"The Federal Reserve is like a bank's bank," New York Times reporter Jeanna Smialek explained. "It has all these relationships with banks around the country, and they set interest rates."

Smialek and Mark Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget helped demystify what an interest rate cut would mean for you.

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News

Almost two years ago, The Supreme Court ruled in the Dobbs case, overturning Roe v. Wade and declaring that access to abortion is not protected in the United States Constitution.

A lot has happened in the time since then.  

Nationwide, citizens are arguing in the courts, legislatures, and ballot boxes over whether abortion should be banned, and if so, under what circumstances.

For this week's installment of our weekly politics series, "If You Can Keep It," we take a closer look at abortion and politics. 

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'If You Can Keep It': The Legacy Of Roe V. Wade In The 2024 Election

The Arizona Supreme Court handed down a landmark abortion ruling this week, invoking an 1864 law that forbids abortions except to save a mother's life, and punishes providers with prison time should they choose to facilitate the procedure.

In other judicial news, an appeals court judge has rejected former President Donald Trump's effort to delay his hush money trial as he appeals a gag order.

Also from the courts, the parents of a Michigan school shooter were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.

In global news, Joe Biden has spoken out about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions in his campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

Biden also spent time this week with Japanese officials, promising a new era of strategic coordination this week alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

And after eight years of deadlock, the European Union passed a new asylum and migration pact.

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The News Roundup For April 12, 2024

What do you remember about being in your twenties? Maybe it was the best time of your life. Maybe it brought challenges that you had to learn to overcome as you entered adulthood.

And if you're in your twenties now, life probably looks a lot different for you than it did for your parents. 

Meg Jay is a psychologist and author. In her new book, "The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age," she explores the way our twenties set up the rest of our lives, and how the uncertainties that come with entering adulthood affect our brain.

We sit down with her to talk about growing up, becoming an adult, and how our twenties stay with us all our lives.

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Meg Jay Helps Us Navigate, Understand, And Review Our Twenties

We're hitting the open road.

There are an estimated 3.5 million freight drivers in the U.S., according to the American Trucking Association.

But some of those big rigs could soon be going driverless. Automated 18-wheelers are already hauling freight in Dallas. 

What's being done to keep those of us sharing the road with these road-bots safe?

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Driverless 18-Wheelers Are Hitting The Roads In Texas. How Are They Being Regulated?

Millions of people watched the NCAA women's basketball tournament over the past few weeks. The last three rounds of the tournament sold out and set viewership records, especially games involving the Iowa Hawkeyes and their star point guard, Caitlin Clark.

On Sunday, Iowa faced off against the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks in the most-watched basketball game on ESPN since 2019. South Carolina pulled ahead in the second half to win it all, 87-75.

We talk about how the women's March Madness tournament got so big this year and the role Clark and other star players, like Angel Reese of LSU, played in turning out an unprecedented audience. 

What's next for women's basketball at the collegiate and professional levels after this year's burst of enthusiasm and viewership?

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