Inflation is the unwanted guest who somehow has not taken the hint. Prices are still rising month over month. And though the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are being felt throughout the economy, we’ll likely be asking that question for a while before prices start to stabilize. Plus, a race toward I bonds, a plan to keep college students in STEM and the economic woes of going on tour.

The last few years have been a roller coaster for renters. Though  rents are up roughly 9% year over year, that’s an improvement from the increases seen last year. Is this a sign that the rental market is finally moderating, or just a temporary seasonal dip? Plus, a boost in new car inventory, new pay transparency laws that encourage fair compensation and banks’ role in the racial wealth gap.

The Fed’s interest rate hikes continue to be felt across the economy. First, we’ll hear how those higher rates are luring investors away from tech companies, then we’ll see how decades-high mortgage rates are stretching the time houses remain on the market. Also on the program: Medicare recipients foot the bill for a rejected Alzheimer’s drug, and artificial intelligence rocks the digital art world.

It’s been a rough year for the stock market. But the stock market doesn’t always provide a clear roadmap of where the economy is headed. Today, the factors behind stock market volatility and how much we can read into the ups and downs. Also in the program: Europe turns to coal to avoid an energy crisis and a look at natural disaster modeling following Hurricane Ian.

Think of inflation as a runner. In parts of the economy, that runner is slowing — still going forward, just not as fast. Today, we’ll unpack which sectors are leading the race and which are faltering. Plus, how the Fed is tackling that persistent inflation, what a Kroger-Albertsons merger means for your grocery bill and how China’s economy is doing on the eve of its 20th Communist congress.

Critics are worried that the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates too quickly and may tip the economy into a recession without taming inflation. So what else can the Fed do? Today, we dive into the policy, politics and power at Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s fingertips. Plus, a squeeze in warehouse space, a predicted slowdown in global trade and the people locked out of China by its zero-COVID policy.

The number of job openings dipped 10% between July and August — a bigger drop than many economists predicted. It might show that the imbalance between supply and demand for labor is shrinking, and could be a sign that the Fed’s rate hikes are working. Plus, how workers are “performing” productivity, why importers are struggling to take advantage of a strong dollar, and when will this bear market finally end?

The economy seems full of contradictions right now. The threat of a recession looms and inflation is rampant, but consumers are still spending. Economists often look to history when making predictions, but the past offers little guidance to make sense of our current economic moment. Plus, the challenges of moving to more storm-resilient infrastructure and the toll of rising energy costs on U.K. businesses.

Last year, dozens of container ships waited off the Californian coast — some for weeks — to  dock and unload all the goods consumers were demanding. But those backlogs have eased substantially. Today, we’ll take a trip to the Marine Exchange of Southern California to hear what’s changed since and what hasn’t. Plus, why jobless claims are dipping and what Hurricane Ian means for Florida’s fragile insurance industry.

The U.S. dollar has been appreciating this year as investors take advantage of climbing interest rates. But the value of the dollar is forcing economies around the globe to pay the price. Today, we’ll delve into how a strong dollar is affecting imports, exports and the debts of foreign countries. Plus, the Bank of England makes a drastic move, and Hurricane Ian highlights power grid resilience.