The next big thing in Silicon Valley might just be an old-fashioned concept: humanoid robots that can mimic our physical abilities. Developments in AI are triggering renewed interest in the robotics industry. And Anthropic’s latest Claude model can control a computer on its own, which could have implications for the future of work. But first, is the “best bromance in tech” starting to sour? That’s how OpenAI CEO Sam Altman once described his company’s partnership with Microsoft, but recently the alliance has shown signs of tension. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Natasha Mascarenhas for her take on all this for our weekly segment “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Machinists who have been on strike against Boeing for over a month just rejected a second contract. A major sticking point? Pensions, which the company suspended 10 years ago, in favor of 401(k) contributions. In this episode, we weigh the pros and cons of each. Plus: Colorado’s oldest business will become a co-op, a tight housing market means fixer-uppers are cool again and recent hurricanes test the catastrophe bond market.

Hey Smarties! We’re on the road to Boston for a live taping of “Make Me Smart” with special guest, historian Heather Cox Richardson. So today we’re bringing you an episode from the latest season of “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast. In this episode, Kai Ryssdal and the “How We Survive” team head to the very, very top of Alaska to understand how climate change and national security are converging in the Arctic. Want to join Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams for our live taping of “Make Me Smart” in Boston on Oct. 25? In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still join us virtually. Get your tickets here.

For entrepreneurs and aspiring CEOs, one of the ultimate tests of mettle is appearing on the hit show Shark Tank, which pits high-rolling investors against contestants looking for a deal to help take their businesses to the next level of development. We catch up with Megan Klein, founder of Little Saints, a company that has been at the forefront of the non-alcoholic cocktail industry, who recently appeared on the show and made her pitch to the sharks. And, we chat with University of Michigan Professor Erik Gordon about consumer confidence ahead of the election and which candidate voters trust more on the economy.

Americans nowadays don’t agree on much, but most have one thing in common: disappointment in their government and the direction of the country. According to University of Chicago Professor James Robinson, who jointly won the Nobel Prize in Economics this year, a lot of this discontentment can be tied back to economic inequality and a perception that economic gains of the past few decades haven’t substantially improved normal people’s lives. Plus, an update on Boeing as striking machinists reject the company’s latest offer in ongoing labor negotiations.

From the BBC World Service: In an exclusive BBC interview, IMF Deputy Director Gita Gopinath said tit-for-tat tariffs cause global losses in growth equivalent in size to the economies of France and Germany. And, Canada is one of America’s largest trading partners, so how do its residents feel about the upcoming election?

There’s a movement to make it possible to repair our gadgets ourselves instead of having to send them back to the company that makes them or, you know, just get a new one. The “right to repair” movement in consumer electronics has made real gains in recent years. Several states, like California, New York and Oregon, have passed legislation requiring it. And it looks like Apple’s newest iPhone — the 16 — has made strides in that department. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Kyle Wiens, CEO of the online repair guide iFixit, about the iPhone 16’s improved repairability.

As Election Day looms closer, the emails and texts from campaigns pleading for money continue to flood voters’ inboxes. A CNN investigation found that some of these tactics have misled elderly Americans into giving away millions of dollars. We’ll get into the financial consequences of aggressive campaign fundraising strategies. Then, we’ll discuss how Republican pundits are responding to former President Donald Trump’s shocking statements about military affairs. And, we’ll talk about a payment owed from a defamation case: a luxury New York apartment. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump: ‘I Need the Kind of Generals That Hitler Had’” from The Atlantic “How elderly dementia patients are unwittingly fueling political campaigns” from CNN “Brains and Losses: Aging and Financial Vulnerability to Scams” from Marketplace “Do presidential candidates really need your money at this point in the race?” from Marketplace “Giuliani ordered to surrender apartment, valuables to Georgia election workers” from Reuters Join Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams for a live taping of “Make Me Smart” on Oct. 25 in Boston. In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still join us virtually. Get your tickets here.

In 2022, over half of adult Gen Zers spent at least 30% of their income on rent. They’ve got it slightly better than millennials did 10 years prior, but not by much. In this episode, how being “rent burdened” could affect young people down the line. Plus: The Federal Reserve turns its attention to the job market, more stadiums introduce facial recognition software and fewer kids went straight from high school to college this year.

Today’s quarterly earnings report painted a gloomy picture for the embattled aviation giant — the company reportedly lost $6 billion in the three months ending in September. A look at what this means in the context of the numerous crises the plane-maker has been facing in recent years. Plus, what a recent outbreak of E. coli linked to McDonald’s hamburgers could mean for the fast food giant. And, how a diversity program is looking to bring country music artists belonging to traditionally underrepresented groups into the music industry.

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement will come up for renewal in the second year of a Trump or Harris presidency, which comes at a time of tension in the U.S. trade relationship with China and Chinese businesses increasingly building facilities in Mexico. Marketplace’s David Brancaccio speaks with the Wall Street Journal’s Santiago Pere about potential disruptions in the two countries’ trade relationship. Plus, a look at the IRS’s new inflation-adjusted tax brackets for the upcoming tax year and what that means for taxpayers.

From the BBC World Service: Indian Prime Minster Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia in what President Putin is framing as a propaganda victory amid the war in Ukraine. Then, a communications satellite designed and built by the troubled aerospace giant Boeing has broken up in orbit. And, as the new NBA season gets underway, we hear about Africa’s continuing influence on the league.

It’s been nearly a year since the United Auto Workers ended its strike against General Motors, and the automaker has defied expectations with strong third-quarter earnings. Why is GM doing so well when other carmakers are struggling? Plus: Quebec is using a pension fund to build a light-rail system, and “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal plays U.S. president in a climate war game with two Department of Defense retirees.

In the weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the Southeast, the price to rebuild has become a topic of contention in the home insurance market. For years, home insurers have identified climate change as a threat, cut coverage and increased premiums for properties in disaster-prone areas. But now, home insurers are also using new technologies such as drone footage and artificial intelligence to identify other high-risk areas in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Then, we’ll get into what headline inflation measures leave out of the cost of housing. And, how do we prepare for the upcoming Election Day in the shadow of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol? Later, we’ll hear from listeners on voting from overseas and the origins of trick-or-treating. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Home Insurance is a Really Big Problem” from Kyla Scanlon on Substack “Rising insurance costs are making homeownership even more expensive” from Marketplace “How Higher Property Insurance Premiums Mirror Climate Risk” from Knowledge at Wharton “How the Home Insurance Market Became So Distorted” from The New York Times “The Home Insurance Crunch: See What’s Happening in Your State” from The New York Times “Can lawmakers save the collapsing Florida home insurance market?” from Bankrate “The Very Real Scenario Where Trump Loses and Takes Power Anyway” from Politico “America’s Most Famous Inflation Gauge Is Easing — But Some of Your Biggest Expenses Are Left Out” from Bloomberg Do you have an Election Day tradition? Maybe you like to mail your ballot or treat yourself to coffee after hitting the polls. Let us know what your voting routine looks like at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The way you bank and apply for credit could fundamentally change in the next couple of years. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued new rules this morning to give consumers more control over their financial data, and spur competition in financial services. Then, it appears to be a quiet period for business ahead of the election. And later, how can companies tackle worker loneliness and isolation without forced fun?

Dating apps boomed during the pandemic, when online dating was pretty much the only way to meet romantic connections. And while the honeymoon period seems to be waning between big-name dating apps and users, smaller apps are having a moment. Today, we’ll take the pulse of the industry with Robyn Exton, CEO and founder of the sapphic dating and community app HER. Also: a potential major lithium discovery in southwestern Arkansas.

From the BBC World Service: Hyundai Motor India shares have made their trading debut after a $3.3 billion initial public offering, but the price has already slipped. We’ll discuss. Then, Russia is hosting the BRICS summit of emerging economies. Plus, Spain has seen a record number of migrant arrivals this year, raising questions over what role migrants should play in the Spanish economy.

Trying to vote when your disabled can present a series of obstacles but technology can help, even if integrating technology into our election system has its risks. Back in 2020, several states changed their voting rules with more mail-in, early, and remote voting options which increased turnout among disabled voters. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams recently spoke with Michelle Bishop, voter access and engagement manager at the National Disability Rights Network, about finding the right balance of tech integration into our elections in order to empower more disabled voters in the U.S.

Half a century has passed since the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was enacted, guaranteeing women equal access to credit. In this episode, we look back on gender-based credit discrimination and discuss other forms of lending bias that still exist today. Plus: What’s at stake for Boeing as machinists vote on a tentative contract, the tipped minimum wage is on the ballot and the value of the U.S. dollar goes under the microscope during corporate earnings season.

Across the country, pharmacies big  and small are closing. The closures have disproportionately affected rural and low-income communities, leaving residents with limited access to prescription drugs and creating so-called “pharmacy deserts.” We’ll discuss a New York Times investigation about the middlemen driving pharmacies out of business. Plus, should the American Dream be a townhouse? And, introducing the real “househusbands” of Wall Street. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Housing costs are rising everywhere — but especially in swing states” from The Washington Post “The new American Dream should be a townhouse” from The Washington Post “The Powerful Companies Driving Local Drugstores Out of Business” from The New York Times “The real reason Walgreens and other pharmacies are failing” from MSNBC “Behind Many Powerful Women on Wall Street: A Doting ‘Househusband’” from The Wall Street Journal Join Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams for a live taping of “Make Me Smart” on Oct. 25 in Boston. In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still join us virtually. Get your tickets here.

Leaders of finance from around the world gather starting today in Washington, D.C., for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The meetings come at a fraught time for the global economy and with U.S. elections looming in the background. We’ll hear more, including how markets are bracing for the upcoming election. Also: the frozen potato biz and a potential end to the Boeing strike.

If the election is contested again in November, will corporate leaders push back? It’s a thorny but pertinent question, especially as companies have dialed back on commitments to DEI, LGBTQ+ rights and other issues in recent months. Today, we’ll explore what responsibility corporations have to American democracy. Also on this morning’s program: Campaigns spend big to court some of America’s 3 million expat voters.

From the BBC World Service: A civil trial is beginning in London to determine whether the mining company was responsible for the 2015 Mariana dam collapse. Then, ByteDance has sacked an intern for “maliciously interfering” with the training of one of its artificial intelligence models. And more than 100 professional women’s soccer players have published an open letter calling on FIFA to end its sponsorship deal with state-owned Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco.

Artificial intelligence, according to its boosters, could help us unlock solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, like climate change. But in the meantime, it’s become a key tool for fossil fuel companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron to maximize the extraction of emissions-producing oil and gas. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to freelance reporter Karen Hao, who recently wrote in The Atlantic about how Microsoft has actively courted the fossil fuel industry.

New research from the Federal Reserve shows that wealthier Americans are driving retail spending while lower-income Americans have been squeezed by higher prices. We’ll discuss how this disparity could help explain the United States’ often unexpectedly strong consumer economy, and what the Birkin bag side of TikTok can tell us about this divide. And, Cuba is enduring a nationwide power outage. We’ll explain how a grid failure today has left millions in the dark. Plus, we’ll play a spooky season edition of This or That! Here’s everything we talked about today: “How to Watch the Bright and Speedy Orionid Meteor Shower” from Smithsonian “Cuban electrical collapse causes island-wide blackout, paralyzes economy” from The Washington Post “Wealthier Americans are driving retail spending and powering US economy” from AP News “Chocolate is on its way out. Why Halloween is about gummy candy now.” from The Washington Post Join Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams for a live taping of “Make Me Smart” on Oct. 25 in Boston. In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still join us virtually. Get your tickets here.

Dozens of people wait in line at the U.S. consulate in Shanghai in hopes of scoring a visa. One worry on their minds? Whether the outcome of the U.S. presidential election will ease tensions between the two nations or heat them up. Plus, why builders are breaking ground on more single-family homes and fewer apartment complexes, and how mobile homes became an integral part of the American housing stock.

After working hours, that is. The European Union is now considering rules to formalize a “right to disconnect” for employees — a legal right to ignore those pesky work-related emails, calls or messages when you’re not working. Presently, around 20 countries have such laws. We’ll learn more. Also on the program, we’ll hear about homebuilder optimism, Netflix’s slower subscriber growth and the reasons behind climbing interest rates.

For this month’s Econ Extra Credit, we’re watching “Join or Die: A Film About Why You Should Join a Club.” Today, we’re joined by the films co-producers to discuss the threat loneliness poses to our individual health and the health of our community, as well as the benefits of joining a club — anything from a bowling team to a pickleball league or PTA. But first, we’ll take the pulse of China’s economy.

From the BBC World Service: China’s GDP grew in the third quarter at the slowest pace since early last year. Then, in Japan, the anime industry has hit a milestone: its value has topped $2 billion thanks to hit movies and the growth of streaming services. And the European Union is looking at “right to switch off” rules for employees, a legal right to ignore business emails and calls outside of working hours.

Web crawlers scan and catalog sites all over the internet and, in the AI era, use that data to train chatbots. We’ll talk about why The New York Times is trying to put a stop to crawlers from the AI company Perplexity. We’ll also discuss the record share of venture capital dollars flowing into the AI sector and the difficulty of attracting investment for startups without those two magic letters. Plus, the ups and downs of SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital, for her take on all this for our weekly segment “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Recent surveys have found that uncertainty surrounding the presidential election is impacting consumer’s outlook on the economy. Why are people feeling this way despite strong spending numbers and the recent interest rate cut? Also in this episode: Asheville businesses cope with water scarcity, oil markets are in “backwardation,” and clothing resale platforms struggle to turn a profit.

Companies in the United States spend billions in political donations each election cycle with the aim of gaining more influence in government. But all that spending comes with risks. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain why many Americans impacted by recent hurricanes will have to wait for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration and how former President Trump’s plans for mass deportations could send shockwaves through our nation’s food supply chain. Plus, why are tech companies like Amazon and Google investing in nuclear energy? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Why companies spend all that campaign donation money” from Marketplace “SBA disaster loan program out of money after hurricanes, Biden says” from Axios “Trump’s proposed mass deportations could ‘decimate’ the US food supply” from Grist “Trump Faces Tough Questions From Hispanic Voters, but Largely Defends or Dodges” from The New York Times “Big Tech has cozied up to nuclear energy” from The Verge “Amazon goes nuclear, to invest more than $500 million to develop small modular reactors” from CNBC Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Have you tried to cancel a subscription or membership recently and gotten the run-around? The Federal Trade Commission says it should be as easy to cancel as it is to sign up. We’ll learn about the new rule entails. Plus, incentives for German automakers to make cars stateside could be on the way. And we’ll also hear a snippet from the latest season of Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast, “How We Survive.”

From the BBC World Service: When NASA astronauts return to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, they will do so in style … wearing Prada. We’ll hear more. Plus, TSMC, the Taiwanese tech giant that controls more than half the world’s output of advanced chips, posted profits of $10.1 billion in the last three months. And on Friday, China will announce growth figures. What can we expect?

A shortage of IV fluid is forcing hospitals across the country to conserve and even postpone surgeries and procedures after an IV fluid production facility in North Carolina was hit by the devastating floods from Hurricane Helene. It’s vital for hospitals, and the shortage clues us in to some of the economics of health care. Also on the program: what challenges Ulta Beauty faces and where the money from the FDIC comes from.

Vice President Kamala Harris sat for her first interview on Fox News Wednesday as the Democratic presidential candidate continued her media blitz ahead of the November election. And while it’s generating plenty of headlines, these kinds of big interviews just don’t hold the power they used to, according to Nick Quah, a podcast and culture critic at New York Magazine who’s been following the candidates’ interviews on the alternative media circuit. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Quah about how Kamala Harris’ appearance on more internet-native shows like the podcast “Call Her Daddy” or Donald Trump’s appearances on various “bro-centric” shows like Logan Paul ‘sYouTube channel represent a notable media shift compared to previous elections.

An estimated 13 million older adults are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Fewer than 4 million are registered. SNAP benefits can be a lifeline for food-insecure Americans, but they’ve got to apply. Plus, mortgage rates are up, and the European Central Bank is expected to cut rates again.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been sitting down with popular podcasts like the “The Breakfast Club,” Call Her Daddy,” and The Howard Stern Show. We’ll get into what the campaign strategy can tell us about voters, our fragmented media environment and the future of news. Plus, lower interest rates mean the end of a golden period for savers. And, the return of panda diplomacy and a new life for a beloved maple tree. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris Slams Trump in Interview With Charlamagne Tha God: 5 Takeaways” from The New York Times “Former President Barack Obama’s Team Clarifies His Recent Comments Made Toward Black Men” from The Shade Room “Savers Bid a Sad Farewell to Higher Yields” from The Wall Street Journal “Georgia voters motivated by Harris-Trump contest flock to polls in record numbers on first day” from GPB News “D.C.’s new giant pandas arrived at National Zoo: Meet Qing Bao and Bao Li” from The Washington Post “A Beloved Maple Tree Had to Come Down, But It Lives On” from The New York Times We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program has run dry, meaning the feds can’t make new, low-interest loans to help people rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The SBA says it won’t be able to make any new disaster loans until Congress appropriates more money, but members of Congress aren’t scheduled to be back in session until November. And later: Canada’s tourism industry recovery and California’s gasoline reserve.

As part of our ongoing Office Politics series, we’ve heard the case for no political talk at work. Today, we’re joined by Michael Reszler of the Better Arguments to learn about healthier ways to disagree and to broach political discourse — in the workplace and beyond. We’ll also get a taste of the process. But first, banks are making a lot of money on investment banking. We’ll unpack.

From the BBC World Service: An Italian naval ship carrying migrants has reached Albania, the first relocation under a new agreement between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. The move faces criticism from human rights groups. We’ll hear more about the deal and its financial implications. Also on the show: a look at Hong Kong’s housing size minimum and Canada’s post-pandemic tourism recovery.

After years of hype, Tesla finally debuted a robotaxi called the Cybercab last week. CEO Elon Musk has been making and breaking promises about Tesla’s autonomous vehicle for years. So, did the debut of the Cybercab finally deliver? Andrew Hawkins, transportation editor for The Verge, tells Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino what the Cybercab unveiling means for Musk and for Tesla.

Walgreens plans to close about 14% of its national footprint in the next three years, making it the third major drugstore chain in the past year to signal it’s struggling. In this episode: Why have drugstores become a tricky business model, and what happens when communities lose a pharmacy? Plus: Electric vehicle adoption grows but Americans are still cautious, an inventory data point helps indicate where the economy’s headed, and some family foster agencies are scrambling after their biggest insurer in California pulls out of the market.

Today we’re talking about a key piece of the global transition to renewable energy: metals. Specifically, metals like copper, lithium and cobalt that we need to build wind turbines, electric vehicles and to improve our energy grid. Vince Beiser, author of the forthcoming book “Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future,” said we’ll need hundreds of millions more tons of these metals. But mining them comes at a cost. On the show today, Beiser explains the environmental and social consequences of mining for these metals, China’s dominance over the supply chain, and ways to make the transition to renewables more fair. Plus, why mining in space is a pipe dream, at least for now. Then, we’ll get into how the U.S. dairy industry could be upended if former President Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations took place. And, how one listener makes voting a party. Here’s everything we talked about today: “The Green Economy Is Hungry for Copper—and People Are Stealing, Fighting, and Dying to Feed It” from Wired “Mining Critical to Renewable Energy Tied to Hundreds of Alleged Human Rights Abuses” from Inside Climate News “How does the environmental impact of mining for clean energy metals compare to mining for coal, oil and gas?” from MIT Climate Portal “The Indispensable Industry: Mining’s Role in the Energy Transition and the Americas” from the Center for Strategic and International Studies “What a Crackdown on Immigration Could Mean for Cheap Milk” from The New York Times “Trump’s economic plans would worsen inflation, experts say” from AP News “Boeing to Sell at Least $10 Billion in Shares to Plug Cash Drain” from The Wall Street Journal We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

There’s a way U.S. companies could help employees pay down student loan debt the way the boss can help you save for retirement. But will your company go for it? We’ll discuss. First, the lowest-income countries are getting poorer and more in debt, the World Bank finds. Then, we’ll hear some business advice from a 9-year-old entrepreneur, courtesy of our friends over at “Million Bazillion.”

On today’s program, we’re joined by Simon Johnson at MIT, who yesterday was one of several U.S. economists to win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He studied which systems and institutions contribute to prosperity and which contribute to poverty and inequality. We’ll hear Johnson’s conversation with “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio. Also, Alphabet/Google is turning to nuclear reactors to fuel artificial intelligence systems.

From the BBC World Service: Leaders and officials from India, Pakistan, China and other countries in the region will meet in Islamabad during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit to discuss how to boost their security, cooperation and economic ties. Then, competition from China and tariffs on Chinese-made cars take centerstage at the Paris Motor Show. And as some content becomes unavailable on streaming platforms, should we just buy more physical media?

Online misinformation about Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and about the relief response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have surged in recent weeks, including false narratives of aid being withheld from victims for their political beliefs and aid being stolen by undocumented immigrants. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke with Ethan Porter, professor of media, public affairs and political science at George Washington University, about why there’s been so much misinformation about these natural disasters and FEMA’s relief response.

Federal Emergency Management Agency crews working hurricane recovery efforts paused aid in parts of North Carolina over the weekend after threats were made against workers and an armed suspect was arrested. We talk about the rise of misinformation around FEMA’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including falsehoods pushed by former President Donald Trump. And, we discuss an atmosphere of political violence as Trump urges using the military on Election Day. Plus, are we one step closer to commercial space travel? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump urges using military to handle ‘radical left lunatics’ on Election Day” from The Washington Post “North Carolina authorities arrest armed man after threats against FEMA workers” from The Washington Post “Federal personnel are facing threats during hurricane response, DHS chief warns” from Government Executive Hurricane Rumor Response from FEMA “SpaceX catches giant Starship booster in fifth flight test” from Reuters “Why yesterday’s SpaceX launch was such a huge deal for space travel” from Business Insider “SpaceX catches Starship rocket booster in historic test launch” from NBC News We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

JPMorgan Chase and other major banks are setting aside extra cash in anticipation of an uptick in bad loans. Lending always comes with some risk, but right now, banks are worried about a few specific types of debt. Also in this episode: Some discouraged job seekers aren’t included in the official unemployment, OPEC downgrades its demand forecast — again, and Russian bots take over online poker games.

This morning, the Nobel committee announced the winners of the economics prize: three economists focused on how social institutions affect poverty and wealth within and among countries. The winners were Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson of MIT and James A. Robinson at the University of Chicago. Today, we’ll discuss some of their research findings. Plus, how can cultural intelligence help companies bridge a divided workplace in the run-up to the election?

More than 400,000 electricity customers are out of power across Florida this morning. After the storm, ports, transfer terminals and roads were closed, and that’s disrupted the supply of critical products, including gasoline. We’ll get into it. Then, you may be getting an inundation of fundraising texts and emails from the Trump-Vance or Harris-Walz. But do the campaigns really need your money at this point? And later, we’ll learn about hotel-to-housing conversions.

From the BBC World Service: All roads lead to Paris as the City of Light hosts its major motor show, with French and ­Chinese car manufacturers dominating the event with new reveals. Then, South America has exceeded its record for wildfires this year. The Amazon rainforest is seeing its worst fires in two decades; an area bigger than Sri Lanka has burned in the Brazilian Amazon alone.

TikTok has a lot going on legally these days. Last week, it saw a fresh round of lawsuits alleging the short-form video app harms children. And then there’s the federal law that could ban the app if ByteDance, its China-based owner, doesn’t divest by January. TikTok has sued to block that law. Oral arguments in TikTok Inc. v. Merrick Garland were heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in September. The company is joined by eight TikTok creators as plaintiffs in the case, and one of them is Talia Cadet. She has nearly 140,000 followers on TikTok, where she produces lifestyle videos focused on her love of books and travel. She talked with Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino about the case.

This week, more than a dozen states came together to sue TikTok over the social media app’s effects on young users. Now, a report by NPR and Kentucky Public Radio shows executives at the company were well aware of the harms to teens. We’ll get into it. Plus, is the cost of rebuilding after a natural disaster becoming a luxury few can afford? And, would you wear pajama pants to school or work? That and more in a round of Half Full/Half Empty. Here’s everything we talked about today: “TikTok executives know about app’s effect on teens, lawsuit documents allege” from NPR “No Hurricane Will Make Rich People Leave Florida” from Slate “The CIA runs a nonprofit venture capital firm. What’s it investing in?” from Marketplace “Trump biopic ‘The Apprentice’ hits theaters amid fury from his campaign” from NBC News “Black Friday in October: Here come early holiday deals” from Axios “Tim Walz Rally Is Livestreamed on Twitch in Pitch to Young Voters” from The New York Times “Get Comfortable With It: Pajama Pants Are for Everywhere” from The Wall Street Journal Join Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams for a live taping of “Make Me Smart” on Oct. 25 in Boston. In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still join us virtually. Get your tickets here.

As Election Day grows closer, economic-minded voters wanna know: How much do Harris and Trump plan on adding to the national debt? The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget reviewed the campaign promises of both candidates and predicted a spending range for each. In this episode, will Trump or Harris dig a deeper debt hole — and why should voters care? Plus, thousands in North Carolina are still without power, and why a mining company is paying billions for a lithium firm when the metal’s prices are down.

Stocks are increasingly an important source of household wealth. Thanks to the booming stock market, U.S. household wealth surged to a record high last year, per Federal Reserve data. But there are continued racial differences in stock ownership, which has big implications for the racial wealth gap. We’ll learn more. Also on the show: producer prices remain tame, and business travel spending rebounds.

“We’ve just softened the boundaries a little bit and allowed politics to creep into the workplace,” says Sean Westwood, director of the Polarization Research Lab at Dartmouth. As part of our Office Politics series in the lead-up to the election, we’re focusing on how companies intensify or ease political divides. Today: the argument for just not talking about politics or other divisive matters at work. But first, Trump and Harris turn their attention to automakers.

From the BBC World Service: Chinese police have detained four workers of the Taiwanese iPhone maker Foxconn in circumstances Taipei has described as “strange.” The employees were arrested in Zhengzhou on “breach of trust” charges. We’ll unpack. Then, Portugal wants to bring in a new law to give a decade of tax breaks to people up to the age of 35. And “ghost” distilleries are being resurrected as demand for rare whiskey soars,

TikTok is facing yet another legal challenge. This week, attorneys general from 13 states plus Washington, D.C., sued the short-form video app, alleging that it harms children. We’ll be digging into the latest lawsuits on today’s Marketplace “Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” our roundup of the week’s top tech headlines. Like the so-called Godfather of AI who is sharing the Nobel Prize in physics. Plus, the U.S. government is weighing what to do about Google after its search business was ruled a monopoly earlier this year. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino is joined by Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, to break down these stories.

Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, counts himself as a data dog. It’s a name for economic policymakers who take the long view and are usually game to wait for more numbers. Goolsbee spoke with “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal about his voracious appetite for information and what he calls “the hardest thing that a central bank has to do.” Plus: Sports ticket prices are up 10% in the last year, and California requires retailers to help fund textile recycling.

The value of gold is up 28% since the beginning of the year. And while some see the precious metal as shiny and pretty, central banks around the globe view it differently — as a safe asset during a time of geopolitical tensions. Also on the program: We’ll discuss how markets are responding to this morning’s inflation data, and we’ll hear about a lawsuit against some top universities for alleged financial aid price-fixing.

Later this morning, we’ll get the consumer price index for September. While inflation is way down from its peak in June 2022, consumers are frustrated with persistently high prices. We’ll hear more. Plus, how does a Nobel win in literature influence book sales? We’ll hear from the publishers of last year’s Nobel laureate, Norwegian playwright and author Jon Fosse, about how they dealt with a surge in demand.

From the BBC World Service: Ratan Tata was one of India’s most internationally recognized industrialists. The tycoon oversaw a 50-fold rise in profits in his two decades as chairman of Tata Group and acquired brands like carmaker Jaguar Land Rover. He died at age 86. Also: How is Swedish furniture giant Ikea going to hit its eco targets? Plus, the drugmaker behind Zantac agrees to a huge payout.

The new kid on the block of social media, Meta’s Threads, hit 200 million active users in August. When it launched in the summer of 2023 as a rival to the platform formerly known as Twitter, Meta said the app would eventually be integrated into the so-called fediverse. This “federated universe” is the most prominent example of a decentralized social network in which users can join any affiliated platform and interact with content from all the others. Recently, Meta took some steps to integrate Threads into this ecosystem, and Will Oremus, tech news analysis writer for The Washington Post, has been following the developments.

Total damages from Hurricane Helene in the United States could cost $250 billion. But only a small fraction of homeowners have flood insurance. As another major hurricane looms, we’ll unpack why coverage is becoming so expensive that many Americans choose to go without. Plus, some news you can use about communicating during an emergency, and how zoo workers and animals ride out big storms. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Kamala Harris Has Raised $1 Billion Since Entering 2024 Presidential Race” from The New York Times “CBS ’60 Minutes’ airs two different answers from VP Harris to the same question” from Fox News “Most U.S. homeowners hit by Hurricane Helene don’t have flood insurance” from CBS News “Hurricane Milton could cost insurers up to $100 billion, analysts say” from Reuters “The flood insurance crisis facing Americans” from Axios “‘We’ve used hallways, we’ve used bathrooms’: How zoos protect animals when hurricanes hit” from BBC News “Tampa zoo and aquarium staff to ride out Milton with the animals” from The Washington Post “When Cell Service Is Down, You Can Send iPhone Texts via Satellite” from The Wall Street Journal We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

As the Southeast assesses Hurricane Helene’s damage, Milton barrels toward Florida’s west coast. The proximity of the storms will make it harder for homeowners and insurers to estimate each one’s impact — and likely drive up recovery costs. Also in this episode: Corporate bonds shine after the Fed’s rate cut, the mortgage rate honeymoon is over and Nebraska’s elections attract major campaign spending — along with some odd yard signs.

Medicare does not pay for general, long-term care. Now, Kamala Harris, the Democrat’s candidate for president, wants to expand Medicare to pay for long-term care for older people in their home. That would need an amenable new Congress, but many families are presently left trying to piece together care for older relatives. Also on today’s show: potential structure changes to Google and the rising value of the U.S. dollar.

In a time of fraught political polarization, it’s hard for companies to decide whether to take political stands or remain quietly on the sidelines. Today, as a continuation of our Office Politics series, we’ll hear why some places that once mixed business and politics may be keeping a lower profile now. Then, nearly a month into a strike, negotiations between aerospace giant Boeing and its union members have broken off. We hear why.

From the BBC World Service: The U.S. Department of Justice is taking aim at Google, saying the tech giant might need to be broken up because it’s too dominant in the market. This comes after a major ruling in August where a judge found Google has been running an illegal monopoly when it comes to online searches. Plus, an agency enabling the international mail system celebrates its 150th birthday.

A lot of personal data – stuff like your home address, phone number, marital status and more – is out there on the internet. Anyone can buy it from sites like Whitepages, PeopleFinders or Intelius, which aggregate data from public records and social media. You can contact each of these “people search” sites and request they take down your information, but it’s a bit of a game of whack-a-mole. Naturally, a whole industry of data-removal services has sprung up. For a price, they promise to do the dirty work for you. But do they deliver? Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Yael Grauer, a researcher at Consumer Reports, who recently looked into the efficacy of the data-removal industry.

Natural disaster recovery is often expensive, but this season is shaping up to be particularly costly and painful. The Southeast is reeling from Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton is expected to inflict more damage starting tomorrow night. Disaster preparedness can reduce the economic burden of recovery, but not all localities can afford to be prepared. Also in this episode: The Fed’s interest rate cut raised business owners’ optimism and China invites more young Americans to visit.

Almost half of adults in the U.S. are single. But so many of our economic policies and financial systems, from homeownership to retirement planning, cater to couples. Today’s episode is an excerpt from a Marketplace live show in Denver, hosted by “Make Me Smart” co-host Kimberly Adams, on the economics of being single. Kimberly is joined by a panel of experts who break down the financial challenges (and perks) of living the single life, and the power of pushing back against the societal pressures to pair up.

The video game industry is bigger than movies and music combined. As part of our ongoing Skin in the Game series, we’re chatting with journalist Jason Schreier about the rise and fall of Blizzard, the company behind such games as World of Warcraft. It’s a story about the push and pull between creativity and business know-how. Also on the show: Small business uncertainty reaches an all-time high.

As Hurricane Milton barrels toward the Tampa Bay region, home to some 3 million people, residents there are still recovering from Hurricane Helene. Helene caused billions of dollars in damage. Yet nearly every homeowner who may be affected lacks adequate flood insurance. Plus, our TVs may also be watching us. And we’re coming up on one year since Microsoft finalized the largest video game deal ever: $68 billion for Activision Blizzard.

From the BBC World Service: Days after the European Union voted in favor of steep import taxes on electric vehicles from China, Beijing has now hit back with tariffs on brandy imports. Other EU products could also face extra charges. Then, Uber’s CEO reflects on the benefits of low-cost EVs from China. And later: A major copper mine in Panama remains closed, hampering the country’s economy.

Until about a decade ago, independent cybersecurity researchers in the U.S. weren’t allowed to examine voting machines for potential vulnerabilities. But that ban was essentially lifted in 2015. Two years later, DEF CON — one of the largest hacker conventions — decided to invite hackers, cybersecurity researchers and election officials to find those flaws during its annual Voting Village event. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke with Catherine Terranova, executive director of Voting Village, about how they balance the well-intentioned work of finding vulnerabilities before bad actors do and the problem of misinformation around the security of voting machines.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war a year ago, the U.S. has spent at record $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel — more than any other year since this aid started. This adds to the already heavy human toll of the conflict. We’ll discuss the mounting costs of war. Plus, Anthony Fauci’s new warning about a mosquito-borne illness. And, is the pumpkin spice tax real? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Anthony Fauci: A Mosquito in My Backyard Made Me the Sickest I’ve Ever Been” from The New York Times “US spends a record $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since last Oct. 7” from The Associated Press “United States Spending on Israel’s Military Operations and Related U.S. Operations in the Region, October 7, 2023-September 30, 2024” from the Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs at Brown University “Consumers Pay Up to 92% More for Pumpkin Items, but ‘Pumpkin Spice Tax’ Is Narrowing” from Lending Tree “Retail Investor Had Too Much Tesla” from Bloomberg Help us catch up to our Fall Fundraiser goal today: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, firms have taken some unprecedented measures to balance out the effects of lockdown, inflation and supply chain backups, leaving some economic predictors sorta … off. How can forecasters do their jobs when so many economic patterns have changed? Also in this episode: The Author’s Guild announces an anti-AI marketing strategy, consumer credit climbs, and for some agents, the National Association of Realtors settlement was the last straw.

Third quarter earnings season kicks off this week, when we’ll get a view of the economy through the lens of the companies on the front lines. We had a banner jobs report last week. Are banner earnings next? And what would all that mean for future rate cuts? Also on the show, we’ll examine why labor force participation has hovered at around 63% for a few years now.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released a new study this morning, looking at how the Harris and Trump campaigns’ spending plans would affect the national debt. Both estimates are pretty dire. We’ll hear the latest. Plus, the global private equity market was worth $579 billion in 2000; today, it’s worth over $8 trillion. But is there trouble ahead for private equity?

From the BBC World Service: The biggest rise in oil prices for nearly two years was recorded on Friday, as the world watches mounting tensions in the Middle East and how Israel will respond to attacks by Iran. Then, an aging population is straining future growth prospects for Malaysia’s economy. And a British woman who spent nearly half a century wondering why a dream job application went unanswered has finally found out why.

It’s been more than 15 years since the digital currency bitcoin was launched, going from a fringe phenomenon in the dark corners of the internet to an asset traded on Wall Street. But the identity of bitcoin’s creator, known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, has remained a mystery wrapped in a cryptographic enigma. Now, investigative filmmaker Cullen Hoback may have cracked the case. His last HBO series “Into the Storm” uncovered the origins of the QAnon conspiracy theory. In his new documentary, “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” Hoback sets out to answer the elusive question: Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? To prevent any spoilers, we’ll keep his conclusions secret.

The jobs report released today blew past economists’ forecasts, estimating that employers added about 250,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in September. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is falsely claiming the jobs report is “fake.” We’ll get into how big economic data is being politicized. And, what happens when October surprises aren’t so surprising anymore? Plus, we’ll weigh in on “white labeling” and flying taxis during a round of Half Full / Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “October surprises are piling up, but a toss-up race seems impervious to shocks” from CNN Politics “Jack Smith’s latest filing in the Trump election case is no ‘Comey letter'” from MSNBC “‘Trump Bible’ one of few that meet Walters’ criteria for Oklahoma classrooms” from The Oklahoman Tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio about today’s jobs report “Not hearing back on job applications? Some career consultants suggest a bold new tactic.” from Business Insider “Denver is funding sidewalk maintenance with a property owner tax” from Marketplace “Why do retailers white label certain products?” from Marketplace “Costco adds platinum bars to its precious metals lineup” from CNBC “Toyota puts another $500 million in an air taxi startup” from The Verge Don’t let us fall short. We need your help to reach our Fall Fundraiser goal today!: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

It’s a cautionary tale: Boeing was known for its reliably constructed aircraft. But when outsourcing for the sake of the bottom line went too far, product quality — and Boeing’s reputation — diminished. In this episode, the delicate balance of profit and perfection. Plus, the specialty contracting sector adds tons of jobs and an outdoor sleepaway camp in Wyoming combats brain drain.

Several times a year, millions of honeybees are transported back and forth across the country to help pollinate the nation’s crops. Whose job is it to move them? Plus, what to make of the gangbusters September jobs report.

Dockworkers have suspended their strike until Jan. 15 in response to a new, higher wage offer from port operators. But what about their demands around automation? Plus, a judge blocks the Biden administration’s latest student debt relief plan, and the complicated work of tracking political donations by companies and business owners.

From the BBC World Service: The European Union has given the green light to big tariffs on electric vehicles made in China, but not all member states or European car manufacturers are happy with the decision.

Investors are once again pouring money into biotechnology startups. But this time, it feels different from the heyday of 2021. We’ll be digging into the latest data for today’s Marketplace “Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” our roundup of the week’s top headlines, including some you might have missed. We’ll also talk about a private equity deal with the country’s biggest digital pharmacy platform. But first, OpenAI closes a historic funding round. The maker of ChatGPT raised another $6.6 billion — valuing the company at $157 billion, double its worth earlier this year. Our regular contributor Christina Farr, managing director with Manatt Health, joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino to discuss the news.

The United States is the biggest importer and second-biggest exporter in the world. So if the dockworker strike lasts, some sectors may have to look for other ways to get their goods overseas — or pay to store them until cargo starts moving. Also in this episode: Prices probably won’t fall with inflation, economists keep an eye on the diffusion index, and Kai Ryssdal visits a remote atoll in the Pacific Ocean that’s important to U.S. security but vulnerable to climate change.

After the Federal Reserve’s recent move to cut interest rates, you had questions. Lots of them! Today, we’re answering your questions about why the Fed doesn’t hold more meetings, why it tends to adjust interest rates in quarter-percentage-point increments, and why it’s target inflation rate is 2%. Plus, Kai Ryssdal unpacks the wonky relationship between the federal funds rate and the Treasury bond market. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Introduction to the FOMC” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis “A brief history of the Federal Reserve’s emergency rate shifts” from The Los Angeles Times “Why does the Federal Reserve raise rates in quarter percentages?” from Marketplace “Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement of longer-run goals and policy strategy” from the Federal Reserve “Why the Fed Targets a 2 Percent Inflation Rate” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis “The Fed cut rates, but the yield on the 10-year T-note is up” from Marketplace “How Might Increases in the Fed Funds Rate Impact Other Interest Rates?” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Will the ongoing port strike lead to food shortages? It depends on both businesses and shoppers. Plus, retailers bet on big consumer spending this holiday season, OpenAI’s massive new valuation, and a “temperature check” on U.S.-China economic relations.

As we enter day three of port strikes along the East and Gulf Coasts, ports on the West Coast are fielding record high amounts of diverted cargo. Plus, reassessing the legality of election betting, and the knock-on effects of stricter new SNAP requirements for older adults.

From the BBC World Service: The Japanese stock market gains followed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba saying the time wasn’t right for further increases in borrowing costs. Elsewhere, a court in Singapore has sentenced former transport minister S. Iswaran to 12 months in prison for corruption and obstruction of justice; he’s the first former or sitting cabinet minister in the city-state to be jailed. And in order to combat droughts which disrupt the workings of the Panama Canal, the Canal Authority is planning to build a new reservoir — but opponents say it’ll displace thousands of people.

All those fancy artificial intelligence systems need a lot of data centers to run, and those data centers need a lot of energy. One estimate from the Electric Power Research Institute suggests that current data center electricity consumption in the U.S. will more than double by 2030, making up about 9% of all energy use. But the AI sector is coming up against the big energy-hungry tech innovation of yesteryear: crypto mining. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Reuters reporter Laila Kearney about the scramble to power up in both industries.

Medicare, Pell Grants and the Immigration Act of 1965 were all passed under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Several important government agencies were formed too. In fact, some historians argue that LBJ’s Great Society agenda was the last major shift in the relationship between the executive branch and the U.S. economy. In this episode, how does legislation passed under President Joe Biden compare?

A 2016 trade law has made it easier for fast-fashion companies like Temu and Shein to ship massive volumes of cheap clothes to customers in the United States. Now drug traffickers are exploiting that same law to import fentanyl ingredients. We’ll get into it. And, Kai watched last night’s vice presidential debate after all. The hosts share their takeaways. Plus, a story about repurposing old newspaper boxes takes us to nostalgia central. Here’s everything we talked about today: “How fentanyl traffickers are exploiting a U.S. trade law” from Reuters “Takeaways from the VP debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz” from AP News “People fill old newspaper boxes with movies, call it ‘Free Blockbuster’” from The Washington Post We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

How businesses strategically funnel cash toward political causes, what they hope to gain, and what they might be risking. Plus, the trucking industry braces for the impact of the dockworkers strike, and an antitrust case against Amazon moves forward.

Dockworkers from East and Gulf Coast ports enter the second day of a strike, with tensions centered around wages and automation. Plus, crude oil prices rise slightly amid escalating violence in the Middle East, and new car sales stall in response to high prices and interest rates.

From the BBC World Service: The San José is being hailed as the most valuable shipwreck in the world — it’s a Spanish galleon which sank in the Caribbean more than 300 years ago. Now there’s a legal battle over who has a claim to the treasure, which is valued at £18 billion. Plus, global oil prices rise amid increasing tension in the Middle East.

Today we’re talking about voting tech and the push in some areas to move away from machines and go back to hand counting ballots. A legal battle is brewing in Georgia over a new rule requiring ballots be hand counted on election night to ensure the tally matches electronic records. Arizona has added a similar requirement. The issue has become particularly mired in misinformation in recent years, with some election deniers questioning the security of the tech used in our elections. While some may believe hand counts are more accurate, the number of jurisdictions across the country relying on them on election night has been steadily dropping. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Pam Smith, president and CEO of the nonpartisan organization Verified Voting, about why the practice of counting ballots by hand is waning.

All sorts of statistics related to immigration are being thrown around in debates, speeches and campaign ads ahead of this year’s election. Immigration estimates are painstakingly calculated by various government agencies. But lately, economists have been wrangling with wide gaps between some of these numbers. On the show today, Jed Kolko, former under secretary for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce, explains how government agencies actually crunch immigration numbers, why two agencies’ estimates aren’t matching up right now and why accurate immigration data is crucial to how we understand the economy and setting economic policy. Then, we’ll get into why the ongoing dockworkers’ strike is about more than just higher wages. And, we’ll get smarter about a common cooking herb. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Can new data solve an immigration puzzle?” from Slow Boring “What we know about unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.” from Pew Research Center “Unprecedented U.S. immigration surge boosts job growth, output” from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas “Key findings about U.S. immigrants” from Pew Research Center “New immigration estimates help make sense of the pace of employment” from Brookings “Opinion | The real reason 47,000 dock workers are on strike: Automation” from The Washington Post “Robots, automation a big factor in U.S. port strike” from Quartz “Tim Walz and JD Vance’s 2024 VP debate is tonight. Here’s what to know.” from CBS News Help us reach our Fall Fundraiser goal to hear from 2,500 Marketplace Investors. Give right now: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

About 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association went on strike today over pay, yes, but also the automation of their jobs. We take a look at mechanization on the docks and how truckers feel the pain of shipping delays and slowdowns. Plus, the U.S. increased the number of available jobs in August, data centers are going higher and sleeker, and learning about white labels the hard way.

Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s latest work flopped at the box office over the weekend. Coppola self-funded the film, “Megalopolis,” to the tune of $120 million. Yet it made just $4 million in its opening weekend. It’s the latest original film — one that’s not a sequel or remake — to struggle to attract audiences to the theater. Then, remittances to India top $100 billion a year.

The strike is impacting shipments of things like fresh food, cars and machinery. Workers reportedly want a 77% raise over six years and want to keep their jobs of loading and unloading ships from being automated. We’ll discuss the major economic ripple effects the strike could have. Then, CVS is considering splitting itself up. And later: a voice from “the room where it happens” on U.S.-China trade.

From the BBC World Service: Police have clashed with protesting garment workers in Bangladesh, who are demanding higher wages and better working conditions. We’ll examine the impact the protests could have on global fashion supply chains. Plus, India is the only country to have received $100 billion in a single year from citizens working abroad and sending remittances back home. What does that mean for those workers and the Indian economy?

This week, we’re talking about how teenagers are using artificial intelligence tools like chatbots and image generators, often without the knowledge of their parents and teachers, according to a recent report from the nonprofit Common Sense Media. Monday we heard about that research from Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of the group. And now we want to home in on a specific piece of what he said: “If you look back at the advent of social media, about 20 years ago, we pretty much blew the regulatory side of that, but also the educating teachers and parents part of that. And we left kids on their own.” So we called up Nathan Sanders, an affiliate of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, who has written about the overlapping risks of AI and social media.

Sept. 30 marks the end of a yearlong grace period that came after a several yearslong pause on student loan repayments. Starting tomorrow, missing a payment will affect borrowers’ credit scores. Are the most vulnerable borrowers prepared to pay? Also in this episode: Women’s sports sponsorships gain ground, Zillow introduces climate risk scores for homebuyers, and a potential longshoremen’s strike looms on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.

Recovery efforts are continuing in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida last Thursday and caused widespread devastation across several southeastern states. We talk about the cost of moving to areas prone to natural disasters. Plus, why Americans now, more than ever, are reliant on state and federal support to supplement their incomes. Then, Kai has a Jon Stewart moment. And, the backstory of an iconic photo from the 1970s of a group of friends enjoying an extravagant breakfast at the National Mall has us smiling! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Where Americans Have Been Moving Into Disaster-Prone Areas” from The New York Times “Welcome Home, Hostages, and Pay Up” from The Wall Street Journal “Americans Are More Reliant Than Ever on Government Aid” from The Wall Street Journal “How this first-time voter is helping other students get registered” from The Washington Post “The real story behind the iconic 1974 breakfast photo at the National Mall” from The Washington Post We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Gavin Newsom vetoed a landmark artificial intelligence safety bill yesterday, siding with skeptical tech giants who that it would stifle innovation. The bill would have established a state-wide entity to oversee AI breakthroughs. We’ll hear more. Then, economists’ biggest economic concern right now is not the upcoming presidential election but the moves of the Fed. Plus, how can humans be more human at work? AI may be able to help.

As part of our ongoing Office Politics series, we’re taking a look at businesses what happens when businesses lean on their employees to vote for the candidates and polices that are in the company’s best interest. It’s a practice that’s legal, and companies point out labor unions do it too. Yet it’s not without risk for the companies. Also, inflation cooled in August, yet housing inflation remains sticky. Why is that?

From the BBC World Service: Thailand has launched the first phase of its flagship $14 billion stimulus handout plan, which will eventually see an estimated 45 million people receive about $300 each to encourage spending. Plus, devastating floods have hit central Europe. What are the economic impacts? We’ll also hear from the chairman of coffee chain Lavazza on global expansion and record-high coffee prices.

As soon as ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, it became clear that artificial intelligence was going to send massive shockwaves through education. And, as with any new technology, young people were likely to adopt it more quickly. Well, now we have some data about that phenomenon. A new report from the non-profit Common Sense Media shows seven in 10 teenagers from ages 13-18 are using generative AI in some way. And Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, told Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino it’s not all about cheating.

Branding is big in contemporary political campaigns. But some candidates are going to odd lengths to appeal to women in 2024. We’ll explain. Plus, the wave of new state voting laws since 2020 has the potential to dramatically reshape ballot access in the 2024 election. And we’ll weigh in on the doomsday prepping economy and “fridgescaping” during a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “G.O.P. Candidates, Looking to Soften Their Image, Turn to Their Wives” from The New York Times “In the tightest states, new voting laws could tip the outcome in November” from Stateline “Battleground State Removes Nearly 10 Percent of Voters for Being Ineligible” from Newsweek “VoteFlare’s mission to upgrade voter communication” from Marketplace “In uncertain times, the prepper supply business is booming” from Marketplace “Spurned by Social Media, Publishers Chase Readers on WhatsApp” from The New York Times “Southwest may need to change the perks that made customers loyal” from Marketplace “Earth will capture ‘second moon’ this weekend, scientists say” from Space “The pros and cons of fridgescaping your refrigerator” from The Washington Post New artist-designed Marketplace sweatshirts are half off this weekend! Invest in Marketplace and get yours: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn  

Disposable income was up 0.2% in August from July, the latest personal consumption expenditures report shows. It’s good news that income is outpacing inflation, but major life expenses like homeownership or retirement are still out of reach for many Americans. Also in this episode: Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign may benefit from Divine Nine-affiliated PACs, California decides how best to recycle EV batteries, and Denver property owners will pay an annual tax to fund sidewalk maintenance.

In the run-up to the election, we’re looking at political polarization in America — specifically, the role companies play in intensifying or easing political divides — in our Office Politics series. This time, we’re tackling the touchy subject of talking politics at work, which has become increasingly tense in recent years. We chat with Alison Taylor, executive director of the think tank Ethical Systems, about the interaction between our work and civic lives. And, the “Low-down” on this morning’s inflation numbers with FHN Financial’s Christopher Low.

President Biden just signed a bill to fund the government for the next three months, but extra money for the federal government’s disaster management agency, FEMA, was not in the legislation. A look at why the agency was asking for more funds and how fewer resources can impact communities recovering from disasters. The labor dispute between some of the largest U.S. ports and dockworkers escalated Friday, with employers calling for federal intervention to force a restart in negotiations. And, Southwest Airlines announced that it will scrap one of the features that set it apart in a crowded airline market: no pre-assigned seating.

From the BBC World Service: Japan’s ruling party has elected Shigeru Ishiba as its new leader, positioning the political veteran as the next prime minister of Japan. A look at what his ascent could mean for the country’s economic policy. Ticketing websites have been overwhelmed after millions of people in India tried to book to see Coldplay’s concerts next year; as well as technical problems and long digital queues, there’s concern over alleged price gouging. And, scientists in China have discovered the world’s oldest known cheese – from 3500 years ago.

It’s perhaps not a big surprise, but OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has a very optimistic take on what his company’s technology could mean for the world. He shared his vision of a near future transformed by ever-advancing artificial intelligence systems in a much-discussed blog post earlier this week. Plus, Meta revealed more of its AI plans at its big developer conference including another go at celebrity chatbots. But first, X, formerly Twitter, finally released a new transparency report. It’s the first one since 2022, when Elon Musk bought the platform. And it’s full of data on reported abuse, harassment, how many accounts were suspended and more. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino discussed these topics and more with Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information, on this week’s Tech Bytes: Week in Review.

Good job, everyone! We’re working harder — or at least, more efficiently. Despite a cooling labor market, we’re producing more product per hour, which has major economic benefits. In the long run, that should boost the economy and heat up hiring — hopefully. Also in this episode: The military tries lowering its aircrafts’ carbon footprint; Shanghai modernizes its e-payments for visitors; and while women are a growing Formula One fan base, they aren’t yet in the driver’s seat.    

In a speech outlining her economic vision this week, Vice President Kamala Harris said she’d boost manufacturing in the United States by supporting trade school programs and getting rid of unnecessary college-degree requirements for federal jobs. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain why the DOJ is suing Visa. Plus, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde’s wild search for butter prices. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris pledges ‘pragmatic’ approach to the economy in Pittsburgh speech” from Politico “Kamala Harris says she will cut degree requirements for certain federal jobs” from Reuters “Justice Department Sues Visa for Monopolizing Debit Markets” from the Department of Justice “Justice Department accuses Visa of stifling competition in the debit card business” from NPR “Cruz gets heated after Booker blocks deepfake revenge porn bill” from The Hill “Christine Lagarde – Stabilizing Inflation & Regulating AI for the Global Economy” from the Daily Show Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

We’re now just days from a potential strike by dockworkers that would stretch from the Gulf of Mexico on up the East Coast. Oct. 1 is the deadline for an agreement between ports and the union representing about 45,000 dockworkers. What sort of ripple effects might such a strike have? Plus, Congress has approved a temporary spending bill to keep the government open — for another few months.

Last week, refinance applications were up 20% from a week earlier. The number of people who could benefit from refinancing — especially those who took out mortgages with interest rates in the high 6% to 7% range — has been growing over the last few weeks, but not everyone is making the jump. Plus, OpenAI looks to switch from a nonprofit to for-profit entity, and buy now, pay later is expected to surge this year.

From the BBC World Service: This week, Chinas has really been trying to get its economy back on track. Today, China’s leaders has rolled out additional measures to shore up its struggling economy, including reforms to banking, business and property, as well as more help for the poor. We’ll hear more. Plus, Pakistan has agreed to a $7 billion funding deal with the International Monetary Fund.

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission made history this month with the first-ever commercial spacewalk. It seems space travel is no longer reserved for highly trained government astronauts, but increasingly open to anyone with the funds (and the courage) to try it. But before we all go strapping on our spacesuits, Chris Impey, a professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona, says we need to be clear-eyed about the risks. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Impey about those risks and the rewards that might make them worth it.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is 6% right now — a better deal than 8%, which is where rates were a year ago. But home prices have grown tremendously in the past several years. So how much can falling rates really help prospective buyers? Also in this episode: a customs broker preps for a potential port strike, Dame Judi Dench could be your next AI assistant, and college football conference shake-ups are all about the money.

Congress has agreed on a temporary spending bill to fund the federal government through Dec. 20. The House GOP’s hotly debated SAVE Act didn’t make the final cut. We’ll get into what did make it into the bill beyond bare-bones funding measures. And, a wave of homeowners are looking to refinance their mortgages as borrowing costs ease. Plus, we’ll cry happy tears over a “Homeward Bound” story come to life. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Kushner’s Fund Has Reaped Millions in Fees, but So Far Returned No Profits” from The New York Times “US Mortgage Rates Fall Again, Triggering Big Wave of Refinancing” from Bloomberg “The final countdown” from Punchbowl News “Shippers scramble for workarounds ahead of looming US East Coast port strike” from Reuters “Cat Missing in Yellowstone Returns Home to California After an 800-Mile Trek” from The New York Times Tweet from Jacqui Heinrich about President Biden’s hot mic moment on “The View” Got any questions about inflation or interest rates? Send ’em to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Once upon a time, there was department store chain called Kmart. Now, the bargain retailer is closing its last full-scale store in the lower 48. Kmart has struggled for years in the shadow of its two biggest imitators: Target and Walmart. Also on the show: OpenAI is looking to expand its artificial intelligence data centers. Plus, is this especially tense presidential campaign eating away at the economy?

That is the question facing many companies, especially as we lead up to the contentious 2024 election. Today, we’ll hear how about some companies responded — from opting to ban political talk in the workplace and ones that emailed customers with telling them how to vote — as well as their thorny results. First, we’ll learn what we can glean from key economic speeches from former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

From the BBC World Service: Prisons in Britain are grappling with overcrowding, staff shortages and funding cuts — all of which are making a bad situation worse. The government has started to release prisoners early to reduce pressure on the system. Meanwhile, talks are kicking off today between trade unions and Volkswagen on proposed cuts to its workforce in Germany. And, there are calls for more private business investment in India.

The infrastructure that enabled Silicon Valley’s artificial intelligence boom is not located in California, but rather in northern Virginia. How did the region become the data center capital of the world? And what does it mean for tech companies, the local economy and residents? Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino has the story.

Last week’s interest rate cut was supposed lower borrowing costs across the economy. But there’s been a surprising coda: The interest rate on the 10-year T-note went up. So, while the Federal Reserve intended to provide an economic reprieve, some loans may have become just a little more expensive. Also in this episode: New York and Las Vegas lead in home price growth, cement needs to go green and soft skills strengthen job skills.

Kai Ryssdal takes over the mic today as he digs into the U.S. military’s climate change paradox. While the military is fueling the climate crisis, it’s also on the frontlines of the fallout. It’s an issue that hits home for Kai, a Navy veteran. And it’s all part of the latest season of Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast, “How We Survive.” Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Those who have been waiting patiently for the housing market to cool down may have to wait even longer for lower prices. Data released today indicates that there’s been no reprieve for prospective homebuyers, as prices have stayed stubbornly high despite a recent rate cut by the Fed. Dr. David Kelly of JPMorgan Global Funds walks us through the report. China’s economy is looking to receive a boost after policymakers passed the largest economic stimulus package since the pandemic to buoy stagnating growth. Retailers are preparing for the holiday season by beginning to hire thousands of seasonal workers. And, why some parents are turning to a Barbie-theme “dumb” phone as a potential first device for their kids.

The art market is in somewhat of a funk right now. Auction houses are reporting that demand for new pieces of art has dipped recently, partly due to external conditions like higher interest rates. While the downturn upends years of strong sales, art critic Blake Gopnik argues that a correction may ultimately benefit the long-run fortunes of artists. And, a look inside the Justice Department’s reported case against Visa over monopoly claims in the debit card market.

From the BBC World Service: Shein, a Chinese fashion giant, has come under fire over claims the company is dodging UK taxes. A look at why some want the government to step in. The Chinese government is stepping up efforts to revive its slowing economy. Everton Football Club, one of England’s top football teams, is set for a takeover by an American investment group. And a new – and very pink – Barbie-branded phone is hitting the U.S. market.

There have been a lot of rumors and misinformation recently about voter registration and voter list maintenance, adding confusion to what experts say are secure processes. And while election officials regularly update voter lists, it’s become increasingly important that individuals also keep their voter registration information up to date. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams recently spoke with Josh Visnaw,  project manager at a Harvard University initiative called VoteFlare, about the challenges of maintaining accurate voter lists and how VoteFlare is trying to help.

There’s a good chance you’ve used a computer powered by Intel — it’s a longtime Silicon Valley giant. But rival chipmaker Qualcomm is looking to get bigger. In this episode, why Intel, legendary but past its prime, may be ripe for takeover. Plus: Southwest Airlines faces pressure from an activist investor, talking to a human customer service rep has become a privilege and federally sponsored free COVID tests are back.    

Kamala Harris is promising to release new details this week about economic policies she would pursue if elected president. But behind closed doors, she’s facing pressure to loosen the Biden administration’s crackdown on corporate consolidation. The foot soldier in that effort has been Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, and some big-money Democratic donors have called for her replacement. Also: CFO gloom, and housing inventory’s impact on home prices.

Would it surprise you to learn that a quarter of Americans say that they’ve avoided a work colleague due to differing political views? Today, as part of our Office Politics series, we’re joined by Sean Westwood, director of Dartmouth’s Polarization Research Lab, to do the numbers on polarization’s impact on the workplace. Then, Congressional negotiators reached a bipartisan deal over the weekend to avoid a government shutdown in a week.

From the BBC World Service: Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been sworn into office in Sri Lanka, promising “clean” politics as the country recovers from one of its worst-ever economic crises. We hear more. Then, as cross-border clashes continue in the Hezbollah-Israel conflict, we ask how businesses in the affected regions of Lebanon are grappling. Also on the program: a Tamagotchi store in the U.K. and a WTO challenge to China’s EU dairy product investigation.

You might say online gambling has been on a winning streak since a Supreme Court decision in 2018 cleared the way for states to allow sports betting. It’s now legal in 30 states and its influence is hard to miss: online sportsbook companies like DraftKings and FanDuel are on billboards, commercials even college campuses, many of which have made deals with sports betting companies. Yanely Espinal, host of Marketplace’s “Financially Inclined” podcast, recently covered this topic on her show and she explained to Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino how these online betting companies are reeling in younger users.

The 1979 disaster at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant helped define the energy conversation in the United States. Now it’s being reopened to help power artificial intelligence. We’ll get into the deal between the owner of the plant and Microsoft. Plus, the hosts weigh in on how some schools are warming up to AI and whether companies should take a political stand in a game of Half-Full/Half-Empty. Here’s everything we talked about: “How Sparing the Parkland Shooter’s Life Changed Florida’s Death Penalty” from The Marshall Project “Microsoft AI Needs So Much Power It’s Tapping Site of US Nuclear Meltdown” from Bloomberg “Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Plant to Reopen, Help Power Microsoft’s AI Centers” from WSJ If you’re in the Denver area, join Kimberly Adams for a live panel discussion on the economics of being single on Sept. 23. Make Me Smart listeners get a discount with the promo code SMART. And if you can’t make it in person, join the livestream on Monday at 6:30 p.m. Mountain time.

Ever wanted to burn up physical manifestations of the year’s heart-wrenching grief and financial dread in a 50-foot-tall, marionette-shaped effigy? Same! In this episode, we visit the 100th Burning of Zozobra in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where attendees do just that. Plus: Climate change may be to blame for pricey potato chips and corporations rehire old executives in unstable times.

This September marks 40 years since the birth of the generic drug industry in the United States. They saved Americans nearly $450 billion last year alone. But all is not well in the industry — big players are leaving, and drug shortages are common. Will we still be able to depend on affordable, high-quality generics in the future? Also: new rules on bank mergers, and a disagreement between the stock market and bond market.

We’re digging into Office Politics, our series in which we talk to companies that use their brands to push policies and candidates, as well as organizations that try to dial down the political temperature. Today: When a business shows support or opposition to a particular side of a partisan issue, what does it mean for the consumers who don’t agree? But first: unpacking a credit card interest rate cap proposed by Donald Trump.

From the BBC World Service: The killing of a Japanese schoolboy in the Chinese city of Shenzhen has sparked anxiety among Japanese expats living in China, with top firms warning their workers to be vigilant. Plus, mass tourism in parts of Europe has sparked protests this summer, but one small Mediterranean country is enthusiastically embracing those on vacation. And heavy rock band Iron Maiden announce a 50th anniversary world tour.

This week, Meta announced teen accounts with a slew of new safety features. We’ve also got Apple news to talk about — no, not the latest iPhones or watches, but new functionality for AirPods that basically turns them into hearing aids. First, though, are we ready for artificial general intelligence, or AGI, that could match or exceed human capabilities? It could be a mere one to three years away, according to testimony at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee Tuesday. A number of AI insiders spoke, including former Google and OpenAI researchers and Georgetown’s Helen Toner, who explained the stakes. “That technology will be at a minimum extraordinarily disruptive and at a maximum could lead to literal human extinction,” she said. “So I would argue that a wait-and-see approach to policy is not an option.” Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital, for her take on all this for our weekly segment “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Interest rates fell in the wake of yesterday’s cut by the Federal Reserve — kinda. Truth is, most lenders had anticipated this move for a while and already lowered their rates before the Fed’s announcement. But we’ll have to wait for some of the other ripple effects. Also in this episode: Educators cautiously consider artificial intelligence products, consumers aren’t too interested in the new iPhone and we visit a remote edge of Alaska where national security and climate change clash.

This year, fake content generated by artificial intelligence hasn’t created the massive election mess that many assumed it would in the United States … at least not yet. At a Senate hearing, tech executives pointed to recent efforts by Russia, China, and Iran to interfere with the upcoming election. And, no, the Teamsters union did not endorse former President Trump. We’ll explain. Plus, we’ll get into the ongoing strike at Boeing and Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan for a cap on childcare costs. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Censorship accusations loom over Big Tech hearing on election threats” from The Verge “Teamsters union declines to endorse Trump or Harris in presidential race” from NPR “Harris wants to limit child care costs to 7% of family income” from CNN Politics “Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the economy, potential U.S. port strike and Boeing strike” from CNBC “Boeing Workers Go on Strike: What to Know” from The New York Times “Boeing Furloughs White-Collar Workers as Strike Worsens Cash Crunch” from The Wall Street Journal Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Earlier this week we explored the offshore financial system, where foreign companies and wealthy individuals can stash their wealth under especially favorable financial conditions. Today, we’re hearing about ways to discourage the ultra wealthy from hiding their cash offshore. Turns out good ol’ shame may hold some answers. But first, we examine how rate cuts might affect the housing market. Plus, who’s going to foot the bill for the Francis Scott Key Bridge?

Now that the Federal Reserve has started to cut interest rates, are we headed back to a world of cheap money? This morning, we’ll unpack what yesterday’s rate cut means for car loans, personal loans, credit cards, mortgages and more. Plus, there’s a huge difference that just half a penny can make. We’ll examine a change coming to stock trades. Also on the show: How do you define a supermarket?

From the BBC World Service: As questions are being asked about how walkie talkies and pagers were detonated in Lebanon, an action which killed at least 30 people and injured thousands, two manufacturers — Japan’s Icom and Taiwan’s Gold Apollo — have denied any link to the deadly blasts. We’ll dig in. Also: Why has a Chinese milk tea company been forced to apologize over a social media video?

In this tense election year, polling is top of mind. But collecting polling data has become harder. It often relies on people actually answering the phone and then speaking frankly to a pollster, both of which are becoming less common. The result has been data that is less predictive, and repeated misses in recent elections have made the public much more skeptical. Polling, it seems, needs an update for the digital age. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Bruce Schneier, lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, who says AI can help.

Federal Reserve policymakers met this week and announced they’re cutting interest rates by half a percentage point. That’s meant to buoy the economy, but getting the public to understand why rates have been high, and why now’s the time to cut, is tricky. In this episode, experts weigh in on Chair Jerome Powell’s communication prowess. Plus, Gen Zers feel the pain of a tight job market combined with high prices, and we travel back in time to a Fed rate cut in 2019.

The Federal Reserve today said it’s lowering its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point. The rate cut is bigger than we’d predicted, and bigger than what the Fed normally does, but its effects will take some time to ripple through the economy. We’ll also get into former President Donald Trump’s switch-up on the state and local tax deduction cap and why Sen. Rand Paul wants Congress to reclaim power over tariffs. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Federal Reserve lowers interest rates by 0.50 percentage points in first cut since 2020” from CBS News “Dr. Rand Paul Celebrates Constitution Day with the No Taxation Without Representation Act” from Sen. Rand Paul Tweet from Burgess Everett about Rand Paul’s tariff proposal “Trump signals SALT deduction cap reversal” from Axios “Schumer calls out Trump for ‘selective amnesia’ on SALT” from The Hill “NPR Exclusive: U.S. overdose deaths plummet, saving thousands of lives” from NPR We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

We learned this week that retail sales rose in August. A big part of that was thanks to online shopping, which was up almost 8% from last year. And retailers think e-commerce has even more room to grow. Plus, it’s a big day for the direction of the economy. And later, we’ll hear about corporate executives’ thoughts on the economy, artificial intelligence and the return-to-the-office push.

Today, the Federal Reserve will announce what it will do with the interest rates that steer the economy. It’ll cut them — that’s almost certain, but the question is how aggressively. The Fed is independent. Fed Chairs generally refuse to get dragged into politics, though their decisions can be politicized. We’ll look at the politics of rate decisions. Then, we’ll examine why Patagonia encourages its employees to get political.

From the BBC World Service: Norway’s electric vehicle policies appear to be paying off. There, nine out of 10 new cars sold is electric. The Nordic nation wants to be the first country to stop selling gas and diesel-engine vehicles. Also on the show: Sri Lankans head to the polls this weekend, two years on from the economic crisis that left the country in turmoil.

A federal appeals court heard arguments Monday in a case that pits the First Amendment against national security. TikTok sued to block a bipartisan-backed law that will ban the Chinese-owned app in the U.S. by January 19 — unless it finds a U.S. buyer. This week, the government argued the app gives China access to Americans’ sensitive data, as well as the ability to spread propaganda. While TikTok argued it’s been unfairly singled out and that a sale isn’t the only way to address security concerns. TikTok touts 170 million users in the U.S., and that includes both candidates for president. A group of U.S.-based creators have also joined as plaintiffs in this lawsuit. Anupam Chander, professor of law and technology at Georgetown University, walked Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino through the arguments in the case.

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates this week for the first time in four years. It would be a major milestone in the central bank’s long fight to get inflation under control. The Fed changes interest rates to keep inflation in check. But inflation is a complex phenomenon, and people have different ideas about what drives it. On the show today, Harvard economics professor Stefanie Stantcheva explains what Americans believe about the root causes of inflation and how the government should manage it, how views differ along party lines and the role media play. Then, the narrative around retail theft is changing. And, comedian Rola Z who hosts the “Funny Arabs” show in Washington, D.C., answers the Make Me Smart question. Here’s everything we talked about today: “People’s Understanding of Inflation” from the Social Economics Lab at Harvard “The Fed And Public Opinion” from Forbes “What actually happens when the Fed cuts interest rates?” from Marketplace “No, Americans Are Not Completely Stupid About Inflation” from The New York Times “The Growing Use of Voting Before Election Day” from the Center for Election Innovation and Research “America’s stores are winning the war on shoplifting” from CNN Business “Federal Debt Is Soaring. Here’s Why Trump and Harris Aren’t Talking About It.” from The Wall Street Journal “How would Project 2025 impact troops and veterans?” from Military Times We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].

Since the COVID pandemic started, you’ve been shopping online more, right? Though consumer spending remained relatively stable over the past year, shopping at nonstore retailers (i.e., e-commerce) grew nearly 8%. We get it, it’s more convenient and safer, pandemic-wise. But how are brick-and-mortars adapting? Also in this episode: Corporate execs spout similar economic lingo, our electric grid’s got green energy shortcomings and rate cut anticipation raises homebuilders’ confidence.

Every year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation updates progress on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals — how the world is doing on lifting people from poverty, ensuring gender equality, and improving health, sanitation and more. Today, we’re joined by Bill Gates to hear about stalling progress on public health initiatives, as well as opportunities for greater investment. Plus, what we can expect from the Federal Reserve tomorrow?

Later this morning, we’ll to get an update on how much inventory businesses built up in July, courtesy of the Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the Logistics Managers’ Index found that inventory levels picked up in August after contracting throughout the summer, ahead of this year’s holiday shopping season. It appears to be a return to just-in-time inventory for companies. And later: the secretive and scandalous world of offshore finance.

From the BBC World Service: A comprehensive study has found goods imports and exports between the United Kingdom and European Union have slumped since Brexit, with red tape continuing to tie up British businesses. The value of U.K. goods exported to the EU fell by 27%. We dig in. Also on the program: Farmers in Malawi are looking for ways to use harvests damaged by extreme weather, such as turning bananas into wine.

The bipartisan NO FAKES Act, aimed at regulating deepfakes created with the aid of artificial intelligence, moved forward in the House of Representatives last week after it was introduced in the Senate in July. But in the absence of federal rules, several states have already stepped in. Last month, California became the third to back legislation regulating digital replicas. The home of Hollywood follows Tennessee, which earlier this year passed a ban on unauthorized deepfakes known as the ELVIS Act, and Illinois, which enacted a similar law last month. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Steve Brachmann, a freelance journalist specializing in intellectual property law, to learn about how these bans work.  

For years, global oil demand has ticked up, mostly thanks to China’s voracious consumption. But real estate trouble combined with widespread electric vehicle adoption means China’s not guzzling oil like it used to. In this episode, the impact on the global oil market. Plus: A dockworker strike could put snags in holiday shopping, flight attendants dislike delays as much as you do and four states will vote on bond measures in November.

It’s decision week for the Federal Reserve! Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues are expected to reduce interest rates for the first time since 2020. Investors are predicting a half-percentage-point cut, but we’re on Team 25. We’ll explain why. Plus, the origin of the false rumors about Haitian immigrants that reached the presidential debate stage. And why the cost of your Temu and Shein orders may go up. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Stock Market Today: Investors Bet on Bigger Fed Cut” from The Wall Street Journal “Elon Musk Writes, Then Deletes, a Post Musing About Threats to Biden and Harris” from The New York Times “Biden Takes Aim at China’s Temu and Shein With Trade Crackdown” from The Wall Street Journal “‘It just exploded’: Springfield woman claims she never meant to spark false rumors about Haitians” from NBC News “In celebration of being a terrible gardener” from The Washington Post We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Retail sales data out Tuesday morning will offer a peek into how consumers are doing right now. As we inch closer to the holiday shopping season, a new forecast from consulting firm Deloitte predicts that holiday spending is likely to grow this year — but not quite as much as in the recent past. We’ll discuss. Also: backlash to digital nomads, and interest rate decisions this week in the U.S., U.K, and Japan.

Later today, TikTok and U.S. government lawyers will face off at the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C. It’s a crucial hearing that will help determine the fate of the video-sharing app in the United States, which could potentially be banned over national security concerns. Then, to kick off our “Office Politics” series examining how companies are responding to polarization, we’ll hear from Sticker Mule’s CEO about endorsing Trump and denouncing political divisiveness.

From the BBC World Service: A hearing looking into the English club Manchester City’s alleged breaking of the Premier League’s financial rules is underway. The outcome could have enormous ramifications for the Premier League as a whole. Plus, Shanghai — China’s financial hub — has been hit by its worst typhoon in 70 years. And it’s becoming increasingly popular to travel while working remotely, but in some cities, there’s been a backlash against so-called “digital nomads.”

Late last month, the CEO of the encrypted messaging app Telegram was arrested in France. Authorities there have charged Pavel Durov with being complicit in illegal activities conducted on the platform due to a lack of content moderation. A recent report from the research group Cybersecurity for Democracy shows some of that activity is finding its way onto other platforms. Senior Fellow Yaël Eisenstat looked at advertisements on Meta platforms that linked back to Telegram, and found that a majority were promoting channels with potentially illegal activities.

Former President Donald Trump has said he wants to get rid of federal taxes on tips and Social Security benefits. Now he’s adding overtime pay to the list. We’ll get into it. And, could online dating be making income inequality worse? Plus, we’ll weigh in on foldable phones and Friday the 13th superstitions in a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Next Up in Trump’s No-Tax Zone: Overtime Pay” from The Wall Street Journal “Donald Trump Prepares to Unveil World Liberty Financial, a Cryptocurrency Business” from The New York Times “From Dating to Marriage: Has Online Dating Made a Difference?” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis “Tech companies commit to fighting harmful AI sexual imagery by curbing nudity from datasets” from AP News “How Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris could change the election end game” from ABC News “United Airlines to offer free Wi-Fi using Starlink from Elon Musk’s SpaceX” from CNBC “Walmart is leaning into fashion. Will the move work?” from Marketplace “Huawei’s new trifold phone costs more than a 16-inch MacBook Pro” from The Verge “What is Friday the 13th and why is it considered unlucky? Here’s why some are superstitious” from USA Today Kimberly Adams is headed to the Mile High City. Join us for a live panel discussion on the singles economy Sept. 23 in Denver. Use promo code “SMART” for a special discount on your ticket. We hope to see you there.

Everyone’s favorite aircraft manufacturer is back in the news — 30,000 Boeing machinist union members are on strike over pay. Typically, flyers don’t care what plane they’re on, as long as it gets them to the right place safely. But Boeing has had a year of high-profile controversies. Will the strike put the company into free fall? Also in this episode: Dollar stores struggle, Sierra Mist fizzles out and Jack’s Family Restaurants thrives in rural towns.

China’s top legislature has approved a plan to raise the retirement age as the country faces an aging workforce. It’s the first adjustment in decades, one that many economists say is long overdue — but it’s not universally popular. Plus, the current economic snapshot as the Fed prepares for a crucial interest rate decision. And later, is canned spaghetti carbonara a delicious innovation from Heinz or, as some critics call it, an abomination?

Some 14 million people in the South have been under flood watches from Francine, which made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday. The slow-moving storm is dumping huge amounts of rain, posing major flooding risks. Yet only 6% of homeowners nationwide have flood insurance. Plus, more than 30,000 Boeing workers have walked off the job, and roughly 43 million Americans lived in poverty last year.

From the BBC World Service: Boeing factory workers have voted to go on strike, a move which may threaten the delivery of some aircrafts and delay the production of some planes for the aerospace company. Then, the United Kingdom government is moving to ban junk food ads on television before 9 p.m. Also in the U.K.: Heinz launches spaghetti carbonara in a can, much to the horror of many Italians.

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for our weekly review of some of the big stories making headlines in tech. First: No, you’re not having déjà vu all over again. Google really is back in court this week for its second antitrust trial of the year. Plus, a startup in Silicon Valley wants to make AI data centers more sustainable by putting them underwater in the San Francisco Bay, but regulators have questions. And Taylor Swift announced she is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election. She took to Instagram on Tuesday night to publish her stance, citing artificial intelligence-enabled misinformation as a driving force. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired, for his take on this week’s tech news.

Today, SpaceX’s crew of billionaire Jared Isaacman and three other private astronauts completed the world’s first-ever commercial spacewalk. We’ll get into it. And, Congress is quickly approaching yet another deadline to avoid a government shutdown. What’s holding up lawmakers from voting on a temporary spending bill? Plus, we’ll break down what’s been going on with oil prices this week and the latest in Apple’s foray into the world of artificial intelligence. Here’s everything we talked about today: “SpaceX Polaris Dawn astronauts complete 1st private spacewalk (video)” from Space “Speaker Johnson pulls Wednesday vote on government funding plan amid GOP divisions” from CNN Politics “House Speaker Johnson pulls government funding bill” from CNBC “Oil prices close at lowest level since December 2021 as OPEC cuts forecast” from CNBC “Apple Intelligence comes to iPhone, iPad, and Mac starting next month” from Apple Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Today in Econ 101, we’re talking yield curve. In a typical economy, the longer a bond’s duration, the more interest it yields. The inverse — shorter duration, higher yields — usually means a recession is coming. We’ve been seeing an inverted yield curve in the U.S. financial system for nearly two years. So, where’s the recession? Also in this episode: Credit card delinquencies hit a 12-year high and we visit U.S. troops preparing for climate change.

Boeing and the union representing 33,000 of its workers reached a tentative labor deal over the weekend. Now, the rank and file appear ready to reject that deal, with a vote today. Many workers have been expressing frustration this week over the contract’s terms and could vote to go on strike at midnight. Also on the program: A look at women’s long-fought battle to carve out a seat for themselves on Wall Street.

According to settlement tracking group Peace Now, the Israeli government has seized more Palestinian land for settlements in the West Bank this year than at any time in the last three decades. Now, some synagogues in the U.S. and Canada are being criticized — and picketed — for hosting real-estate fairs that pitch property for sale in Israel and the Occupied Territories to North American Jews. We’ll learn more. But first, we’ll look at why the gender pay gap is widening.

From the BBC World Service: A European consumer rights group has lodged a formal complaint accusing game developers behind popular titles like Fortnite and Minecraft of tricking players into spending more cash than they might realize. Then, we travel to Italy, where the shipyards of Monfalcone have attracted workers from Bangladesh. But there are tensions with locals. Earlier this year, the town’s mayor even banned cricket, an extremely popular sport popular in Bangladesh.

The cryptocurrency industry has been fairly quiet recently, with the scandals around the bankruptcy of crypto exchange FTX and its former chief executive, Sam Bankman-Fried, fading from the headlines. But behind the scenes, the industry has become a bit of a power player in the 2024 elections — funding political ads, endorsing House and Senate candidates and raising millions of dollars, according to a recent report from the nonprofit group Public Citizen. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Axios reporter Brady Dale, author of the Axios Crypto newsletter, to learn more.  

Annual inflation, according to the consumer price index, fell to a multiyear low in August. That’s great, but we’re still half a percentage point away from the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. What’s holding up prices? Also in this episode: Campbell’s wants us to know it sells more than soup, recession alarm bells are ringing — but maybe not for the reason you think — and will companies that already collect our data please stop sending us surveys?

Last night’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump kicked off with a question about the economy — often cited as the top issue for voters. But the discussion that followed was notably light on economic policy. So, can the state of the economy swing this election? And, we’ll get into more takeaways from the big debate. Plus, are run clubs and grocery stores the new dating apps for singles? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris-Trump debate takeaways: Clashes on race, abortion, economy” from AP News “Fact-checking Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s 1st presidential debate” from ABC News “Trump “less inclined” to do another debate with Harris” from Axios “First it was childless cat ladies. Now it’s eating cats. How the topic led to ‘ALF’ memes” from Yahoo News “Love on Aisle 9? A TikTok Fad Fills Grocery Stores With Singles.” from The New York Times “Run clubs in NYC have just become another oversaturated dating market, singles say” from NBC News Kimberly Adams is headed to the Mile High City. Join us for a live panel discussion on the singles economy Sept. 23. in Denver. Use promo code “SMART” for a special discount on your ticket. We hope to see you there.

The first — and potentially only — presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is officially in the books. Economic issues took up plenty of air time. We’ll unpack how markets appear to be digesting both candidates’ performances and policies. Plus, fresh Labor Department data shows that annual inflation cooled in August to 2.5% — the lowest rate since February 2021. How might Fed officials respond?

Over the last decade, nearly 50 million have been on an ACA plan at some point — that’s one in seven Americans. Plus, New York Fashion Week comes to a close today. It featured a pop-up shop from none other than Walmart and is part of the superstore’s attempt to lean into fashion. But first, the economy played a starring role in last night’s presidential debate. We’ll discuss.

From the BBC World Service: Like the U.S., the European Union recently slapped import duties on Chinese electric vehicles. It says it’s protecting European automakers from unfair competition, but not everyone — such as Spain’s prime minister and Belgian firm Umicore — agrees. Then, Kenya’s main airport is facing major disruption after workers staged a go-slow protest over a proposed 30-year lease deal with the Indian conglomerate, the Adani Group.

Over the last couple of years, the tech industry has slashed hundreds of thousands of jobs, many of them in recruiting and other departments working to improve diversity. Companies like Meta and Google, which earlier set ambitious hiring and investment goals, have pulled resources from those efforts. As a result, many nonprofit groups set up to train and recruit underrepresented workers are struggling to stay afloat. One prominent person in the field is Lisa Mae Brunson, founder of the nonprofit Wonder Women Tech. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino asked her how things have changed.

Since 1970, Amtrak has run U.S. passenger rail service and — per a formal agreement with private railroad companies — those passenger trains get preference over cargo carriers on the tracks. But now, the Department of Justice says freight companies are breaking the rules. Also in this episode, more moving: New pipelines carry excess natural gas out of Permian Basin fields, programs that help families move into affordable housing assist with repairs too, and farmers pressure Congress to budge on the delayed farm bill.

Yesterday, we talked about surveys of farmers, which showed a growing economic pessimism in that sector. Today, survey data from the National Federation of Independent Business show a decline in optimism among small businesses generally in August. So what exactly is behind the souring mood among investors, consumers and others? We’ll discuss. Also this morning’s program: a closer look at the business of manifesting.

The restaurant industry has been through a lot in recent years — hemorrhaging workers during the pandemic and struggling to bring them back; grappling with inflation that’s up and foot traffic that’s down. Then, there’s the transformation of tipping. We’ll check in on some of the latest trends impacting restaurants. Then, U.S. tech giants owe billions in taxes and fines to Europe, and we’ll examine misinformation about illegal voting by non-citizens.

From the BBC World Service: Two long-running legal cases concluded in Europe today — a $14 billion tax dispute for Apple and a $2.6 billion antitrust fine for Google. Both companies lost out. We’ll hear about the latest developments Plus, do you believe you can get what you want through positive thinking? If so, you may be part of the increasingly valuable manifesting movement.

Among the trends of mis- and disinformation spreading ahead of the 2024 election is the narrative that large groups of noncitizens are illegally voting. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams recently spoke with Danielle Lee Tomson, a research manager with the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, about how this narrative is affecting the November election. This conversation is part of “Marketplace Tech’s” limited series “Decoding Democracy.” Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel.

When the August consumer price index is released Wednesday, it’ll be the final major inflation report before the Federal Reserve’s policymakers meet next week, when they’re expected to cut interest rates. But how important is the CPI as a gut check this time around? Also in this episode, backup generators are too expensive for many older Texans who need them most, China makes electric vehicles that seem impossibly cheap, and U.S. leaders show interest in a sovereign wealth fund.

The Joe Biden administration announced a final rule aimed at making sure insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders is on par with traditional medical benefits. We’ll explain why the Supreme Court’s Chevron decision poses a threat to the rule. Plus, the Supreme Court’s emergency docket is filling up with challenges to Environmental Protection Agency standards. And, we’ll talk about a Paralympic marathoner who opted to help out her stumbling guide, even if it cost her a medal. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Supreme Court Is Swamped With Emergency Appeals, Led by Challenges to EPA” from The Wall Street Journal “Biden administration finalizes rule to strengthen mental health parity law” from Reuters “Supreme Court’s Chevron Decision Threatens Decades of Progress in Access to Mental Health Care” from MedCity News “New Mental Health Rule Introduces Employer Benefit Parity Test” from Bloomberg Law “Paralympic Marathoner Loses Medal After Helping Her Guide Yards From Finish” from The New York Times We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Purdue’s Farmer Sentiment Index hit an 8-year low in August, and half of agricultural economists surveyed by the University of Missouri last month say the farm economy is in a recession. Input and borrowing costs are still high, while prices for commodities have been trending down. We’ll unpack, but first will mull how likely a government shutdown is before the election. And, will it be another rough week for markets?

After a rough year, Boeing was facing a possible strike to add to its list of problems. But no longer. The aerospace company has reached a tentative deal with its largest labor union, with the hopes of averting a strike. We’ll hear more. Plus, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to square off in their first debate tomorrow evening. We’ll do some math on their fiscal proposals.

From the BBC World Service: Afghanistan is facing a food crisis. Some 3.2 million children under the age of 5 are malnourished, and health services do not have the resources to cope. Plus, South Korea is removing pictures of soldiers from the armed forces communications network amid concerns over sexually explicit deepfake manipulation. Then, some runners are willing to pay others to notch up an impressive time on the fitness app, Strava.

On Friday, a Boeing Starliner spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station to return to Earth without its crew. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore stayed behind due to uncertainty about the safety of the Boeing craft. The duo will instead hitch a ride back on a SpaceX mission set to arrive at the ISS in February. It’s another win for the Elon Musk-owned company, which has come to dominate rocket launches in the U.S. But NASA’s reliance on SpaceX now is a bit of a reversal, according to Steven Feldstein, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment’s Democracy, Conflict and Governance program.

The IRS and U.S. Treasury Department announced today the recovery of $1.3 billion from high-income tax dodgers since last fall, citing funding from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act as the catalyst for increased collection enforcement efforts. And we hear about the a new investigation into airline rewards programs. Plus, we discuss the value of musical-turned-movie remakes during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! And, a little PSA about 401(k)s. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Treasury recovers $1.3 billion in unpaid taxes from high-wealth tax dodgers” from The Associated Press “Saturn’s majestic rings will vanish in just six months from now” from Earth.com “The impending private equity blitz on NFL teams” from “Make Me Smart” newsletter “Airlines such as American, United, Delta, face DOT investigation over rewards programs” from Fox Business “Dancing With the Stars reveals cast for season 33: ’90s icons, reality stars, Olympians, and a fake heiress” from Entertainment Weekly “Say Goodbye to Daily Hotel Room Cleaning” from The New York Times “Adults are cashing in on lemonade stands” from Marketplace “Movie musicals — yes, including the ‘Joker’ sequel — you could fall for” from The Washington Post Kick off your weekend with our “Tunes on Tap” Spotify playlist featuring some of our favorite summer jams! Get the playlist here.

The Inflation Reduction Act set aside $369 billion to invest in climate change programs and energy security two years ago. So far, when it comes to the percentage of IRA dollars claimed by state, Nevada ranks No. 1. In fact, the states that spent the most per capita last year aren’t Democratic strongholds either. In this episode, why Republican governors are leaning into clean energy. We’ll also hear from three “Marketplace” regulars about their jobs in the “analog” age, and dig into the August jobs report.

Former President Donald Trump says he’ll establish a government efficiency commission if re-elected in November, and it would be headed by Elon Musk. Musk’s various ventures are regulated by federal agencies, which are currently investigating several of his companies. We’ll hear more. Plus, the NFL goes global, and traders lean toward a half-point rate cut this month.

Federal Reserve independence has come into the spotlight recently, with former President Donald Trump indicating he thinks the president should have some influence in the Fed’s actions. Today, we wind the clock back to when exactly that happened: In 1971, President Richard Nixon devised a scheme to sway then-Federal Reserve Chair Arthur Burns — and the direction of the U.S. economy — in the run-up to reelection. But first: Hiring was weaker than expected in August.

From the BBC World Service: It’s the world’s largest convenience chain, with 85,000 stores — and Seven & i Holdings said the $40 billion takeover bid for 7-Eleven from rival Alimentation Couche-Tard “grossly undervalues” the business. We’ll hear the latest on why the deal seems to be falling apart. Also on this morning’s show: How do you put a value on Banksy’s street art to local neighborhoods?

If you’re an Apple fan, you probably didn’t miss the speculation surrounding the upcoming iPhone 16 launch event next week. Many expect the tech giant to reveal more about how its artificial intelligence will be integrated into its new hardware. We’ll be digging into that on this week’s Tech Bytes: Week in Review. Plus, airlines are upgrading their Wi-Fi, so you might be able to take a Zoom meeting on your six-hour flight. But first, Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider has agreed to block Elon Musk’s social media platform in Brazil. X has been banned in the country since last weekend, and now Starlink has agreed to enforce that ban for its roughly quarter-million internet subscribers in the country. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Wall Street Journal senior personal technology columnist Joanna Stern or her take on this week’s tech news.

As the presidential race heats up, we’re sure to hear more about immigrants and how they affect the U.S. economy. In this episode, we break down immigration’s impact on housing, tax revenue, consumer spending and the labor market. Plus, 8 million student loan borrowers are in limbo while President Joe Biden’s SAVE plan is challenged in court. Also: Lots of small businesses can’t afford to hire, and energy storage batteries may be coming to an electric grid near you.

The Harris campaign is proposing a bump in the capital gains tax that’s well below the rate President Biden had put forward. We’ll get into why remixing Biden’s tax plan scored her some points with corporate supporters. And, we’ll explain the fight between Disney and DirecTV that’s causing channel outages for subscribers. Plus, why Medicaid patients are struggling to access GLP-1 weight loss drugs and what the vibes are in the restaurant industry right now. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris Tells the Business Community: I’m Friendlier Than Biden” from The New York Times “DirecTV chief content officer on ESPN blackout: Disney is still mandating minimum penetration” from CNBC “TV viewers get screwed again as Disney channels are blacked out on DirecTV” from Ars Technica “Disney networks go dark on DirecTV amid carriage dispute” from Axios “DirecTV is compensating customers affected by the Disney outage. But they have to take action to get it” from CNN “Who’s able to get weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy?” from Marketplace “Restaurant industry still struggles with staffing, consultant says” from Marketplace Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Private payroll company ADP reports that 99,000 jobs were added to the economy in August, less than in July. This continual cooling in demand for workers can be considered a good thing — as long as we don’t go through the ice. But first, Nordstrom’s department stores could go private. Plus: what we know about how former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris want to change our tax bills.

As divisive as politics can be, especially this election season, you can actually find some small areas of common ground. That currently includes some limited bipartisan focus on policies that aim to support families raising children. Today, we’ll look at some of the latest research regarding support for care proposals. Also on the show: the economy as an Impressionist painting and trends in the subscription economy.

From the BBC World Service: China’s President Xi Jinping has announced almost $51 billion in new funding for the continent — in projects including infrastructure and clean energy, with a promise to create a million jobs. But there are warnings about the debt burden facing some countries. Also: An inquiry into an apartment block fire in the United Kingdom is heavily critical of cladding manufacturers, successive governments and regulators.

Warning: This episode mentions suicide. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). There seems to be growing momentum for efforts to protect kids from online harm. In June, the Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a warning label on social media for children, and more recently the Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act with bipartisan support. On the show we’ve heard from lobbyists and advocates on different sides of the issue. Today we speak with Kristin Bride, for whom the debate is personal. In 2020, Bride’s 16-year-old son, Carson, died by suicide after being cyberbullied on the social media platform Snapchat. Since then, Bride has become a vocal advocate for social media reform because, she says, even the most vigilant parents can’t always protect their kids.

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic is launching a new product targeted at businesses. It’s a step above the company’s consumer-facing products, like its popular chatbot Claude. We’ll explain what it could mean for human jobs. And, we’ll get into the White House efforts to combat Russian-backed attempts to influence the November presidential election. Plus, we’ll smile about 385 million-year-old fish fossils and an unsung hero who’s made coal mining a safer job. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Amazon-backed Anthropic rolls out Claude AI for big business” from CNBC “Biden administration announces major actions to tackle Russian efforts to influence 2024 election” from CNN Politics “Opinion | The Canary” (gift link) from The Washington Post “Fossils of 385 million-year-old fish found in pavement” from BBC News We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The job market is the tightest it’s been in over three years — but don’t freak out. There are still more open positions than there are job seekers right now. But some experts are stressing about what the labor market may look like in a few months. Would potential interest rate cuts influence job creation in 2025? Also in this episode: The services sector is looking better than manufacturing, U.S. war stockpiles have climate-friendly uses and we check in with a former restaurateur who pivoted to consulting.

A new Washington Post investigation examines a program in which workers with disabilities are employed for much less than minimum wage — sometimes less than a dollar an hour. It’s legally sanctioned and aimed at training people with disabilities to work and eventually go on to higher-paying jobs. But it doesn’t always work out that way. Plus, entrepreneurs are getting their turn in the political spotlight, and markets respond to a weak manufacturing report.

AI chipmaking company Nvidia lost $279 billion in market value yesterday, and its shares kept falling in after-hours trading overnight. Despite reports of an escalating Department of Justice antitrust probe, the stock’s decline centers more on questions around the future of artificial intelligence. We hear more. We also explore the shifting geography of U.S. oil production and learn how gaps in USDA food programs are being filled by tribal governments.

From the BBC World Service: Financial markets in Asia and the U.S. have tumbled with investor concerns that the U.S. economy could be headed toward recession. Then, in Mexico, Congress is expected to pass judicial reforms that have prompted judges and court staff protests. And in an attempt to address a falling birth rate, the government in South Korea plans to bring in domestic workers from the Philippines to support families.

Depending on whom you ask, a bill passed by California lawmakers last week could either save us from imminent AI doom or strangle innovation in Silicon Valley. The bill, SB 1047, is one of the first significant attempts to regulate artificial intelligence in the U.S. It’s supported by some high-profile voices in tech like Elon Musk. But critics say the regulation could stifle growth in Silicon Valley. On the show today, Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino is taking a closer look at the arguments for and against SB 1047 with Chase DiFeliciantonio, a reporter at The San Francisco Chronicle, who has been following the bill’s journey through the Legislature.

This year alone, cryptocurrency companies have spent over $119 million on pro-crypto candidates in federal races across the country. That’s almost half of all corporate money spent on this year’s election. But can all this crypto money really sway elections? Lee Reiners, crypto policy expert at the Duke Financial Economics Center, explains what the crypto industry is hoping to accomplish with its election spending, the myth behind the “crypto-vote” and why former President Donald Trump is vying to become the “crypto-president.” Then, we’ll get into the U.S. government’s big penny problem. And, Boeing’s history in the spaceflight sector, and more to celebrate as the Paralympics continue.  Here’s everything we talked about today: “Crypto firms have spent more than $119 million on 2024 elections” from Marketplace “Crypto’s ‘huge moment’ scrambling US politics” from Politico “Why Republicans are embracing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies” from Marketplace “How Crypto Money Is Poised to Influence the Election” from The New York Times “Harris triggers crypto tug-of-war between Democrats” from Politico “America Must Free Itself from the Tyranny of the Penny” from The New York Times “This Once Hot Real-Estate Type Is Now Being Offered as Office Space” from The Wall Street Journal We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].

Nearly a quarter of overweight or obese adults in the U.S. have taken a GLP-1 — a class of weight loss drugs that includes Ozempic. But in some states, Medicaid doesn’t cover GLP-1s, though low-income Americans are more likely to be overweight or obese. In this episode: Who can access or afford this new medicine? Plus, striking hotel workers want higher pay and a return to pre-pandemic norms, the Federal Trade Commission is making it easier to cancel unwanted subscriptions, and the manufacturing sector is in a rut.

There are fundamental challenges facing global supply chains today: the rise of protectionism, competition with China and more. Like a crystal ball, we can look to the shipping industry to understand how these are unfolding. Germany-based DHL Group is one of the world’s largest logistics and shipping businesses, and the company’s CEO recently spoke in an exclusive interview to our Marketplace colleague, the BBC’s Leanna Byrne. Also: a lookahead at this week’s economic data.

Lots of folks had Labor Day barbecues this past weekend, but plenty spent it moving too. It was a big move-in weekend for renters. And while rent prices have been moderating, they’re still way higher than they were a few years ago. We’ll hear more. But first: why so many hotel workers are going on strike and how the FAA is looking to curb a shortage of air traffic controllers.

From the BBC World Service: The trial of the former chief executive of Volkswagen, Martin Winterkorn, is getting under way in Germany over his role in a major diesel emissions scandal. We’ll rehash the controversy and hear the latest. And in an exclusive interview, the chief executive of logistics group DHL warns about the challenges facing global trade and the German economy, which is the largest in Europe.

Dark patterns are everywhere on the web. These are design tricks that manipulate users in some way and prompt them to give up information, money or just more of their time. A recent study from the Federal Trade Commission found three-quarters of all subscription apps and websites use at least one dark pattern, and a majority use multiple such tricks. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Yanely Espinal, who covered the topic in this week’s episode of “Financially Inclined.” She said some common dark patterns include advertising that doesn’t look like advertising, online forms that come with check boxes pre-selected and something called confirm shaming.

Consumers’ long-term economic outlook were a bit more positive in August, data from the University of Michigan shows. So if your in-laws were in a better mood on Labor Day than they were, say, on the Fourth of July, that could be why. In this episode, we get into why some Americans are feeling good about the economy while others still feel like they’re struggling to make ends meet. Plus, pediatricians have to make tough decisions about how many COVID-19 vaccine doses to purchase and new Department of Transportation rules require airlines to reimburse passengers’ costs for canceled and significantly delayed flights, no matter the cause.

From the BBC World Service: Activists are blocking roads across Israel during a general strike called to demand the government agree to a ceasefire deal in Gaza to secure the release of the remaining hostages. Plus, a look at a global scam tricking foreign students in Britain into paying tens of thousands of dollars for worthless work visa documents. And, there is a new way of making the world’s favorite indulgence — chocolate.

Labor Day weekend is usually a hectic travel weekend, but this year is set to break records as people travel across the country to celebrate the holiday. We look at the economic drivers of what’s projected to be a very busy few days at airports, highways, and train stations nationwide. Plus, a look at a new chocolate production technique promising to boost the fortunes of producers and consumers of the much-loved treat.

Since the beginning of labor unions and collective action in the workplace, songs have served as a way to build camaraderie and communicate complaints between workers. As part of our “Econ Extra Credit” series, we delve into the storied history of the humble work hymn and how songs continue to shape organized labor efforts today. Plus, a look at how monetary policymakers at the Fed might analyze upcoming jobs numbers as they consider a potential rate cut.

Generative artificial intelligence can write essays and solve complicated math problems, but can it tell a decent joke? The BBC’s Megan Lawton says comedians who performed at this year’s fringe festival in Scotland are putting AI to the test.

President Joe Biden has forgiven $167.3 billion in student loan debt since taking office. But his administration’s wins are often overshadowed by obstacles to its most ambitious debt relief programs. We’ll get into what this could mean for Biden’s economic legacy. And, we’ll explain why the 30-year mortgage rate can tell us what the markets think about the Federal Reserve’s next move. Plus, we’ll play a very demure, very mindful round of This or That! Here’s everything we talked about today: “30-Year Mortgage Rate Falls Again, Now at 6.35%” from The New York Times “$167.3 billion in student loan forgiveness” from The Washington Post “Very demure, mindful and viral: the TikTok trend explained” from Axios Kick off your Labor Day holiday weekend with our “Tunes on Tap” Spotify playlist featuring some of our favorite summer jams! Get the playlist here: marketplace.org/playlist.

New data shows that while consumer spending is strong, Americans aren’t saving like they used to. But the pandemic made year-to-year comparisons a bit misleading. So are consumer habits normalizing after an unusual economic period, or should we be concerned that savings have taken a dip? Also in this episode: Some businesses prefer to operate on a “fiscal” calendar, public swimming pools try to stay afloat and corporate tax changes may be important in this year’s election.

Interest rates in America are guided by a key inflation reading released today, and it came in line with expectations, showing year-over-year inflation was pretty tame. We chat with FHN Financial Chief Economist Christopher Low about how to unpack recent inflation data and what it says about a potential Fed rate cut. Also on the show: the potential economic boon provided by a reunion of the British band Oasis.

The Paralympic Games are now underway in Paris, and a record number of broadcasters around the world will be covering this year’s events, including para swimming, wheelchair rugby and tennis. NBC — the games’ U.S. broadcast partner — reported that Paralympic ad sales are up 60% over the Tokyo games in 2021. Also on the show: the presidential candidates on economic policy and a big moving day in Boston.

From the BBC World Service: A dispute over local laws in Brazil could mean that the X platform is blocked in the country. And with the announcement that the British band Oasis is reforming, we look at the figures behind the hype.

This week: a report from venture capital firm SignalFire seems to show that despite all its problems, San Francisco is still the place to be for tech startups in the artificial intelligence space. Plus, why Meta is scrapping plans for a superpremium mixed-reality headset and aiming for a lite version instead. But first, the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France has sent shock waves through the tech world. Durov is facing a number of criminal charges. French authorities allege he is liable for illicit activities conducted on the encrypted messaging platform, including child sex abuse and drug trafficking, essentially because of a failure to moderate content. The case highlights longstanding tensions in the tech world between public safety and free speech. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino is joined by Natasha Mascarenhas, reporter at The Information, for her take on this week’s tech news.

The CEO of Klarna, the by now, pay later service, said the company plans to cut its workforce dramatically by opting not to replace workers when they quit and instead use artificial intelligence to fill in the gaps. We’ll get into it. And, Nvidia’s earnings that beat analysts’ expectations didn’t impress everybody. Plus, we’ll unpack the Justice Department’s new lawsuit against a rent-setting software company, and celebrate a win for the American wheelchair rugby team. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Klarna: AI lets us cut thousands of jobs – but pay more” from BBC News “Nvidia reports 122% revenue growth on surging demand for data center chips” from CNBC “How one company transformed the apartment rental market” from Axios “Chuck Aoki dominates, Sarah Adam makes history as USA Wheelchair Rugby holds off Canada | NBC Sports” from NBC Sports “Paralympic wheelchair rugby or ‘murderball’ isn’t for the faint of heart” from The Washington Post Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Why is the U.S. dollar losing steam? The short version: Falling demand for the currency drags its value down. Since the Federal Reserve is likely to cut interest rates soon, investors aren’t racing to buy U.S. bonds. And you need U.S. dollars to buy U.S. bonds … you get the picture. In this episode, more on currency fluctuations — and why the dollar losing value isn’t all bad. Plus: Businesses investing in themselves drove up second-quarter GDP, China has a burgeoning black market for Nvidia semiconductors and human bodies make great compost.

Members of Congress are calling on the Agriculture Department to fix supply chain problems. Several groups of lawmakers are saying some tribes and food banks that rely on supplies from USDA distribution programs are reporting empty shelves because promised food deliveries never came. Also, a growing minority of Americans worry curbing climate change will hurt the economy, and Singapore’s government is pushing older workers to keep working.

Latinas’ contribution to the U.S. economy grew more than 50% between 2010 and 2021. In 2021, it totaled $1.3 trillion, new data shows. But despite their economic rise, Latina workers are still overrepresented in certain low-wage jobs. We’ll hear more. But first, Nvidia reported superb results, but that still disappointed some on Wall Street. And we’ll learn the latest developments in the arrest of Telegram’s Pavel Durov.

From the BBC World Service: In Argentina, police have clashed with demonstrating senior citizens in the capital, Buenos Aires. The protesters are angry that President Javier Milei is to veto a pension increase as part of his austerity drive. Plus, the founder and boss of Telegram has been banned from leaving France . And in Singapore, we look at how an aging population is affecting the workforce.

U.S. intelligence officials have confirmed that Iran was behind the recent cyberattack on former President Donald Trump’s election campaign. Using an approach called spear phishing, hackers sent personalized emails to campaign staff containing malware that allowed them to access private information and then leak it. Déjà vu, right? Javed Ali, a former senior counterterrorism official and a professor of practice at the University of Michigan, says Russia created the blueprint for this kind of attack. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino asked him for his reaction to Iran adopting the strategy.

What if every American household and business had access to high-speed internet? That’s what the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, a federally funded project, aims to accomplish. As part of our “Breaking Ground” series, we visit a town in Kentucky that’s had universal fiber-optic internet connections since 2014, thanks to a cable utilities cooperative and Great Recession-era stimulus funding. Could McKee be a model for what the U.S. might look like if the BEAD program achieves its goal?

Home improvement retailer Lowe’s is the latest in a string of American companies to publicly abandon diversity, equity and inclusion efforts after facing pushback from conservative groups. We’ll get into it. Then, two signs that the global economy may be in trouble. Plus, we’re hype about the Paris Paralympics opening ceremony! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Lowe’s becomes latest company to dial back DEI efforts aimed at LGBTQ groups” from NBC News “Lowe’s followed Tractor Supply, Harley Davidson and John Deere in backing off DEI initiatives” from Fortune “Africa’s Debt Crisis Has ‘Catastrophic Implications’ for the World” from The New York Times “A Time Bomb Is Threatening Economies Across Asia” from The Wall Street Journal “How to watch the 2024 Paris Paralympics: TV and stream info, schedule, start time, top athletes, preview, team news” from NBC Olympics Join Kimberly Adams for a live Marketplace event on Sept. 23 in Denver about living single in today’s economy. You can find details about it here. Hope to see you there!  

This morning, the U.S. surgeon general issued a public health advisory regarding the mental health of parents. Vivek Murthy says parents are dealing with significant stresses that prior generations didn’t have to deal with, and they need more support from the government and their employers. Plus, dude, we’re getting the band back together! A look at at the economics behind why Oasis is going on a reunion tour.

The stock for semiconductor chipmaker Nvidia has skyrocketed with the growth of generative artificial intelligence like ChatGPT. But investors have noticed that the actual profits from AI have tended to lag the hype. Today, Nvidia will release its profits and we’ll learn how much of this underlying hardware AI companies are still buying. And later: how Aug. 28 keeps showing up at turning points in the Civil Rights Movement.

From the BBC World Service: Sir Keir Starmer is meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It’s the start of a landmark post-Brexit visit to Berlin, where the aim is to reset the United Kingdom’s relationship with Germany and the broader European Union. Also on the show: halted Toyota production in Japan, an oil leak in the Red Sea and a U.K.-based company that sees value in bringing onboard older workers.

By now you’ve probably heard that generative artificial intelligence has the potential to supercharge the spread of disinformation in this election year. But with 68 days until Election Day, we haven’t seen the kind of widespread AI misinformation campaigns that experts warned about. Instead, as Will Oremus pointed out in a recent analysis for The Washington Post, we’ve seen a whole lot of silly AI-generated memes. He told Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino that the most recent examples are coming from one particular presidential candidate.

In case you haven’t heard, the Summer Olympics aren’t over! This year’s Paralympics kick off in Paris on Aug. 28. It’s the first time all 22 Paralympic events will be aired live, and total broadcast revenues are up by more than 20% from the delayed 2020 Paralympics. Chuck Aoki, an American Paralympic wheelchair rugby player, said content creators like himself are also bringing eyes to the event. On the show today, Aoki breaks down the basics of wheelchair rugby (aka “murderball”), the system that classifies para athletes based on their disability, and why this year’s Paralympics are getting more buzz than ever. Then, we’ll get into how pharmaceutical companies’ new direct-to-consumer programs could impact drug prices. And, listeners tell us about the trafficless 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and a lesson in credit cards learned the hard, heartbreaking way. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Passion And Guts: Chuck Aoki’s World of Wheelchair Rugby” from Team USA “Paralympic Games in Paris set to reach largest audience after broadcast deals” from The Guardian “What sports are in the Paralympics and how does the classification system work?” from AP News “How to Watch the 2024 Summer Paralympics: Streaming Schedule, Free Options” from Wired “Pfizer Follows Lilly With Website Selling Directly to Patients” from Bloomberg “Eli Lilly lowering weight loss drug prices” from The Hill “Health Insurance Costs Will Rise Steeply if Premium Tax Credit Improvements Expire” from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities “How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2025” from KFF “Pfizer launches new website for migraine, respiratory offerings” from Reuters “Panama Canal Eases Limits That Caused Global Shipping Bottleneck” from Bloomberg We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].

Roughly 200,000 Kentucky households lack internet access or are “underserved,” according to Meghan Sandfoss, executive director of the state’s Office of Broadband Development. It’s her job to open digital doors for all those residents, rural and otherwise — a tricky task that involves coordinating federal, state and local offices as well as internet service providers, nonprofits and engineers. In this episode, we’ll upack the process of hooking up homes to a fiber-optic network, including getting local buy-in, developing detailed maps and navigating environmental challenges.

A federal judge in Oregon will continue hearing arguments about whether to pause efforts to merge the grocery chains Albertsons and Kroger in a nearly $25 billion deal. The Federal Trade Commission believes prices would go up and consumers would lose. We’ll hear more. Plus, Canada announces sweeping tariffs on Chinese EVs, San Fransisco Fed President Mary Daly chats about rate cuts, and businesses cater to India’s growing elderly population.

You may have heard the phrase “be cool, stay in school” before. That’s a bit hard when it’s this hot out though. More than 10,000 schools nationwide lack air conditioning, according to the Center for Climate Integrity. Installing ACs is costly — but so is heat’s impact on student learning. Also on the program: We’ll look at the growing push to erase medical debt, a burden impacting millions of Americans.

From the BBC World Service: Following the lead of the U.S. and the European Union, Canada says it will impose a 100% tariff on imports of Chinese electric vehicles and a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum from China. Plus, it’s estimated that there will be 350 million adults over 60 in India by 2050; so it’s no surprise that companies are increasingly looking to cash in on the silver economy’s substantial spending power.

The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, passed in 2022, would be among the most sweeping pieces of legislation to protect kids from online harms — if it hadn’t become tangled up in court. The law has two basic requirements: first, that tech companies analyze and report on whether their products are harmful for children; second, that they minimize how much data they collect from those under 18. Earlier this month a federal appeals court found that first part likely violates the First Amendment, and upheld a lower-court decision blocking that part of the law. But it vacated an injunction on the second component, the part dealing with data privacy. The decision could point a way forward for similar laws, many of which have also run into legal challenges, Aaron Mackey, free speech and transparency litigation director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino.

Bringing high-speed internet access to every U.S. household is one goal of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. To do that, we’re gonna need a lot more fiber-optic cables. Per the Build America Buy America Act, the $42 billion in federal funding designated for expanding high-speed internet access has to be spent on American-made cables and the optical fibers that make them up. So in this episode, we’ll visit a factory in Claremont, North Carolina, to see how they’re made and learn why the U.S. wants fiber prioritized over other ways to connect to the internet.

The trial weighing the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two grocery titans, begins today. We’ll explain what the biggest supermarket merger in U.S. history could mean for everyday shoppers and why the federal government wants to put a stop to it. Plus, we’ll get into the latest of Boeing’s woes: its Starliner spacecraft. Can the company’s failures teach us something about the business of spaceflight? And, SpaceX is ready to launch a mission for the first-ever commercial spacewalk. Here’s everything we talked about today: “What Kroger-Albertsons merger trial with FTC means for your grocery store” from The Washington Post “New Boeing CEO Faces Hard Choices After NASA Snubs Starliner for SpaceX” from Bloomberg “Flight attendants speak out about low pay, debt and homelessness” from The Washington Post “IUD insertion pain is complicated. Doctors say the new CDC guidelines are only a start.” from NBC News “Here’s What the CDC’s New IUD Pain Management Recommendations Mean in Practice” from Self “SpaceX to Launch Billionaire on First-Ever Private Spacewalk” from Bloomberg We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Over the weekend, French authorities arrested the 39-year-old founder of the messaging app Telegram. This reportedly has to do with a wide-ranging investigation into illegal activity on the app. But some are decrying the arrest as a free speech violation – saying it threatens the very essence of what makes Telegram useful. We dig in. Plus, an eco-friendly concert and a look at how bond markets are responding to signals of interest rate cuts.

Last week’s jobless numbers revealed that more than 1.8 million people were drawing unemployment. Among the irks for would-be workers? A frustrating uptick in the number of “ghost jobs,” or postings that stay up on jobs sites for months on end without a hire. Also on the show: a moment of clarity on the future of interest rates and the sunsetting of a free COVID-19 vaccine program for uninsured adults.

From the BBC World Service: Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of messaging platform Telegram, was arrested in France for allowing a wide range of crimes to take place on the platform due to insufficient moderation. Then, a “right to disconnect” law comes into force in Australia. We’ll hear how employees are feeling about the change. Plus, English band Massive Attack performed in Bristol — without the use of diesel generators.

The social media platform X recently launched a new artificial intelligence feature for premium users: Grok-2, an AI model that can also generate images. And the outputs are a bit less censored than you might see with other similar tools. Experimenters online have been able to generate images of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris brandishing guns, Mickey Mouse smoking a cigarette and some far more disturbing tableaus. Grok claims to avoid images that are pornographic, excessively violent or intended to deceive and added it’s cautious about representing content that might infringe on existing copyright. But the guardrails certainly seem to be on the looser side, in keeping with owner Elon Musk’s hands-off approach to content moderation. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Adi Robertson, senior tech and policy editor at the Verge, about Grok-2 and what she found while she tested the AI’s limits.

The Democratic National Convention this week featured a wide range of speakers, from those who railed against the billionaire class to billionaires themselves. We’ll unpack the Democratic Party’s mixed messaging on the ultrawealthy. On the other hand, the world’s central banks seem to be on the same page when it comes to interest rates. We’ll get into it. Plus, how much would you pay for a full row of economy seats on an airplane? We’ll find out during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Major Central Banks Now Aligned as Powell Signals Fed Cuts Ahead” from Bloomberg “At the DNC, Kamala Harris has a billionaire problem on her hands” from Fortune “On the Convention Stage, Democrats Courted the Middle Class. After Hours, They Partied Like the 1%.” from The Wall Street Journal “Hanif Abdurraqib on what it means to “make it'” from Marketplace’s “This Is Uncomfortable” “What it’s like to be a content creator at the DNC” from Marketplace Tech “No Joke: The Onion Thinks Print Is the Future of Media” from The New York Times “Does lipstick still have economic staying power?” from Marketplace “All the Airlines Offering ‘Couch’ Seats for More Space to Spread Out” from Thrillist “Starbucks fall drinks 2024: Pumpkin Spice Latte, fall menu launch Thursday” from Axios Kick off your weekend with our our “Tunes on Tap” Spotify playlist featuring some of our favorite summer jams! Get the playlist here: marketplace.org/playlist.  

In this century, reliable internet access isn’t just a want — for many, it’s a need. The federal government is spending billions to bring broadband to underserved areas, but in the meantime, for residents of those hard-to-reach places, libraries are often the only place to access high-speed internet. In this episode, we visit an internet-providing library in rural Kentucky. Plus: Automakers expected a faster EV investment payoff, and prospective homebuyers play the falling-mortgage-rate waiting game.

Cryptocurrency companies have been pumping lots of money into 2024 federal elections — more than $119 million so far, or almost half of corporate money given during elections this year, according to consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. Also on the show: The Democratic National Convention wraps up with an emphasis on the middle class, and Copenhagen’s underground tunnel network aims to help the city deal with the worst of the climate crisis.

Vice President Kamala Harris closed the Democratic National Convention last night with an acceptance speech that broadly laid out her priorities. On the dollars and cents side of things, she highlighted protecting Social Security and Medicare, addressing the housing shortage in this country and a tax cut for middle-income households. Plus, arbitration agreements have become increasingly more common buried in the terms and conditions for various apps and services.

From the BBC World Service: The visit comes not long after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which didn’t go over well with some European leaders. Then, Canada’s government has ordered employers and rail unions involved in a huge dispute to take part in arbitration. And the Danish capital Copenhagen is trying to prepare the city for the future dangers of extreme weather.

On today’s show: Google deals with another legal headache. A federal appeals court revived a class-action lawsuit that had been dismissed concerning privacy violations by its Chrome browser. Plus, OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has partnered up with another media brand, Condé Nast. But first, we can’t ignore the biggest happening of the week — the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where the party formally nominated Vice President Kamala Harris for president with the help of big names in entertainment. Rapper Lil Jon revving up the presentation of the Georgia delegation’s votes was just one viral moment that came out of the convention. What didn’t come out of the gathering, though, were clear indications of the Harris campaign’s tech policy platform. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, about what that platform might look like.

For many old hotels and motels, the most reliable guests may be ghosts in the attic. Unfortunately, they’re not paying the nightly rate. Worse, many hotels with empty rooms are surrounded by communities suffering housing shortages. Instead of closing their doors, they’re being converted into transitional housing for low-income people with the help of nonprofit organizations. In this episode, we visit one. Plus, retirees feel financially stable while working Americans don’t, Fortune 500 firms fear AI and rural parents struggle with living in “child care deserts.”

Since Vice President Harris proposed a federal ban on price gouging in the food and grocery industries, her campaign has offered up few details about what the policy would actually look like. That’s left room for wild speculation. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll debunk former President Trump’s claims that the Biden administration manipulated job data to influence the election. Plus, the future of V2X technology on our roadways and the National Women’s Soccer League’s historic move to do away with drafts. Here’s everything we talked about today: “And today Trump and his allies are being dishonest about jobs data” from The Washington Post “US job totals will likely be revised down by 818,000 as Trump cries fraud” from Politico “Commerce Sec. Raimondo on VP Harris: She’s pro-business, pro-worker, and opposed to price-fixing” from CNBC “FTC to investigate high grocery prices” from Marketplace “Harris’s Price-Gouging Ban: Price Controls or No Quick Effect?” from The New York Times “DOT plans to implement V2X technology raise privacy concerns” from Marketplace “The U.S. Sports League That Just Scrapped the Draft—and Made Everyone a Free Agent” from The Wall Street Journal “National Women’s Soccer League and its players agree to a new contract deal” from NPR Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The economy and the higher cost of living due to inflation are important factors shaping this election. Tonight, when Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her primetime acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, many viewers will be listening for what she plans to do to lessen the strain on their pocketbooks. We’ll hear more. Then, we’ll talk with a content creator attending the DNC and hear some positive news on productivity.

The U.S. economy added 800,000 fewer jobs than originally thought between the first quarter of last year and this year, according to updated data from the Labor Department. It’s no crisis, but it does mean the labor market has been cooling faster than expected. It’s yet another reason people will be dissecting every signal they can from the Federal Reserve on when it might cut interest rates. Also, startups are increasingly a target for spies.

From the BBC World Service: British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s body has been recovered after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday morning. Then, Canada’s rail freight transport network is coming to a halt over a job contracts. And Australia is in the grip of a housing crisis due to soaring rents and property prices. It’s estimated that more than 120,000 people are now homeless.

New faces are mingling among the party faithful and the swarm of journalists at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week. In a bid to reach younger, more online voters, the DNC invited 200 content creators to cover the convention. One of them is Malynda Hale, who’s been sharing her experience with her more than 50,000 followers on Instagram. Creators like her, she said, have their own part to play at the event. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Hale how it’s been going at the convention.

We read the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s last meeting so you don’t have to! Kai Ryssdal explains why an interest rate cut in September is looking more and more likely. Plus, how the Ozempic boom is changing the cost of workplace insurance plans. And, Chicago’s hottest dance club is at the … Democratic National Convention?! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee” from the Federal Reserve “Workplace insurance could soon be stripped down” from Axios “The FTC’s noncompete agreements ban is blocked” from The Verge “The DNC roll call featured a musical salute to each state. Here’s what your state chose” from NPR “‘Crowd’ size 📏 “ from Politico Kimberly Adams is headed to Denver on Sept. 23 for a live Marketplace event all about the economics of being single! You can find details about it here.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics just revised its count of new jobs created between March of last year and March of this year. Although revisions are routine, this was a big one: 818,000 fewer than it initially calculated. In this episode, what the new numbers means for the labor market and the Federal Reserve. Plus, a pig farmer keeps tabs on the presidential race, retailers use “newness” to reel in shoppers, and the U.S. counties with the best and worst employment growth.

A lot of Chicagoland restaurants were hoping for a shot in the arm courtesy of the Democratic National Convention this week. But so far, that hasn’t seemed to be the case for some businesses. We hear more. Then: a look at why Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s word choice in Jackson Hole will be so closely scrutinized. And later, older workers with disabilities have made gains thanks to remote work.

Noncompete agreements, where your employer has you sign a contract promising you won’t work for a competitor in the future, were originally used to protect intellectual property but now are so widespread that they can apply to fast food workers. The Federal Trade Commission wanted to ban noncompetes but a federal judge in Texas has blocked the ban. Also: Chicago’s economic landscape during the DNC and greater access to work permits for undocumented immigrants.

From the BBC World Service: First on the program, Shein is suing Temu for copyright infringement. The court case comes as Shein itself fends off similar allegations from a host of brands and independent artists. Then, Australia has just approved plans for the world’s largest solar plant. And later, the search for six people missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily is now in its third day.

Earlier this year, the U.S. surgeon general called for a warning label minors on social media, and a growing number of states are requiring online age verification for certain sites. Now, many platforms are adding a safeguard that comes with its own set of trade-offs: facial scanning. These systems use artificial intelligence to analyze visual clues, sometimes in conjunction with a government-issued ID, to keep those it deems too young from accessing a site. In the process, they collect all kinds of identifying data, and like any tool, these are susceptible to errors. In this case, errors could potentially bar adults from parts of the internet. Tech reporter Drew Harwell recently wrote about the proliferation of these systems and the risks that come with them for The Washington Post. He told Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino that they’re getting hard to avoid for internet users.

For decades, private school vouchers, often referred to as school choice programs, were limited to low-income students. But recently, several states have passed universal voucher programs that any family, regardless of income, can use to pay their kids’ private school tuition. On the show today, Huriya Jabbar, professor of education policy at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, explains the history of private school vouchers, what makes the latest wave of these programs different from traditional school vouchers, and why some believe private school vouchers undermine the purpose of public education in the U.S. Plus, what does Milton Friedman have to do with all of this? Then, Kai Ryssdal explains the ins and outs of how the Bureau of Labor Statistics revises its job data. And, we’ll hear from listeners about free garden seeds and American soccer in the ’70s. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Millions of campaign dollars aimed at tilting school voucher battle are flowing into state races” from AP News “Arizona School Voucher Program Causes Budget Meltdown” from ProPublica “Public Funding, Private Education” from The New York Times “The new and radical school voucher push is quietly unwinding two centuries of U.S. education tradition” from the Brookings Institution “Which States Have Private School Choice?” from Education Week “Georgia election board approves another rule that could disrupt certification” from WABE “Election Deniers Secretly Pushed Rule That Would Make It Easier to Delay Certification of Georgia’s Election Results” from ProPublica “Fed Confronts Up to a Million US Jobs Vanishing in Revision” from Bloomberg We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].

The gap between median household income and median income for homebuyers in the U.S. has been growing, putting housing affordability in its “worst spot” in the last 40 years, an economist told us. In this episode: How homeownership got so out of reach. Plus, a tax deduction business owners love expires in 2025, community colleges that are more training ground than stepping stone, and the debate over open-source AI.

Former President Barack Obama is set to speak tonight at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The theme today: “A Bold Vision for America’s Future.” Part of that vision? The U.S. economy. President Joe Biden spoke at the convention last night, highlighting his administration’s economic policies. Former President Donald Trump was also talking about the economy on the campaign trail. We’ll discuss. Then, the Department of Transportation wants the nation’s infrastructure to get a tech upgrade.

President Joe Biden’s victory lap at the Democratic National Convention last night included a lot of mentions of how far the economy has come from the depths of pandemic lockdowns. While there’s a lot to celebrate, the nation’s mayors have a message for convention-goers: Do more to address housing affordability. Plus, consumers are waiting for a rate cut to make big financial decisions, and AI is changing how we predict the weather.

From the BBC World Service: Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch are among the six still missing after a yacht sunk in bad weather in Sicily on Monday. One body has been recovered. We’re hear the latest on the incident and learn more about those missing. And later, a Scottish horror film has finally been released — 17 years after filming first got under way.

On July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-Ray Telescope was launched into space aboard the shuttle Columbia, the first such mission to be commanded by a woman astronaut. The Chandra telescope differs from the Hubble telescope, which observes visible light. Or, the James Webb telescope, which captures frequencies in the infrared range. Chandra detects high energy X-rays. But NASA budget constraints could leave the mission going dark in coming years. To learn more about the Chandra Observatory, Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino called its program manager Megan Lin.

New survey data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that the percentage of Americans who expect to get laid off in the next four months has gone up. On the other hand, the share of Americans who expect to get a job offer in the next four months is also up. So what gives? We’ll get into the labor market unease and why the Federal Reserve will be paying close attention. Then, we’ll smile about a new tool that could help prevent death from life threatening injuries. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Expectation of Losing One’s Job at Record High in NY Fed Survey” from Bloomberg “More and more Americans are worried they will lose their job” from CNN Business “US FDA clears use of Cresilon’s gel to stop severe bleeding in seconds” from Reuters Tweet from Jesse Byrnes about errors in the Democratic Party’s 2024 platform We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

When consumers can’t afford what they used to, many are drawn to inexpensive luxuries. Take the so-called lipstick index: When the economy slumps, lipstick sales go up. So what does it mean, economically, that luxury beauty brand Estée Lauder reported sales were down 2% compared to last year? In this episode: shifting consumer beauty habits in the U.S. and China. Plus, everyone’s signing NDAs these days, convenience stores are upping their grub offerings and California fast-food workers got a major raise, but what about prices?

Picture this: Lush greenery, the picturesque Tetons and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in a cowboy hat. (Maybe.) This week, roughly 120 academics, Fed policy makers and journalists are descending on Wyoming for the annual Jackson Hole Symposium. We’ll hear more about the event combining mountain hikes and monetary policy. But first, inflation remains a raw nerve as Vice President Kamala Harris begins to outline her economic policy goals.

The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago today. While Democrats will be touting the Biden administration’s accomplishments, Kamala Harris has to articulate a clear and distinguishable economic message to help sway voters — one that says the next four years will be better for their pocketbooks than the last. Plus, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is cracking down on homeless encampments. Where are all those people going to go?

From the BBC World Service: The owner of convenience store giant 7-Eleven has received a takeover offer from Canadian rival Alimentation Couche-Tard, which runs the Circle K chain. Then, long COVID has cost Australia’s economy over an estimated $6 billion, with 100 million working hours lost in 2022 alone. Then, Indonesia has inaugurated its new — and partially built — capital city of Nusantara, as part of an ambitious $30 billion plan.

When Apple introduced its Screen Time report, it promised the feature would  empower users to manage their device time and balance the things that are really important. But is it actually doing that? Caroline Mimbs Nyce, a staff writer at The Atlantic, recently wrote about why she thinks Screen Time is the worst feature Apple has ever made. She told Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino that it sometimes feels like Screen Time is doing more guilt-tripping than empowering these days.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, 70% of Gaza’s housing has been damaged, crucial infrastructure like schools and hospitals have been destroyed, and millions of Palestinians have been displaced. We’ll get into the logistical and economic challenge of reconstructing the Gaza Strip. And, we’ll explain why certain proposals coming out of the Harris campaign may be popular with voters but not so popular with economists. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Economically Dumb, Politically Smart” from The Atlantic “First-name basis: Harris is leaning into ‘Kamala'” from Politico “Gaza Reduced to 42 Million Tonnes of Rubble. What Will It Take to Rebuild?” from Bloomberg “Los Angeles wants a ‘no-car’ Olympics in 2028. Is it possible?” from The Guardian “Both Harris and Trump want to eliminate federal taxes on tips” from Marketplace “Indonesia prepares to change its capital city and challenges await” from Marketplace “On the train from LA to Portland, Amtrak’s ride-or-dies make the case for passenger rail” from Marketplace “Increasing use of AI in job resumes is a mixed blessing” from Marketplace Our Oct. 25 live show in Boston is sold out, but livestream tickets are now available! Grab your ticket here.  

The presidential campaign has been full of economic promises. Do you pick the contender vowing to reduce food costs and invest in housing? Or the one promising more tariffs and oil drilling? Promises can become targets for the opposition, even if they have little chance of being carried out in their original form. Which leaves some voters wondering: Do policy goals pitched on the campaign trail matter? Plus: The insurance boogeyman creeps up behind condos and a Pennsylvania town navigates life without a coal plant.

A landmark federal staffing mandate has prompted fierce disagreement between resident advocates and the nursing home industry. Nursing home owners describe the minimums as extreme, warning they could force some facilities out of business. Though advocates welcomed the new mandate, they say it’s more lenient than ideal. We hear about this fierce — and personal — debate. Plus: a major Social Security number data breach and parsing more retail sales data.

Some big changes to the real estate market are on the way this weekend. Under a settlement reached earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors is changing rules that determine how real estate agents make their money. Buyers and sellers, this matters to you. Then, a new McKinsey Global Institute report finds it’ll take sweeping transformation to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

From the BBC World Service: Bavarian Nordic — the manufacturer of the only mpox vaccine — wants to extend the shot’s license in Europe to include those ages 12 to 17, as a more deadly version of the virus spreads largely through young children in Africa. Also on the program: Protests in response to the violent rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata has reignited talks of women’s workplace safety.

It’s Friday which means it’s time for Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review. On today’s show, Instagram is known for pretty pictures but a new report shows it lets a lot of ugly and abusive comments remain on the platform. Plus, Door Dash has dominated the food delivery race. Now it looks like Uber may be catching up. But first, the social media platform X relies on advertisers, so why is it going to war with them? Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino discusses all of this week’s biggest tech stories with Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information.  

At a campaign rally, former President Trump said he’s committed to slashing energy prices by at least half in a year (or at the latest 18 months). We’ll explain why it’s a pipe dream. And, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to propose the first-ever federal ban on corporate price-gouging in the food industry. But where’s the line between price-gouging and setting prices at market value? We’ll get into it. Plus, the latest data breach making headlines and a potential fix for the hassle of canceling unwanted subscriptions. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump wants to bring down energy prices — why that’s not easy” from Yahoo Finance “FTC to investigate high grocery prices” from Marketplace Margins by Sector (US) from the Stern School of Business at New York University “Harris to propose federal ban on ‘corporate price-gouging’ in food and groceries” from CNBC “Biden admin wants to make canceling subscriptions easier” from Axios Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Launches New Effort to Crack Down on Everyday Headaches and Hassles That Waste Americans’ Time and Money from The White House Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Even though unemployment has bumped up, retail sales are going strong. Consumers spent $7 billion more in July than in June, the Census Bureau reported. Food, clothing, appliances and other categories saw sales growth over 2023. In this episode, is all that spending the force that’s keeping our economy afloat? Plus, the pros and cons of “dual agency” in real estate transactions and why Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic counsels patience.

Shoppers were shopping more energetically than expected in July, with retail sales up 1%. This is boosting stocks but making players in the bond market fret that they might not get as many interest rate cuts this year with the U.S. economy still showing such strength. We’ll discuss at the top of show. Also on the program: a look at banned fake reviews and what happens when a Chinese EV-maker comes to Turkey.

This week, the Justice Department is reportedly considering asking for a break up of Google after the company was deemed an illegal monopoly. We’ll describe how that may pan out and how it could potentially help smaller search engines. But first, the Biden administration is expected to unveil the results of Medicare’s first price negotiations with drug companies today. And later: What do vet clinics and Skittles have in common?

From the BBC World Service: China’s biggest electric carmaker, BYD, is planning a $1 billion factory in Turkey, which will allow it to avoid new tariffs imposed by Europe on Chinese exporters. We hear from the where the factory will be built. Then, Germany issues an arrest warrant linked to explosions that hit the subsea pipeline carrying Russian gas to Europe. Plus, North Korea is partially reopening to foreign tourists.

Last month, senators from both sides of the aisle formally introduced what could become the first U.S. federal law regulating deepfakes. It’s called the No Fakes Act — short for the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act. It comes on the heels of controversies like the one involving the OpenAI voice assistant, which may or may not have sounded a little too much like actress Scarlett Johansson. GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee helped draft the bill, saying: “The No Fakes Act is vital for these entertainers. It protects their name, image, likeness, their vocal recordings.” The legislation has been applauded by many in creative industries, said Moiya McTier, senior adviser at the Human Artistry Campaign, a group advocating for stronger guardrails on artificial intelligence.

For the first time in years, the consumer price index — one measure of inflation — fell below 3%. That’s good for Americans and the Federal Reserve, which has a dual mandate to maintain stable prices and maximum employment. But as inflation has chilled out, so has the job market. What can the Fed do about it? Also in this episode: Mars bets that America will keep snacking, the lag in housing inflation data, and one interest rate to rule them all?

A quick housing market announcement: the structure for real estate commissions is set to change this week following a legal settlement with the National Association of Realtors from earlier this year. We’ll get into what it could mean for homebuyers, sellers and real estate agents. And, to publish or not to publish internal Trump campaign documents allegedly leaked by Iranian hackers? That is the question several newsrooms are facing. We’ll explain the conundrum. Plus, Kai Ryssdal gets wistful about his daughter’s first day of school. Here’s everything we talked about today: “So Much About Real-Estate Commissions Just Changed. Here’s What to Know.” from The Wall Street Journal “Why newsrooms haven’t published leaked Trump campaign documents” from The Washington Post “Biden admin to spend billions to blunt spike in Medicare drug premiums” from Politico “Seeds are gifts from nature, says a major organic producer. So now it’s going to give them away” from AP News “Rare display of northern lights and Perseid meteor shower delights skywatchers worldwide” from Space We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Starbucks has hired Brian Niccol to become its new CEO following a slump in the company’s sales in Q3. Niccol took over Chipotle in 2018, and Chipotle’s stock price has shot up 700% under his tenure. Before that, Niccol led a brand revamp at Taco Bell. We’ll hear more. Then, consumer inflation is easing toward the Federal Reserve’s target, and Montreal makes a bet on nightlife by permitting all-night drinking.

Employers, recruiters and job candidates are increasingly turning to generative AI to help with the often tedious hiring process. This has led to an influx of applications for many job postings. It’s a trend that’s added efficiency — and another layer of complexity — to the jobs marketplace. Also: a look at sales of PCs with integrated AI. And the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is cracking down on contract for deed home sales.

From the BBC World Service: Chinese electric vehicle maker Zeekr says it’s come up with the world’s fastest-charging battery, which can be replenished in 10 minutes. Plus, there’s further backlash against over-tourism in Spain, where one city is planning to cut water supplies to illegal short term rentals. And is Montreal about to join the ranks of cities that never sleep? It’s planning special 24-hour zones to help boost its economy.

Generative artificial intelligence has made it possible to mimic someone’s voice and generate a script for that voice in real time. The tech, of course, is already used to scam and defraud people, but what if you just had it make a bunch of calls on your behalf? That’s what journalist Evan Ratliff did for his new podcast, “Shell Game.” He trained AI audio clones, gave them phone numbers and sat back as they took on customer service agents, family members, therapists and even a few scammers. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Ratliff — and briefly with one of his AI agents — about his takeaways from producing the show and whether the clones succeeded in tricking people into thinking they were who they said they were.

When you think “high prices,” you might think of stressed family budgets. But small businesses have to pay up too. Nevertheless, small-business optimism hit a two-year high last month, but it remains under the 50-year average. We’ll visit a boutique in New York and a bookstore chain in Georgia to get entrepreneurs’ on-the-ground perspectives. Also in this episode: New labor data could signal that interest-rate cuts are imminent, snack companies cook up Ozempic-friendly treats and Canada steps into the crude oil supplier spotlight.

Hey Smarties! If you’ve ever wondered how you make your diet more climate friendly, this episode of “Burning Questions” has you covered. From our friends over at “How We Survive,” the series answers your questions about climate change. In this episode, host Amy Scott chats with Melissa Nelson, professor of Indigenous sustainability at Arizona State University, about how our day-to-day food choices affect the planet and steps you can take to make your diet a little greener, without getting overwhelmed.

Elon Musk made news yesterday during his conversation with former President Donald Trump, which live-streamed on X. In it, Musk advocated for reducing federal government spending and reducing deficits as a way of fighting inflation, and he angled for a role in the administration if Trump wins. Plus, what would it take to see an emergency interest rate cut? Then, A generally strong job market has led to economic improvements for people without higher levels of education.

An analysis from The Economist looks at people who feel “left behind” in America — those who got the short end of globalization and deindustrialization, people who took the biggest hits in recent decades from not having advanced education — and shows that that group has been seeing economic improvement under the Trump and Biden administrations. Plus, Harris and Trump look to nix federal taxes on tips, and consumers expect inflation to become less of a problem.

From the BBC World Service: One person has died and thousands of homes and businesses have been evacuated due to the fires close to Athens, all during the country’s peak tourist season. The fire started some 20 miles away from the capital. We’ll hear about the latest developments.. Also, Western airlines are dropping routes to China. Why?

Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube, died last week at the age of 56. As a kid, she wanted to be an artist. As an adult, she discovered the “art of technology.”

On the show today: a story from the “this is terrifying” file. Cybersecurity researchers are bringing attention to a recent surge in GPS “spoofing” on commercial airlines. We’ll explain how these digital attacks work and why they pose a danger. And, former President Donald Trump made his return to the social media site X to promote an upcoming conversation with Elon Musk. We’ll get into it. Plus, Kai Ryssdal tells us all about his adventures in France to see the Paris Olympics. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump Returns to X With Several Posts Ahead of Musk Interview” from Bloomberg “GPS spoofers ‘hack time’ on commercial airlines, researchers say” from Reuters “Meta beats censorship lawsuit by RFK Jr’s anti-vaccine group” from Reuters We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Last week, when the stock market took a tumble, some investors put their cash into bonds instead. Why? Well, we tend to think of the stock and bond markets as having an inverse relationship: when stocks do well, bonds do worse. But when the economy gets wonky, that relationship doesn’t necessarily hold. Also in this episode: Aging Chinatown residents struggle to pass the baton, consumers guess where the economy is headed next, and we ride an Amtrak train from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon.

A recent survey shows a slightly larger percentage of Americans trust Vice President Kamala Harris to handle the economy over former President Donald Trump. It’s the first time the poll has found the Democratic nominee leading Trump on economic issues this year. We’ll dig in. Then, what are forecasters expecting from this week’s inflation readings? And we’ll also hear about temp gigs and the youth unemployment rate.

This week, Nusantara is set to become Indonesia’s new planned capital, with a price tag of $33 billion. Egypt is also relocating its capital, with an estimated cost of $59 billion. While other governments have moved their seats of government, is all the expense worth it? Also: a preview of where consumers think inflation is headed and a look at how the presidential campaigns are diverging on Federal Reserve independence.

From the BBC World Service: Billionaire media tycoon Jimmy Lai has lost his bid at Hong Kong’s highest court to overturn his conviction on charges relating to unauthorized pro-democracy protests in 2019. We’ll discuss the fallout of his rejected appeal. Plus, global youth unemployment is at a low, though some regions are still feeling the impact of COVID-19. And how did South Africa turn around its electricity grid to stop rolling blackouts?

Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” has shattered records, crashed websites and broken the hearts of fans vying for tickets. The BBC’s Sam Gruet says AI could help fans purchase tickets for a fair price and without the risk of fraud.

Compared to the Games in Tokyo and Beijing, NBC’s Paris Olympics coverage has been pulling in significantly higher viewership and ad revenue. Guest host Meghan McCarty Carino explains why the company may have finally hit its stride with its streamer Peacock. And, candidate Donald Trump said the president should have more influence over the Federal Reserve. Guest host Nova Safo gets into how that scenario played out in the Richard Nixon era. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “NBC’s Olympics Broadcast Isn’t Just Addictive. It’s a New Era of Streaming” from Wired “NBC enjoys Paris Olympics success as Americans neglect work to watch the Games” from Reuters “The Snoop Olympics: Paris proving a boon to NBC after interest waned in Tokyo and Beijing Games” from AP News “Trump Calls for Three Debates Against Harris, More Influence Over the Fed” from The Wall Street Journal “Trump would face constraints in remaking the Federal Reserve if elected” from Axios “Do athletes who earn an Olympic gold medal get a cash prize?” from Marketplace “Costco is cracking down on membership moochers” from CNN “Amazon Deals Let Shoppers Buy Products on TikTok, Pinterest” from Bloomberg “Americans Are Skipping Theme Parks This Summer” from The Wall Street Journal “Celebrity book clubs are ‘extremely influential’ in the publishing world” from Marketplace We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

A lot of folks like to weigh in on what the Federal Reserve should do with interest rates; Donald Trump said this week that if he were to reoccupy the White House, he should have a say in setting monetary policy. But keeping the Fed free of political pressure is important for several reasons. We’ll get into them. Also: Oklahoma tribal nations fill a gap in federal food aid for kids, Oregon ranchers deal with major wildfire losses, and theme park attendance dips.

Marketplace’s Nancy Marshall-Genzer has been gathering perspectives on the economy from Kent County, Michigan — a swing county in a swing state. More than that, the county is divided. And how people vote is playing an increasingly large role in how well they view the economy. Also: how consumers in China are feeling the pinch of rising prices, and what a rate cut by the Federal Reserve would mean for consumer debt and savings.

As president, Donald Trump was highly critical of the Federal Reserve and Chairman Jerome Powell. Now, Trump is signaling that he would want to have more say on interest rate decisions should he win the election in November — even though the Fed’s relative independence is seen as a key pillar of U.S. economic strength. Also on the program: how a summer camp is marrying mariachi music with exposure to careers in STEM.

From the BBC World Service: There’s been a lot of talk about the Olympics’ boost to Paris’ economy, but what about the athletes themselves? The all-encompassing influence of social media looks set to create some surprising winners. And breaking — better known as breakdancing — makes its Olympics debut, yet it’s not in the line-up for the LA games in 2028. Now could be the chance to grab the spotlight and secure some funding.

On today’s show: Olympians have taken to social media to celebrate, sometimes to trash talk, but also to discuss their mental health. And Google pulled a controversial Olympics ad featuring its Gemini artificial intelligence tool. But first, what the stock market sell-off could be saying about the AI boom. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino discusses all of this with Christina Farr, author of the health tech newsletter “Second Opinion,” who says there’s growing chatter that AI has gotten a bit overinflated.

The back-to-school shopping season is well underway. But with stubborn high prices in this economy, how will parents get their kids ready without feeling financially burdened? Also: decoding quarterly earnings, what goes into pricing mortgage rates, and why airport food is so expensive. Plus: A projectionist remembers his reel life.

Former {resident Trump and Vice President Harris are apparently neck and neck in the presidential race. That’s according to the … betting markets? Yes! We’ll get into the ways prediction markets are being used like polls in the 2024 race. Then, why lobbying dollars may pour in at state houses following the end of the Chevron doctrine. Plus, guest host Meghan McCarty Carino joins us to discuss the steady drip, drip, drip of layoffs in the tech industry. And, U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles wants his Air Jordan moment. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Yes, you can place bets on the election (for now)” from Marketplace “Trump and Harris in Dead Heat for Presidency, Polymarket Betting Shows” from The Wall Street Journal “When the feds don’t regulate … will the states?” from Marketplace “Dell Layoffs Hit Sales Team With New Unit Focused on AI” from Bloomberg “Intel is laying off over 15,000 employees and will stop ‘non-essential work’” from The Verge “The World’s Fastest Man Wants His Own Signature Adidas Shoe” from Bloomberg Join us tomorrow for a Make Me Smart guest host take over edition of Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Scoop litter from canals. Volunteer on an urban farm. Use a bike to get around. As a perk for climate-friendly actions, visitors to Copenhagen are being offered rewards like free ice cream, a glass of wine and museum discounts. Could programs like this make tourism more sustainable? Also, we’ll hear more about the mixed signals the economy is giving and Delta passengers’ class-action lawsuit over compensation for last month’s CrowdStrike travel fiasco.

The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage peaked at just under 8% in October 2023. Rates have hovered around 7% for a good part of this year but have dipped further thanks to the prospect of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve come September. We’ll also travel once again to Kent County, Michigan — a swing county in a swing state — to hear how the economy is influencing voters there. Plus: quarterly results from two big media companies.

From the BBC World Service: Following weeks of protests in Bangladesh, a new interim prime minister is being sworn in and the economy is reopening, including the crucial garments industry. Then, three Taylor Swift concerts have been canceled in Vienna, because of security concerns. It’s a big disappointment for local businesses expecting to benefit from Swiftanomics. And would you volunteer to pick up trash while on vacation? Copenhagen is incentivizing visitors to do so.

Who will win the election? What will the vote margin be? Will Donald Trump post on X before November? People can place bets on all these real-world questions — and more — on prediction markets. And these online platforms like PredictIt and Polymarket are increasingly being looked to as crystal balls in this chaotic election, promising real-time political insights and the chance to make a few bucks. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Chris Cohen, the deputy site editor of GQ, who recently wrote about his experience getting in on the action of what appears to be a prediction market “gold rush.”

A federal judge on Monday ruled that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly over online search. It’s the biggest antitrust ruling in decades. Could it be the cherry on top for President Joe Biden’s economic legacy? We’ll get into it. Plus, climate change and the future of the home insurance industry. And, gymnastics girl power and meteor showers make us smile. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Google Loses Antitrust Case Over Search-Engine Dominance” from The Wall Street Journal “All the spiciest parts of the Google antitrust ruling” from The Verge “How Does Harris View Big Business? Her Time as California’s Top Lawyer Offers Clues” from The New York Times “Your Next Home Insurance Nightmare: AI, Drones, and Surveillance” from Business Insider “Trump vs. Biden: Who Got More Done on Antitrust?” from Washington Monthly “For the VP also-rans’ political futures, Walz’s elevation ‘complicates it a lot’” from Politico “Michelle Obama Weighs In On Simone Biles’ Bowing Gesture After NFL Star Trashes It” from HuffPost Sports “Perseid meteor shower 2024 peaks this weekend. Here’s how to see summer’s best ‘shooting stars'” from Space “Mountain Bikers Are Rewilding Land by Paying the Government to Do It” from Wired Make Me Smart is headed to Boston! You can find details about the live event and how to get early bird tickets here.

Since the 1970s, the Federal Reserve has been officially tasked with a dual mandate: keeping prices stable and maximizing employment. But has the Fed ever found that sweet spot? It would be easier to answer if the economy wasn’t always in flux. Also: Disney’s streaming service posts its first profit, what we can learn from women entrepreneurs of the 19th century, and noise from a bitcoin mine haunts people in a rural Texas town.

We now know who the Veep wants as Veep: Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Tuesday that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be her running mate in this year’s presidential election. But what does he bring to the table economically? We’ll dig in. Plus, total household debt in the U.S. is creeping up, and a new nonprofit aims to measure whether companies’ carbon removal plans actually work.

A measure of stock market volatility called the VIX has been swinging up and down wildly since Monday’s investor sell-off. Thing is, the month of August has a reputation for volatility — and this week has certainly been living up to that rep. We’ll also hear more on the challenges facing Boeing and travel back to Kent County, Michigan — a swing county in a swing state — to hear how businesspeople there view the economy.

From the BBC World Service: Novo Nordisk, the company behind popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, didn’t sell as many of those medications as expected in the second quarter. A lot has to do with supply issues and competition. Then, a Nobel Prize winner has been chosen as Bangladesh’s interim leader. And Spain’s tourism industry is hitting new records, but not everyone is thrilled with the surge in visitors.

More than 20 years ago, executives at rival auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s were found guilty of coordinating a massive price-fixing scheme. Leaders from the companies held covert meetings, where they set identical commission fees. Today, active antitrust cases show that the ways in which companies might conspire are changing. Algorithms can replace secret meetings, but U.S. regulators say it’s still collusion, whether it’s a human or a bot pulling the strings. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke to Joe Harrington at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School about how antitrust law holds up against new technology.

Another day, another data breach, am I right? Companies including AT&T, Ticketmaster, and UnitedHealth have all made headlines recently after hackers left millions of customers’ data vulnerable. Lily Hay Newman, a writer covering information security, digital privacy and hacking for Wired, says data breaches like these have been a growing issue for more than a decade. On the show today, Newman explains steps you can take after you’ve been impacted by a breach (beyond signing up for free credit monitoring) and what you can do proactively to protect your data. Plus, what cybercriminals actually do with your data and how cyberattacks have evolved. Then, we’ll get into how a PAC funded by Elon Musk is collecting information on would-be voters. Plus, we’ll workshop a name for Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic platform and hear about Olympic speed climbing. Here’s everything we talked about today: “The Sweeping Danger of the AT&T Phone Records Breach” from Wired “Ticketmaster Confirms Data Breach. Here’s What to Know.” from The New York Times “AT&T says criminals stole phone records of ‘nearly all’ customers in new data breach” from TechCrunch “What’s Behind the Increase in Data Breaches?” from The Wall Street Journal “Here’s how much your personal information is worth to cybercriminals – and what they do with it” from The Conversation “How an Elon Musk PAC is using voter data to help Trump beat Harris in 2024 election” from CNBC “Forget Apple, the biggest loser in the Google search ruling could be Mozilla and its Firefox web browser” from Fortune “U.S. climber Sam Watson smashes men’s speed world record with 4.75-second qualification run” from NBC Olympics Make Me Smart is headed to Boston! You can find details about the live event and how to get early bird tickets here.  

How are people feeling about the economy after the dramatic drop in stocks? They’re “Googling the word ‘recession’ like crazy,” an economics professor told us. On the show today: Why perception is so important in economics. Also: The not-so-bad reasons for the higher unemployment rate, what the Google antitrust ruling could mean for Big Tech, and stealth shopping — hiding purchases from partners — is on the rise.

In the midst of recent market volatility, many investors are seeking safe havens for their money. Cue the handy-dandy certificate of deposit, which is currently giving guaranteed returns of 4% or 5% at many financial institutions — but that may change when the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates. Also: a look at Japan’s market rebound, cash prizes that come with Olympic medals and the Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google.

After the surge downward in stock prices yesterday, U.S. stock index futures have stabilized for now. The kindling for the Monday fire sale was Friday’s weaker-than-expected jobs report. We’ll hear more and learn from an expert how best to deal with anxiety and your investment portfolio. And we’ll also head to Kent County, Michigan — a swing county in a swing state — to hear how consumers there view the economy.

From the BBC World Service: After a dramatic 12% drop yesterday, Japanese stocks have rebounded — with the Nikkei 225 finishing more than 10% higher at the close of trading. Then, following weeks of unrest in Bangladesh and the resignation of its prime minster, the IMF says it’s committed to the country’s economic stability. And we’ll hear about a scam targeting Chinese people around the world, in which criminals pretend to be Chinese police.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a photo of two little girls in the parking lot of a California Taco Bell went viral. They were doing their schoolwork on laptops in that inconvenient location because the restaurant provided free Wi-Fi, which they didn’t have at home. The girls came to symbolize the digital underclass that’s emerged since the rise of the internet. There are millions of American kids like them, says Nicol Turner Lee, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Her analysis of the digital divide is contained in her new book, “Digitally Invisible: How the Internet Is Creating the New Underclass.”  

It’s been a tumultuous Monday for global markets as investors worry about the strength of the American economy. We’ll explain the data points behind the stock market slide and what it could mean for the Federal Reserve’s upcoming decisions on interest rates. And, we’ll get into what the fallout of former President Donald Trump’s appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists says about microaggressions in the workplace. Plus, women’s rugby, Flavor Flav and all things Olympics. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump attacks Harris’s Black identity at NABJ conference. Harris says Americans ‘deserve better.’” from The Washington Post “Traders Bet on Fed Emergency Rate Cuts, but Officials Need More to React” from The New York Times “U.S. women’s rugby team’s recent $4M gift is momentous for the sport: ‘We’ve always wanted to be included'” from CNBC “Flavor Flav’s new reality: Tackling gender pay inequality in sports, one Olympic polo match at a time” from The Oregonian “An Olympian couldn’t pay her rent. Flavor Flav and Alexis Ohanian stepped in to help” from CNN Sports “Flavor Flav Signs Five-Year Sponsorship Deal as Official Hype Man for USA Water Polo Women’s and Men’s National Teams” from USA Water Polo “Google pulls Gemini AI ad from Olympics after backlash” from The Verge We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

These aren’t words you want to hear about the stock market, but here we are. Global markets, including the major U.S. indexes, tanked today. Along with stocks, crude oil prices also took a hit. We’ll look at the causes and what might happen next. Also, the critical role of exporting services in this economy and a status report on a possible TikTok sale.

In early trading this Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite Index both fell more than 1,000 points, but recovered some. A weaker jobs report on Friday suggests to some that the Federal Reserve was too slow to lower interest rates raising the possibility of a recession in the U.S. We’ll hear the latest. And later, what happens when K-Pop meets AI?

U.S. stock index futures are pointing to one amid worries that elevated interest rates from the U.S. Federal Reserve might lead to a recession rather than a soft landing. We’ll check in on global markets. And later in the program, grocery prices are elevated. Now, the Federal Trade Commission is launching an investigation to assess if companies are juicing profits by raising prices.

From the BBC World Service: The fall was most dramatic in Japan where, the Nikkei suffered its biggest one-day points drop ever. Then, the prime minister of Bangladesh has resigned and left the country following a protest that started over job shortages. And in in South Korea, AI is causing a split in the K-pop world, with some fans annoyed that K-pop stars are using AI to make music videos and experiment with song writing.

Large language models go through a lot of vetting before they’re released to the public. That includes safety tests, bias checks, ethical reviews and more. But what if, hypothetically, a model could dodge a safety question by lying to developers, hiding its real response to a safety test and instead giving the exact response its human handlers are looking for? A recent study shows that advanced LLMs are developing the capacity for deception, and that could bring that hypothetical situation closer to reality. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali speaks with Thilo Hagendorff, a researcher at the University of Stuttgart and the author of the study, about his findings.

Job creation slowed sharply in July, the Labor Department reported today. One sector that took a hit is information and entertainment. That includes data processors, moviemakers, software publishers and — ahem — broadcasters and news websites. Do  those job losses signal a meaningful change or was it just an off month for the field? Plus, shipping rates may come down next year, the Spanish-language interpretation industry is expected to grow, and remember when cellphones had antennas?

The economy added 114,000 jobs in July. Analysts were expecting a slowdown, but not that much of one. Unemployment rose more than expected too. Markets are tumbling on the news amid worries that the Federal Reserve may have waited too long to cut interest rates. We’ll discuss. Plus, a housing crunch means pain for furniture retailers, and a grassroots program in the U.K. is making the sport of fencing more accessible.

We’re in the middle of another heat wave, which can make cooler parts of the country seem more attractive. And a new analysis shows that some Americans are reversing migration patterns. Typically, people are leaving colder states for warmer ones. Now, more Americans are staying put, while others are moving from warmer places to cooler ones. But first: Markets tumble as investors blink before The Fed does.

From the BBC World Service: Fencing is currently having its moment on the Olympic stage in Paris and has been around since the very first modern, organized Olympics. And in the United Kingdom, one grassroots group is making fencing more accessible, investing in growing its popularity and helping Muslim women and girls access more organized sport. Also on today’s show Japan’s stocks tumble on concerns over the U.S. economy.

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta is expanding AI offerings across its products, even as the company gets rid of AI features that haven’t quite landed with consumers. The bottom line? CEO Mark Zuckerberg says “Meta AI is on track to be the most used AI assistant in the world by the end of the year.”Then, the Wall Street Journal’s senior personal tech columnist Joanna Stern shares surprises and regrets on her journey as an electric vehicle owner. But first, this week in Congress, the Senate passed the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, also known as COPPA 2.0, and the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, in a rare bipartisan vote — 91 senators voted in favor, with just three opposing these measures, which aim to reduce harm to kids on the internet.

Strong productivity growth last quarter coupled with recent wage growth means we’re generating more output and, at least to some extent, getting paid for it. In this episode, why productivity growth prevents a wage-price spiral. Plus, California wants to build an offshore wind turbine assembly plant, national economics impact national performance in the Olympics and equity-rich homeowners can’t do much with their housing wealth right now.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has set the stage for the central bank’s first rate cut in four years — but we’ll still likely have to wait a few weeks. Anticipation of a rate cut has already had ripple effects across markets, including for mortgage rates. Then, there’s a shortage of poll workers. What’s being done to boost hiring? Plus, the Biden administration takes another crack at student loan relief.

It’s been about two years since President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science law. A week after that anniversary marks two years since the signing of the the Inflation Reduction Act. Today, we’re joined by Heather Boushey, a member of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, to discuss what the arrival of federal investments is beginning to look like. But first, we’ll break down Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks at yesterday’s press conference.

From the BBC World Service: The world’s first comprehensive set of rules governing artificial intelligence has come into force across the European Union, but it’ll take two years for the law to be fully implemented. Plus, tensions between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah are making a dire economic situation even worse for people in Lebanon. And later, young people in Nigeria are taking to the streets over economic hardship.

There’s always been something aspirational about the term “smart home.” It was coined by a residential builder association here in the U.S. back in the mid-’80s, long before the inventions we now think of as hallmarks of the smart home. Today, 42% of American households with internet own at least one smart home device, according to the market research firm Parks Associates. In her new book, “Threshold: How Smart Homes Change Us Inside and Out,” Heather Suzanne Woods of Kansas State University asks whether that’s a good thing.

The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate as is today, but rate adjustments aren’t the only monetary policy tool at the Fed’s disposal — don’t forget quantitative tightening and easing. In this episode, we explain why buying and selling government debt can help to balance out the economy. Plus, companies look for smaller but swankier offices, New Jersey has 70,000 units of affordable housing thanks to a decades-long legal saga and the oil industry tries to guess when oil demand will peak.

Restaurants are having a tough year, with high prices keeping customers away. Cue some innovation. Today, we’ll visit Wonder on New York City’s Upper West Side, which looks like a typical fast-food place from the outside but is actually a startup serving dishes from multiple restaurant brands. We’ll also learn more about Boeing’s space travel business, corporate investments in AI and Microsoft’s calls for laws on deepfake fraud.

Central bankers can adjust something called the Fed Funds interest rate in a way that makes borrowing more or less expensive in their campaign to bring inflation down to a healthy rate. But it’s like a lot of things in life: Timing is everything. We’ll discuss what to expect. Also on the show: Home purchase deals fell apart in June, and Roblox, the online game platform for kids, is grappling with a predator problem.

From the BBC World Service: Dozens of employees at ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, have been hospitalized after what seems to be a food poisoning outbreak. Then, heavy rains have caused deadly landslides In the Indian state of Kerala, known for its tea plantations. And South Africa is the latest country to welcome remote workers known as digital nomads, but in Cape Town, locals are unhappy.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, can be a lifesaving technology for patients whose organs have failed. It works, essentially, by performing the functions that a healthy person’s lungs and heart would normally do. While using the machine, many recipients of ECMO treatment can walk, talk, even ride a stationary bike, but they can’t leave the hospital with the machine, nor can they survive without it. In a recent article in The New Yorker, emergency physician and writer Clayton Dalton described these patients as “caught on a bridge to nowhere.” Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke to Dalton about the complicated ethics of this technology.

When Big Tech earnings reports come out this week, traders will scrutinize how much was spent on artificial intelligence. The billions of dollars invested haven’t translated into profit — at least not yet — and Wall Street is getting impatient. Also in this episode: We’ll break down the latest job openings data, uncover why housing contract cancellations are rising and hear from a real estate broker about the market in Houston.

It’s been a few months since our deep dive on populism, but following the annoucement of JD Vance as Trump’s VP pick, the term is back in the headlines. Today, we’re revisiting that episode because it’s important to know what populism is and isn’t, and why a specific brand of populism is on the rise. We will be back next week with new episodes after a short summer break. Until then, keep sending us your thoughts, questions and comments at [email protected]. Here’s everything we talked about today: “It’s a major global election year, and populism is on the ballot” from Ipsos “Trump, Brexit, and the Rise of Populism: Economic Have-Nots and Cultural Backlash” from Harvard Kennedy School “Revealed: the rise and rise of populist rhetoric” from The Guardian “Populism is morphing in insidious ways” from The Atlantic “US 2.0: Not at the Dinner Table” from Hidden Brain Media “How a health-care cyberattack may affect your prescription drug access” from The Washington Post “Calls Mount for Government Help as Change Healthcare Hack Freezes Medical Payments” from The Wall Street Journal “China’s New Economic Agenda, a Lot Like the Old One: Takeaways” from The New York Times Subscribe to the “Make Me Smart” newsletter

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked new regulation that would have required airlines to disclose all their fees upfront so customers can better comparison-shop. The rule was scheduled to take effect in late fall. Now, its fate is up in the air. Then, we’ll hear how young Nigerians are responding to a cost of living crisis and what it costs to keep the International Space Station running.

Donald Trump’s social media company is trading at around $30 — down early 40% since it launched on the stock exchange this spring. So far for the former president, the wealth there is locked up on paper. But something called a “Standby Equity Purchase Agreement” could mean cold, hard cash in former president’s hands. Also, the Senate is poised to approve legislation aimed at protecting children online. We’ll hear the latest.

From the BBC World Service: Security forces have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in Venezuela, who demonstrating against Sunday’s disputed election result. President Nicolás Maduro, who was declared the winner, alleges that his opponents are trying to stage a coup. Later in this mornings’s program, we’ll examine the increasing numbers of young people leaving Nigeria.

Companies competing in the chatbot wars are using something known in the industry as “the Pile” to train their large language models. It’s a trove of open-source data made up of text scraped from all around the internet, including Wikipedia and the European Parliament. Annie Gilbertson, investigative reporter for Proof News, recently took a deep dive into the Pile and discovered something else: a dataset called “YouTube Subtitles.” Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Gilbertson about her investigation and how YouTube creators feel about their content being used without their consent.

McDonald’s reported weak sales in its second quarter. A slowdown in restaurant spending — if that’s what’s happening — may signal an economic downturn is brewing. Or, are the chain’s underwhelming results a byproduct of pandemic spending trends or rising wages? Also in this episode: Being a firstborn kid has its economic advantages and three major central banks are meeting this week. Plus, we’ll explain how maximum employment is measured.

What are the chances of an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve this week? And how much will the central bank be paying attention to the unemployment report? We’ll discuss that and more as the guardians of rates gather for a meeting tomorrow and Wednesday. Then, we’ll unpack what Venezuela’s presidential election results mean for the country’s economy and hear why electric vehicle demand has been slowing.

A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds that money is a major factor in the kids-or-no-kids decision. Among adults under 50 who say they’re unlikely to have children, 36% say they can’t afford them. Also on the show: We’ll examine an $80 million settlement involving banks and price-fixing of bonds, and hear about pollution-reducing projects in 30 states that will use $4.3 billion in EPA grants.

From the BBC World Service: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been declared the winner of the county’s election — but the result has sparked accusations of fraud from the opposition, who claim their candidate actually won. Then, Japanese airports are cracking down on a novel and potentially hazardous way of traveling through endless airport corridors: electric passenger-carrying suitcases. And later, we look at why Australia’s minimum wage increase hasn’t got everyone’s support.

It’s a rare issue that can bring the political parties together in Congress, and the need to regulate social media companies ranks high on that very short list. Two industry veterans want Congress to create an agency that sets safety and privacy rules for platforms — and enforces them. The status quo, they argue, is like letting airlines fly without Federal Aviation Administration oversight. The idea comes from Anika Collier Navaroli and Ellen Pao. Pao, an attorney and now CEO of Project Include, pushed to ban revenge porn on Reddit during her tenure as interim CEO. Navaroli, an attorney and senior fellow at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, was involved in Twitter’s decision to ban former President Donald Trump from the platform in 2021, when she was a senior policy expert there. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Navaroli and Pao about their proposal.  

On today’s edition of Economics on Tap, we’ll get into some news while toasting the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics. First, Kimberly teaches us how to make an Olympic torch cocktail (complete with a real flame)! And, we’ll play a Paris Games-themed round of This or That. But first, a discussion of the history of women’s sportswear at the Olympic Games and Boeing’s Starliner crew (still) stuck in space. Here’s everything we talked about today: “50 days after launch to ISS, Boeing Starliner astronauts still have no landing date” from Space “Olympic athletes are approaching the limits of human performance” from The Washington Post “From Corsets to Singlets, the Olympics Have Driven the Evolution of Women’s Sportswear” from Smithsonian magazine “How Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky does what no one else does. Every day.” from The Washington Post “The Double Kick” from 99% Invisible “Today, Explained podcast” from Vox Keep sending us your Olympic-themed cocktail ideas. Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The good news? The Commerce Department says personal income and consumption were up in June. Bad news is savings didn’t rise with ’em. In fact, high interest rates and high prices have battered the personal savings rate down to an almost two-year low, leaving many households without a financial security cushion. In this episode, we’ll also get into why national manufacturing growth depends on where you are, and Boston is incentivizing office to residential real estate conversions.

The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics are slated to get underway today in Paris. And while artificial intelligence isn’t competing (yet), it is playing a role in scoring, crowd control and security, and even finding talent. Also on the show: Inflation inches closer toward the Federal Reserve’s target in June, and California’s Supreme Court deals a blow to efforts by gig workers to be classified as employees with certain benefits.

A new study from researchers at Harvard’s Opportunity Insights and the Census Bureau finds that children have a better chance at moving up the economic ladder if most of the adults they interact with are employed — not just in the household but beyond. We’ll delve in. Plus, the Biden White House still has lots on its economic plate before a new president comes to power in six months.

From the BBC World Service: Just as the Olympics are getting underway in Paris, the French train network has been hit by arson attacks, causing major delays and disruption. The incident will put even more focus on security at the games, which is already extremely tight. Then, we’ll look at how AI is being used to help make athletes’ lives easier and scoring more accurate at this year’s Games.

On the show today: The ascent of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic Party ticket has stirred the KHive. We’ll look at what the Harris memes mean, in case you just fell out of a coconut tree. Plus, why Waymo is suing alleged vandals of its vehicles in San Francisco. We ask, why now? But first, cookies are here to stay — for a while, anyway. Google is backtracking on its plan, announced in 2020, to do away with the files that advertisers use to track us online. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired magazine, about why.

New gross domestic product data just came in — GDP grew a healthy 2.8% annually in the second quarter, better than predicted. Meanwhile, consumers are focused on buying essentials and credit card debt is growing. In this episode, we’ll examine why GDP is strong while many everyday people feel squeezed for cash. Plus: New real estate broker fee rules take effect next month and the number of Americans who predict they’ll retire young is up.

When President Biden leaves office in 2025, he’ll leave behind a series of industrial policies like the CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act that have turned United States economic policy on its head. We’ll get into why it may take decades to see these initiatives fully play out. And, we’ll get into Vice President Kamala Harris’s budding economic agenda. Plus, why Tesla and other tech companies were a drag on the stock market this week. Here’s everything we talked about today: “What happens to Biden’s industrial policy initiatives now?” from Marketplace “The Momala Economy: The candidate caregivers have been waiting for” from 19th News “Tesla earnings: Automotive revenue falls 7% in Q2, robotaxi timing unclear” from Axios “What goes up must come back down” from Marketplace VIDEO: “Paris” by The Brevet Join us tomorrow for our 2024 Olympics Edition of Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. And watch the hosts square off in a round of This/That!

You’ve probably heard of dynamic pricing, like on ride-sharing apps. Now, the Federal Trade Commission is looking into surveillance pricing, which is when companies charge you a different price than someone else for the same product or service based on data they have on where you are and clues about your interests and lifestyle. We’ll unpack. Plus, GDP was higher than anticipated in the second quarter — but it wasn’t driven by consumers.

Wall Street indexes are droopy this morning after a surge downward yesterday. The S&P 500 fell 2.3% and the Nasdaq had its deepest drop in two years. Some are calling it “rebalancing” as investors pull back from some of their tech darlings. And, as a follow-up to yesterday’s episode, we check in with Juan Carlos Cisneros Suarez, who has been waiting for a visa and has skills in computer programming or robotics.

From the BBC World Service: The stock market sell-off is spreading from the U.S. to Asia and Europe. There have been declines across the board, but companies specializing in AI and semiconductor chips have been hit especially hard. Part of it has to do with expectations of additional trade restrictions from the U.S. on chip trade with China. Then, smaller brands are competing against fashion giants to deck out this year’s Olympic athletes.

Back in 1990, then-President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act, the world’s first comprehensive law for people with disabilities. It was seen as making up for an area in which the Civil Rights Act of 1964 fell short. “The stark fact remains that people with disabilities were still victims of segregation and discrimination, and this was intolerable,” Bush said. Now, the legislation passed at the dawn of the internet age is being adapted to ensure digital access for everyone. That means ensuring access to captions on web videos to support deaf Americans and the ability to resize text so people with low vision can read it. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with consultant Nicolas Steenhout, who explained how the Department of Justice is updating the rules.

The last time Congress raised the federal minimum wage, it went up 70 cents — from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour. That was in 2009. Today, we’ll get into why there hasn’t been a successful push to boost it since then and who suffers as a result. Plus, officials in China promise major tax reform, apartment vacancies in Sun Belt cities rise and the Federal Reserve keeps an eye on GDP estimates.

Ahead of this year’s election, politicians are spinning out all kinds of narratives about how immigration hurts the U.S. economy. But an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office projects that a surge in immigration over the next decade will ultimately lower the federal deficit. We’ll do the numbers. Then, we’ll get into why former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers compared the Republican Party’s economic agenda to former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss’ infamous mini-budget disaster. And, Kai tells us about his cool dad moment. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Summers Says GOP Fiscal Plans Set US Up for ‘Liz Truss Moment’” from Bloomberg “Undocumented immigrants will boost economy, lower deficit, CBO says” from The Hill “Effects of the Immigration Surge on the Federal Budget and the Economy” from the Congressional Budget Office “Why Hydrangeas Are Blooming Spectacularly in the Northeast This Summer” from The New York Times “Chappell Roan Booked a Tour. Then She Blew Up.” from The New York Times Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

“We started breaking down crying, because I didn’t think I would get out for my mother’s funeral.” “I’m about $10,000 out of pocket right now for just lodging, food and transportation.” These are just a few of the pained frustrations passengers at Atlanta’s airport, Delta’s primary hub, shared after flight delays and cancellations following the recent CrowdStrike outage. Also: sluggish home sales, the ban on noncompete agreements and politicization of the Federal Reserve.

Working for cash off the books is illegal. But there are routes to work for immigrants who don’t have permission to in the U.S. as an independent contractor or by establishing a Limited Liability Company, or LLC. Today, we’ll hear from one young man who’s seeking a visa that would allow him to work — but he’s looking to start an LLC in the meantime. But first: Tesla is losing ground overseas.

From the BBC World Service: Some of the world’s biggest civilian and defense aviation businesses are gathered at this year’s Farnborough Airshow, a trade expo in the south of England. But with deals on the table, it’s clear that plane makers are struggling to keep up with demand. Also: a look at the the realities of Venezuela’s struggling economy as citizens head to the polls on Sunday.

What if receiving a medical diagnosis was as simple as shopping online? The growing home diagnostics industry says it can be. At-home testing was widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic, but more health tech companies also offer DIY kits that test for food allergies, fertility and thyroid function, among other things. Some medical experts are wary of this on-demand model, but health tech investors say it can make health care more accessible. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke to Chrissy Farr, author of the Second Opinion newsletter, and Anarghya Vardhana, a partner at the Maveron venture firm, about the prospects of the industry and how it affects relationships between patients and doctors.

Today, we’re talking about one of Kai Ryssdal’s favorite topics: soccer! The sport’s U.S. audience is only expected grow, especially as the country gets ready to host the World Cup in 2026. Paul Tenorio, soccer writer for The Athletic, said access to the sport has changed dramatically for Americans over the last decade. On the show today, Tenorio explains why soccer is gaining a new audience, what lessons American stadiums can learn from mistakes at the recent Copa América tournament, and how legendary player Lionel Messi is bringing eyes and money to the game in the United States. Then, we’ll get into how companies are using troves of data to target different consumers, and why this “surveillance pricing” has caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission. And, what a travel editor got wrong about repeat travel. Here’s everything we talked about today: “The Messi Effect – How One Single Player Will Impact Soccer In America” from Forbes “‘It was inhuman’: Why the Copa America final was delayed and dangerously close to disaster” from The Athletic “U.S. Soccer Fans Are Younger, More Diverse Than Fans of Other Sports” from Morning Consult “What Messi’s MLS, Apple, Adidas deal means for everyone else” from ESPN “You’re not going crazy — you may actually be paying higher prices than other people” from CNN Business “FTC Issues Orders to Eight Companies Seeking Information on Surveillance Pricing” from the Federal Trade Commission “Why Is the US Deficit So Big? Depends on Who You Ask” from Bloomberg “What the bond market’s telling us, or not, about Biden’s withdrawal” from Marketplace Send us your suggestions for Paris Games-themed cocktails or let us know what Olympic events you’re looking forward to watching. Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

“Act your wage,” “coffee badging,” “ghost jobs” — the internet is always vomiting up new workplace phrases. You may even use some of them to describe the bizarre job market of the past few years. So when popular work slang shifts from silly — “lazy girl jobs” — to grim — “quiet cutting” — are there hints about where the labor market is headed? Also in this episode: Tech firms ditch user counts, car sales motor on despite high costs and educators get educated about jobs at the Port of Baltimore.

Despite threats of legal challenges from the right, Vice President Kamala Harris’ camp appears poised to inherit around $100 million from what was the Biden-Harris campaign — and that’s after an additional $100 million was raised in the 24 hours after Sunday’s shake-up. So how will a new name at the top of the Democratic ticket change how campaign dollars are spent? Plus, little stocks are starting to get bigger attention.

The Crowsdstrike software update — which knocked out an estimated 8.5 million Windows computers and impacted airlines, government operations and 9-1-1 emergency calls, is continuing to wreak havoc, and outage costs are estimated to be several billion dollars. We’ll discuss the latest and hear what to do if you’re one of the many, many passengers who’s been affected. And later: Why is everyone talking about “The Magnificent Seven” tech stocks?

From the BBC World Service: In India’s recent election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party won a third term but lost its ruling majority. Now, the coalition released its first budget, focusing on stability and boosting the economy. Then, the founder of South Korea’s popular KakaoTalk app has been arrested on allegations of manipulating stock prices. And there are growing calls to add an African country to the highly lucrative Formula One series of races.

Last Friday felt like something out of a Y2K nightmare after the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, pushed a software update to all its clients — including health care systems, banks and the federal government — that ended up crashing computer systems worldwide. The fallout is still being felt, particularly in the travel sector, as airliners try to reschedule canceled flights while trying to get everything back to normal. It’s also become something of a reminder that the internet and a lot of the online services we rely on are delicate. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Kate Conger, a reporter at The New York Times who recently wrote about this with her colleague David Streitfeld.

It’s official, folks. Over the weekend, President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in. Some are pointing out similarities between VP Harris’ eleventh-hour candidacy and the “glass cliff effect,” when a woman is put in a position of leadership to fix a company in crisis. We’ll get into it and fill you in on how the Harris campaign is leaning into memes to attract the Gen Z vote. Plus, gaps in China’s newly released economic plans leave questions about the country’s ability to turn things around. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Heat pumps, EV chargers and more: U.S. unveils $4.3 billion in local climate funds” from The Washington Post “When That Job Promotion Is Really a ‘Glass Cliff'” from The New York Times “China’s Long Blueprint for Economy Falls Short on Details, Raising Concerns” from The Wall Street Journal “What coconut trees and Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ have to do with Kamala Harris” from The Washington Post “What is Kamala Harris’ ‘brat’ rebrand all about?” from BBC News “Brat campaign: Harris team swiftly embraces Gen Z memes about VP” from Axios Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

In the face of major news, some say the bond market can signal what comes next economically. But so far, bond yields don’t seem to be reacting to Biden’s dropping out of the presidential race. In this episode, what the crystal ball of the economy does care about in regard to elections. Plus, business investments outpace GDP gains, Nvidia employees cash in on the chipmaker’s hockey stick-shaped earnings growth and Friday’s CrowdStrike crash reveals a common cybersecurity weakness.

Economic markets take a beat to adjust to Biden’s announcement that he won’t seek re-election; what the entire cybersecurity industry can learn from Friday’s CrowdStrike outage; and a new law makes it easier to pull emergency cash from a retirement account.

On the heels of the President’s announcement that he won’t seek re-election, assessing how history will remember the Biden economy. Plus, continued fallout from Friday’s CrowdStrike outage and global tech meltdown

From the BBC World Service: After Joe Biden announced he’s dropping out of the presidential race, Kamala Harris has secured the backing of some of the Democrats’ biggest donors; so what are investors thinking? Students in Bangladesh continue their protests a day after the Supreme Court eliminated most of the government job quotas they were fighting against. In Spain, concerns about tourism’s impact on locals has sparked protests on the island of Mallorca, with hundreds of people taking to the streets.

Online sales in the U.S. surpassed $14 billion during Amazon Prime Day last week, according to Adobe Analytics. Amazon’s heft and promotional power continue to drive sales, even for rivals, during the shopping jamboree. But in Europe, an important market for the e-commerce giant, lawmakers have become increasingly sensitive to Amazon’s relations with its rivals, as well as its partners and customers. They’ve requested that Amazon hand over information about its product recommendation algorithms, along with data on ads, by Friday. It’s part of compliance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of tech regulations that took effect in recent years. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino discussed it with Theo Wayt, who covers Amazon for The Information.

In May, President Joe Biden’s campaign said it had a hefty $91 million stashed in the bank. If Biden were to end his candidacy, what would happen to all that cash? We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain why the federal government’s plan to phase out its purchases of single-use plastics could have a sizable impact on the country’s use of plastic overall. Plus, we’ll get nostalgic for DVDs and paper checks during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! And, would you talk politics in the office? Here’s everything we talked about today: “It’s time to stop arguing over the population slowdown and start adapting to it” from Vox “What happens to Joe Biden’s campaign money?” from Reuters “The White House Has a Plan to Slash Plastic Use in the U.S.” from The New York Times “FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Releases New Strategy to Tackle Plastic Pollution, Takes Action to Reduce Single-Use Plastics in Federal Operations” from The White House “What is Microsoft’s “blue screen of death?” Here’s what it means and how to fix it.” from CBS News “RIP Redbox, a Bad Idea at the Worst Time” from Wired “Hello Kitty Is Not a Cat and We’re Not OK” from E! News “Target will stop accepting this old-school form of payment” from CNN Business “How can we talk about politics in the workplace?” from Marketplace Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Nearly every economic sector relies on secure technology networks: retailers, airlines, hospitals and more. After a faulty software update by cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike, businesses across the globe came screeching to a halt, dragging customers with them. In this episode, the tech firm behind today’s maddening “blue screen of death.” Plus: why the Federal Reserve plans communication blackouts, a former delivery driver remembers using chickens to mark her routes, and industry upheaval threatens an Alaskan fishing community.

New data out this week on retail sales, shipping rates and more offer a snapshot of the economy’s overall health. Plus, the knock-on economic effects of tariffs, and Shanghai becomes a hyper-competitive hub for cafes.

Donald Trump promised sweeping changes to tax policy and interest rates, but would he really have the power to carry those out? Plus, why Silicon Valley billionaires are suddenly flocking to the GOP, and a widespread tech outage has disrupted businesses around the globe, including major airlines.

From the BBC World Service: A raft of businesses and organizations running Microsoft’s Windows apps have been affected by a major global IT outage. Students in Bangladesh are continuing their blockade of roads across the country, in protest of a quota system on government jobs. You may think of Rome or Paris when asked about the café capital of the world – but China’s financial capital is becoming a new contender. At least that’s what Shanghai’s local government claims.

A new Senate report finds Amazon Prime Day is prime time for warehouse injuries. Plus, Starbucks is teaming up with Mercedes-Benz to supercharge electric vehicle infrastructure. But first, several Silicon Valley billionaires have thrown their support behind former President Donald Trump in his quest to reclaim the White House, thanks in part to his pick for vice president, Sen. J.D. Vance. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Jewel Burks Solomon, a managing partner at Collab Capital, for her take on these stories in Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.

The number of people filing for jobless benefits in each of the last two weeks rose. That means it’s taking job seekers longer to find employment. It’s also offers mild support to those who want to see lower interest rates. Also: Who’s spending and who isn’t? And what AI means for authors and publishers.

This week Sean O’Brien became the first ever president of the Teamsters union to speak at the Republican National Convention. We’ll explain why this ruffled some feathers and what it could mean for the relationship between unions and the Democratic Party. And, we’ll get into how the lock-in effect is shaping today’s housing market and why the Federal Reserve won’t wait for inflation to fall to 2% before lowering interest rates. Plus, when it comes to avoiding online misinformation while a crisis unfolds, patience is a virtue. “Sean O’Brien: Why a union president crossed partisan lines for a starring role at Trump’s RNC” from CNN “A Teamsters Boss Delivers Rare Speech to R.N.C.” from The New York Times “First-time homebuyers are a growing share of the market” from Marketplace “We fact-checked some of the rumors spreading online about the Trump assassination attempt” from Reuters “How to Avoid Online Misinformation After Political Violence” from Marketplace Tech “CPI inflation report June 2024” from CNBC “Interest rates may work like a ‘Jedi mind trick’ to drive price trends” from Marketplace Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

First, semiconductor manufacturer TSMC has seen a surge in sales, yet its stock took a hit yesterday. That followed news the U.S. might further curb exports to China and comments by former President Donald Trump that TSMC’s home base of Taiwan would need to start paying for its own defense. Then, as the U.S.-China economic relationship becomes more contentious, where does that leave Europe? We dig in. And later: why women’s health is so far behind the curve.

At the start of this week’s Republican National Convention, Republicans adopted a new platform that promises to preserve Social Security and Medicare with no cuts, while also pledging to cut taxes for working Americans. Can those two objectives be squared? We’ll also hear more about the economics of J.D. Vance and learn how Gaza’s farmers are faring amid war. Plus, from today’s “Marketplace Tech,” how can we limit the fallout from misinformation after political violence?

From the BBC World Service: Despite big profits for chipmakers, the prospect of further curbs on exports of semiconductor technology to China has prompted a major sell-off by investors. Plus, a court in South Korea has ruled same-sex couples should be eligible for the same health insurance benefits as their heterosexual counterparts. And we hear how conflict in Gaza is affecting those who earn a living from the land.

FBI officials are still looking into what motivated the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on Saturday. As of this episode, investigators have yet to publicly share any conclusions about his reasons for the attack, which killed a rally attendee and injured the former president and two others. But the lack of information didn’t stop misinformation from flooding online channels. Marketplace’s senior Washington correspondent, Kimberly Adams, speaks with Molly Dwyer, director of insights at PeakMetrics, and Lisa Fazio, associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, about the false narratives surrounding the shooting and how to separate fact from fiction in the aftermath of a violent event. This conversation is part of “Marketplace Tech’s” limited series “Decoding Democracy.” Watch the full episode here or on our YouTube channel.

The transition to our clean energy economy is already underway. But progress on climate change may slow down as climate populism on the far right is taking root in developed economies. We’ll explain why cheaper, green technologies might be the antidote. Meanwhile, in Arizona, ballooning costs for a school voucher program triggered a state budget crisis. Plus, NASA blasted a Missy Elliot song all the way to Venus at the speed of light! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Populist opposition is threatening progress on climate change” from the Peterson Institute for International Economics “School Vouchers Were Supposed to Save Taxpayer Money. Instead They Blew a Massive Hole in Arizona’s Budget.” from ProPublica “A Missy Elliott Song Travels to Venus at the Speed of Light” from The New York Times “Paris mayor swims in Seine ahead of Olympic Games opening” from Axios “Pressed about jumping into Baltimore Harbor, Mayor Scott and others admit it’s still unsafe and illegal outside of organized events” from Baltimore Brew Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Now’s the time of year when many families look for a new home. But it’s a seemingly impossible market for first-time buyers: high prices, high mortgage rates, high insurance, low inventory. We’ll explain how some are pulling it off and why some experts believe lower home prices and rents are in sight. Also: State and local governments have been on a hiring spree, and business inventories are up.

The GOP wants to be clear that it’s pro-cryptocurrency. The official Republican platform adopted earlier this week says the party will “defend the right to mine bitcoin.” We’ll hear more about the intersection of digital assets and politics. Plus, dinners in Spain tend to start pretty darn late — after 9 p.m. on average. One reason is that the working day runs deep into the evening. But could things be changing?

According to Milwaukee’s visitors bureau, hosting the Republican National Convention this week comes with $200 million in additional economic activity. But that figure doesn’t include business lost when locals try to avoid the crowds. Plus, stock prices wake up with a hangover. And later, it’s day 2 of Amazon Prime Day. Today, we check in on Amazon’s pledge to spend $1.2 billion to provide free job training to about 300,000 employees.

From the BBC World Service: Workers at an Amazon warehouse in the United Kingdom have failed to gain union recognition by the slimmest of margins. A majority of support was needed but just under 50% voted in favor. Then, in Bangladesh, thousands of students have been protesting over a lack of jobs. And in Spain, some are questioning the culture of working well into the evening.

Pop quiz: What’s a policy supported by political rivals in California and Florida? The answer is banning cellphones in school. Florida is among a handful of states that have restricted mobile devices in the classroom. California has not, though Gov. Gavin Newsom has pushed the Legislature to act. The policies are intended to reduce distraction and mitigate addiction and other mental health concerns attributed to phone use. But Liz Kolb, a clinical professor of education at the University of Michigan, tells Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino it’s not that simple. Pop quiz: What’s a policy supported by political rivals in California and Florida? The answer is banning cellphones in school. Florida is among a handful of states that have restricted mobile devices in the classroom. California has not, though Gov. Gavin Newsom has pushed the Legislature to act. The policies are intended to reduce distraction and mitigate addiction and other mental health concerns attributed to phone use. But Liz Kolb, a clinical professor of education at the University of Michigan, tells Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino it’s not that simple.

Retail sales numbers released today show spending was flat last month. But if you look a little deeper, you’ll see Americans spent more in June than May. What does this mean for the Federal Reserve as it considers lowering interest rates? Also: Homebuilders are feeling a little less confident, and AI is trying to read emotions. Plus, the nocturnal sprint at UPS’ one-day-shipping hub.

If you’ve been feeling hopeless about the news, the election, the economy, the climate crisis and everything else that’s going on, today’s episode is for you. Emily Amick, lawyer and co-author of “Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives,” argues we can all become better participants in our democracy. And we don’t need to have a gazillion dollars to do it. On the show today, Amick explains why we should treat civic engagement as self-care, how to find your civic personality and ways to cultivate a news diet that doesn’t put you in a doom loop. Plus, the moment she realized our democracy was headed in the wrong direction. Then, we’ll get into how voters in Utah fought to protect the power of citizen-led ballot initiatives and why shoppers hide purchases from their romantic partners. Plus, an anime cosplayer was wrong about what it would take to create her own costume. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Despite Recent Setbacks, There Is Still Hope For Democracy” from Forbes “In ‘Democracy in Retrograde,’ Emily Amick Talks About Political Engagement and Her Cancer Diagnosis” from Teen Vogue “What does Utah’s redistricting ruling do to voters’ ability to change laws?” from The Salt Lake Tribune “Utah Supreme Court: Lawmakers must heed voter-passed gerrymandering reforms “ from Axios Salt Lake City “Amazon’s Prime Day a ‘major’ cause of worker injuries, Senate probe finds” from CNBC “US Retail Sales Excluding Autos Rise by Most in Three Months” from Bloomberg “Gym Bags, Trunks, Back Doors: How Stealth Shoppers Hide Purchases” from The Wall Street Journal “Financial Infidelity Report 2023: Why People Hide Purchases From Partners” from Circuit “Inside a UPS warehouse that prioritizes super-fast shipping” from Marketplace How are you getting involved in civic life? What helps you fend off feelings of hopelessness? Let us know at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

If the Trump/Vance ticket emerges the winner in November, what might a Vice President J.D. Vance’s perspective on the government’s role in business and trade look like? Hint, Vance sees a big role for government. Then, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has given investors tantalizing hints on when rate cuts may occur. Plus, industrialized countries are getting older. What might immigration mean for economies as populations age?

Yesterday, former President Donald Trump announced that Ohio Senator, author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance would be his running mate. But as a populist conservative, Vance’s economic views buck those of the traditional, Republican establishment. We’ll hear more. Also, we’ll hear about the Secret Service’s additional responsibilities besides protecting presidents and unpack how political turmoil and violence might affect the United States’ position in the global business community.

From the BBC World Service: The United Kingdom’s 500-year-old postal service is up for sale. The Royal Mail, with its iconic red mailboxes, operates similarly to the United States Postal Service, but is publicly listed. Now, a $6.5 billion offer has been accepted from Daniel Křetínský, who explains why the nationally important company should be entrusted to him. Also: a look at the self-storage boom in Canada and beyond.

In recent years, we’ve seen a surge of state laws and policies affecting trans people. Half of states have banned or restricted gender affirming care for minors, with some adding restrictions for adults. The ACLU is tracking more than 500 bills that have been introduced across the country. The enforcement of such laws, as with recent bans on abortion and related reproductive care, have raised concerns about tracking people’s digital footprints. So much of daily life is conducted online, and there are currently no federal data privacy protections. KB Brookins, a writer based in Austin, Texas, wrote about a personal experience that drove home concerns about their trail of digital data.

The economy seems to be coming in for a soft landing, and that’s a big reason banks are doing so well. Markets are up, emboldening companies to make merger deals, which they pay investment banks to execute. JPMorgan Chase just posted the highest quarterly net income for a bank in U.S. history — $18.1 billion. Also: On the eve of Amazon Prime Day, how a shipping hub handles quick turnarounds. Plus, another decline in China’s GDP, and a DJ looks back at her analog life spinning vinyl.

We’re still processing the news of the shooting at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. On top of that, a federal judge dismissed the classified documents case against the former president. We’ll get into the news and why it matters how we talk about it. Then, we’ll explain why eviction rates remain above pre-pandemic levels in many parts of the country. Plus, some good news from the world of science about a malaria vaccine rollout in Ivory Coast and a $14 million investment in battery recycling. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Evictions Surge in Major Cities in the American Sunbelt” from The Wall Street Journal “Judge dismisses Trump’s classified documents case” from The Washington Post “Malaria Vaccines: Which Countries in Africa Are Using Serum’s New Shots?” from Bloomberg “It Will Soon Be Easier for Americans to Recycle Batteries” from Wired Biden-Harris Administration Announces $14 Million to Increase Domestic Battery Recycling from the U.S. Department of Energy “How can we talk about politics in the workplace?” from Marketplace We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

As people process news of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, some of that processing may occur at work. And the workplace — like the rest of America — is a polarized place. Today, we’re joined by Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, to hear how managers can guide healthy conversations over differing political viewpoints. Plus: a pulse check on China’s economy.

Stocks are set to open higher two days after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. And this week, Republicans begin their convention in Milwaukee to formally nominate Trump as their presidential candidate. We’ll take a closer look at how investors are responding. Then, we’ll hear about reports of toxic metals in tampons and examine how World War I shaped labor participation for women.

From the BBC World Service: China’s leaders meet to talk about its economy as official figures show growth is slowing again, clocking the country’s economic growth rate at 4.7% over the second quarter. How might the government respond? And later in the program, music marketing is changing. We take a look at how music reviewers on TikTok are influencing the industry as a whole.

Sandwiched between some blockbuster Supreme Court rulings last month came a decision — or more so, a non-decision — that is reverberating through the tech world. NetChoice, big tech’s lobbying arm, challenged a pair of laws in Florida and Texas that sought to restrict how social media platforms moderate content. The high court kicked both cases back to lower courts with some added commentary. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Lauren Feiner, senior policy reporter with the Verge, who wrote about what this means for future attempts to regulate tech.

In the aftermath of the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, money’s been talking. Major donors to a key pro-Biden super PAC are reportedly putting donations worth $90 million on ice if Biden stays in the race. We’ll get into what the funding freeze means for the future of Biden’s campaign. Plus, guest host Sabri Ben-Achour makes us smart about cricket protein powder. And we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Donors to Pro-Biden Super PAC Are Said to Withhold Roughly $90 Million” from The New York Times “Inside the glitzy Biden fundraiser that lost the president George Clooney” from The Washington Post “Silkworm satay? Singapore approves insects as food” from CNN “Dynamic pricing tech may brighten retail bottom lines and put consumers in the dark” from Marketplace “Kids want $70 wrinkle creams. Parents and lawmakers are “fighting a losing battle”’ from Marketplace “A Fancy Card Is Becoming the Only Way to Get a Restaurant Reservation” from The Atlantic “Influencer Style Case Risks More Stolen Vibe Suits From Creators” from Bloomberg Law “Amazon launched an AI shopping assistant — just in time for Prime Day” from Quartz Before you get your weekend started, send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Nearly a million Texans are without power after Hurricane Beryl damaged an already fragile energy grid. As they wait for the lights come back on, we’ll explain why pretty much the whole country needs costly energy grid updates, especially as climate change makes weather more extreme. Also in this episode: Students who attended for-profit colleges are drowning in debt, and legal experts break down what might happen to federal regulatory agencies without the Chevron deference.

Consumers feel frustrated with inflation; Surveyed economists think inflation would worsen under Donald Trump; Dollar General reaches a safety settlement.

The producer price index increased 0.2%; economists worried Trump will worsen inflation, WSJ survey finds; PepsiCo, Conagra signal limits to price increases; IMF predicts Fed rate cuts by end of year.

Feelings about the economy have been sort of middling, with consumers optimistic about jobs but pessimistic about prices. But there’s another aspect of consumer surveys that doesn’t often get reported — sentiment can skew heavily partisan. Today: how consumers see the world through Republican or Democrat lenses. Plus, we’ll do the numbers on wholesale prices, hear about a Marathon Oil pollution settlement and learn about a downturn in TV and film production.

Australia is sometimes called a “migration nation,” as a third of its population was born abroad. That said, people with disabilities are often not welcome. Many foreigners with disabilities or serious medical conditions are routinely denied an Australian visa. But there’s pressure for policy change. Also on the show: A three-judge panel has concluded that many U.S. college athletes are likely employees and may be protected under federal minimum wage laws.

From the BBC World Service: Colombia’s president says a lot of the country’s problems would be solved and the country’s armed conflict could end within a day if the United Nations declared cocaine legal across the world. We’ll discuss. Then, China is constructing twice as many solar and wind plants as the rest of the world combined, and many foreigners with disabilities in Australia are denied visas.

The Republican Party officially adopted former President Donald Trump’s 2024 platform this week. The GOP is now taking a friendly approach to cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, with plans to roll back regulation of both. Plus, Meta’s Threads platform celebrates its one-year anniversary this month. But first, the Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on the popular messaging app NGL. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino is joined by Natasha Mascarenhas, reporter at The Information, for her take on this week’s tech news.

Inflation cooled for the third straight month in June, and borrowers hope rate cuts come soon. But will enough “good data” show up to ease the risks of a flare-up in prices? We break down the Fed’s decision-making process — and explain why shelter prices are one thing holding the central bank back. Also in this episode: Workers at the Port of Baltimore are full steam ahead as the region recovers from the Key Bridge collapse, and a SCOTUS decision opens the door to changes in tribal nation health care management.

If you’re waiting for interest rates to fall back to the near-zero levels of the 2010s, don’t hold your breath. On Capitol Hill this week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told senators that era is probably over. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll unpack why more NATO members are spending more on defense and what’s causing widespread financial strain for hospitals and health systems. Plus, how things could change for federal agencies and lawmakers in a post-Chevron doctrine world. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Era of near-zero interest rates likely over: Powell” from The Hill “Fed steers interest rates on path toward ‘neutral'” from Marketplace “NATO’s place in the global economy” from Marketplace “NATO on the Edge: Biden Praises and Trump Denigrates a 75-Year Alliance” from The New York Times “Health care openings still hot amid cooling job market” from Marketplace “New AHA Report: Hospitals and Health Systems Continue to Face Rising Costs, Economic Pressures” from the American Hospital Association “With end of ‘Chevron deference,’ Supreme Court changes how agencies, lawmakers work” from Marketplace We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Markets close mixed; PepsiCo blames “price conscious” shoppers for falling sales; Mortgage rates tick down; GM will retool a Michigan plant for EVs, with federal help.

The consumer price index fell 0.1% between May and June; initial jobless claims remain low at 222,000; Biden administration to distribute $1.7 billion to modernize old auto plants; Apple to open Apple Pay to competitors in two weeks.

A Senate committee is set to hold a hearing later this month on a new bill that would ban stock trading by members of Congress and their families. The legislation was unveiled yesterday. Some lawmakers are outperforming the market — and that’s spurred copycat funds ordinary investors can jump into. But first, inflation this morning came in lower than expected. And later: why the FTC is taking a closer look at pharmacy benefit managers.

The closely-watched consumer price index is slated to be released later this morning. Despite agita over continued rising prices, incomes have continued to outpace inflation. But consumer sentiment and spending can be fickle things. We’ll hear more. Plus, does Citibank have a problem with its safety systems? Regulators seem to think so. Also: Be wary of that unsolicited job offer. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

From the BBC World Service: Indigenous leaders in Brazil are asking the United Nations to pressure President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to stop illegal mining on their Amazon lands. We’ll hear the latest. Then, a potential rival group may soon rival the Economic Community of West African States. And later, Greece imposes regulations to limit the areas on beaches that bars and restaurants can use after complaints by locals.

The internet is full of all manner of unsavoriness that is surely corroding our minds and societies. But the kind of rot we’re talking about here is link rot — the disappearance of online content when links turn into “404 Page Not Found.” A recent study from Pew Research suggests almost 40% of all webpages that existed in 2013 are no longer accessible. That includes important government links, citations on Wikipedia and hyperlinks in news articles. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali recently talked about this with Clare Stanton, product and research manager at Harvard Law School’s Library Innovation Lab, who also works on a webpage preservation project, perma.cc.

Inquiring minds want to know: When will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates? Fed Chair Jay Powell isn’t ready to answer that question. But when rates are cut, there’s gonna be a lag before the Americans feels it. Also in this episode: Egg-freezing rates skyrocket as more employer benefits cover the procedure, the U.S. is less trade-oriented than other countries, and nearly half of Gen Xers aren’t financially on track to retire, a new study says.

For the oldest members of Gen X, retirement is right around the corner. But a new report from BlackRock found only 60% of Gen X feels on track to retire, the lowest of any generation. We’ll do the numbers on which Americans feel confident in their retirement savings and what could explain generational and gender gaps. And, we’ll get into a social media horror story playing out at a Pennsylvania middle school. Plus, Team USA gymnasts will bring the sparkle factor to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Reality bites for Gen X retirement” from Axios “Read on Retirement” from BlackRock “Rules for 401(k) Withdrawals” from The Motley Fool “Students Target Teachers in Group TikTok Attack, Shaking Their School” from The New York Times “Team USA’s Olympic Gymnasts Will Wear Leotards With a Record Number of Crystals” from The New York Times “See the U.S. Olympic gymnastic team’s new leotards encrusted in crystals” from The Washington Post “SNL’s Teacher Sketch Gets Real About the Most Important Job: “Y’all Won”‘ from NBC Insider “‘Shrek 5’ Set for 2026 with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz Returning” from The Hollywood Reporter We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Stocks close higher; Powell says the election won’t impact rate decisions; Wholesale inventories rise; Intuit pivots to AI.

The tariffs cover steel and aluminum shipped from Mexico, but made elsewhere; Powell opens door to interest rate cuts; Microsoft leaves OpenAI board; Samsung workers in South Korea go on strike.

A major regional bank has agreed to resolve claims that it harmed thousands of customers by opening fake accounts, and charging for unnecessary insurance tied to car and truck loans. Fifth Third Bank will pay millions of dollars and is labeling these “legacy issues.” We’ll unpack. Then, we’ll also do some bond and stock markets Powell-parsing, and visit a Danish town where Novo Nordisk is racing to boost weight-loss drug production.

Would you work weekends? Make a longer commute? Even take a pay cut? While unemployment isn’t high by historic standards, it is higher than it was last summer. A new survey outlines the sacrifices some workers are willing to make to avoid getting the axe. Plus, a new platform elevates Black country artists, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell hinted that the central bank may be getting closer to cutting rates.

From the BBC World Service: A union representing workers at South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics has called on its 30,000 members to go on strike indefinitely as part of its campaign for better pay and benefits. Plus, NATO members are holding a three-day summit to mark the organization’s 75th birthday — and the focus is on Ukraine. Then, we visit the Danish town where Novo Nordisk, maker of weight-loss drug Ozempic, is based.

About a third of adults under 30 regularly get their news on TikTok, according to the Pew Research Center. And in this election season, the messages from young, left-leaning creators on the short-form video app are pretty different from last time around. In 2020, a coalition of influencers united to back presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign, and historically high youth turnout helped propel him to a win. But after almost four years of the Biden presidency, the TikTok tide has turned, according to Taylor Lorenz, online culture columnist at The Washington Post, who recently wrote about this shift.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is as American as apple pie. But it wasn’t always this way, and it’s putting the housing market in a tough spot lately.  A substantial amount of homeowners with low-rate mortgages are choosing to stay put in their homes rather than selling and buying a new one at higher rates. It’s created what’s known as a lock-in effect. On the show today, Andra Ghent, professor of finance at the University of Utah, explains how a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage became the norm in the United States, why it’s now putting the housing market in a bind, and how our mortgage system perpetuates inequality. Plus, could the Danish mortgage model work here? Then, we’ll get into why the Federal Trade Commission is eyeing pharmacy benefit managers, the third-party companies that negotiate drug prices between health insurance providers and drugmakers. And, an editor at The Points Guy shares the story of a travel lesson learned. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Why do we have a 30-year mortgage, anyway?” from Marketplace “A Huge Number of Homeowners Have Mortgage Rates Too Good to Give Up” from The New York Times “A 30-Year Trap: The Problem With America’s Weird Mortgages” from The New York Times “Denmark’s genius housing fix” from Business Insider “Homeowners Don’t Want to Sell, So the Market for Brand-New Homes Is Booming” from The Wall Street Journal “FTC Releases Interim Staff Report on Prescription Drug Middlemen” from the Federal Trade Commision “F.T.C. Slams Middlemen for High Drug Prices, Reversing Hands-Off Approach” from The New York Times “State Pharmacy Benefit Manager Legislation” from the National Academy for State Health Policy “Prescription Drugs: Selected States’ Regulation of Pharmacy Benefit Managers” from the U.S. Government Accountability Office “Fed Chair Powell talks up progress on inflation but says rate cuts not imminent yet” from CNN Business “Software and social media to grab Congress’ attention” from Marketplace We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The job market has cooled in recent months. The days of two openings per available worker may be over, but some sectors still have to struggle to find employees. One industry on a hot streak is health care, thanks in part to the continued workforce disruptions caused by COVID. Also in this episode: Small-business optimism rises despite cost concerns, tweens concoct potentially harmful “skin care smoothies” and steel prices sag as demand drops.

Markets mixed; Powell says labor market has cooled; Drug middlemen under fire; Non-alcoholic beer brand doubles in value.

A measure of small business optimism hit its highest point of the year in June; Hurricane Beryl leaves Texas oil infrastructure largely unscathed; Purdue Pharma creditors ask for authorization to sue Sackler family members; Boeing 737 planes to be inspected for potential faulty oxygen mask systems.

After last month’s Supreme Court ruling, a judge weighs whether to allow lawsuits against Sackler family members. Plus, waiting on word from Jerome Powell and the Fed, and what happens when an online DNA test kicks up complicated history.

Military spending and aid for Ukraine are high on the agenda at this week’s NATO summit; Americans added more than $11 billion to consumer debt in May; and a practical look at newly-implemented guidelines from the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

From the BBC World Service: India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, is in Russia to “deepen ties” between the two countries on Mr. Modi’s first trip to Russia since the beginning of its war Ukraine. China’s biggest electric carmaker — and Tesla’s big rival — BYD has reached a deal to build a $1 billion manufacturing plant in Turkey. And Sweden marks 50 years of paid parental leave for couples to share.

The overnight success of ChatGPT helped turn Sam Altman, CEO of its maker, OpenAI, into one of the most powerful people in tech. At a conference hosted by Bloomberg last summer, Altman was asked why we should trust him with so much power, and in response, Altman said, “You shouldn’t.” And yet, throughout his career, Altman has managed to win the trust of Silicon Valley’s kingmakers with ease. In the latest season of Bloomberg’s podcast “Foundering,” journalist Ellen Huet tries to understand Altman’s rise to power. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke to Huet about what she learned.

In June, global temperatures had surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for 12 months straight, encroaching on the goal set in the Paris climate accord. We’ll explain why scientists use 1.5 degrees as a key benchmark and why it’s important to have hard conversations about climate change. Then, we’ll get into an investigation revealing how insurers profited from false diagnoses of Medicare patients. And, a billion-dollar donation to a medical school and new developments in textile recycling make us smile. Here’s everything we talked about today: “In a troubling milestone, Earth surpasses 1.5 degrees C of warming for 12 consecutive months” from LA Times “June 2024 marks 12th month of global temperature reaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial” from Copernicus “Burning Questions: What’s the deal with 1.5 degrees?” from Marketplace “‘We’re Not Dead Yet.’ Baby Boomers’ Good Times Drive the Economy.” from The Wall Street Journal “Insurers Pocketed $50 Billion From Medicare for Diseases No Doctor Treated” from The Wall Street Journal “How the Journal Analyzed Medicare Advantage Data” from The Wall Street Journal “Why scientists think they may finally have found a way to recycle clothes” from The Washington Post “Johns Hopkins to offer free medical school tuition from $1 billion Bloomberg Philanthropies grant” from The Baltimore Banner “$1 Billion Donation Will Provide Free Tuition at a Bronx Medical School” from The New York Times We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Paramount just announced a merger with Skydance, a film production company. The hope is that adding Skydance’s offerings to its streaming platforms will boost subscriptions. But streaming is a finicky business, where you have to be a top-tier service to thrive. Also in this episode: Dynamic pricing technology could be profitable for retailers, some Chinese families seek gentler school environments and Americans visit South Korea as skin care tourists.

Markets hit new highs; Markets anticipate inflation data; Corning pops on AI strength; TSA screens record number passengers.

Boeing deal covers conduct before Max crashes; Texas ports, oil platforms close as Hurricane Beryl strikes; Skydance, Paramount agree to merger; France, Britain elect left-leaning leaders promising economic improvements.

You may have gotten the unsolicited texts, LinkedIn messages or other offers from scammers posing as recruiters. The may even have a legitimate-looking listing on a job hiring site. You have a virtual interview, then the recruiter starts asking for personal information like your Social Security number to fill out “employment paperwork” — but actually they’re stealing your identity. Plus, examining the Sahm Rule and use of the U.S. dollar in Lebanon.

Paramount Global, which owns Paramount Studios, CBS and more, has agreed to merge with Skydance Media, the source of some of Paramount’s biggest films. The deal will cost Skydance and its founder David Ellison $8 billion and would cement Ellison’s position as a Hollywood mogul. We’ll unpack. Plus, more Americans are traveling abroad thanks to a strong U.S. dollar. And there’s more people looking for work, but it’s taking them longer to find jobs.

From the BBC World Service: France is facing political gridlock after a left-wing alliance emerged as the surprise winner of France’s snap election. The coalition secured the most seats but no outright majority. Also on the program: Trust in Lebanon’s financial system is at an all-time low, after a banking collapse and hyperinflation. Plus, Samsung is experiencing its first-ever strike in South Korea the over pay and holidays.

Big-budget video game producers and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the union representing voice-over actors and motion-capture stunt workers, have been negotiating a new labor contract since last September. And union leaders say those talks have stalled due to concerns over generative artificial intelligence. (Note: Several Marketplace employees are also represented by SAG-AFTRA under a different contract.) Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Associated Press reporter Sarah Parvini, who recently wrote about the negotiations. She explained how consent is a key concern.

Federal surveys aren’t great at collecting data on Native Americans. One reason? As many as 60% of people who check the American Indian/Alaska Native box on forms also check another race box, the Brookings Institution found. In this episode, we’ll explain how undercounting impacts the federal government’s fulfillment of its obligations to Native nations. Plus, we’ll take a trip down the Houston Ship Channel and dissect the latest jobs report.

Markets hit new highs; Unemployment rose to 4.1% in June; Fed report emphasizes independence; Air travel complaints rise.

The Labor Department said today that 206,000 new jobs were created in June and the May jobs number was revised down; wages rose 0.3% last month; stocks, bonds and the British pound all rose today after the Labour Party’s resounding victory; Saks Fifth Avenue is buying Neiman Marcus Group.

The U.S. economy added 206,000 jobs in June, according to the labor department. But job growth in previous months was revised down significantly. What can we make of this data? And what does it mean for next steps for the Federal Reserve? Workers also saw the slowest pace of wage growth in two years. And later: views on France’s election and economy from a farmers market in the French city of Lille.

While the Labour Party saw a historic win in Thursday’s general election in the U.K., the new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is without a raft of money to implement sweeping reforms. So how will the new government differ economically from the one seen under Conservative rule? And later, it’s hard to prepare a meal with a newborn in your hands. That inspired one couple to open a restaurant in Atlanta.

From the BBC World Service: The Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, won a sweeping victory in the U.K.’s general election held Thursday. We’ll hear from voters about what they hope for in the new government and interrogate just how much change the new administration can realistically deliver. Plus, French voters are also going to the polls on Sunday, and the cost of living is weighing heavy on voters’ minds.

We’ve reached the midyear mark for 2024, so for our weekly review show, “Tech Bytes,” we are breaking format and taking stock of the past six months in tech with Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali asked her what she thought was the most underreported story of the last six months. And what was the biggest flub? We’ll get to those, but we’ll start Curi’s pick for the most impactful story of the first half of the year.

Hey Smarties! We’re on a little break for the Fourth of July holiday. So today we’re bringing you an episode from our friends at “This Is Uncomfortable.” It’s all about the fashion industry and the workers who make the clothes we buy (and often throw away). In this episode, producer Alice Wilder introduces us to one garment worker’s personal fight for fair pay and the push to improve conditions for garment workers like her.

The May jobs report said wages had risen about 4% over 12 months, while inflation was 3.3% over the same period. Good news, right? Then why did consumer sentiment hit a 7-month low in June? In this episode, other wages-related measurements that might explain that economic pessimism. Plus, a Yale legislation-scoring group focuses on outcomes, and precision agriculture technology adoption is slow.

As part of our “Golden Promises” series, we’re exploring the battle over slavery reparations in California. Today, Marketplace special correspondent Lee Hawkins speaks with Lotte Lieb Dula, founder of Reparations 4 Slavery, about the discovery of her family’s connection to slavery and how she’s working to repair and make things right. Also on the show: Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s next steps on energy could make waves in the U.S., especially in Texas.

The national debt is tremendous and growing. And as lawmakers talk about ways to address it, Social Security spending — which totals roughly $1.5 trillion a year — is often brought up as playing a big role. But by law, Social Security cannot contribute to the national debt. Today, we’ll parse exactly how the Social Security Administration invests money and pays out. Then, heat insurance in India has helped thousands of female workers.

From the BBC World Service: Hurricane Beryl has hit Jamaica after leaving an “Armageddon-like” trail in Grenada, but the Jamaican prime minster says the worst is yet to come. We’ll hear more. Then, in India, women in the western state of Gujarat are being offered compensation that allows them to stay home during periods of extremely hot weather. And Japan’s digital minister has declared victory in his war against floppy disks.

Streaming giants Spotify and SoundCloud were both founded in Stockholm, and over the past two decades the Swedish capital has developed a reputation as a European hub for companies blending music and innovation. So why does this small Nordic city punch above its weight in music tech, and are start-ups still able to thrive there after a rocky few years for the global economy? The BBC’s Maddy Savage reports.

Hey Smarties! We’re off for the Fourth of July holiday. So today we’re bringing you a super fun episode of “Million Bazillion” that’ll teach you and your kiddos about a bit of our nation’s history and a highly secretive landmark. It’s all about Fort Knox, known as one of the most secure places in the world, and why it holds so much of the country’s gold. Plus, its role in stabilizing the U.S. economy in a time of crisis.

The Federal Reserve has a decision to make: cut interest rates to help the slackening job market and risk the progress it’s made in cooling inflation, or keep rates high — which could push unemployment up. In this episode, we’ll explain the economic inflection point and why interest rates don’t have the relationship to the labor market they once had. Plus, the presidential debate bumped up bond yields, the “beer industry” encompasses all types of drinks and customers nowadays, and one woman recalls her first 9-to-5.

Markets hit new highs; Fed minutes show a wait and see approach to rate cuts; Labor market shows more signs of slowing; Skydance-Paramount deal back on.

Much in our modern lives depends on GPS. But the United States’ GPS system is getting old and hasn’t kept up with international competition. We’ll get into how this leaves the U.S. vulnerable to national security threats. And, new data shows that as abortion protections have eroded across the country, more young women have been getting sterilized. Plus, one nonprofit’s work to give kids who’ve aged out of foster care a bona fide college move-in experience, and a women’s soccer stadium’s surprise success story. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Why GPS Is Under Attack” from The New York Times “Rate of Young Women Getting Sterilized Doubled After Roe Was Overturned” from MedPage Today “Move-In Day Mafia Helps Kids From Foster Care Settle In College” from Black Enterprise “No One Wanted to Finance Their Stadium. Now Every Game Is a Sellout.” from The Wall Street Journal We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

A record 71 million expected to travel during holiday period, AAA forecasts; continuing claims continue to climb; trade deficit widened in May; auto sales were sluggish in May.

Tractor Supply Company — a farm, lawn and home improvement chain mainly in rural areas — recently announced it would abandon most of its diversity and climate advocacy goals. Now, the head of the National Black Farmers Association is calling for the resignation of Tractor Supply’s CEO. But first, we’ll unpack how markets are responding to “the Trump trade.” And later: job cuts at John Deere, the first Esports World Cup and traction for indie game studios.

Artificial intelligence requires an enormous amount of electricity. Google, with AI now added, says it increased its carbon emissions last year, despite a pledge to reach net-zero by 2030. So what are Google and other companies doing to address efficiency issues? We’ll discuss. Then, tomorrow is the United Kingdom’s general election, and the harsh realities of economic stagnation are on the minds of many voters there.

From the BBC World Service: The United Kingdom goes to the polls in the general election tomorrow — and polling suggests the economy is the No. 1 issue with voters. We hear the key economic anxieties voters are voicing. Then, the Esports World Cup kicks off today in Saudi Arabia, and there are calls in China for greater restrictions on the sale of hyper-realistic silicone face masks.

For the millions of residents and visitors who commute in and out of the areas daily, billboards in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area have long been a way to see where the state of tech is at the moment — and where it’s headed next.

Tuesday’s jobs report showed 200,000 more openings in May than the previous month — pretty yawn-worthy compared to the labor market roller coaster of the past few years. But don’t fret! All that boring data is actually a sign of stability. Also in this episode: Why organic produce is expensive to grow, what it’s going to take for global power sector emissions to fall, and which type of construction is dragging sector spending down.

It’s been about four years since the great remote work experiment took off for many employees who work computer-bound jobs. After plenty of back and forth between return-to-office mandates and work-from-home advocates, neither side really won. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the share of Americans doing some or all of their work from home has leveled off to about 35%. On the show today, The New York Times’ Emma Goldberg explains who’s working from home these days and how it’s impacting both employees and their bosses. Plus, the commercial real estate question looms large over the remote work debate. Then, we’ll get into why the Joe Biden administration’s new protections for workers in extreme heat could be threatened by recent Supreme Court rulings and a potential second Trump presidency. And, the CEO of GS1, the company administering retail barcodes, didn’t see the QR code takeover coming. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Work From Home Data Shows Who’s Fully Remote, Hybrid and in Person” from The New York Times “Research: How Remote Work Impacts Women at Different Stages of Their Careers” from Harvard Business Review “More Americans now prefer hybrid over fully remote work, survey finds” from Axios “Remote Workers Are Losing Out on Promotions, New Data Shows” from The Wall Street Journal “Dell said return to the office or else—nearly half of workers chose “or else'” from Ars Technica “Tesla delivered fewer vehicles to customers for the second quarter in a row” from The Verge “Biden to announce heat rules as climate-related deaths rise” from Politico “Fact check: Republicans, not Democrats, eliminated the Senate filibuster on Supreme Court nominees” from USA Today We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Markets hit new highs; Fed Chair says more cooling needed before rate cut; Google’s emissions grew 50% since 2019; FTC blocks mattress deal.

Job openings rose to 8.1 million; American Airlines pledges to buy hydrogen-electric engines; Redbox parent company files for bankruptcy protection; Google to require ID of  political ads that use AI content.

More than 60 million Americans are facing a potentially record-breaking heat wave across the South and Western U.S. this week. Still, people will be showing up to work on farms, construction sites and other workplaces where extreme heat exposure is a threat. Now, the Labor Department is proposing new safety standards. Also: a conversation with James LeBrecht, co-director of the film “Crip Camp” about accessibility in the film industry.

Standard economic indicators like the unemployment and inflation rates are backward-looking. Now, a new tool, the Zeta Economic Indicator, analyzes the economy in real time and utilizes artificial intelligence. We’ll hear more. Plus, regulators in France are set to level antitrust charges against chipmaker Nvidia, and the EU says a Meta subscription service in violates Europe’s Digital Markets Act. Then, is paying farmers to conserve Colorado River water worth the cost?

From the BBC World Service: Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe is presenting lawmakers with a deal made by creditors after the country’s 2022 financial crisis, but the government is facing criticism over the agreement. Also: Samsung workers in South Korea are planning a strike. Then, David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly — the maker of popular weight-loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound — says more needs to be done on global drug counterfeiting.

Yesterday, we explained San Francisco’s fraught relationship with the tech industry. Tech workers weren’t always welcome in the eyes of many other residents, and when the COVID-19 pandemic began, a lot of them left, taking their dollars with them. But on a recent Thursday evening, organizers of a block party downtown were trying to bring people back. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke to Manny Yekutiel and Katy Birnbaum about their efforts to revive the city’s downtown.

A Supreme Court ruling today gives companies a dramatically wider window to challenge federal regulations with lawsuits. We’ll get into why this is particularly important in light of a separate decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine, and how it could impact other federal regulations like the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on noncompete clauses. Then, we’ll discuss the Supreme Court’s decision on former President Donald Trump’s immunity case and where the heck we go from here. Plus, what you can do to protect the health of our democracy. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Supreme Court rules Trump has some immunity in D.C. election interference case” from NBC News “Supreme Court Extends Time Frame for Challenges to Regulations” from The New York Times “Biden to extend overtime protections for 1 million workers” from The Hill Post on Bluesky from Squire Boone “American democracy is cracking. These ideas could help repair it.” from The Washington Post “Five Strategies to Support U.S. Democracy” from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace “How to Protect Democracy” from Protect Democracy “Opinion | John Lewis: Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation” from The New York Times We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Lawrence Brown created “Urban Cipher,” a Monopoly-like game, to illustrate the consequences of neighborhood redlining. We’ll join Baltimore city educators at a professional development session led by Brown and hear how redlining continues to affect families today. Also in this episode: Lumber prices fall while housing remains expensive, Toys R Us dips its toe into AI-generated advertising and a landscape designer tells us about his job before the arrival of drafting software.

Markets up; SCOTUS asks lower courts to review Florida and Texas social media laws; Manufacturing contracts again; Roaring Kitty sued.

Global reinsurance rates are declining, which could save home insurers money; Boeing to recombine with Spirit Aerosystems; California law to take effect in effort to track gun purchases; major banks hike dividends after passing Fed stress tests.

This morning, we’re talking economics and global politics. First, the far-right saw major wins in the first round of France’s elections. Then, high housing costs are weighing on the minds of voters in the United Kingdom, who head to the polls on Thursday. Plus, there are reports that Boeing will be offered a Justice Department arrangement that would allow the company to avoid a trial in connection with two 737 MAX crashes.

Or does it hinder free speech? That’s the thorny issue the Supreme Court is expected to decide in just a few hours, as it releases its final rulings in what’s been another highly consequential term. We’ll hear more on a case challenging how social media companies deal with content on their platforms. Plus, a look at Major League Soccer’s surging popularity and how the Dawes Act cratered Indigenous wealth.

From the BBC World Service: Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party has pulled off a victory in the first round of elections in France and could turn French politics on its head. Then, with only three days to go before the United Kingdom’s general election, one of the big issues is housing costs. But are any of the political parties’ pledges giving people hope that they can solve Britain’s housing crunch?

Cities across the country are still trying to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic changed how and where many of us work, leaving big holes in downtown office districts. San Francisco, once teeming with tech workers, is no exception. But few cities have suffered the sustained reputational damage that San Francisco has. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali recently visited the city to meet with Heather Knight, The New York Times’ San Francisco bureau chief. Knight, who has been covering the city for more than two decades, offered her take on San Francisco’s image problem, economic situation and tech culture.

There were no fireworks for the Democratic Party during last night’s debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. While Trump made false claims throughout the night, Biden did little to assuage fears that he’s not up to the job. We’ll get into how the Biden campaign’s fundraising strategy is already shifting and what it might mean for downballot races. Then, we’ll weigh in on Fourth of July travel and drone light shows during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Debate takeaways: Trump confident, even when wrong, Biden halting, even with facts on his side” from AP News “Biden-Trump presidential debate draws 48 million TV viewers” from Axios “Politics and ‘a tale of different economies”’ from Marketplace “Why taxpayers keep footing much of the bill for new sports stadiums” from Marketplace “Google puts an end to continuous scroll” from Marketplace “MTV News Website Goes Dark, Archives Pulled Offline” from Variety “Fourth of July travel is set to break records. Here’s how to plan.” from The Washington Post “Why drones are replacing fireworks shows” from National Geographic “We RICK ROLLED The City of Austin, TX With 600 Drones” on YouTube We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Today we learned that the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a local law in Oregon that criminalizes sleeping in public places, authorizing punishment for homelessness. We’ll get into how this connects to the stalled housing market. Plus, SCOTUS curtails the powers of government agencies and national work-from-home rates reach a new normal.

Markets slip; Supreme Court curtails federal agencies; Nike takes a hit; Tractor Supply ditches DEI.

The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows 2.6% annual gain, getting closer to the target 2%; inflation, economy were big topics in last night’s debate, with both Trump and Biden claiming successes; debate response muted in overseas markets; federal judge levies nearly $5 billion in antitrust damages against NFL.

Last night, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump sparred off. Today, we’ll recap some of economic issues spotlighted in the presidential debate. Inflation was one of the hot topics, and the latest release of the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation shows inflation cooling — but how you experience rising prices can be splintered along partisan lines. We discuss. Also, Amazon plans on launching a “discount” section with goods shipped direct from China.

A rule of thumb is that market players don’t like uncertainty. The question this morning is whether there’s more or less of it in the wake of President Joe Biden’s rough showing against former President Donald Trump during last night’s debate. We’ll track how the debate is affecting the movement of money. Plus, Social Security cuts are inevitable by 2035 unless lawmakers act. Can a similar crunch from the ’80s offer guidance?

From the BBC World Service: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a security pact with the European Union during a visit to Brussels. We’ll delve in. Then, following weeks of protests in Argentina over proposed austerity reforms, the country’s parliament has approved controversial measures put forward by President Javier Millei. And later, prolonged heatwaves in India have boosted sales of air conditioning units.

In the past week or so, Nvidia’s stock finally encountered the law of gravity — what goes up must eventually come down, at least a little bit. And we look under the hood of artificial intelligence companies that aren’t necessarily making headlines. Plus, the Supreme Court ruled against Republican-led states that accused the federal government of coercing social media companies into suppressing content. But first, major music labels, including Universal, Sony and Warner, are suing two startups that produce AI-generated music. The labels accuse Suno and Udio of using copyrighted works scraped from the internet to train their AI models. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali speaks with Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information, for her takes on these stories in this week’s Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.

The Supreme Court has decided a case involving internal tribunals the SEC uses to enforce fraud rules. In this episode, we’ll hear from a legal scholar about the ruling’s implications for all sorts of federal regulatory bodies. The short of it? It will be harder for agencies to enforce laws and easier for people and companies to get away with breaking them. Plus: what “final sales” means in the Federal Reserve’s analysis of GDP and why continuing jobless claims are climbing.

The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a huge blow to the Securities and Exchange Commission today when it ruled against its use of in-house judges to enforce securities fraud laws. We’ll get into why the decision will make the SEC’s job harder and what it could mean for other federal agencies. Plus, we’ll bust a common myth about Social Security and explain why homeownership is key factor in how Americans are faring in this economy. Here’s everything we talked about today: “US Supreme Court faults SEC’s use of in-house judges in latest curbs on agency powers” from Reuters “The Supreme Court’s chaotic SEC v. Jarkesy decision endangers ‘hundreds of statutes'” from Vox “Social Security cuts are inevitable by 2035 unless lawmakers act” from Marketplace “How the Inflation Reduction Act could change the future of one Native American reservation” from Marketplace “Credit card delinquencies are climbing” from Marketplace “Are we living in a K-shaped economy?” from Marketplace We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Markets inch up; Supreme Court throws wrench in Purdue Pharma bankruptcy; SEC powers limited; another AI lawsuit.

Business investment in new capital goods fell in May; continuing jobless claims rose to the highest level in almost three years; Q1 GDP growth revised higher, but still slow; Boeing sanctioned over release of Max investigation details.

As cities look to grow and innovate in the recovery from the pandemic, some are pushing for new sports stadiums. The idea is that fresh ballparks attract visitors and create jobs, but these projects are almost always funded by public dollars. We’ll do the numbers on the investment and payoff. Also on the show: A ransomware attack could put a sizable dent in auto sales this month, and marketing around Pride is down this year.

In a 6-3 ruling, Supreme Court justices have narrowed the scope of federal corruption law, as it pertains to state and local officials. Justices ruled that a former mayor in Indiana did not commit a crime when he took $13,000 as a purported consulting fee after — not before — awarding city contracts to a trucking company. We’ll also have an honest conversation about Social Security funding. Plus, is Nike a dinosaur brand?

From the BBC World Service: The Japanese Yen has fallen to its weakest level against the U.S. dollar for nearly 40 years. It’s causing jitters in the markets, and analysts warn about potential government intervention. Then, protests are continuing in Kenya over the unpopular new finance bill. And as Barcelona becomes the latest city to crack down on short-term rentals, we hear from an unhappy property owner.

It feels like eons ago, but during a town hall on violence in America in 1994, then-President Bill Clinton took to MTV to reach the nation’s youth. Clinton’s openness to MTV and what The New York Times called “other unconventional media” had helped pave his path to the White House two years earlier. Fast-forward to today, and even reluctant politicians use TikTok to reach younger voters — President Joe Biden is no exception. His first post came just ahead of this year’s Super Bowl. We invited Marketplace’s senior Washington correspondent, Kimberly Adams, and Joshua Scacco, professor of political communication and director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy at the University of South Florida, to discuss the evolution of political messaging with Marketplace’s Lily Jamali. Scacco said Clinton’s MTV moment informed how future presidents, including his successor, George W. Bush, have engaged with Americans.

This year’s Supreme Court decision season has been a busy one, and it’s not over yet. We’ll get into the court’s leaked opinion on emergency abortions and two other expected decisions that have the business world watching. Plus, another round of Cybertruck recalls and why it’s fine to keep referring to X as Twitter (per one Supreme Court justice). Here’s everything we talked about today: “Supreme Court Poised to Allow Idaho Emergency Abortions: Exclusive” from Bloomberg “Trump’s immunity, Jan. 6, abortion: The Supreme Court’s most controversial decisions are about to drop” from Politico “What would Congress do without Chevron deference?” from Roll Call “Tesla recalls every Cybertruck again” from Mashable “Tesla is recalling the Cybertruck again, this time because a piece can fly off” from CNN Tweet from John Shelton about the Supreme Court and the X/Twitter name debacle Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support “Make Me Smart.” We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Over the past few months, the Biden administration has announced new tariffs — on top of existing Trump-era ones. The period for public comment on them is nearly over, so we’ll hear business owners’ views on the levies’ likely impact on sales. Also in this episode: An all-female fire crew burns barriers, Google phases out infinite scroll and the U.S. semiconductor industry sorta relies on a hard-to-win visa lottery.

Markets finish up; Amazon joins an exclusive club; Supreme Court rules for Biden; home sales slump.

June auto sales are forecast to be down as much 7%; higher interest rates and crushing debt causes chaos in Kenya; union representing film, TV crews reached labor deal with Hollywood studios; Verizon bundles streaming services to hang onto cable internet customers.

A federal judge has rejected an antitrust settlement that would have lowered the fees Visa and Mastercard charge every time you use your credit card to pay for a purchase. The judge ruled the settlement did not go far enough, agreeing with retailers who want to chip away at the power held by credit card companies. We’ll hear more. Then, hundreds of thousands of home sitting empty in Japanese cities. Expatriates are noticing.

Volkswagen says it’s putting $5 billion into U.S. electric truck company Rivian. The cash infusion comes at a crucial time for Rivian, as it watches other EV startups go under. But VW also needs something out of this. We unpack. Plus, why it’s so difficult to maintain America’s aging bridge infrastructure and how the market for online comics is doing as Webtoon Entertainment looks to go public.

From the BBC World Service: At least 13 people have been killed and many more injured after police fired into crowds protesting Kenya’s controversial finance bill in Nairobi. An angry crowd stormed the parliament before setting parts of it on fire. Protests have taken place for several days. How did Kenya get here? Also: a look at the expats buying and renovating some of the 9 million empty homes in Japan.

This week, we’ve been taking stock of how tech has both helped and harmed Americans trying to get abortions in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. After the Dobbs decision, some experts warned consumers that menstrual tracking apps would provide a means of surveilling abortion seekers. There was even a social media campaign on what was then Twitter advising people to delete their period trackers. But it’s turned out that the threat to privacy isn’t limited to those apps. Other digital data can actually be more likely to reveal an illegal abortion. That’s according to Albert Fox Cahn, founder of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. He told Marketplace’s Lily Jamali that everyday consumer apps generate sensitive data that can be used for abortion surveillance.  

In the wake of the COVID-19 recession, many economists were describing the United States’ economic recovery as K-shaped. Basically, high-income Americans bounced back quicker than those at the lower end of the income scale. So, did we ever ditch that K shape? The person who coined the phrase “K-shaped recovery” back then, says no. On the show today, Peter Atwater, president of Financial Insyghts and adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary, explains why he believes economic inequality has grown since the pandemic recovery, why considerable wage gains for low-wage workers tell only part of the story and the risks of letting a K-shaped economy run wild. Then, we’ll get into how the fragility of global shipping supply chains could be playing into Federal Reserve decisions on interest rates. And, happy wedding anniversary, Susanna! Here’s everything we talked about today: “The ‘K’ Is Not OK” from LinkedIn “Inflation Is Bringing Back the K-Shaped Economy” from Bloomberg “Behind America’s divided economy: Booming luxury travel and a jump in ‘relief’ loans” from CNBC “A tight labor market and state minimum wage increases boosted low-end wage growth between 2019 and 2023” from the Economic Policy Institute “U.S. Wealth Inequality: Gaps Remain Despite Widespread Wealth Gains” from the St. Louis Federal Reserve “First publicly funded religious charter school in US ruled unconstitutional” from The Hill “Fed’s Bowman Warns of Upside Risks to Inflation, Not Time to Cut” from Bloomberg “Supply Chain Under Strain as Houthis Intensify Red Sea Strikes” from The New York Times Support Make Me Smart: Marketplace.org/givesmart We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Data shows that the U.S. has a strong, thriving economy. Layoffs are at a multidecade low and wages have risen faster than prices. Despite all that and more, many Americans are feeling economic pain. What gives? Also in this episode, third-generation tuna fishermen rethink their livelihood as waters warm. We’ll also explain why most countries buy oil in U.S. dollars and whether the federal minimum wage matters anymore.

Another muddled day for Wall Street; consumer confidence weakens; Tesla and Ford issue recalls; Google’s self-driving cars expand in San Francisco.

Busy July Fourth air travel to kick off strong summer; global workforce still quitting for greener pastures; home prices continue to climb; Spain removes tax on olive oil, in inflation fight.

Parts of President Joe Biden’s student loan repayment plan — which widens eligibility for income-based loan repayment — are on hold after federal judges in Kansas and Missouri issued rulings yesterday in lawsuits brought by a group of Republican attorneys general. We dig in. We also delve into stock market volatility and the future of the cruise industry. And later: a look at how reality TV came to be.

When it comes to reality TV, don’t give too much credit to the “reality” part. Yet despite its heavy editing and construction, reality TV has sometimes shaped the wider culture. In this episode, we talk about the economic calculus that led to a genre so many people love to watch, love to hate or both. But first: Nvidia shares enter correction territory.

From the BBC World Service: After 14 months of a civil war, a severe humanitarian and economic crisis is unfolding in Sudan. Grain shipments from Ukraine have ceased, humanitarian aid faces significant blockades and the country faces the largest displacement of children worldwide. We’ll hear more about the conflict and its impact. We’ll also learn more about the role of tax policy in the upcoming U.K. election and a land dispute involving Catholic nuns in Spain.

After the U.S. Supreme Court took away the federal right to abortion two years ago, telehealth has helped provide ongoing access, including to people in states where abortion is now banned. That was our subject Monday. Now we are looking into apps that link patients with abortion providers. Julie F. Kay, executive director at the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, told Marketplace’s Lily Jamali that digital privacy protections are far from equal across these services.

Red Lake Nation’s chairman, Darrell G. Seki Sr., wants to make energy free for all his nation’s citizens. Inflation Reduction Act funding could enable that by subsidizing the installation of more solar panels throughout their northern Minnesota reservation. In this episode, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal visits Red Lake and hears from residents about their solar-powered goals and how clean energy connects to cultural values around environmental stewardship.

Groups aligned with former President Trump are hunting through information to come up with a list of federal employees who might be resistant to a second Trump administration. We’ll discuss the push to reshape government. Plus, is the urban/rural divide a myth? And, a viral voicemail pep talk from a testing center worker makes us smile. Here’s everything we talked about today: “In This Debate, CNN Is the Decider” from The New York Times “Growing rural-urban divide exists only among white Americans” from Cornell Chronicle “The Number of People Primarily Working From Home Tripled Between 2019 and 2021” from the U.S. Census Bureau “Conservative-backed group is creating a list of federal workers it suspects could resist Trump plans” from AP News “A 3-year-old voicemail goes viral, leads to emotional reunion” from The Washington Post “Why Men Are ‘Rawdogging’ Flights” from GQ We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Mixed bag for Wall Street; RIAA alleges copyright infringement by AI; fast-fashion giant Shein may relocate IPO out of U.S.; Ozempic plant to open in North Carolina.

The Fed is scheduled to release the results of its annual bank stress tests on Wednesday; the European Union is charging Apple with antitrust violations; the Treasury Department is creating a new affordable housing fund; more U.S. car dealerships say they’re being impacted by a cyberattack.

Job creation has been robust coming out of the worst of COVID, yet threats to workers remain: international competition, the Green Transition, artificial intelligence. How can workers respond? Today, we explore wage insurance as an option that could help. Also: What’s behind this election year stock rally? But first, Apple’s App Store has run afoul of European regulators. We’ll unpack.

The deadline for students and parents to get their federal financial aid form into colleges and universities is this Sunday. With all that data you input on income and savings, there’s still something big missing: overall household wealth. Some education policy researchers say the financial aid system should be taking a closer look at big assets, like homes. Also: Federal prosecutors are recommending criminal charges against Boeing, and visas for nurses are running out again.

From the BBC World Service: Brussels has accused Apple of violating EU competition rules with its App Store. It’s the first time EU regulators have enforced the new Digital Markets Act against a major tech firm. Then, Indian students are furious following the last-minute cancellation of a crucial entrance test for post-graduate medical courses. And rental scams are on the rise in the U.K., with some criminals targeting illegal cannabis farms.

Two years ago this week, the Supreme Court ruled that abortions are not constitutionally protected in the U.S., a decision that would draw protests across the country. Since then, 14 states have outlawed abortions. Still, some people in those states have been able to cut through barriers to get abortions via telehealth, according to a recent report from the research project #WeCount. Usually, this requires a virtual visit with a telehealth care provider. The provider assesses the patient and gets their information, then can mail them mifepristone and misoprostol, which aid in ending a pregnancy. The Supreme Court preserved access to mifepristone in a ruling this month, which means it can still be prescribed and mailed to patients. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali discussed the increase in telehealth abortions with Ushma Upadhyay, professor of OB-GYN and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, and a coauthor of the #WeCount report.

Four years after the Internal Revenue Service created a tax credit to help struggling businesses get through the pandemic, the agency ultimately plans to reject the majority of claims filed under the program. We’ll explain how it became swamped with fraud. And, Major League Baseball legend Reggie Jackson opened up about the racism he and other Black players faced in the ’60s. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “IRS says it will deny most claims of pandemic tax credit for employers” from The Washington Post “With pardons in Maryland, 2.5 million Americans will have marijuana convictions cleared or forgiven” from The Associated Press MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson remembers Willie Mays from Gary Parrish on X “It’s Time to Stop Inviting Plus-Ones to Weddings” from The Atlantic “First Came ‘Spam.’ Now, With A.I., We’ve Got ‘Slop’” from The New York Times “Netflix House Will Let You Experience Your Favorite Shows, Movies in Real Life” from Netflix Tudum “What’s to become of summer Fridays in the age of hybrid work?” from CNN “Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms” from The New York Times We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Florida-based Citizens Property Insurance Corp. wants to raise rates an average of 14%. But Citizens is the Sunshine State’s insurer of last resort — it’s backed by the state and tasked with covering homeowners who have no other options as private insurers pull out. What will Floridians do? Also in this episode: Environmentalists advocate more composting, a cyberattack forces thousands of car dealerships to go analog and oceanographers map the world’s seafloor.

Stocks close mostly down; The median price of existing homes keeps climbing; Four major banks need to revise their “living wills; Jet fuel production rises amid the summer travel season.

S&P Global’s flash PMI reading hits 26-month high; TikTok strikes back at U.S. divestiture law; China asks Visa, Mastercard to lower fees; campaign donations poured into presidential race in May.

In a flurry of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the Justices’ lack of action on one case is a major victory for the tribal gaming industry. The court left in place an agreement between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state of Florida, and left the door open for tribal nations to expand into online gaming. We’ll delve into the impact. And we’ll also examine how immigration policy has shaped the U.S. economy.

TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has six months to divest or the U.S. plans to ban the app for national security reasons. But in a new court filing, ByteDance calls the U.S. government’s demands unconstitutional and says government officials have refused to seriously negotiate for two years. Also, AI comes for banking jobs. And later, what if your deepfake was circulating halfway across the world in China?

From the BBC World Service: Kenya’s government has been forced to drop some of its plans for new taxes, but widespread protests are continuing over its controversial finance bill. We’ll hear about the government’s intent behind the proposed new taxes, as well as which policies have now been scrapped. Also, what does a British court judgement on the climate impact of oil projects mean for future developments?

Big Tech subscription services are once again in the crosshairs of the Federal Trade Commission, nonprofits with links to OpenAI are becoming less transparent, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is urging Congress to require warning labels on social media. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali speaks with Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired magazine, for this week’s Tech Bytes: Week in Review

This week, senators grilled Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun about the aviation company’s safety culture and its retaliation against whistleblowers. But these problems are just the tip of the iceberg for Boeing. We’ll explain. Plus, why President Joe Biden’s new immigration plan is a big deal. And, who knew there were this many cricket fans in the U.S.? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun testifies before Senate committee on safety issues” from CNBC “‘Why haven’t you resigned?’ Senators torch Boeing CEO as he apologizes for deadly failures” from Politico “Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun Apologizes for Quality and Safety Issues at Senate Hearing” from The New York Times “Boeing’s CEO Search Hits Some Snags” from The Wall Street Journal “President Biden Announces Plan for Undocumented Spouses on DACA Anniversary” from C-SPAN “Biden immigration program offers legal status to 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens. Here’s how it works.” from CBS News “The economy is roaring. Immigration is a key reason.” from The Washington Post “Supreme Court rejects challenge to tax on foreign corporate investments” from CNBC “The Supreme Court upholds a tax on foreign income over a challenge backed by business interests” from The Associated Press “The Supreme Court leaves a Trump-era offshore tax in place on investors” from NPR “Supreme Court Upholds Trump-Era Tax Provision” from The New York Times “ Rising Popularity of Cricket in US” from Bloomberg “Uber Drivers, Techies Score Wins for Team USA at ICC T20 World Cup 2024” from Bloomberg  “T20 World Cup: The USA cricket team is capturing hearts and minds with historic run” from CNN Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Three years ago, a town of 2,500 formed an unlikely relationship with multibillionaire Bill Gates. He had new nuclear technology and Kemmerer, Wyoming, had a declining coal industry. This week, Gates broke ground on a first-of-its-kind power plant. Will it revive a struggling local economy or upheave the small community’s way of life? Also in this episode: Summer gasoline use is down, Nvidia dominates AI chipmaking and apartment buildings aren’t being built — despite high demand for more housing.

Markets close mixed; New housing construction drops to the lowest level since 2020; TikTok argues against a ban in court; Car dealerships grapple with a software outage.

The chipmaker’s market value surpasses Microsoft’s; Russia’s Putin signs trade deals with Vietnam; Supreme Court upholds tax on foreign investments; OpenAI founder Sutskever starts new A.I. company, promising safety focus.

In the U.S., the Federal Reserve has decided to keep rates elevated for a year now. The Fed’s goal is to hit a 2% inflation target, but that last mile has been difficult. And part of it has to do with how we are able to lock in debt at times of lower rates in the U.S. We’ll discuss. We’ll also hear about RV sales, then the Europe and China’s tit-for-tat trade battle.

Cannabis is now legal — for medical or recreational use — in 38 states, plus D.C. But marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, meaning there are stringent rules governing the transportation of cannabis. That can leave some parts of the industry stranded, sometimes on literal islands. Today, we travel to Martha’s Vineyard to hear how those hurdles have impacted one dispensary. Plus, a look at fossil fuel use and the effort to reopen a criminal case against Boeing.

From the BBC World Service: Chinese carmakers are urging Beijing to slap import taxes of up to 25% on some European cars, following the European Union’s confirmation that it will place tariffs of up to 38% on electric vehicle imports from China. Then, global fossil fuel use and carbon emissions hit record highs last year, despite growing energy production from wind and solar. And charities are worried about the impact of some G7 governments’ slashing foreign aid budgets.

Picture this: The year is 2014. The song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams is playing on every top 100 station, and the Ellen DeGeneres star-studded Oscars selfie has just “broken Twitter.” As all of this is happening, a bunch of content creators in certain corners of social media are about to start making a whole lot of money. Culture reporter Steffi Cao recently wrote in The Ringer that 2014 was the year that shaped the internet we know today. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke to her about what happened online 10 years ago.

Have you ever wondered where it’s safe to buy (or rent) a home? Maybe you’re looking to make more environmentally friendly choices at the supermarket. Or, you’d like to know how to keep climate despair at bay. We’re here to help! The “Burning Questions” series from “How We Survive” responds to your concerns, big and small, about the climate crisis. Join us as we navigate how our choices intersect with the well-being of the planet, starting June 26.

Credit card delinquencies are up overall in the past year — but that’s not the whole debt picture. Wealthier consumers can pay off their debt right now, driving up the nation’s average credit score. It’s a tale of two Americas. Also in this episode: Federal data reveals that nearly 1 in 4 Black prospective homeowners are denied a mortgage, and we catch up with a couple whose gift-giving journey was featured on “This Is Uncomfortable.”

One effort in trying to narrow the racial wealth gap is by supporting Black-owned businesses. That effort grew in 2020 amid racial justice protests after the murder of George Floyd, but where do things stand now? We check in. Plus, Brooklyn’s Long Time Tattoo is a queer Asian American Pacific Islander run tattoo collective that’s helping create an inclusive space for clients, other tattoo artists and the wider community.

Part of the of the racial wealth gap is a gap in business ownership. Today, we’re joined by Kezia Williams, CEO of the Black upStart, a national initiative and curriculum for Black entrepreneurs, for a conversation about some of the hurdles Black business owners face and efforts to close the gap. Also on the program: A new study finds that expanding early childhood education could be well worth the investment.

From the BBC World Service: Amazon could be forced to recognize a trade union for the first time in the United Kingdom, as staff at its warehouse in Coventry, England, begin consulting with the GMB general trade union union ahead of a July vote. Also: An Afrobeats track has become the first of the genre to break one billion streams. We’ll explore the genre’s rapid growth.

Shortly after the Union won the Civil War in 1865, a union major general issued an order: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” June 19, known as Juneteenth, has long been celebrated by African Americans. But in 2020, in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic and the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd, Juneteenth took the internet by storm. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Brandon Ogbunu, professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale, who wrote about that moment for WIRED back then. He revisited what was happening at that time a year before Juneteenth became a national holiday.

In honor of Juneteenth, we’re bringing you an episode of a new podcast from APM Studios that’s especially relevant on this holiday. In the podcast, “What Happened in Alabama?” host Lee Hawkins unpacks his family history, confronts cycles of trauma and grapples with an issue many Black families face: how to keep land in the family. This episode is about Black land loss. In 1910, Black farmers collectively owned over 16 million acres of farmland. A century later, over 90% of that land is no longer owned by Black farmers. Lee explores that tumultuous history and what Black families can do to hold on to their property. If you’d like to hear more episodes from the series, you can find “What Happened in Alabama?” wherever you get podcasts.

A recent survey found that almost 15% of Americans have co-bought a home with someone other than a romantic partner, and almost half said they’d consider it. This is part of a larger trend — many Americans are choosing to structure their lives around friends as opposed to a spouse or romantic partner. On the show today, Rhaina Cohen, author of “The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center,” explains what it really means to build your life around friends and the financial costs and benefits that come with it. Plus, how the LGBTQ+ community has shaped the conversation around the  issue. Then, we’ll unpack what baby boomers’ retirement readiness says about the wealth gap in the United States. And, the endless possibilities for crab emojis and why our intern, Thalia, was wrong about her curly hair. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Why more people are buying houses with their friends” from Axios “What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?” from The Atlantic “Inflation Widens Married Couples’ Money Lead Over Their Single Friends” from The Wall Street Journal “Want financial security in America? Better get married.” from Vox “Two Women Redefine What it Means to Marry Your Best Friend” from The New York Times “If you can’t stay indoors during this US heat wave, here are a few ideas” from AP News “Northeast Heat Wave 2024: This Is a Disaster. Treat It That Way” from Bloomberg “US Retirement Accounts Are Flush for Millions of Older Americans” from Bloomberg We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

With bond yields dropping, lower mortgage interest rates may be on the horizon. That’s great for people who’ve put off buying a home because they felt priced out. But will rates fall enough to make homeowners with older, cheaper mortgages consider selling? Also in this episode: Buy now, pay later attracts vulnerable consumers, electric vehicle sales growth slows and product designers chase down copycat products.

Stock markets rise; manufacturing output goes up; EV startup Fisker goes bankrupt; Nvidia becomes world’s most valuable company.

The Commerce Department says retail sales last month rose just a tenth of a percent last month; New York Fed Chair John Williams says the economy is moving in the right direction; another whistleblower for Boeing; a new poll shows about half of Americans say it’s extremely or very important for the government to provide debt relief for medical bills.

Yet another Boeing whistleblower is set to testify at a Senate hearing this afternoon, citing a failure to properly track defective parts in the company’s factories. Plus, the tragedy of errors and shortcuts that led to last year’s Titan submersible implosion.

The Treasury and IRS announced a new initiative Monday to close a tax loophole for wealthy people that could raise more than $50 billion in revenue over the next decade. Plus, the evolving economics of “gayborhoods” in U.S. cities.

From the BBC World Service: Russia’s Vladimir Putin is visiting North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un for the first time in 24 years, as the pair look to deepen their relationship in the face of international isolation. And: Wildfires forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate the Greek island of Rhodes last year – now there’s a focus on how to make tourism more sustainable.

Marketplace’s Lily Jamali recently visited the headquarters of Nautilus Biotechnology to meet with Parag Mallick, the company’s founder and chief scientist, who is also a magician and an associate professor at Stanford University. Since 2016, Mallick and his team have been building a machine that they say will revolutionize biomedicine by unlocking the secrets of the “dark proteome.”

With the elections for president, the Senate and the House just 4½ months away, misinformation is on the rise. We’ll get into the kind of false narratives to look for on the campaign trail. Plus, how loopholes in medical billing underscore the importance of change at the state and local levels. And, the story of a remote-controlled robot that rescues swimmers in distress. Here’s everything we talked about today: Post about the Republican National Committee from Jay Nordlinger on X “Even Doctors Like Me Are Falling Into This Medical Bill Trap” from The New York Times “Watch a robot race over Lake Michigan waves to help a swimmer” from MLive “Which sentence do you think is grammatically correct?” from YouGov We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

A stretch of the U.S. is under a heat advisory this week — but summer starts Thursday. When we talk about a “hot” economy, it’s usually a good thing, but in real life, extreme heat sends economic productivity downhill. We’ll get into why. Also in this episode: Retailers launch copycat sales to compete with Amazon Prime Day, Baltimore longshoremen are finally back to work and the bond market is booming.

Stocks climb to new heights; The Justice Department sues Adobe; China launches a retaliatory investigation into European pork imports; Ultium workers ratify a new contract..

The New York Fed’s June Empire State Manufacturing Survey is out this morning; Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari says  predictions the Federal Reserve won’t cut interest rates until December are “reasonable;” the U.S. surgeon general calls for a warning label on social media; Disney estimates the new “Inside Out 2” film made $155 million.

Wall Street investors bet on extra rate cuts this year, in spite of Fed predictions that there will be just one. Plus, Megabus parent company Coach USA has filed for bankruptcy after ridership dropped during the pandemic and failed to recover. And for Baltimore firms, work on the Francis Scott Key Bridge reconstruction is personal.  

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called for cigarette-style warning labels aimed at young users of social media platforms, citing social media’s significant contributions to the mental health crisis among adolescents. Plus, a surge in secondhand shopping among consumers, and a look inside the world of gender-affirming vocal coaching.    

From the BBC World Service: Emmanuel Macron has kicked off a fortnight of frenetic election campaigning as he gambles everything to stave off a big challenge from the far right. German sportswear giant Adidas is investigating what it calls ‘potential compliance violations in China’ after reports that senior managers at the Chinese branch allegedly received bribes from suppliers. The European Soccer Championship has kicked off and it offers significant branding opportunities — this year, Nike is outspending its rivals, securing 37.5% of the visibility with nine team deals.

Brazil has densely populated low-income communities living on the outskirts of many cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Ordering online shopping just isn’t an option for residents as these towns don’t have an official address, but that may be changing. The BBC’s Ben Derico reports.

A new pitch from former President Donald Trump calls for replacing income tax with tariffs. We’ll get into why the math doesn’t add up. Plus, chemical hair relaxers are making Black women sick, so why are they still being sold? And, we’ll weigh in on Apple entering the AI race, Hollywood studios buying movie theaters, and using speakerphone in public during a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: Post about Donald Trump’s “all tariffs policy” from Emily Wilkins on X “The Disturbing Truth About Hair Relaxers” from The New York Times “Alex Jones’ personal assets to be sold to pay $1.5B Sandy Hook debt. Company bankruptcy is dismissed” from The Associated Press “Why decaf coffee is growing in popularity” from Marketplace “Apple announces AI features” from Marketplace “Games Are Proving Their Pull on News and Tech Sites” from The New York Times  “Sony Pictures Acquires Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Landmark Deal That Puts Studios Back in Theater Game” from The Hollywood Reporter “Living Out Loud, Headphones Nowhere to Be Found” from The New York Times We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Housing affordability is on everyone’s mind — a new survey shows it’s a “somewhat to very important issue” for the majority of voters, especially younger ones. We’ll discuss whether housing has historically determined elections and get realistic about what a president can do about housing prices. We’ll also look at how the government measures housing costs for homeowners, even if their mortgages are paid off. Plus: The history of all-you-can-eat deals.

Markets mostly flat; Consumer sentiment down again; Congressional inquiry into Boeing; Cava shares grew 300% in first year.

Import prices in May fell 0.4%; U.S. manufacturers and labor group urge quicker China import tariffs; possible fake titanium used in Airbus, Boeing planes, The New York Times says.

Four years ago, the pandemic sent the world economy into disarray. Panic buying led to widespread backlogs, with shipping gridlocks so bad you could see them in satellite images. It all revealed a troubling reality: Our global supply chain is incredibly fragile. Where did things go wrong? We discuss. Also, Tesla shareholders voted to restore CEO Elon Musk’s pay package valued at $44.9 billion, so let’s talk about how CEO pay gets determined.

Israel is withholding $35 million in tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority, which provides limited self-governance for the Palestinian people in the West Bank. The move threatens to worsen an already dire financial situation there, even as a war devastates Gaza, the other Palestinian enclave. Plus, big questions linger following the end of a strike at University of California campuses. And Wells Fargo fired some employees for “fake working.”

From the BBC World Service: Every year, more than a million Muslims from around the globe make a pilgrimage in Mecca. But there’s a lucrative trade in fake permits, and the number of scams has caused raised concerns for Saudi authorities. Then, Thailand scraps a planned $8 tourism fee for visitors arriving by air. And Virgin Australia is set to allow dogs and cats to fly in the main cabin of its planes.

Ride-hailing company Uber has lost its challenge to the California law that requires gig companies to provide employment rights to workers. We’ll have more about the legal and political saga on this week’s Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review. Also, X — formerly Twitter — has made user “likes” private, marking another change to the platform’s identity and functionality since Elon Musk took over the social media company. But first, they’re calling it Apple Intelligence. That phrase was used about 60 times Monday during Apple’s annual developers confab. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Joanna Stern, senior personal tech columnist at The Wall Street Journal. She attended the Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, this week as Apple execs talked through the company’s entry into the AI race.  

About 15 million Americans collectively have $49 million in medical debt on their credit reports, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But a new proposed rule might remove these bills from their credit scores. We’ll explain. Plus, the domino effect of local elections being funded by national players. And, how Apple’s new AI features could change the language of emoji. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Vice President Kamala Harris On Sherri” from “Sherri” “CFPB Proposes to Ban Medical Bills from Credit Reports” from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “CFPB Finds 15 Million Americans Have Medical Bills on Their Credit Reports” from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “Biden Proposes Dropping Medical Debt From Credit Reports” from The New York Times “More parents are cosigning their kids’ mortgages” from Marketplace  “Co-Borrowing Is on the Rise for First-Time Homebuyers” from Freddie Mac  “Campaign donors hope money makes the difference in hotly contested states” from Marketplace “Apple Intelligence in 5 minutes” from Apple “Apple announces AI features” from Marketplace Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks, a game and more.

The job market is weakening, according to recent data. Higher unemployment is a good sign — if you’re the Federal Reserve and want to cut interest rates. It’s bad, of course, if you’re a job seeker. We tackle this paradox in today’s episode. Plus: Cities adjust their tech-hub dreams, improved hurricane forecasting saves billions in damage, and Black workers pay a high price in the clean energy transition.

Markets mixed; Tesla shareholders likely approve Elon Musk’s pay package; SCOTUS ruling could affect unionization; GameStop shareholder meeting overloads servers.

The producer price index in May fell 0.2%; jobless claims rise to 10-month high, but still at a healthy level; Federal Reserve signals just one interest rate cut in 2024; G7 leaders agree to $50 billion Ukraine loan backed by Russian assets.