Stacey Vanek Smith

Stacey Vanek Smith appears in the following:

The tough economics of getting hard-to-find minerals for electric vehicle batteries

Thursday, December 14, 2023

America's only cobalt mine opened last year to great fanfare, as the mineral is crucial for green energy. But it surprisingly closed just months later.

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Cobalt is important for green energy. So why has America's only coablt mine closed?

Thursday, December 14, 2023

America's only cobalt mine opened last year to great fanfare, since the mineral is crucial for green energy. But it surprisingly closed months later.

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With ice cream theft up, some grocery stores add lid locks to pints as a deterrence

Monday, August 07, 2023

Grocery stores are trying to curb thefts of a hot commodity this summer: ice cream! One solution is something called the pint lock, which makes it almost impossible to open the ice cream container.

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Grocery stores are trying to protect ice creams from getting stolen off their shelves

Sunday, August 06, 2023

Grocery stores are trying to curb thefts of a hot commodity this summer: ice cream!

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Taylor Swift is the anti-hero to some Argentinians, as inflation soars

Friday, August 04, 2023

Taylor Swift is coming to town as Argentinians deal with some of the highest inflation on the planet.

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Why people in Argentina are in a race against time to spend their earnings

Friday, August 04, 2023

Imagine half of your savings was gone and your rent was doubling every year. That is what's happening in Argentina as the country battles some of the highest inflation in the world.

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What recession? It's a summer of splurging, profits and girl power

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Economic data show higher prices and constant warnings of a downturn haven't slowed down American shoppers. The Fed is anxious. Companies are thrilled.

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American companies report surprisingly high spending from shoppers despite inflation

Friday, July 28, 2023

Recession? What recession? The Fed is still cautious, but big brands — Kimberly-Clark, Hilton, Visa, Chipotle, Coca-Cola — are singing praises to shoppers who seem un-swayed by their higher prices.

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What my $30 hamburger reveals about fees and how companies use them to jack up prices

Thursday, July 27, 2023

New fees are being tacked onto hotel bills, airfare, restaurant checks and pretty much everywhere else. It's another form of inflation and it's costing consumers $65 billion a year.

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

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

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

Wednesday, 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

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

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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Got tipping rage? This barista reveals what it's like to be behind the tip screen

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

The rise in tipping has many customers fuming, but one worker who depends on tips says most customers misunderstand what they are — and shares what it feels like when people don't tip.

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Got tipping rage? This barista reveals what it's like to be behind the tip screen

Monday, July 17, 2023

The rise in tipping has many customers fuming, but one worker who depends on tips says most customers misunderstand what they are — and shares what it feels like when people don't tip.

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To tip or not to tip? 3 reasons why tipping has gotten so out of control

Wednesday, July 05, 2023

The pandemic, technology and the economy have combined to create the perfect storm for "tip-flation" — but we might be at a tipping point.

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The driving forces behind 'tip-flation'

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

The tip jar has been replaced with a touch screen, seemingly everywhere. Every little purchase, from coffee to a burrito, seems to lead to a screen asking for a minimum tip. How did we get here?

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The fight against inflation in the U.S. is currently in a very difficult phase

Monday, June 12, 2023

Most of the countries that have recently fought inflation went from high to moderate inflation with minimal economic pain. Not one was able to get from moderate to low inflation without pain.

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The U.S. dollar conquered the world. Is it at risk of losing its top spot?

Monday, June 12, 2023

The dollar has helped make the U.S. the most economically powerful country for most of the last century, but other countries – including rivals like China – have the greenback on their sights.

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The first debt ceiling fight was in 1953. It looked almost exactly like the one today

Thursday, June 01, 2023

Debt ceiling dramas have been going on a long time. The first one happened exactly 70 years ago. President Eisenhower asked Congress for an extra $15 billion and the Senate said, "No dice."

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She had a dream job. Now, she's part of a massive brain drain hammering Russia

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Hundreds of thousands of people under age 35 are estimated to have fled Russia since the invasion. It's one of a handful of major challenges Russia's economy faces this year.

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