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National Debt

What is national debt and how does it affect our economy?

From This Collection

Make Me Smart | Episode 932

The U.S. Treasury is running out of cash

May 25, 2023
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National Debt

Where does the US credit rating come from?

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
May 25, 2023
Atsi Sheth from Moody's gives us a behind the scenes look into the company's ratings process.
"In the most basic terms, a credit rating is really an opinion on the credit quality of any entity that borrows on the debt capital markets," said Atsi Sheth at Moody's Investors Service.
Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images
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National Debt

When will the U.S. run out of money? It’s tough to say.

by Justin Ho
May 25, 2023
Predicting the exact timing of a government default is difficult, given the amount of the variability in government spending and revenue.
Even Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen admitted it’s hard to be exactly sure when a default could happen.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
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National Debt

What happens to benefit checks if there's no deal on the debt ceiling?

by Samantha Fields
May 23, 2023
Supplemental Security Income payments and veterans 'payments could be among the first checks to be delayed.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden to continue debit limit negotiations. Experts agree that a default would cause a massive pause on regular government payments to individuals in need.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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National Debt

The messy money reality at the center of the debt ceiling fight

by Kai Ryssdal , Richard Cunningham and Maria Hollenhorst
May 22, 2023
Raising the federal government’s borrowing limit isn’t about spending. It’s about how money works.
Unless the White House and Congressional leaders can make a deal to lift or suspend the debt limit, the U.S. could default on its debts as soon as June 1.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
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Make Me Smart | Episode 928

The back and forth over the debt ceiling

May 19, 2023
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National Debt

Is Washington finally getting serious about the debt ceiling?

by Sabri Ben-Achour , Alex Schroeder and Erika Soderstrom
May 19, 2023
Every day there's a warning about how catastrophic a default on the national debt would be. What's it going to take to avoid that?
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy
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Make Me Smart | Episode 926

Everything you wanted to know about the debt ceiling

May 17, 2023
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COVID-19

Clawing back unspent COVID funds might contribute to a debt ceiling solution — but not much

by Henry Epp
May 15, 2023
The exact amount left from pandemic spending bills could be as little as $30 billion — a fraction of this year’s federal deficit.
Congress passed six COVID spending bills totaling $4.6 trillion, according to the Government Accountability Office. But most of that money is already gone.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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National Debt

The markets are taking debt limit uncertainty in stride — for now

by Justin Ho
May 9, 2023
Stock markets aren't upset by the debt limit debate. But that could change as the June 1 default deadline draws closer, analysts say.
The stock market doesn't have a lot to react to because little is happening in terms of raising the debt limit, says Ian Dew-Becker, a finance professor at Northwestern University. Above, a trader at the New York Stock Exchange.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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