economy

Systemic biases and racism can seep into the systems that power AI.

Job growth in June was a “labor market on steroids,” according to one economist. But how long that momentum continues in Texas depends on several factors. That means the rate could dip slightly in the coming months.

At the height of the pandemic, Americans saved a lot of money. Wealthier households turned that increase in savings into increased wealth. But for a lot of lower- and middle-income people, building wealth has been much harder.

Medical debt declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains a massive issue for millions of Americans, afflicting Black people significantly far more than white people. That inequity is rooted in deep disparities in health and wealth, and Texas' policy choices make those disparities worse.

For a lot of North Texans, the arrival of COVID-19 set off a pandemic of debt. To those without much financial cushion, who worked in jobs with no remote option, the early days of the pandemic often meant racking up credit card bills to keep the family whole. Now, many are working to pay off pandemic debt.

Americans have tacked on a more than $2 trillion in household debt since the pandemic began. Dig into that eye-popping number, and an increasingly unequal America emerges.

GDP shrank for a 2nd quarter in a row. While two consecutive quarters of negative growth is often considered a recession, it's not an official definition. Parts of the economy are clearly struggling.

Reduced U.S. and European refining capacity, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and even Chinese export limits are all combining to send prices at the pump far higher than they were the last time crude oil traded in the $100-a-barrel range.

Migrants crossing the border put their lives in the hands of ruthless smugglers who lead them through rugged terrain, or into rushing water, in dangerous triple digit temperatures. Many people take the risk knowing they have a job in the U.S.

For companies that feel compelled to speak out, worker recruitment and retention are big issues.

The ruling doesn’t expand the kinds of games tribes can offer on their lands but reaffirms their autonomy to regulate gambling activities that aren’t prohibited in Texas, regardless of the state’s rules.

Over the course of the pandemic, Americans’ credit card balances have been on a roller coaster. KERA News wants to hear about your experience.