Episodes
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Sometimes, annual corporate shareholder meetings are mundane. That was not the case this year at Disney, where there was an unusually bitter and public battle for say in how the company is run. We’ll take a closer examination of the proxy battle and its outcome. Also on the program: expectations of March job gains, the Fed’s no-win situation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s trip to China and airline responses to Boeing’s production delays.
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Thursday marks 56 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. On today’s program, we hear how Dr. King’s family is fighting to maintain access to the civiil rights leader’s words, continuing to safeguard his intellectual property, and promoting a legacy of nonviolent social change and racial unity. We’ll also learn more about a decline in the number of women in c-suite positions last year.
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Missing episodes?
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From the BBC World Service: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is to meet officials in China for the second time in less than a year. What exactly can we expect from visit with government officials and business leaders? Then, Kenya’s health care system is in chaos as 4,000 public sector doctors and workers have gone on strike. Also: how is AI changing the next generation of prosthetics for people with disabilities?
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The Chinese-based platform Temu is transforming e-commerce, and it’s recently surged in popularity in the U.S. Described as being “like Amazon on steroids,” Temu’s products are often cheap and unbranded — but those low prices could be coming at high costs. Also on the program: few visible cracks in the labor market, a lack of remote work training, and an obituary for General Electric as a corporate conglomerate.
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Multigenerational living arrangements began to decline in the 1950s, thanks to the growth of suburbs, new job opportunities for those willing to move and the rise of senior housing. Yet from 1971 to 2021, the number of people living in multigenerational family households quadrupled. Why? Housing affordability plays a big role. But first: How might Taiwan’s major earthquake impact the global supply chain for semiconductor chips?
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From the BBC World Service: A joint report from the United Nations and the World Bank suggests it would cost $18 billion to reconstruct infrastructure and buildings in Gaza. We consider where that money might come from. Plus, Taiwan has experienced its most powerful earthquake in 25 years. Then, we take a look at the Chinese-owned online retail platform, Temu. How does it manage to list products so cheaply?
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The yield on 10-year Treasury notes ticked up sharply to 4.4% this morning, and the thought of extended higher interest rates has stock investors in a cautious mood. We’ll discuss. Then, Google is promising to delete mountains of data following a class-action lawsuit. And it was last call for one of the oldest casinos on the Las Vegas strip this morning. We’ll took a look back at the history of the Tropicana.
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Consumers lost more than $1.1 billion to impersonation scams in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission. This week, a new rule from the FTC went into effect that prohibits people from impersonating government agencies and businesses, and gives the FTC more tools to go after scammers. Plus, the United States and United Kingdom are teaming up to tackle AI safety, and the end of certain internet subsidies threatens telehealth access.
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From the BBC World Service: India is likely to experience more heat wave days than normal between April and June, potentially hitting agricultural production and hampering government efforts to bring down food inflation. There’s also a worry that soaring temperatures could deter people from voting in the upcoming elections. Also on the program: an agreement tackling the risk of AI, England’s expanded taxpayer-funded child care and the Dutch word for doing nothing
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We’ve been taking a close look on this program at the burdens of medical debt. Back in 2020, Congress passed the so-called “No Surprises Act” to protect patients from unexpected big bills for out-of-network medical care — and turns out, its wider impact on health care spending has yielded mixed results. But first on the show, California’s new $20-an-hour minimum wage for fast food goes into effect today. We’ll unpack reactions.
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Funding for public schools partially depends on the number of students enrolled. But some public school districts are considering closing and consolidating schools due to enrollment declines that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new Cato Institute survey. We hear more. We’ll also learn more about agriculture’s impact on Colorado River basin levels and an anti-redlining law that’s currently on hold.
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From the BBC World Service: China may be showing signs of an economic recovery, with factory output slightly up for the first time in six months — an indicator that the country’s pandemic-induced slowdown may be starting to ease. Plus, in Germany, people can smoke cannabis in public starting today. Then, Turkey’s main opposition party has claimed big election victories in major cities; high inflation and general economic weakness may partially be behind the wins.
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President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign says it hauled in over $25 million at a New York City fundraiser last night, where Biden appeared alongside former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. So far, Biden is far out-raising Republican former president Donald Trump, but winning the money race doesn’t always translate into winning elections. And prices rose 0.3% in February, according to the personal consumption expenditures index. What should we make of that figure?
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On the 2030 U.S. Census, Arab Americans will have their own box to check for the first time ever. And federal agencies are now being instructed to add a “Middle Eastern or North African” option to all data collection forms. One outcome? A clearer picture of economic conditions in Arab American communities. Then, a look at relief funds flowing into Maryland, and how medical debt can exacerbate existing pain and suffering.
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From the BBC World Service: Thousands of tourists usually flock to Jerusalem and Bethlehem during Easter, but there’s been a massive drop since the war in Gaza. That’s hit local livelihoods. Then, we hear from an FTX investor discuss the moment he had to tell his clients their cash was gone. Plus, the price of cocoa surged to an all-time high this week.
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The Port of Baltimore remains cut off after the recent collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. It’s already having effects on supply chains, but it’s also impacting the jobs and livelihoods of folks in the region. We unpack. Plus, households accumulated more wealth during the pandemic recovery than would have been expected, U.S. hydropower took a hit last year, and a new Tennessee law aims to protect musicians from generative AI.
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Seven of the largest U.S. sportsbooks, including FanDuel and DraftKings, are launching a trade group to promote responsible gambling. The move comes as legal sports wagers surge and as the NBA and MLB each investigate high-profile betting scandals involving athletes. Also on today’s show, we hear how the Baltimore bridge collapse is impacting workers there and look at proposed legislation aimed at tackling some of the burdens of medical debt.
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From the BBC World Service: There is good news for Australian wine producers: They’ll no longer face tariffs from their largest trading partner, China. Also in China, smartphone giant Xiaomi moves into the EV market. What’s behind the move? Plus, dates are often associated with the holy month of Ramadan and the breaking of fast. We take an examination of how supply chain stressors are affecting the economy of dates.
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Medical debt is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in America. Throughout the week, we’ll hear portions of a recent “Marketplace Morning Report” event to better understand what’s behind some of these exorbitant costs and hear about potential solutions. Plus, rerouting ships away from the Port of Baltimore will take time and money. We look at the potentials costs and see what other ports stand to gain.
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The child care system in the U.S. is in crisis. The latest government funding bill just approved by the White House included a $1 billion increase for programs focused on child care and early childhood learning. Advocates see the boost as a win but caution that it still isn’t enough. Then, we’ll discuss what you need to know about the stock market debut of Donald Trump’s Truth Social.
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