Scott Horsley

Suffice it to say the economy is quite complicated and making sense of the specific impact of any one policy is quite difficult. But a number of the priorities President-elect Trump has championed, including mass deportations and steep tariffs, could all lead to yet another spike in the cost of living.

This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.

The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han, Casey Morell and Kelli Wessinger. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

It just got cheaper to borrow money in the United States; the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, signalling that it believes inflation is largely over with and the economy is generally strong.

Here's how Vice President Harris and Donald Trump are talking about the state of the economy and their policy proposals.

This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, campaign correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.

The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han, Casey Morell and Kelli Wessinger. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

Sales of existing homes dipped in April. But prices are still sky high. A shortage of homes for sale means stiff competition and more than a quarter of homes sold for more than the asking price.

Consumer prices in April were up 3.4% from a year ago — a smaller annual increase than the month before.

The latest report, will not only give an update on inflation, it could also indicate if the Federal Reserve will resume lowering interest rates.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says a growing number of card user are falling behind on their monthly credit card bills. Fallout from years of rising prices and high interest rates.

Social Security benefits are facing an automatic cut in less than 10 years unless changes are adopted. The report from Social Security trustees predicts the fund will be exhausted in November of 2033.

Restaurant earnings and pricing tell us the economy is still troubled by inflation but not badly enough for consumers to give up eating out.

U.S. employers added 175,000 jobs in April. That's the smallest number in six months. A gradual cooling of the job market may help to ease concerns about inflation.

The Labor Department reports Friday morning on April job gains and the monthly unemployment report. Job growth accelerated in the first three months of the year.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, and investors now think borrowing costs could stay higher for months to come. Inflation remains stubbornly above the Fed's 2% target.

The U.S. economy grew more slowly than expected in the first three months of the year. But consumers are still spending money — especially on services such as travel and restaurant meals.

The Commerce Department reports Thursday on economic growth for January, February and March. Robust consumer spending is helping to keep the economy chugging along.

Why is there a disconnect at times between good news about the economy, and how voters actually feel about the economy? And how is that likely to play out in the 2024 election?

President Biden has called for more tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum. Both Democrats and Republicans have adopted more protectionist policies in the run-up to the November election.

Rental prices have been leveling off across the country, but you wouldn't know that from the official inflation statistics.

Senators quizzed IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel about the just-finished tax-filing season and what's ahead for the government's tax collector.

There are only a few days left to file your taxes this year. The filing season got off to a slow start, but it's picking up steam as we head for the finish line.

People who've tried a new IRS system that allows taxpayers to file digital returns directly with the government for free say it's fast and easy to use. But the rollout has been limited.

She visited a solar cell factory to highlight the domestic manufacturing incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar energy accounts for more than half the new power added to the grid last year.