Scott Horsley
Scott Horsley is NPR's Chief Economics Correspondent. He reports on ups and downs in the national economy as well as fault lines between booming and busting communities.
Horsley spent a decade on the White House beat, covering both the Trump and Obama administrations. Before that, he was a San Diego-based business reporter for NPR, covering fast food, gasoline prices, and the California electricity crunch of 2000. He also reported from the Pentagon during the early phases of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Before joining NPR in 2001, Horsley worked for NPR Member stations in San Diego and Tampa, as well as commercial radio stations in Boston and Concord, New Hampshire. Horsley began his professional career as a production assistant for NPR's Morning Edition.
Horsley earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and an MBA from San Diego State University. He lives in Washington, D.C.
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People aren't waiting for governors or mayors to make the decision for them. Real-time data show they cut back on spending when they're worried about being infected with the coronavirus.
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President Trump declared that the trade deal with China is still on, despite growing friction between the two countries. China has increased purchases of U.S. goods but is still short of its promises.
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In another sign of how the coronavirus crisis is disrupting commerce, banks are running short of nickels, dimes and quarters. The Federal Reserve, which supplies banks, is having to ration change.
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While retail sales bounced back in May after a deep drop in March and April, the wealthiest Americans are not spending as freely as they did before the pandemic. And that could limit the recovery.
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Lainy Morse, a preschool teacher, dreads going back to a classroom filled with kids who don't understand hand-washing or social distancing. And she'd make less than she does on unemployment.
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The price of baking flour has fallen along with the price of eggs, suggesting an easing in the baking craze that gripped hungry and housebound consumers in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Fed leaves interest rates near zero as expected, and promises to use all of its tools to support the economy. Officials project unemployment above 9% at the end of this year.
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The committee tasked with marking U.S. business cycles says the economy peaked in February and has since been in a recession triggered by the pandemic. But it says the recession could be short-lived.
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U.S. employers unexpectedly added jobs last month as the unemployment rate declined, signs that people are returning to work as states reopen their economies. President Trump celebrated the news.
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The Labor Department says about 1.9 million people filed for unemployment last week, but there are some signs that people may be returning to their jobs.
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African Americans are 40% less likely to own their homes than whites. And blacks are more likely to hold jobs that put them at risk of the coronavirus. The civil unrest follows decades of inequality.
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NPR's chief economics correspondent looks back at the question answered on the National Conversation about the economy. Past callers reconnect to update on how they have fared during the pandemic.