{
  "id": 5764755,
  "title": "How to survive a national debt scare",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/how-to-survive-a-national-debt-scare",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-05T11:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Vox",
    "slug": "vox",
    "url": "https://www.vox.com/podcasts/501375/national-debt-40-trillion-jared-bernstein-economy-debt-ratio"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In August 2026, a billboard on a Washington, DC bus stop displayed the latest U.S. national debt, which stood at $40 trillion. This translates to about $116,000 per American. Even economists like Jared Bernstein, the former chair of President Joe Biden's Council of Economic Advisers, are beginning to express concern about the mounting debt. Bernstein had previously maintained that the debt was not an issue to worry about seriously, provided that servicing it remained manageable. However, he has since changed his stance and has expressed worry over two main factors: Congress's lack of action and rising interest rates.\n\nBernstein acknowledged that he was once wrong about the national debt, emphasizing that forecasting economic matters, such as interest rates and economic downturns, is inherently uncertain. However, as the outlook, politics, and the country's ability to service its debt changed, his perspective shifted. The key factors that influenced his change of mind were the rate of interest, the flow of money into the economy (deficits and surpluses), and the rate at which the debt is increasing. If the debt remains manageable, economic growth can help the country service it without significant economic strain.",
  "summary": "The national debt hasn’t been a major issue in the 2026 midterms. But perhaps it should be. As of last month, the United States is in debt to the tune of $40 trillion. That’s 12 zeros, which averages out to about $116,000 per American. It’s enough that even economists like Jared Bernstein, the chair of […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}