Latest Stories

Latest Stories

There are major flaws in a program aimed at helping workers with disabilities

Currently, 37 states have a program offering people with cognitive disabilities jobs that pay subminimum wages before moving on to higher-paying jobs. But that doesn't always happen.
"The [14(c)] program was set up to push people into the community setting, but that's just not happening," explained The Washington Post reporter Caitlin Gilbert.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Tribal nations are filling gaps while a USDA food distribution program struggles

Sep 4, 2024
Back in February, the USDA told tribal leaders it was consolidating the FDPIR supply chain from two warehouses serving tribes all over the country to just one.
"There’s challenges in rural areas to buying food," said Mary Greene Trottier, director of the Spirit Lake Tribe's Food Distribution Program. "That’s why FDPIR exists in the first place."
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Fracking shifts U.S. oil production away from California

Sep 4, 2024
Once a leading source of oil, California produced fewer barrels of oil in June than in any month since the federal government began counting in 1981.
As fracking in places like the Permian Basin in Texas took off, California started pumping fewer and fewer barrels of oil.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The economic war on Russia has been a grand experiment for sanctions

Sep 3, 2024
The Kremlin has been cut off from much of the global economy by sanctions. But have they had the desired effect?
A fuel tank farm on Transneft, a Russian oil pipeline.
Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images

New FTC rule aims to simplify subscription cancellations

Sep 3, 2024
Firms that sell subscriptions can count on significant revenue boosts from consumer spaciness. It helps if customers have to jump through hoops once they realize they’re shelling out for a product they don’t need. 
The FTC rule should be finalized soon, but many firms have already gotten in the habit of offering clear disclosures and easy cancellation. 
aurence Dutton/Getty Images

Who's able to get weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy?

Sep 3, 2024
People with private insurance are most likely to be able to get prescription weight loss drugs covered. Less than 10% of people who got semaglutide last year were on Medicaid.
Ozempic may help with weight loss, but it isn't covered by most insurers.
Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images

Striking hotel workers want a return to daily room cleaning

Sep 3, 2024
During the pandemic, some hotels cut back on services like housekeeping. Workers on strike say it’s time to bring them back.
Union workers for several major hotel chains are striking for better working conditions and hours.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Full warehouses and fewer orders: manufacturing production declines across the U.S.

Sep 3, 2024
The economy might still be growing, but the manufacturing industry is not. It contracted again this month—this time with some of the worst indicators we’ve seen all year.
One reason manufacturing orders are down? Consumers and businesses are waiting for the Federal Reserve to cut rates and are anxious to see who wins the election before making big purchases.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

DHL's CEO on tariffs, economic protectionism and Germany's economy

"Trade barriers drive inflation," explained Tobias Meyer, CEO of the German logistics company DHL Group.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Apartment rents aren't rising as quickly anymore, but remain far higher than pre-pandemic

Sep 3, 2024
In New York the median rent for a one-bedroom just crossed $4,500, by one estimate.
A milestone few New Yorkers are celebrating: The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment there is currently $4,500.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images