cunningham Associate Producer I
Dylan Miettinen Associate Digital Producer