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Supply chain

Nationwide IV fluid shortage following Helene leads to postponed surgeries

by Elizabeth Trovall
Oct 17, 2024
It was easier for companies to transition to making PPE at the height of the pandemic than it was to produce something as sterile and specific as IV fluid.
“A product like IV fluids is almost like having water to your house — you need tons, like literal tons of this fluid in America's largest hospitals every day,” said Dr. Chris DeRienzo of the American Hospital Association.
Bevan Goldswain/Getty Images
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Will port strikes lead to food shortages? Consumer, business behavior both play role

by Henry Epp
Oct 3, 2024
If the strike drags on, some imported items could run low. How quickly that happens depends in part on retailers' and consumers' ability to stock up.
If customers rush to stock up, it will "create scarcity more quickly," say experts.
Getty Images
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With East Coast and Gulf ports closed by the strike, West Coast ports are busier than usual

by Caleigh Wells
Oct 3, 2024
For months, shippers have been insuring against strike delays by sending their cargo to the other side of the continent.
California's Port of Long Beach side handled 913,000 shipping containers last month, about 18% more than normal.
Art Wager/Getty Images
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Breaking Ground

The U.S. is investing billions of dollars in fiber internet. Here's what makes it run.

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Aug 26, 2024
We tour a North Carolina plant where melted glass is pulled into the hair-like strands that power fiber-optic cable.
Manufacturers like Prysmian supply fiber-optic cables to internet service providers.
Andie Corban/Marketplace
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The last time inflation was under 3% was March 2021

by Kristin Schwab
Aug 21, 2024
The economy — and life —has changed a lot since.
The world looked very different the last time inflation rates dipped under 3%.
Montinique Monroe/Getty Images
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There's a logic to the chaos of the global supply chain

by David Brancaccio and Natalie White
Jun 14, 2024
Peter Goodman of The New York Times discusses the complex inner workings of our fragile system and why it broke down during the pandemic.
Increasing resilience would be costly and reduce profitability at many supply chain businesses, author Peter Goodman explains. Above, shipping containers at the Port of Oakland in California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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What wholesale inventory says about goods in our economy

by Daniel Ackerman
May 30, 2024
Wholesalers supply both retailers and manufacturers.
When wholesale inventories run low, they can suggest robust retail sales.
Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images
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Delays in Boeing deliveries bring voluntary unpaid time off for United's pilots

by Samantha Fields
Apr 4, 2024
United and Southwest have also paused hiring because of the delivery delays. Higher airfares could be on the way.
United Airlines has paused its hiring of pilots and is offering pilots voluntary unpaid time off in May due to Boeing aircraft production issues.
Kevin Carter/Getty Images
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Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Baltimore's port closure could upend jobs and supply chains for months

by Scott Maucione
Mar 29, 2024
Baltimore's port could be closed for months, keeping people out of work and leaving freighters looking for places to route their loads.
Above, the Seagirt Marine Terminal at the Port of Baltimore in September 2018. Baltimore’s port supports more than 150,000 jobs — 15,000 of them through direct employment.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Big cargo ships are more efficient. And more risky.

by Justin Ho
Mar 27, 2024
Cargo ships have grown since the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built. Collisions have greater impact, physically and economically.
The scene of the shipping accident in Baltimore. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked billions of dollars for port upgrades made necessary by the scaling up of cargo ships.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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