Host John Ydstie talks to Earl Hamner, Jr., the man behind the legendary TV series The Waltons, about some serious trouble brewin' at the Walton Mountain Museum in Schulyer, Virginia.
John Ydstie has covered the economy, Wall Street, and the Federal Reserve at NPR for nearly three decades. Over the years, NPR has also employed Ydstie's reporting skills to cover major stories like the aftermath of Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina, the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He was a lead reporter in NPR's coverage of the global financial crisis and the Great Recession, as well as the network's coverage of President Trump's economic policies. Ydstie has also been a guest host on the NPR news programs Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. Ydstie stepped back from full-time reporting in late 2018, but plans to continue to contribute to NPR through part-time assignments and work on special projects.
Employers added more jobs than analysts expected, as the jobless rate remained at a nearly 50-year low. Friday's report gives voters a final glimpse of the economy before the midterm elections.
The U.S. economy is in a sweet spot, with unemployment at a near 50-year low and an inflation rate that's low and stable. But that combination — low unemployment and low inflation — has economists at the Fed wondering if a theory they've had about how the economy works is still relevant.