Economic Indicators

Homebuilders face affordability hurdles this spring

A pullback in mortgage rates has helped boost homebuilder stocks this year after a dismal 2018, when the U.S. housing market slowed under the weight of higher borrowing costs, rising prices and a thin supply of homes for sale.

Californians lose millions of dollars in recycling deposits

California consumers lost out on at least $308 million in nickel deposits on cans and bottles in 2018, largely because it's increasingly difficult to find a place to recycle them, according to a new report made public Thursday.

Farm loan delinquencies highest in 9 years as prices slump

The nation's farmers are struggling to pay back loans after years of low crop prices and export markets hit by President Donald Trump's tariffs, with a key government program showing the highest default rate in at least nine years.

Klobuchar defends her record on regulating medical devices

In her more than two terms as a U.S. senator representing Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar has built a reputation as an effective champion for consumer safety, sponsoring bills that improve swimming pool safety, ban lead in children's products and tackle the nation's opioid crisis.