A divided Fed cuts interest rates for third straight time The Federal Reserve voted to cut its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday. This was the Fed's third rate cut since September, but policymakers signaled they expect to make fewer rate cuts next year. Scott Horsley
Can the lessons of 1929 help us avert another economic crisis? New York Times financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin draws parallels between the stock market crash of 1929, which led to the Great Depression, and today's economic uncertainty. Dave Davies
Feeling burned out? There's a word for that in Mandarin Chinese How an obscure term used in anthropology leaped from the pages of academia into the Chinese meme world and then became part of Chinese government policymaking. Emily Feng
A divided Fed is expected to cut rates for a 3rd straight time The Fed is expected to lower its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point — but with inflation stubbornly high and mixed signals from the job market, it could be a split decision. Scott Horsley
Are we in a recession? Maybe professional Santas can tell us Demand for professional Santas and other seasonal workers seems to have cooled. Could that be a sign we're in a recession? Greg Rosalsky
China's trade surplus hits $1 trillion for first time ever China's exports to the U.S. have dropped sharply this year, in the face of President Trump's tariffs — but the country is still finding plenty of customers elsewhere around the world. Scott Horsley
Data shows lower-income households are hit harder by the economy's ups and downs NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Bank of America Institute's David Tinsley about what the data reveals about affordability in the U.S. as the Federal Reserve approaches its final meeting of 2025. Ayesha Rascoe
How consumers feel about the economy as the holidays approach New numbers from the Commerce Department show inflation is still elevated, but it doesn't appear to be getting worse. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates next week by another quarter percentage point. Scott Horsley
Italian pasta could disappear from American stores due to imposed tariffs The Trump administration imposed a 107% tariff on more than 12 Italian pasta brands.
ICE raids have deterred foreign farm workers, but farmers hope to make hiring easier U.S. farms increasingly depend on foreign workers, but ICE raids have exacerbated the agriculture labor crisis. Some farmers want to make it easier to hire people from abroad using a visa program. Frank Morris