John Ydstie
John Ydstie has covered the economy, Wall Street, and the Federal Reserve at NPR for nearly three decades. Over the years, NPR has also employed Ydstie's reporting skills to cover major stories like the aftermath of Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina, the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He was a lead reporter in NPR's coverage of the global financial crisis and the Great Recession, as well as the network's coverage of President Trump's economic policies. Ydstie has also been a guest host on the NPR news programs Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. Ydstie stepped back from full-time reporting in late 2018, but plans to continue to contribute to NPR through part-time assignments and work on special projects.
During 1991 and 1992, Ydstie was NPR's bureau chief in London. He traveled throughout Europe covering, among other things, the breakup of the Soviet Union and attempts to move Europe toward closer political and economic union. He accompanied U.S. businessmen exploring investment opportunities in Russia as the Soviet Union was crumbling. He was on the scene in The Netherlands when European leaders approved the Maastricht Treaty, which created the European Union.
In August 1990, Ydstie was one of the first reporters on the scene after Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army invaded Kuwait. He accompanied U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia as a member of the Pentagon press pool sent to cover the Iraqi invasion for U.S. media outlets.
Ydstie has been with NPR since 1979. For two years, he was an associate producer responsible for Midwest coverage. In 1982, he became senior editor on NPR's Washington Desk, overseeing coverage of the federal government, American politics, and economics. In 1984, Ydstie joined Morning Edition as the show's senior editor, and later was promoted to the position of executive producer. In 1988, he became NPR's economics correspondent.
During his tenure with NPR, Ydstie has won numerous awards. He was a member of the NPR team that received the George Foster Peabody Award for its coverage of Sept. 11. Ydstie's reporting from Saudi Arabia helped NPR win the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award in 1991 for coverage of the Gulf War. In 2016, Ydstie received a Gerald Loeb Award for financial reporting for his contributions to an NPR series on financial planning.
Prior to joining NPR, Ydstie was a reporter and producer at Minnesota Public Radio. Ydstie is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he is now on the Board of Regents. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, with a major in English literature and a minor in speech communications. Ydstie was born in Minneapolis and grew up in rural North Dakota.
-
Cyberthieves steal hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the bank accounts of U.S. businesses. Many business owners are surprised to find out their bank is not obliged to make them whole. -
It's been nine years since the Federal Reserve raised interest rates. The Fed begins a two-day meeting on Wednesday to decide whether its time to raise rates.
-
Cyberthieves steal hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the bank accounts of U.S. businesses. Many business owners are surprised to find out their bank is not obliged to make them whole.
-
The monthly jobs report could tip the balance for the Federal Reserve. Policymakers are weighing whether to raise the Fed's official interest rates later this month.
-
The $48 billion deal would create the nation's largest health insurer by enrollment.
-
Republicans are pushing to roll back Dodd-Frank because they say it over-regulates the financial industry and hurts growth. Supporters say it has made banks stronger and the financial system safer. -
About half of the financial professionals surveyed say their competitors have behaved unethically or illegally to gain an advantage. And many say compensation and bonuses can create bad incentives.
-
Falling oil prices haven't boosted economic growth as much as expected. That's partly because consumers have chosen to pay down debt and save some of the windfall rather than spend it all. -
Following a disappointing report for March, job creation in April returned to the more robust pace of 2014. The unemployment rate also dipped to 5.4 percent. Results roughly aligned with expectations.
-
Aetna, the giant health insurance company, raised its minimum wage this month. CEO Mark Bertolini says he expects the raise will pay for itself through increased productivity.
