Sabri Ben-Achour

Correspondent & Host

Latest Stories (626)

Chemicals are a big business in the U.S., but here's why the sector is getting squeezed

Nov 28, 2023
Lower demand for many products made from chemicals plus too much inventory results in rough times for chemical manufacturers.
Demand for products made with chemicals, from PPE to home improvement materials, was way up during the pandemic. Now that demand is falling, chemical manufacturers are adjusting inventory levels.
Getty Images

There's a battery underneath your feet, and utilities want to use it

Nov 27, 2023
As the U.S. decarbonizes, it will need a lot more electricity. Geothermal energy networks may be a cost-effective part of the solution.
Underground geothermal pipes provide energy to ground source heat pumps, pictured above, which heat and cool buildings.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Why Andy Warhol’s "Bomb" sculpture bombed at auction

A closer look at the economics and psychology behind high art prices.
"[Andy Warhol's 'Bomb']  is not a pretty object, which is why I think it should have sold for tens of millions of dollars," said art critic and author Blake Gopnik.
Courtesy Bonhams

Argentina's president-elect wants to replace its peso with the dollar. Why?

Nov 20, 2023
In theory, "dollarization" solves some of Argentina's economic problems. But it could create others.
Javier Milei, Argentina's conservative incoming leader, has said he will push to slash government spending and adopt the U.S. currency to get inflation under control.
Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images

How settlers abused financial guardianship in the Osage Nation

Government policies deemed Osages unable to handle their own money, opening the door to widespread exploitation.
A map of the Osage Indian Reservation showing oil and mineral drilling boundaries, 1917. The wealth generated by Osage reservation land was subject to theft and graft by settlers.
National Archives

How to better match veterans' talents with civilian opportunities

Many veterans lack college degrees, but the skills they acquire in military service can benefit employers, a McKinsey report shows.
A new report from McKinsey argues that hiring should focus more on skills and less on college degrees.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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

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

Do the latest job numbers point to a coming recession?

Nov 6, 2023
The number of new jobs created each month has been trending down for the past year — but there is also a good amount of positive data in the latest report.
Overall, the number of new jobs created each month has been chaotic but generally trending down for 12 months.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Just how much can the Fed affect financial conditions in the economy?

Nov 3, 2023
These financial conditions include the rise and fall of the bond markets or the cost of borrowing money. The Federal Reserve does not have direct control over these conditions, but it tries to influence them.
As much as the Fed might love to control all the financial conditions in the economy, it doesn't. But it does try to influence them.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

What haunts the haunted house industry?

Oct 27, 2023
Scarce labor and supply chain snarls, for two.
DNY59/Getty Images