New Collar Workers

Today, more older people are staying the labor force, working longer than they ever have before. It's partly because they are physically able to; partly because they have to for financial reasons. At the same time, some employers are trying to push them out. Today we examine how that dynamic is playing out at tech giant IBM, which is accused of a mass undertaking to replace thousands of older employees with what executives called "New Collar Workers. ”

Back to Midland

When a stuck ship recently blocked the Suez Canal, a vital trade route, oil prices went up. But that was temporary. Overall, America's oil industry is still grappling with the bust in oil prices prompted by the pandemic shutdowns. During America's oil boom not long ago, Scott Thuman reported on good times in Midland Texas. Now, he returns to find it hit hard. In the dusty fields of Midland, Texas, folks are aware you can’t always let the picturesque scenes fool you.

Missile Misses

An update on our reporting on the troubled and expensive defense system Boeing was developing to protect the U. S. from foreign missile strikes. A timely topic with North Korea recently firing two ballistic missiles in what some see as a message to the Biden administration. It was during the Trump administration that a series of missile launches by North Korea’s dictatorship heightened tension and led to an unprecedented meeting between President Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.

Internet in Everything

The Internet isn't just on our phones and computers anymore. It's a constant presence in almost everything around us. That means a wide world of opportunity - but may also come with threats to our security. Joce Sterman spoke to Laura DeNardis, author of the book "The Internet in Everything ," which starts out by posing the question - what would happen if humans suddenly left the earth? Laura DeNardis: You'd still have robots moving merchandise around an Amazon fulfillment center.

The Fast Lane

As more Americans get back to work after the Covid-19 shutdowns, traffic gridlock threatens to make a return. It's been a longstanding problem in nearly every major city. When we're fully up and running, highway congestion costs more than a hundred billion dollars a year in terms of lost productivity, wasted gas and added pollution. So how much would you be willing to pay to sail past a line of rush hour traffic in your own car? Ten dollars? Twenty? How about forty dollars?

Gas Prices

You've probably noticed a steady rise in the cost of gas these last few months. Since the beginning of the year, prices are up 60 percent. And with President Biden's new energy policy, some worry they'll keep climbing. Scott Thuman takes a look at what's really behind the high cost of gas. Odds are, if you’ve been the gas station lately, you quickly noticed your dollar, doesn’t drive you as far these days. Prices have been skyrocketing.

Border Access

Continuing our coverage of the border crisis: Much attention is understandably focused on the flood of illegal border crossers turning themselves in, in south Texas. But there’s a flip side, as we learned on our recent trip to the border: a corresponding increase in those trying to avoid capture, usually because they’re involved in criminal activities. The Biden Administration is keeping tight reins on access to places where illegal immigrants and minors are being processed, held and released.