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How businesspeople in swing state Michigan view the economy

Aug 7, 2024
Like many of their customers and colleagues, they're feeling some pain.
Darious Howard says a third of his co-workers at an auto parts plant were furloughed for longer than usual.
Nancy Marshall-Genzer/Marketplace

How the consumers of Kent County, Michigan feel about the economy

Aug 6, 2024
The regional economy isn't in bad shape, but many folks say it's hard to get by.
Adreanah Neely says it's hard to find a job right now in Kent County.
Nancy Marshall-Genzer/Marketplace

Poll workers are vital to elections, but there's a shortage

Aug 1, 2024
The seasonal workers manage lines, hand out ballots, process mail-in ballots and serve as greeters at polling sites.
By election day, voting locations will need a million poll workers nationally.
Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via 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

In the wake of Trump's assassination attempt, how do we talk about politics in the workplace?

The workplace has become an increasingly challenging place to discuss politics openly, honestly and civilly. The Society for Human Resource Management has tips to help.
Above, employees at a South Beach restaurant watch news coverage of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Timothy Clary/AFP via Getty Images

High housing costs likely to play a role in the UK's general election

Jul 1, 2024
The cost of housing is a big issue in the U.K. general election. Are people actually hopeful that politicians’ pledges could improve things?
The average property price paid by a first-time buyer in the U.K. last year was just over a quarter of a million dollars.
Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

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Social Security cuts are inevitable by 2035 unless lawmakers act

Jun 27, 2024
Social Security has been known as “the third rail of American politics” since the early 1980s, with the idea that touching the program can prove deadly to a politician’s career.
Because Social Security can’t take on any debt or tap into general revenues to fund benefits, Congress needs to do something before the money runs out.
J. David Ake/Getty Images

New China tariffs have arrived. How do voters feel about them?

New polling data reveals that voters generally support tariffs more when they target China.
This week, President Joe Biden unveiled tariff increases for electric vehicle batteries, computer chips and more coming from China.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

A markets regulator is concerned about bets on election results

Financial regulators are worried about derivatives markets — especially ones regarding elections.
"There's some concern that goes back to the election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, where people placed ... big bets that Mitt Romney would win," said the University of Michigan's Erik Gordon.
John Moore/Getty Images