Marketplace All-in-One

D.R. Horton increased quarterly profit by 27%; TSMC forecasts sales increase of up to 30% on A.I. chip demand; initial jobless claims remain at a low of 212,000; U.S. investigating China’s shipbuilding industry over potential unfair subsidies.

This week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finalized regulations to ensure that most employees around the country are entitled to unpaid time off and other accommodations for a range of pregnancy-related medical needs, from nausea and gestational diabetes to abortion care. We’ll learn more. Also on today’s show: a drumbeat of “higher for longer” from Fed officials, the Biden administration’s show of support for American steel, and gaming furniture that’s all grown up.

When the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was built in the ’70s, it was a chance for workers to prove themselves on a massive construction project. Following its collapse, those workers look back on what many considered to be a monument to their work — and what happens when that monument is gone. Also: foreign aid could be bundled with a forced sale of TikTok, and European Union leaders agree to tighten sanctions on Iran.

From the BBC World Service: The European Commission has given TikTok 24 hours to provide more information on its new app, which pays users to watch videos, as officials raise concerns about potential harms. Then, we’ll hear more about the European Union’s efforts to sanction Iran following its attack on Israel. And later on the show: Why is the Pacific Island of Palau’s tourism sector struggling to recover from the pandemic?

When you think about gin, what tastes comes to mind? Pine? Maybe citrus or coriander? It can vary quite a bit because unlike some spirits, gin is very lightly regulated. Distillers can throw in all kinds of flavors and call the result “gin” as long it has some minimum requirements. In the U.S., gin is gin as long as the flavor is derived from juniper berries and alcohol by volume is at least 40%. In the European Union, the minimum ABV is 37.5%. But researchers in Edinburgh, Scotland, recently identified the exact elements that define gin using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscropy. Think of it as something like an MRI scan that lets scientists create a flavor “fingerprint.” The new technique could have big implications for this very old industry. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Eve Thomas, who wrote about it for Wired, to learn more.

A union election at Volkswagen is testing the power of the United Auto Workers. As voting gets underway this week, guest host Nova Safo explains what unionization could mean for three big automakers and the labor movement in the South. Plus, how a unanimous Supreme Court ruling expands the scope of workplace bias suits. And, why Billy Joel came up at a Pentagon press briefing.

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Today, President Joe Biden called for tariffs to be tripled on certain Chinese steel and aluminum products. These tariffs, first implemented by then-President Donald Trump in 2018, are now the latest move in the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. Plus, sky-high car insurance premiums, the government’s latest energy-efficiency standards and China’s shrinking wine market. 

Stocks close down; employment rises modestly; price increases in line with previous surveys; car insurance jumps over the last year.

White House says China is flooding U.S. with artificially cheap steel, aluminum; United Airlines Q1 losses less than feared; Tesla wants shareholders to reinstate Musk’s $56 billion pay package; Transportation Department to partner with states to investigate airline passenger complaints.

The United Auto Workers union is trying to organize foreign vehicle factories in the South, and today, workers at a Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, begin voting on whether to join the UAW. We’ll hear what’s at stake. Then, we’ll take a look at why TGI Friday’s is faltering while Texas Roadhouse thrives. Plus, a look at how a Detroit deconstruction company provides jobs and promotes sustainability.

For this month’s Econ Extra Credit, we’re watching “The League,” which chronicles the history of baseball’s Negro Leagues, established several decades before the sport was integrated. The Leagues gave rise to many Black businesses and entrepreneurs. Today, we have a conversation with Larry Lester, co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Also on the program: Aircraft-maker Boeing faces scrutiny over safety practices during two Senate hearings.

From the BBC World Service: Despite extensive sanctions, the International Monetary Fund has forecast Russia’s economy will grow more than any other rich nation this year. Also: The small Pacific Island nation of Palau has warned delays to U.S. funding could open the door to China’s influence in the region.

When the chemical company DuPont unveiled Teflon in 1946, nonstick pots and pans seemed like a miracle. We now know their coatings contain “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, which don’t break down. These compounds are not only in cookware but in clothing, cosmetics and more — and they contaminate the water millions of us drink. Research shows there’s no safe level of exposure. As the EPA rolls out new limits on PFAS in drinking water, Marketplace’s Lily Jamali asked Tasha Stoiber, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, about the tech used to filter it.

There’s been a lot of debate lately about the potential effects of smartphones and social media on young people’s mental health. Some states like states like Florida and Utah have even tried to ban kids from using social media apps until they reach a certain age. But Mikey Jensen, professor of clinical psychology and director of the Interactions and Relationships Lab at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, said outright bans could do more harm than good.

On the show today: How smartphones and social media are reshaping our lives. And why we should focus on the quality of kids’ online time instead of the amount of it. 

Then, we’ll get into the cost of a major ransomware attack for a health care company and its clients. And, the mini pencil economy and what a history professor got wrong about ancient Rome.

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We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The International Monetary Fund reported today that the global economy has shown “remarkable resilience” and that growth is expected to hold steady at 3.2% this year. But that’s low by historical standards. Plus, why there’s weaker demand for Treasurys, how restaurant chains scout locations and why Warner Bros. is shelving “Coyote vs. Acme.” Beep beep!

Stocks close mixed; Powell says it’ll take longer than expected to be confident that inflation is moving down; housing starts fall; industrial production rises.

IMF improves global economic growth forecast to 3.2%; new housing construction plummets in March; UnitedHealth beats earnings forecasts despite ransomware attack; Bank of America’s profit falls amid high interest rates.

The European Union’s Digital Services Act requires big internet platforms to create searchable public libraries of their ads, allowing researchers to see who an ad is targeting and reaching and what it’s urging its audience to do. But a new assessment finds that those libraries are lacking. We dig in. Plus, China’s economy grew faster than expected, but Chinese consumers are still struggling. We’ll also hear how to find reasonably high interest rates on savings.

Big corporate landlords provide the company RealPage with data you can’t just see on Zillow, like the rent a tenant actually pays versus what’s advertised publicly. In return, the company recommends a rent price to set. Now, lawsuits are alleging that RealPage uses the data for wide scale rent-fixing. Also: the latest news on shares of Trump Media and a frank conversation about the shame that comes with debt.

From the BBC World Service: Economic growth in China, the world’s second biggest economy, beat expectations in the first quarter. Official data shows it’s being led by the manufacturing sector, but domestic demand is still weak. Plus, the Panama Canal will permit more ships from next month, easing congestion. And Colombia has become a top destination for so-called digital nomad; we take a look at how this is affecting the economy.

President Joe Biden won Arizona in 2020 by a razor-thin margin, flipping the state blue for the first time in more than 20 years. As a result, Arizona became a hotbed of election misinformation and conspiracy theories, as false claims of a stolen election led to protests outside voting centers, a GOP-backed ballot audit and threats against election workers. Now, with just over 200 days until the 2024 election, experts warn that artificial intelligence could supercharge misinformation and disinformation in this year’s race. So how are election officials in a state that has already been in the trenches preparing for another battle over facts? In this episode of “Marketplace Tech’s” limited series, “Decoding Democracy,” Lily Jamali and Kimberly Adams look back at what happened in Arizona during the last presidential election and how the state became entangled in conspiracy theories. Plus, we hear from Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes about how his office plans to combat AI-charged misinformation this year.

This week, Bridget and Ryan are working hard to answer a question many listeners sent in, including Benicio, about labor unions and how they work. They get some help from a group of middle school babysitters called The Caregiver Crew who want to form a union. We’ll learn the ins and outs of negotiations, collective bargaining, strikes, and even … scabbing.

If your family is interested in learning more about labor unions, check out the page for this episode at our website. We’ve got discussion questions and tips for learning more!

This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Get one month free and earn $10 today when you sign up for Greenlight at greenlight.com/million.

It’s Tax Day! Millions of Americans have already filed their 2023 returns, but today we’re talking about tax protesters and the moral and ethical reasons some refuse to file their taxes or pay what they owe. Plus, the “no landing” scenario has entered the chat. And, what are we getting wrong about the cosmos?

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We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The economy has historically been a major factor in election forecasting. But right now, the economy is kinda all over the place. In this episode, how some experts are adjusting their models to account for increased polarization and others are throwing in the towel. Plus, more guessing games: Will BYD crush Tesla? Should firms make big deals before inflation cools? And wait — when am I scheduled to work?

Stocks close down; retail sales rise 0.7% from February; homebuilder confidence flat in April; investment banking revenue pushes up Goldman Sachs earnings.

Retail sales increased 0.7% in March, Commerce Department says; FBI boards cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore bridge; Goldman Sachs quarterly profits soar amid more deal making; global smartphone sales rise nearly 8%.

The Colorado River, vital to the American West, faces a crisis as demand surpasses its supply due to rising temperatures and unsustainable usage practices. As millions depend on its waters for survival, challenges like rampant growth and water-intensive farming further strain this precious resource. Across the region, communities must rethink water distribution and utilization to adapt to a drier future.

In this special, we follow Leigh Harris and her husband Franck Avril, residents grappling with water scarcity in their dream home built on a dry lot. Their journey underscores the urgency of finding affordable water sources amidst worsening drought. Additionally, we delve into technological innovations, from desalination to rain water, offering potential solutions to the crisis. We also examine a growing movement, rooted in Indigenous values, to give nature — rivers, fish, crops and trees — the same rights as people, and what that might mean for the future of the Colorado River.

On today’s program, we’re taking a closer look at immigration and entrepreneurship. Immigrants are more likely to start a new company than U.S.-born citizens, studies show. And those new businesses need to make hires — turns out, immigrant entrepreneurs are associated with a net gain in jobs. We’ll discuss. Also, a boost in the Internal Revenue Service budget seems to be making a difference, and investors respond to rising tensions in the Middle East.

Today is Tax Day. While payers in 12 states have the opportunity to use a pilot IRS system to directly file their taxes online, tax software companies like Intuit and H&R Block have introduced generative artificial intelligence assistants to be more competitive. But do they work? Then, Samsung beats out Apple for title of the world’s biggest smartphone maker, and we examine how residents of “news deserts” access their local news.

From the BBC World Service: Tensions continue to run high in the Middle East after Iran’s recent drone and missile attacks against Israel. We’ll delve into how this weekend’s events could make a bad situation worse for Iran’s heavily sanctioned economy and the people living there. Plus, we’ll hear how the ongoing war in Ukraine could provide another big hit to energy prices, and we’ll preview the outlook for Zimbabwe’s new gold-backed currency.

The programming language known as COBOL turns 65 this year. We couldn’t help noticing that’s right around retirement age, but COBOL is nowhere near retirement. It remains a mainstay of IT operations at U.S. government agencies, businesses and financial institutions. Yet the programming language, which is older than the Beatles, is no longer taught at most universities. Glenn Fleishman is a freelance tech journalist who has written about this aging slab of digital infrastructure. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali asked him whether our continuing reliance on COBOL is a problem.

It’s hard to get around without a car these days. But in the last couple of years, owning one has become very expensive. We’ll explain the deceptive practices happening in the auto lending market. And, we’ll explain how Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s power in the Democratic Party was demonstrated by a campaign contribution. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty and weigh in on “dumbphones” and adult gap years.

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We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

As more cities and states debate abolishing subminimum wages for tipped workers, we’re keeping an eye on Washington, D.C., where the tip credit system is being phased out. Though food service staff shrunk last year, some current servers say their paychecks are much more stable. Plus, corporate defaults climb and the cost of Asian imports falls as the cost of goods from Mexico increases.

Stocks fall; JP Morgan CEO cites economic uncertainty; consumer confidence holds steady; import prices rise in March.

Profits rose 6% at JPMorgan Chase; BlackRock profits soar 36%; Citigroup, Wells Fargo profits decline; S&P 500 quarterly earnings expected to be up 5%.

The unemployment gap between Black and white workers has consistently been around 2 to 1 ever since the government started disaggregating the data more than five decades ago. While the Black unemployment rate is relatively low historically, the gap remains. We’ll discuss the institutional reasons why and how best to tackle the issue. Also on today’s program: the return of standardized testing and a preview of Senate hearings centered on Boeing’s manufacturing and safety practices.

Next month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will tell us how much of the income generated by workers’ toil actually went to them in Q1. That stat is called labor share of national income — and it’s shrinking. Plus, a government committee that scrutinizes deals between foreign companies and American firms may be getting more power. And 14 states are opting out of a summer EBT program that would help families buy groceries.

Wanna learn more about labor share of income and see Marketplace reporter Nancy Marshall Genzer get a pie in the face? Check out the Marketplace TikTok feed.

From the BBC World Service: Thousands of victims of a huge investment scam believe police in London have nearly $4 billion worth of bitcoin that belongs to them and want the British government to give it back. Then, The European Central bank held interest rates steady but gave strong hints about future rate cuts. Plus, we hear about padel, one of the world’s fastest growing sports, and its Olympic ambitions

The Labor Department this week confirmed what a lot of Americans have been feeling: Inflation is kind ofsticking around, and higher interest rates are likely to as well. We’ll look at what that means for venture capital, which was already slow to flow. Plus, the Joe Biden administration announced a $6.6 billion deal with Taiwan-based semiconductor maker TSMC to build a third production hub in Arizona. We take a look at the ongoing rollout of the CHIPS and Science Act, which makes it all possible. But first, Tesla has settled a lawsuit in the death of a software engineer who was killed driving a Tesla while using the company’s semiautonomous driving software, Autopilot. The suit put scrutiny on Elon Musk’s claims about the software.

Marketplace’s Lily Jamali is joined by Jewel Burks Solomon, managing director at Collab Capital, for her take on these stories.

Today, we’re discussing the bond market’s big reaction to the latest inflation news and why you shouldn’t worry about it. Plus, a new Boeing whistleblower comes forward, and Beyoncé calls out the home insurance industry.

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Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. We’ll have news, drink, and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Like a choreographed dance, central banks usually move together in managing interest rates. But with a high U.S. inflation reading in March, other banks might cut rates before the Fed. The European Central Bank is closer to its target and has signaled a cut in June. Plus, West Texas natural gas extractors are paying to get rid of their excess, colleges are hiring managers to help athletes get name, image and likeness deals, and a complicated insurance tactic is raising patients’ out-of-pocket costs.

Stocks close higher; cost of financial services, equipment wholesaling and other services rise; mortgage rates near 7%; initial jobless claims fall.

Lorena has been a garment worker in Los Angeles for over twenty years, going to work each day in a small factory to sew trendy fast fashion clothes for pennies per item. But one day, she decided enough was enough, and she took a stand against the poor work conditions and low pay. In part two of our mini-series on fast fashion, we look at the system of production: who pays the price for cheap clothes? And how might that system change for the better?

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Delta Air Lines reported strong sales and summer demand; Constellation Brands reported strong beer sales; CarMax struggled amid high prices and interest rates; initial jobless claims declined to 211,000 last week; ECB maintains record high interest rate.

On Wednesday, Republicans, Democrats and college officials took to Capitol Hill to vent about the Education Department’s botched rollout of a newer, simplified FAFSA form. That’s the form high school students fill out and send to colleges to determine financial aid offers — and it’s affected millions of students. We’ll also discuss fresh wholesale inflation figures and get a sneak peak at the latest season of Marketplace’s “Million Bazillion” podcast, which tackles kids’ biggest money questions.

Meta’s latest answer to protecting kids on Instagram is automatically blurring images that may contain nudity. The company says it will test this on the platform’s direct messaging feature. We’ll parse the details. Plus, the FCC is requiring large internet providers to post “broadband nutrition labels” that provide a snapshot of charges and performance data. Will they impact consumers’ internet diet? And a recent survey finds that CEOs are feeling pretty optimistic.

From the BBC World Service: A Vietnamese court sentenced property developer Truong My Lan to death after she was convicted of taking $44 billion from one of Vietnam’s largest banks. Also, South Korea’s liberal opposition party won in a landslide majority in the country’s general election. And paralympian Stef Reid is asking sportswear companies who use amputee athletes in their marketing why it’s not possible to buy single shoes.

More than 99% of all species that have lived on Earth are now extinct — something humans have certainly had a hand in. There’s now an entire scientific discipline devoted to bringing some of these species back. If you’re picturing those cloning scenes from “Jurassic Park” right now, we get it. But “de-extinction” is not quite that. Beth Shapiro is the chief science officer at Colossal Biosciences, a bioengineering startup working on de-extinction. She explained to Marketplace’s Lily Jamali how the process works.

Inflation is hotter than anticipated, according to today’s consumer price index. Electricity, for instance, cost 5% more year over year. And in the coming months, demand for electricity is expected to grow — scientists predict this summer is gonna be a hot one. In this episode, an air conditioning price forecast. Plus, the lone busy cargo facility in Baltimore, country music’s Black influences and an economic fortuneteller that’s always changing its mind.