Gas prices are high, unemployment is low and the tools the federal government has to fight inflation could cause a recession. So how should we think about the economy right now? We asked our econ reporters and a personal finance columnist for advice.
Yesterday
A surprise Kennedy Center makeover
In his second term, President Donald Trump has gone on a mission to reinvent the Kennedy Center, the beloved performing arts venue in Washington, D.C.Trump promised to overhaul the center’s programming. He installed loyalists on the board who made him chairman. In December, Trump ... Show More
18m 40s
Feb 2
A teddy bear, an ice skate: What remains from last year's deadly D.C. plane crash
In late January of last year, an American Eagle flight and a U.S. Army helicopter collided above the Potomac River, killing everyone aboard both aircraft. It was the deadliest flight disaster in the U.S. in decades.A year later, families and first responders are reflecting on the ... Show More
15m 19s
Jan 31
Jason Rezaian, Iran and the costs of press freedom
Ten years ago this month, Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian was freed from Iran’s Evin prison. He and his wife, Yeganeh, had been arrested at their home in Tehran and falsely accused of espionage. Since then, Rezaian has dedicated himself to advocating for press freedom, a ... Show More
37m 18s
Apr 2022
The Economy Is Weird Right Now
Unemployment in the United States is near record lows, wages are growing quickly, and spending in the service sector is increasing as the pandemic lulls.
But there's also some worrying news: more job openings than people who want to fill them, global economic uncertainty stemming ... Show More
14m 29s
Nov 2021
The Economy Is Good. So Why Do We Feel Terrible About It?
<p>The U.S. economy is doing better than many had anticipated. Some 80 percent of jobs lost during the pandemic have been regained, and people are making, and spending, more.</p><p>But Americans seem to feel terrible about the financial outlook.</p><p>Why the gap between reality ... Show More
25m 12s
Nov 2023
The Bad Vibes Around a Good Economy
<p>The American economy, by many measures, is doing better than it has done in years. But for many Americans, that is not how it feels. Their feelings point to an enduring mystery: Why do Americans feel so bad when the economy is so good?</p><p>Jeanna Smialek, who covers the Fede ... Show More
21m 40s
Dec 2023
Why are we so bummed about the economy?
Would you say that you and your family are better off or worse off, financially, than you were a year ago? Do you think in 12 months we'll have good times, financially, or bad? Generally speaking, do you think now is a good time or a bad time to buy a house? These are the kinds o ... Show More
23m 54s