Latest from Kelly Silvera

• May 29, 2023

  Memorial Day travel is up, but RV sales aren’t

  

  It’s Memorial Day, which means lots and lots of people across the country are on the move in their cars and campers. But even as the holiday travel season is expected to break records, sales of new RVs are not following suit. Plus, Turkish President Erdogan has won a second term in office following a runoff election on Sunday. And finally, we talk with the BBC’s Will Bain about what the CEO of Binance, one of the major crypto trading firms, had to say about the future of regulation in the digital currency space. 

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• May 29, 2023

  Turkey’s President Erdogan wins another term in office

  

  From the BBC World Service: Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan has secured another five years in power. We look at what went on during Sunday’s election. It’s the 70th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Mount Everest, but you’ll need a lot of cash to follow in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Despite Lebanon’s economy being in disarray, the club scene in its capital, Beirut is still going strong.

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• May 26, 2023

  Inflation rose again. Will that sway the Fed on rates?

  

  The Fed’s interest rate fight just got more complicated — the central bank’s preferred gauge of inflation indicated that prices rose 0.4% last month, a speed-up from the previous month that saw a 0.1% increase. We talk to Christopher Low, chief economist at FHN Financial, about what that could mean for interest rates. And finally, a look at how drag show businesses in Nashville are doing amid the state’s attempted crackdown.  

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• May 26, 2023

  Hopes rising in Washington for a done debt deal

  

  The deadline for Congress to raise the debt ceiling is fast approaching, but if signals from top Congressional Republicans and the Biden administration are to be believed, a deal may be imminent. We look at the latest developments in the saga. Plus, schools are on the frontline of what the Surgeon General called social media’s harmful effects on young people. And finally, there’s a whole industry around mock-up mermaid tails that’s getting a boost from Disney’s The Little Mermaid film releasing today. 

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• May 26, 2023

  Could Turkey’s President Erdogan secure another term in office?

  

  From the BBC World Service: Voters in Turkey head to the polls on Sunday for a runoff second-round presidential election. We look at the likelihood of a win for incumbent President Erdogan. Plus, pasta prices in Italy have soared over the past year due to high energy costs, bad weather and supply chain disruption; but there may be some good news on the horizon.

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• May 25, 2023

  In most cities, you’re better off renting than buying a place

  

  The conventional wisdom of old said that more often than not, buying a place to live is cheaper than renting. That’s no longer the case except for four major U.S. cities — Detroit, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Houston. We look at how housing prices have gotten so high and why they’re likely to stay elevated. Plus, the AI boom is driving up demand for microchips, but there are still barriers the industry faces like geopolitical tensions and supply chains. And finally, the BBC reports on a proposal in Spain to subsidize bars in rural towns, which often serve as a community social hubs in the countryside.

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• May 25, 2023

  Is critical U.S. infrastructure safe from foreign hackers?

  

  Microsoft and intelligence agencies are warning that a hacking group sponsored by the Chinese government has infiltrated critical infrastructure in the U.S. We look at the evolving situation and what’s been said so far. Plus, Germany’s economy has fallen into a technical recession after two straight quarters of negative growth driven by low consumer spending. And, voters in Turkey go to the polls again this weekend to vote in the presidential runoff election — older people are considering how high inflation could affect their economic wellbeing. 

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• May 25, 2023

  Germany’s economy slips into recession as consumers hold back

  

  From the BBC World Service: A recession is commonly defined as the economy shrinking in two successive quarters — that’s just what’s happened to Germany, mainly because higher energy prices have hit household budgets and that’s put the brakes on spending. It’s Europe’s biggest economy, so what’s the wider impact? Plus, the International Monetary Fund has approved a multi-billion dollar loan for Ivory Coast. And, we hear from rural Spain where a plan is being considered to help subsidize bars in depopulated areas which have become vital community hubs in a country where 90% of the population lives in urban areas.

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• May 24, 2023

  The party’s over — Netflix unveils its password-sharing crackdown

  

  It’s finally happening. After a slew of setbacks, Netflix has finally released details on its password-sharing crackdown, including an $8 per month fee for people wanting to share account details outside of their respective households. We look into how slowing subscriber growth has played into the company’s decision. Plus, the BBC reports on France’s new law prohibiting short-haul flights between destinations that also have a train connection that would take under 2.5 hours. And, we talk with Yeshiva University professor Abraham Ravid about the origins of the Hollywood writers’ strike. 

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• May 24, 2023

  One casualty of tighter pocketbooks: healthcare

  

  A new report from the Fed paints an alarming picture for many people’s personal finances — a growing number of Americans are deciding to forgo healthcare coverage because of the cost. We look at what that means for people’s well-being and what it says about the economy. Plus, enrollment at community colleges is up this year, especially in programs that focus on the culinary arts. And finally, a chat with Steven Durlauf, professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, about new research that delves into how generational wealth is created.

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