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Latest Stories

Home prices have reached new records, yet consumer confidence rose. What gives?

May 28, 2024
Turns out what we're seeing may not be optimism as much as less pessimism.
Plans to buy a new home in the next six months were "at one of the lowest levels that it’s been, I think, in the history of the Consumer Confidence Index,” says Brian Connolly of the University of Michigan.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

What, exactly, does "cost of living" mean — and how is it calculated?

May 28, 2024
There are many different metrics out there that may not be entirely applicable across locales.
Some employers use cost of living calculations to set salaries and benefits or to decide  whether to expand into a new area.
skynesher/Getty Images

Are we in the midst of a climate housing bubble?

May 28, 2024
Experts warn rising insurance costs could depress property values in risky areas.
Dave Burt at DeltaTerra Capital thinks the market is due for another correction, as homeowners in places with a growing risk of flooding and wildfire have to pay more for insurance.
Lauren Owens Lambert/AFP via Getty Images

Record hurricane season could hurt oil and gas production

May 28, 2024
U.S. refineries, which are concentrated on the Gulf Coast, could be especially impacted by destructive storms, prodding prices up.
The concentration of oil refineries along the Gulf Coast makes them especially vulnerable to big storms.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

"There is no economic solution for a political problem": The state of the Palestinian economy

Eight months into the Israel-Hamas war, here's what the Palestinian economy looks like.
The war in Gaza has sent massive shockwaves through the already struggling Palestinian economy.
Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

Core capital goods spending rose in April, a positive sign for future production

May 27, 2024
The measure, which also increased year over year, tracks big, one-off purchases like machinery for manufacturing.
The core capital goods category tracks big, one-time purchases made by businesses, like machinery.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Why the cost of coffee beans is climbing

May 27, 2024
Higher global demand for the drink and climate change's effect on supply are behind the upward trend.
A coffee producer in Minas Gerais, Brazil, holds up a handful of robusta beans. Vietnam and Brazil, the top growers of robusta, are suffering droughts. 
Douglas Magno/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Zoom cashiers may signal a new era of digital offshoring and remote work

May 27, 2024
With advancements in tech and AI, outsourcing looks different now.
Cashiers of the future may actually be taking your order from thousands of miles away.
Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images

The Mexico City water crisis, explained

May 27, 2024
The most populated North American metro area is facing a "Day Zero" scenario, and longstanding issues with infrastructure and water management are part of the problem.
"One of the things that really jumps out to me about Mexico City is the way this is exacerbating inequality," said Vox's Caroline Houck. "There's obvious tensions around who does get water, whose pipes regularly work, but also when they don't work, who has the money to pay for that increasingly expensive use of water."
Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images

All dressed up with no sales to show for it

May 27, 2024
A day in the life of a struggling, but hopeful, entrepreneur.
Taylor Nesiah Jenkins, owner of a secondhand boutique called Haus of Vestige, with some of her inventory at a bridal fair in Phoenix, Arizona.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace