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National Debt

What is national debt and how does it affect our economy?

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National Debt

Economic issues at the annual CPAC meeting

by Kimberly Adams
Feb 19, 2024
At the annual meeting of right-wing thinkers, economic issues such as tariffs and government spending are expected to be discussed.
Former President Donald Trump is slate to speak at this year's CPAC and has already said he wants another round of tariffs.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images
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Breaking Ground

How the infrastructure law will upgrade a neglected street in glitzy Las Vegas

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Feb 8, 2024
"Marketplace’s" Kai Ryssdal visits a low-income district of the tourist mecca, where a federal grant will improve transportation and safety.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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National Debt

Who’s afraid of our $34 trillion national debt?

by Stacey Vanek Smith
Jan 30, 2024
Our U.S. debt is bigger than our economic output. Consequences include ballooning interest payments and potential trust issues.
The U.S. national debt is about 120% of what the economy generates in a year. But is this cause for concern?
Win McNamee/Getty Images
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Breaking Ground

FDR's New Deal transformed the economy. Could Biden do the same?

by Kai Ryssdal , Andie Corban and Maria Hollenhorst
Jan 24, 2024
We look back at a moment in U.S. history when the federal government remade its relationship with the economy.
President Joe Biden sits in the Oval Office in November. Above the fireplace is a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Breaking Ground

The New Deal history in LA's freeways

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Jan 19, 2024
The backbone of Los Angeles' extensive highway system was built with the aid of FDR's historic public works program.
The first potion of the Arroyo Seco Parkway opened in 1940, connecting Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles.
AFP/Getty Images
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National Debt

Criticism, crashes, and crises: Revisiting three ghosts of debt ceiling battles past

by Stacey Vanek Smith
Dec 5, 2023
There have been about 80 debt ceiling battles since 1960. But those decades of drama have never led to an actual default.
The National Debt Clock shows the increasing U.S. debt, near an IRS office in New York City. When this photo was taken, on July 26, 2011, Congress was one week away from a debt ceiling deadline.
Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images
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Israel-Hamas War

With a government shutdown averted, funding for Israel and Ukraine remains in the air

by Nancy Marshall-Genzer
Nov 17, 2023
A bipartisan group of Senators is working on a compromise on immigration that would be included in a broader package of aid for Ukraine and Israel.
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives also passed a $14 billion aid package for Israel, with no funding for Ukraine.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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National Debt

Why would China sell off its U.S. debt — if that's what it's doing

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Nov 7, 2023
There's a hot debate about what it's doing with its holdings, and the answer could affect how much it costs Americans to borrow money.
"We care about whether foreign governments or entities are buying U.S. Treasurys because it impacts the cost of borrowing in this country," said Jesse Wheeler of Morning Consult.
Mark Schiefelbein/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
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National Debt

With demand down, there's a new buyer of Treasurys in town

by Matt Levin
Nov 1, 2023
The Federal Reserve and major U.S. banks are buying fewer bonds than they used to. Hedge funds are picking up some of the slack.
The Treasury Department just released its quarterly refunding statement. Next week, it will auction off billions in bonds.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
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National Debt

Why the Treasury Department's borrowing plan may overshadow Jay Powell's news conference

by Nancy Marshall-Genzer
Nov 1, 2023
As the Fed wraps up its two-day meeting, economists are looking to the Treasury Department for details on how the federal government plans to borrow money through the end of the year.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
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