Business

Arts

Is Barbie a feminist icon? It's complicated

7:54am July 27, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

The Barbie movie is being celebrated (and slammed) as a feminist film, with its themes of female empowerment and critiques of the patriarchy. Can the same be said for the doll at the center of it?

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A worker harvests cherries in the early hours of the morning on a farm near Sunnyside, Wash., on June 14.

Politics & Government

America's farms are desperate for labor. Foreign workers bring relief and controversy

5:28am July 27, 2023

The number of H-2A visas for seasonal farmworkers issued each year has more than quadrupled over the past decade. The growth has alarmed labor advocates. Farmers don't love the program, either.

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An unfinished bus terminal that will be joined with the East Coast Rail Link in Malaysia.

World News

Malaysia's a big draw for China's Belt and Road plans. Finishing them is another story

11:24pm July 26, 2023

by Emily Feng

The Malaysian East Coast Rail Link is a successful feat so far compared to some other Chinese investments in the country — even if it has blown past deadlines and budgets.

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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell attends a meeting at the Spain's Central Bank in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, June 29, 2023. In the U.S., Powell and the central bank are trying to navigate a "soft landing" for the economy.

The Fed's hot pause summer gets an ice bath: Interest rates rise again

8:36pm July 26, 2023

by Stacey Vanek Smith

After taking a pause last month, the Fed got back to raising interest rates. Many are now saying a "soft-landing" is within our sights

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Autoworker Kevin Winston, left, talks with United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain outside the General Motors Factory Zero plant in Hamtramck, Mich., on July 12.

Politics & Government

Autoworker union not giving Biden an easy ride in 2024 as contract talks pick up speed

1:32pm July 26, 2023

by Don Gonyea

The new UAW president says his members are being left out as the industry transitions to electric vehicles so he's applying pressure on the auto companies and the White House to do more for workers.

Jose Martinez was 14 when he came to the U.S. from Mexico to work in agriculture. He became an activist after years of enduring tough working conditions.

They put food on our tables but live in the shadows. This man is fighting to be seen

1:29pm July 26, 2023

Jose Martinez has picked America's food for decades. With all that experience on different farms, he saw workers lacking labor protections. Now he works to give farmworkers more rights.

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An electric car is charged at the Motor Show in Essen, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. Charging may soon be easier across the U.S. with seven car companies banding together to create a charging network.

National

Big carmakers unite to build a charging network and reassure reluctant EV buyers

1:08pm July 26, 2023

by Camila Domonoske

A lack of fast chargers for road trips is a major deterrent for would-be electric vehicle purchasers. In response, big automakers are following Tesla's playbook — and teaming up in an unusual way.

Economy

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise key interest rate again on Wednesday

12:25pm July 26, 2023

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark lending rate to the highest level in 22 years after a year of successive hikes aimed at fighting inflation.

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Fees added to bills are costing consumers billions. Now, regulators are cracking down

5:32pm July 25, 2023

by Stacey Vanek Smith

The rise of fees on hotel bills, bank bills, restaurant bills and everywhere else has regulators cracking down. Turns out, they are just inflation in disguise.

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Actors Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater and others spoke at upbeat NYC SAG-AFTRA rally

5:12pm July 25, 2023

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The SAG-AFTRA union received a boost of star power for its ongoing actors' strike. A rally in New York's Times Square featured speakers like Christian Slater, Steve Buscemi and Christine Baranski.

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