The Senate will be in session today, but most lawmakers remain away from Washington, with no signs of progress towards ending a partial government shutdown in its sixth day.
The Dow had its best day since 2009, gaining nearly 5 percent. But jitters over interest rates, trade tensions and turmoil in Washington have still made December a bruising month in the markets.
President Trump has been touting his economic successes all year. While he asks investors to buy, many are selling. The Dow saw its worst Christmas Eve close in history. And the S&P 500 is down 20 percent from its September peak. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Catherine Rampell of The Washington Post about what this all means for the economy.
At the time Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, a new social science was just taking root: economics. Dickens did not like it. NPR visits a high school performance of the play to understand the economic commentary laced throughout this holiday classic.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday fell 2.9 percent to 21,792.20 — its worst Christmas Eve performance. It Broke the 1918 record. U.S. stocks are on track for their worst year since 2008.
Monday's short trading session drove stocks into a deeper dive as the stock market heads toward its worst December since the Great Depression. Some say Trump's outbursts aren't helping the market.
The Down Jones Industrial average has suffered its worst Christmas Eve performance. How is President Trump reacting? Israel's government wants to move up its elections from Nov. 2019 to April.