Rafael Nam
Appearances
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-22-2025 4PM EDT
Stocks may have gained, but there really wasn't much conviction to the moves. Investors are still hoping to see some kind of de-escalation in the trade war. Earlier in the day, the IMF cut its growth forecast for the global economy to 2.8%, down from the 3.3% it had projected in January. And now there are also concerns as Trump continues to attack the Fed and Jerome Powell.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-22-2025 4PM EDT
The president wants the Fed to cut interest rates and he's threatening to fire Powell. But there are big questions about whether Trump actually has the power to do that. So despite the gains, sentiment remains fragile. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-15-2025 8PM EST
Inflation is proving to be pretty stubborn. Yes, it has eased a lot from the very high level of 9.1% over a couple years ago. A big reason for the uptick last month was gas prices. But there was some good news. Factoring out gas and food prices, inflation came below expectations. Overall, though, it means the Federal Reserve may have to keep interest rates higher for a little longer.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-15-2025 8PM EST
President-elect Donald Trump says he wants tariffs and mass deportations, which economists say could make inflation worse. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-27-2025 1PM EDT
Security is heightened in central Ho Chi Minh City ahead of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Fifty years ago, North Vietnamese troops stormed the headquarters of the South Vietnam's government, ending the roughly 20-year war that cost millions of Vietnamese lives.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-27-2025 1PM EDT
In the run-up to the main event on April 30, there have been a series of gatherings and rehearsals, the last one being held on Sunday. Day of festivities will feature a military parade, including a flyover by the Vietnamese Air Force. In total, 13,000 people are taking part in the event. For NPR News, I'm Nafam in Ho Chi Minh City.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-11-2025 5AM EDT
The big unknown in Wall Street is what kind of impact tariffs will ultimately have. One big fear is that they will raise prices across the board as imports become more expensive. So investors will be keen to see the latest consumer inflation data out on Tuesday, which may already start to show some of the early effects from the tariffs.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-11-2025 5AM EDT
The other big fear is that consumers will start spending less as a result of higher prices and the general uncertainty about the economy. This week we'll get retail sales numbers on Thursday, while retail giant Walmart will report earnings on the same day. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-02-2025 6PM EST
Investors have long been uneasy about the prospect of tariffs. Many hope that President Trump is just using them as leverage. But nobody really knows. So there'll be a lot of nerves ahead of Tuesday when Trump's threatened tariffs on the country's neighbors are set to take effect. Trump also says he wants to impose additional tariffs on China.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-02-2025 6PM EST
Investors will also have to digest the latest employment report. The jobs market has been pretty healthy so far. The question is how long it stays that way. At least though, the layoffs seen across the federal government recently are unlikely to show up in this report.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-29-2024 7PM EST
There are only two trading sessions left of the year, and already investors are sitting on some big gains. The S&P is up 25% so far this year. A big reason is that stocks tied to artificial intelligence have continued to do well. Chip company NVIDIA, for example, has seen its share price more than double in 2024. The economy has also remained healthy under President Biden.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-29-2024 7PM EST
And since November, stocks have gained even more because of hopes that Donald Trump will be good to Wall Street when he returns to the White House. Those stocks have lost some momentum in December. Rafael Nam, NPR News. This is NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 11-24-2024 8PM EST
It will be a shorter trading week because of the Thanksgiving holiday. But for investors, there will be plenty to digest. The key economic data will be the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge out on Wednesday. It's called the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, and investors are hoping it will show inflation continuing to ease.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 11-24-2024 8PM EST
Also this week, the Fed will release minutes from its meeting earlier this month. Policymakers lowered interest rates for a second time this year at that meeting and will get new home sales data as well. Meanwhile, companies continue to report earnings, including Macy's this week. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-22-2024 10PM EST
Trading is likely to slow down, especially after Congress avoided a shutdown this weekend. A slower week will likely be a welcome development after a rough week. All three major indexes tumbled last week, with the Dow Jones declining for a third consecutive week, as stocks continue to pair some of the strong gains seen after the election of Donald Trump in November.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-22-2024 10PM EST
The path forward will ultimately depend on how inflation and other economic data shape up. But there won't be many new reports coming this week. We'll get new home sales and consumer confidence, but not much else. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-19-2025 9AM EDT
Just over two years ago, crypto exchange FTX collapsed. Today, a different exchange, Coinbase, is set to join the ranks of 500 of the biggest public companies in the U.S. Here's Faryar Sherzad, Coinbase's chief policy officer.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-19-2025 9AM EDT
And that's in part because things have changed under President Trump. His administration is taking a far friendlier approach to the crypto industry. Trump himself has a financial stake in the crypto sector, raising major concerns about conflicts of interest. All of this is alarming consumer advocates who warn this is a nascent industry, rife with potential for fraud and shady characters.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-07-2025 3PM EDT
One of the big consequences of tariffs is that they're very likely to make things much more expensive. But these tariffs come at a time when the Federal Reserve is still trying to bring down inflation. We'll get the latest snapshot on inflation on Thursday, a day after President Trump's reciprocal tariffs are set to kick in.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-07-2025 3PM EDT
Too soon to reflect the tariff's full impact, but an important number nonetheless. And although tariffs remain the main driver of markets, investors will also pay attention to the start of the earnings season. JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo are reporting results on Friday. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-28-2025 6PM EDT
At the start of 2025, investors were hoping that President Trump's return to the White House would lead to lower taxes and less regulation. Instead, his economic policies so far have centered on tariffs. Trump plans to unveil another round of global tariffs next week. That has investors getting concerned about the U.S.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-28-2025 6PM EDT
economy, with consumer confidence dropping and households bearing back their spending. All of this at a time when inflation remains a little high. All three major indexes tumbled on Friday and are headed for a second consecutive monthly fall. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
Good morning, Michelle.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
It's really this excitement of what Trump could mean for cryptocurrencies. He has promised to make the U.S. the crypto capital of the planet. And he's promised to nominate regulators who are friendly to the industry. So a very different approach from the Biden administration. David Sachs, like you just mentioned, Michelle, for example.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
He was a top executive at PayPal and is known to be close with Elon Musk. And now he's expected to be part of that friendlier approach to crypto. And earlier this week, Trump nominated a former financial regulator, Paul Atkins, as the new chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Atkins is also a public advocate of cryptocurrencies, and he's in line now to become the next Wall Street cop.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
Well, that's certainly the hope for crypto investors. And it's kind of incredible because let's remember here the history of Bitcoin and what it actually is. It's only over 15 years old, and it's basically a digital currency made up of computer coding. It was created by somebody or maybe a group of people going by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto. And to this day, we don't know who Satoshi is.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
Bitcoin was created around the global financial crisis, and Satoshi's idea was to create a currency for the people, a currency that's not controlled by one country or one central bank. That's not how it's turned out. You can't really use Bitcoin today to go buy a cup of coffee, for example. So what do people use it for? Well, Bitcoin may have been intended as a currency.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
And yes, there are some businesses and even some cities like Detroit that are starting to accept cryptocurrencies. But really, it's become a speculative investment for people on Wall Street and for average people too. A way to make money, essentially. The thing is, cryptocurrencies are incredibly volatile, and they've created a lot of financial pain.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
So critics like Dennis Kelleher from advocacy group Better Markets are concerned that this latest rally could end really badly.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
Worse than the global financial crisis. And if that prediction does come true, it would be ironic given that Bitcoin was created in part as a response to the crisis. And isn't Bitcoin associated with all kinds of shady activities? Yes. Indeed, cryptocurrencies have become widely used by all kinds of illegal actors, from hackers looking for ransomware to drug dealers.
Up First from NPR
Opposition Forces in Syria, Crypto's Milestone Week, New York City's Housing Plan
So yes, there is a lot of excitement about Bitcoin, but there's also a lot of people who are alarmed.