Business and Economic News

Many would-be buyers are frozen out of the housing market
A new report from the National Association of Realtors shows how challenging it's become for young people to get a foothold in today's costly housing market.
Farmers' Almanac says it will cease publication after 208 years, citing financial challenges
Farmers’ Almanac said Thursday that its 2026 edition will be its last, citing the growing financial challenges of producing and distributing the book in today’s “chaotic media environment.”
Some Midwest soybeans are headed to China. But farmers still need other buyers
Some Midwestern soybean farmers are selling their beans to be crushed and turned into soybean meal and oil. But economists say domestic processing won’t be enough to offset the drop in Chinese demand.
A greener way to go? More people are rethinking what happens to their body after death
As people look for environmentally friendly ways to live, some are asking if death can be sustainable, too. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about the growing interest in natural burials, water-based cremation and other green funeral practices. 
ICE is sending a chill through the construction industry
The construction industry, where more than a quarter of workers are foreign-born, has long struggled to find enough workers. Now, industry officials say Trump's immigration crackdown is making it worse.
‘A very dim future’: Delayed and reduced SNAP benefits hurt MN’s small town grocery stores
Minnesota’s SNAP recipients will receive a reduced amount of benefits this month, but it’s not clear when or how much they will get to buy food. And the benefits are already delayed, leaving many people scrambling to find enough to eat.