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What does it mean for the economy when businesses grow their inventories?

Jul 17, 2024
It all depends on why they're doing it.
Business inventories are on the rise, but stocked shelves may have long-term effects on the economy.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A look at part of Amazon's $1.2 billion on-the-job training investment

Amazon has pledged to spend $1.2 billion to provide free skills training to about 300,000 Amazon employees.
Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Republicans are embracing crypto

Jul 17, 2024
The official Republican platform adopted earlier this week says the party will "defend the right to mine bitcoin."
"The crypto industry has raised and spent an incredible amount of money influencing elections," said Duke University's Lee Reiners.
Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

For cities, hosting political conventions can come with costs as well as revenue

Jul 17, 2024
Milwaukee's visitors bureau estimates the Republican National Convention is bringing $200 million to the city. But that doesn't include business lost due to the crowds.
Based on what other cities have reported after hosting the Republican National Convention, Milwaukee stands to see a $200 million boost to economic activity — at least when adding up the positives.
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

A tour of "emotionally intelligent" AI

Jul 16, 2024
Creators say the new AI is capable of inferring users' emotions, but some experts are wary of the dangers of adaptive AI.
Hume AI believes its AI voice product, which can recognize 48 human emotions, could be put to use as a personalized virtual assistant.
Ilya Lukichev/Getty Images

Homebuilders still glum with rates still high

Jul 16, 2024
In the midst of a lagging housing market, builders hope for easier terms on mortgages and construction loans.
The sluggish housing market has some builders on the sidelines.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Inside the world of UPS’ overnight shipping hub

Jul 16, 2024
Many logistics firms have their own air operations. Worldport, in Kentucky, includes a "hotel," taco trucks and flight simulators.
UPS has its own fleet of planes, mostly 767s, for one-day shipping.
Kristin Schwab/Marketplace

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Retail sales figures are flat but a deeper dive shows consumer resilience

Jul 16, 2024
Spending in many sectors, like furniture and online shopping, was strong. Falling prices also depressed the top line numbers in some categories.
When you take out car sales and gas spending, consumers actually spent 0.8% more in June than in May.
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Teen summer employment is still booming

Jul 16, 2024
In June, 37.4% of 16- to 19-year-olds were either working or looking for a job, according to the latest jobs report. That’s just shy of a 15-year high of 38% back in March. 
Teen workers’ pay is up 4% in 2024 over last year, compared to 1.5% for older workers, a Gusto survey showed.
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What are J.D. Vance's economic views?

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance is a proponent of economic populism, which sets him apart from the traditional Republican establishment.
"The extent to which J.D. Vance is a major player in policymaking remains to be seen," explains the Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images