Sep 15, 2022

Your call is very important to the IRS

Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The IRS will hire 5,000 reps to ease taxpayer wait times. Plus: retail sales, corn farming, and the U.K.'s shift away from cash.

Segments From this episode

Retail sales rose a smidgen in August, but some see warning signs

by Samantha Fields

Sep 15, 2022

Sales rose 0.3% last month, but there are signs some consumers are pulling back on big-ticket items, excluding cars.

In August, retail sales rose by 0.3%. Some of that was likely due to consumers stocking up on back-to-school items.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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The IRS aims to improve customer service by hiring 5,000 additional workers

by Mitchell Hartman

Sep 15, 2022

The agency's budget has been shrinking, its workforce is aging, and it's been saddled with new responsibilities.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tours a new technology workspace at the Internal Revenue Service on Sep. 15. The agency is receiving $80 billion to upgrade technology and hire more staff.

Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

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With "the merge," ethereum tries to set a greener example for crypto

by Lily Jamali

Sep 15, 2022

The Ethereum Foundation says the massive software upgrade means validating transactions will require 99.95% less energy than before.

Jack Taylor/Getty Images

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The Corn Belt is facing smaller yields, but higher prices are keeping this farmer's hopes up

by Kai Ryssdal

Sep 15, 2022

Drought has made the last few years tough for farmers like Keith Alverson of Chester, South Dakota. But higher corn prices are keeping him optimistic.

Farmers in the Corn Belt have endured two years of drought.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

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Cash: Who needs it? Britons mull over the potential disappearance of physical money

by Stephen Beard

Sep 15, 2022

Digital payment methods may render notes and coins obsolete in the United Kingdom and turn it into a cashless economy.

As many as 8 million Britons are thought to depend on physical money because they don’t have an internet connection, a smartphone or digital skills.

Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

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Arizona grapples with balancing growth and a limited water supply

by Megan Myscofski

Sep 15, 2022

On of the state's major sources of water, the Colorado River, has fallen to historic lows.

Rancho Sahuarita has grown fast, and its water utility has had to grow quickly with it.

Megan Myscofski/Arizona Public Media

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Music from the episode

Texas Sun Khruangbin, Leon Bridges

Montara Pandrezz, j'san, Epektase

Maneater Hall & Oats

You Got Me The Roots, Erykah Badu

Greyhounds De La Soul, Usher

Midnight Khruangbin, Leon Bridges

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer II

Andie Corban Producer I

Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II

Richard Cunningham Associate Producer I

Dylan Miettinen Associate Digital Producer

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