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How trade-oriented is the U.S. economy?

Jul 10, 2024
Compared to many other countries, the U.S. trade-to-GDP ratio is below the global average. But the explanation is complicated.
The U.S. imports and exports hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of goods and services ever year, but international trade accounts for a relatively low percentage of GDP.
Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images

What would you do to try and avoid a layoff?

Jul 10, 2024
Even with a comparatively low unemployment rate, layoffs are rising. A new survey lays out some of the sacrifices workers are willing to make to avoid that fate.
Between 30% to 40% of workers would be willing to take a demotion or a pay cut, make a longer commute or be relocated to avoid layoffs.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Jett Holden, a Black, gay country artist, finally finds a home at Black Opry Records

Jul 10, 2024
When Beyoncé conquered Billboard’s top country albums chart with Cowboy Carter, it threw a brighter spotlight on other Black artists who’ve been shut out of country success — including Holden.
Country musician Jett Holden at the CMA Fest 2024 in June in Nashville, Tennessee.
Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images

Why steel prices have been sagging all year

Jul 9, 2024
Slowing demand in construction and manufacturing in the U.S. and around the globe have pulled steel prices lower for months.
Two reasons steel prices have dropped? Slowed construction spending and flat-ish manufacturing activity.
David Becker/Getty Images

Health care openings still hot amid cooling job market

Jul 9, 2024
People who left during during the pandemic are still being replaced. Providers struggle to fill the gaps as demand steadily rises.
Demand for workers is still strong in the health care industry, partly driven by demographic aging.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Kids want $70 wrinkle creams. Parents and lawmakers are "fighting a losing battle"

Jul 9, 2024
Elementary and middle school kids are flocking to stores to buy products recommended on TikTok. But they may be harming their skin.
Drunk Elephant is one of the most popular skin care brands among children.
Caleigh Wells/Marketplace

Small-business optimism climbs, but inflation agita persists

Jul 9, 2024
The mood among businesspeople is better than it has been this year, but they're still more pessimistic than the historical average.
High costs remain top of mind for many small-business owners, according to a survey from the NFIB
Scott Olson/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Final rules for Pregnant Workers Fairness Act go into effect

The chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discusses the needs and obligations of pregnant workers and their employers.
The new legislation requires employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant workers or those dealing with childbirth-related situations.
Courtney Hale/Getty Images

When ancestry tests reveal more than genetics

Special correspondent Lee Hawkins shares his experience finding new family with online genetics tests — and reconciling fraught history.
"The truth is, we can't really change the past, but we can affect the present and the future," says Lee Hawkins, who learned from a genetics test that nearly a fifth of his DNA is from Wales.
Getty Images

Heat waves are becoming more intense. What will it mean for people and places?

Jul 9, 2024
Heat waves can cause adverse health effects and even be fatal. How are people and cities preparing for a world with more extreme heat?
Heat waves are the deadliest weather phenomenon in the last 30 years in the U.S., writes Umair Irfan for Vox.
Kevin Carter/Getty Images