As migration spikes, Germany attempts to crack down on illegal immigration

Nov 6, 2023
The number of people entering Germany without permission hit a high in September. Now, the country is levying tougher legal sentences for trafficking.
Migrants wait a German police check point near the Polish border on Oct. 11.
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Why are Americans' views on the economy so mixed?

Oct 30, 2023
In one poll, 44% of respondents say they’re stressed about the economy. Meanwhile, 34% say they’re optimistic.
Change is hard. And it’s not fun, even if your raise does cover how much extra you’re spending at the grocery store. 
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Corporate debt is getting more expensive. That's not necessarily a problem.

Oct 27, 2023
Both government and corporate bond yields have been climbing. For many companies, though, higher revenue more than covers the cost.
A lot of companies sold bonds to investors a few years ago, when interest rates were low.
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Federal Reserve losses contribute to federal deficit

Oct 24, 2023
When the central bank makes money, it hands it to the Treasury. But now it's losing money as it pays interest to banks on their deposits.
The Fed is, among other things, a bank for banks, and it pays interest to those banks. Those interest rates have gone up. Above, the Eccles building, which houses Fed governors' offices.
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More than 130 major companies press world leaders to phase out fossil fuels by 2035

Oct 24, 2023
Companies including Ikea, Nestle, Unilever and Volvo are saying that they're already grappling with the costs of the climate crisis.
Unilever is among the companies that signed on  to a recent letter ahead of COP28 urging world leaders to cut fossil fuel use.
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Why are bond yields so high right now?

Oct 23, 2023
The yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly hit 5%, the highest level since 2007. A resilient economy and expanding debt are pushing rates up.
For a while, bond markets expected a weaker economy and possible rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in 2024.
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As the labor market loosens, workers may be more willing to work nights and weekends

Oct 20, 2023
They may find it attractive to earn money while others are playing.
"People are reconsidering their income needs and maybe could find ways to time their classes, time their childcare, to what the employers are offering," said Penn State Abington economics professor Lonnie Golden.
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For public good, not for profit.

Fed chair Powell's latest speech hints at caution regarding interest rates

Oct 20, 2023
Jerome Powell spoke Oct. 19 and said the Federal Open Market Committee would be "proceeding carefully."
“Given the uncertainties and risks, and given how far we’ve come, the committee is proceeding carefully," Powell said.
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Did retail sales grow because we bought more stuff, or did the stuff get more expensive?

Oct 17, 2023
The way the Census Bureau calculates its retail sales data wasn't an issue until prices started rising a couple years back.
Grocery store spending rose 0.4% in September, according to the Census Bureau.
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September's real wages are expected to rise

Oct 9, 2023
And that would mean your paycheck's purchasing power would be getting a boost relative to inflation.
Rising real wages means consumers are "making up for the consumption power that they lost when prices were rising faster than wages," says Erica Groshen, former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner.
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