Marketplace All-in-One

Google has become the latest high-profile company to step up its efforts to get employees back into the office. We look at the measures the company is taking to prod people away from remote work, including penalizing workers who refuse to comply with back-to-office mandates. Plus, a look at British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s effort to convene the world’s first international forum on AI regulation. And finally, Afghan refugees in the U.S. are facing numerous challenges with immigration processing, which affects their job searches.

As New York and other cities continue to deal with worsened air quality due to Canadian wildfires, people have been finding ways to adapt with a little help from technology. We look at some ways innovation is meeting necessity as wildfires become a growing problem because of climate change. Plus, President Biden vetoed a bill that would have curbed student loan forgiveness. And finally, a chat with the Peterson Institute for International Economics’ Chad Bown about how the U.S. is placating allies who say recent electric vehicle subsidies are protectionist and unfair.

From the BBC World Service: Britain is hosting the world’s first global summit on the regulation of artificial intelligence this fall. The UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to discuss the event when he meets President Joe Biden at the White House today. Plus, can the cruise ship industry reduce its emissions? We hear from one player, MSC, which is using biogas to power its first net-zero emission voyage. And finally, Messi’s next big move — sports journalist Joe Lowry explains the finances behind the Argentine soccer legend’s decision to join Inter Miami.

New generative artificial intelligence tools like Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT can create stunning headshots, write flawless prose — even imitate someone’s voice. Basically, a catfisher’s dream. In other words, these tools enable a user to create a false online persona that in some cases can be used for financial gain. Catfishing and other online romance scams have become an increasing problem, especially on dating apps. Tinder, one of the most popular dating apps in the U.S., has stepped up its efforts to combat these scams in recent years, with features like a new video verification system to authenticate users’ identities. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Rory Kozoll, Tinder’s senior vice president of product integrity, about the company’s efforts to fight scams, strengthen trust and potentially deploy AI tools in support of Tinder’s and its users’ goals.

Ahead of their upcoming monthly meeting, Federal Reserve officials have hinted at possibly holding interest rates steady. And they’ve been using a few terms to describe the move — a “skip,” a “pause” and a “hold.” One listener called in to ask: What’s the difference? We’ll get into it and answer more of your questions, like why monetary policy tools are so blunt and the possibility of a common currency for BRICS countries. Plus, why your favorite radio program asks for money.

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The Federal Reserve has tons of data to pore over before deciding whether to raise interest rates next week. Here’s one more: Research from employment website Indeed — a Marketplace underwriter — shows that wage gains are slowing and job postings are falling. We’ll discuss the impacts. Plus, why retailers rarely come back from bankruptcy and why we care about what CEOs think about the economy.

Some of the world’s best race car drivers will compete this weekend at the renowned “24 Hours of Le Mans” race in France. This year, there’s an additional entrant — a souped-up Chevrolet Camaro engineered by NASCAR that represents the body’s hopes to win more international fans. We chat with auto journalist Jamie Kitman about the race and NASCAR’s Garage 56 project. Plus, an initiative to recruit more women into the construction industry is running into headwinds as potential apprentices struggle to find child care.

Whelp, so much for that projected stock downturn. The S&P 500 Index is a hair’s breadth away from turning into “bull market” territory — a 20% rise in stocks — since a low hit last October. We look at why the market has been high on the economy this year despite earlier pessimism. Plus, a deeper look into yesterday’s announcement that the PGA Tour would merge with its Saudi-backed rival, LIV Golf. And finally, a look at how Prince reshaped the music industry by changing his name to the famous “Love Symbol” in the 1990s.

From the BBC World Service: Golf’s breakaway LIV Golf Series, backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, has struck a deal that will see it merge with the established PGA Tour. The BBC’s Olie D’Albertanson reports. Plus, Emily Nicolle from Bloomberg News explains why the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has temporarily frozen Binance’s assets. And finally, the BBC’s Monica Miller reports on a former TikTok executive saying that members of the Chinese Communist Party gained access to its data in Hong Kong in 2018.

When asked to complete this joke, “Why did the chatbot cross the road?” OpenAI’s ChatGPT gave this response: “As an AI language model, it doesn’t have physical presence or the ability to cross roads.” A rather disappointing punchline, considering the chatbot’s long list of impressive capabilities. Writers Guild of America members have raised alarms about the use of AI in the scriptwriting process, but when it comes to killing a comedy set, these systems have a ways to go. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Tony Veale, an associate professor at University College Dublin, about what it means for AI to develop its own sense of humor.

It’s that time of year when the Supreme Court issues a bunch of important decisions on high-profile cases before its summer recess. But it turns out there’s a whole other docket of decisions that usually fly under the radar.

It’s called the emergency docket, or “shadow docket.” And the use of this lesser-known docket is changing the way the Supreme Court engages with wide-reaching, often divisive issues, and shaping law on the ground.

“We’re seeing every big fight in contemporary American public policy getting to the Supreme Court faster through these emergency applications, and provoking the justices to take a position sooner because of these emergency applications,” said Stephen Vladeck, law professor at the University of Texas and author of the new book “The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.”

On the show today, Vladeck explains what the shadow docket is, why emergency decisions by the Supreme Court have become more common over the past decade, and what this all means for the credibility of the court in the eyes of the American public.

In the News Fix: Speaking of the Supreme Court, we’ll get into how its upcoming decision on affirmative action could muddle diversity efforts at colleges across the country. And we’ll explain why pharmaceutical companies are pushing back against the new Medicare drug price negotiation program.

Later, listeners weigh in on local dog bars and virtual reality headsets. Plus, this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from singer, songwriter and condiment lover, Priska Neely.

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The Securities and Exchange Commission has sued two crypto exchanges, Coinbase and Binance. The cases pose an existential question: Are cryptocurrencies like securities, commodities or something else? The answer would dictate how crypto is regulated and could have far-reaching ripple effects. Also on the program: the closed IPO window, accolades for Indigenous cuisine and the entrepreneurial drive among immigrant women.

As Hollywood studios deal with the strike amongst film and television writers, actors could soon join the picket lines if a new contract isn’t drawn up by the end of the month. We look at the potential impact on an industry already dealing with huge labor upheaval. Plus, Saudi Arabia is cutting oil production to burnish energy prices, but other producers may be reluctant to follow. And finally, Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, says that it’s not likely that interest rates will return to the ultra-low levels seen in years past.

It’s seemingly déjà vu in the cryptocurrency world. Binance, the world’s largest digital currency trading platform, has been sued by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over alleged violations that include lying to regulators and mishandling funds. We look at what that means for a crypto industry that’s been licking its wounds since the collapse of FTX last year. Plus, a chat with Steve Isakowitz, President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, about the space industry’s push to diversify its workforce by 2030.

From the BBC World Service: Doctors in the UK are calling for disposable vapes to be banned. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney where they’re only available on prescription. Plus, a cyber hack has seen tens of thousands of employees’ personal details being leaked across organizations including British Airways and the BBC. And finally, in a major energy breakthrough, a test satellite has transmitted and received wireless power in space for the first time.

The European Union is getting closer to approving the world’s most comprehensive artificial intelligence regulations. Here in the U.S. — well, at least we’re not defaulting on our debt, right? Fast-moving developments in generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion have raised a slew of concerns over misinformation, copyright violation and job losses. But even the EU’s AI Act — years in the making — wasn’t crafted with this kind of general purpose AI in mind, these broadly accessible programs that have almost infinite applications. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Alex Engler, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies AI governance.

Hiring data shows that Republican-leaning states have been consistently hiring faster than Democratic-leaning states, and it’s been that way since before the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll unpack the trend and get into the relationship between hiring and job growth. Plus, an inclusive running club is making us smile. And, are we handing out five star reviews too freely?

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Saudi Arabia is cutting oil production by nearly a million barrels a day in hopes of boosting prices. Thing is, plenty of supply and weaker global demand could derail its effort. Plus, construction spending is a bright spot in U.S. manufacturing, office space owners reel from remote work, and Make-A-Wish plays catch-up on a backlog of Disney wishes.

New York City’s new law against formalized body discrimination, signed into law last month, makes it the biggest city so far to pass such protections. We look into what’s behind the move to prohibit the practice amongst employers and what it means for employees. Plus, Saudi Arabia’s announcement that it will cut oil production may have moved markets this morning, but economist Julia Coronado says this year has been a story of surprisingly low energy prices.

The debt ceiling issue officially wrapped this weekend as President Biden signed a compromise deal into law, but the saga has raised unanswered questions about how…and on whom…the government spends money. We talk with Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, about what the latest spat says about inequality in America. Plus, Allstate announced it would stop its home insurance programs in California in response to increased risk from wildfires and high building costs. And finally, construction is on the downswing as building new housing units becomes more expensive.

From the BBC World Service: Oil prices rise after OPEC+, the organization enabling the cooperation of leading oil-producing countries in order to collectively influence the global market and maximize profit, cut production by a further million barrels a day. Oil analyst Cornelia Meyer explains why they’ve done it. Plus the BBC’s Archana Shukla reports from India on the train crash that’s cost at least 275 lives. And finally, China aims for the moon as it invests in the new space race.

Last week, Amazon agreed to pay more than $30 million to settle two complaints brought by the Federal Trade Commission over allegations the company violated user privacy with its Ring video security system and Alexa audio assistant. The FTC said Amazon gave employees too much access to users’ private videos and left Ring systems open to hacking. The agency also said Amazon Alexa devices violated child privacy law by retaining kids’ voice recordings for years and that the company used consumer audio and video recordings to train algorithms without consent. Amazon, while agreeing to the proposed settlement, denied it broke any laws and said the issues had long since been addressed. Ring also released a similar statement. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Makena Kelly, a politics reporter at The Verge, about the nonmonetary penalties facing Amazon.

After the 2020 election, YouTube started removing election denialism content. Now, the platform is having a change of heart, saying it will leave up misinformation related to previous U.S. presidential elections. We get into the changes to YouTube’s misinformation policy and what they might mean for the 2024 campaign. Plus, Kimberly and Kai do a little show and tell. Prepare for smoke and fire!

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The labor force participation rate for “prime working age” women has peaked. That’s a pretty big deal after a dramatic drop of working women — particularly mothers — during the pandemic. Today, we’ll look at what brought women back to the workforce so quickly. We’ll also outline what happens now that we’ve reached a debt limit deal and tally the costs of catalytic converter thefts.

Today’s jobs report is in the books, and it showed something that economists didn’t expect: a rise in unemployment combined with a huge boost in the number of jobs added. FHN Financial Chief Economist Christopher Low explains what the data could mean, including that the quality of job openings could be falling. Plus, what’s inside the debt deal that passed the Senate last night? And finally, economist Monica de Bolle helps break down what’s gone so wrong in Argentina’s economy.

President Biden overcame the final legislative hurdle to raising the nation’s debt ceiling last night as the Senate voted 63-36 in favor of the compromise agreement struck with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last weekend. We look at what’s in the final agreement as it goes to the White House for the final sign-off. And finally, Argentina’s economy is in tatters as people deal with inflation over 100% — the BBC’s Leanna Byrne explains how that’s been affecting people on the ground.

From the BBC World Service: Sudanese companies and individuals have been hit with new economic restrictions as an intense power struggle continues to cause devastation in the country. Dr. Mehrzad Boroujerdi, a U.S.-based policy analyst, believes it will take more than just sanctions to end the conflict. iPhone maker Foxconn has followed through on a plan to expand production into India by the end of the year. And find out why the pandemic has changed how we eat lunch at work.

How did homelessness become such a defining and intractable economic issue in America? What are the root causes of the recent rise in homelessness, and more importantly, how do we fix it? In this special report, we delve into six different facets of the fight against homelessness to get a better sense of what people have been going through — and what that can tell us about how to tackle the issue that’s been vexing mayors and legislators across the nation for decades.

During the pandemic, many offices were vacated in favor of working from home. Now, cities are looking to reuse the buildings by converting them to housing units. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Steven Paynter, principal at Gensler, about an algorithm that assesses whether an office building would make for a successful conversion.

The debt limit deal making its way through Congress comes with changes to work requirements for food stamps. We’ll get into why these changes may not be the cost-cutting solutions they’re cracked up to be. And Congress has blocked President Joe Biden’s student debt relief program. We’ll discuss what’s next in the battle over loan forgiveness. Plus, the heartwarming story of a bumblebee rescue.

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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.

Once Congress finalizes a debt limit deal, we’re in the clear, right? Well, the Treasury Department will have to raise roughly $1 trillion in the next three to six months by selling bonds to replenish its accounts and pay for the “extraordinary measures” it’s been taking. So what’s that mean for the economy? Also, a potential end to the “great resignation” and a conversation about tipping robots.

We follow up with a listener and former guest who wrote to us about her struggle with class anxiety during our first season. We’ll also share an excerpt of Marketplace’s latest podcast, “Financially Inclined,” featuring an interview with Reema discussing emotions around money.

Part of the advice normally prescribed as a “cure” to homelessness is getting a job. But what happens when the work people do still isn’t enough to afford a place to live? A new study from the Economic Roundtable nonprofit delves into the surprisingly-high rate of homelessness amongst California fast food workers. Plus, businesses in some resort towns are offering subsidies for landlords to rent to local workers.

After a bipartisan vote on the debt deal in the House of Representatives last night, the compromise legislation looks to be on its way to becoming law. We look at what the spending cuts in the bill, totaling about $1.5 trillion, could mean for the economy. Plus, organizations that provide services to people experiencing homelessness are finding it hard to staff enough workers. And finally, Amazon has agreed to pay $31 million to settle allegations that it improperly handled the data of children collected by its Alexa voice assistant.

From the BBC World Service: The United Arab Emirates, for many years a zero-tax economy, has introduced new corporate tax rates for businesses. That comes as the country’s government seeks to move away from reliance on oil revenues. Plus, the BBC’s Nkechi Ogbonna reports from Nigeria, where a planned end to oil subsidies has led to a rush in people stocking up at fuel depots.

Powerful new artificial intelligence tools have a lot of people worried about being replaced. Remie Michelle Clarke, a voiceover artist in Dublin, says she’s already seeing it. Michelle Clarke did some voiceover work for Microsoft a few years ago, and since then, her voice has been licensed to third-party companies, including one called Revoicer, an AI company selling text-to-speech voices. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Michelle Clarke about the growing threat this technology poses to her businesses and the experience hearing her own voice doing gigs she didn’t book.

Since the U.S. brushed up against its debt limit in January, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been stretching the government’s money as far as possible using “extraordinary measures” to buy time for Congress. One listener thought to ask: How, exactly, does that work? And how long could they last? We’ll get into it and answer more of your questions about where the funds for military assistance to Ukraine come from and why the Federal Reserve’s strategy to bring down inflation may come with unwanted side effects. Plus, a little self-care talk.

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Got a question about the economy, business or technology for the hosts? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The debt limit deal brokered in Washington would reduce government spending by about $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. It may sound like a lot of money, but the effects will be pretty limited, economists say. We’ll also take a look inside what is billed as the world’s largest bitcoin convention. Plus, wage-price spiral … what wage-price spiral?

It’s not just Hollywood writers who have been lobbying for better working conditions — TV and film choreographers are also working toward establishing a fully-fledged union. We look at what workers want and what that could mean for the entertainment industry. Plus, we delve into the deep connection between two chronic and often-intertwined problems in America: mental health and homelessness.

There are moves afoot in numerous states and cities to criminalize elements of homelessness, including living in encampments. As part of our ongoing “Finding Your Place” series exploring the issue, we talk to Ann Oliva, CEO of the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness, about these moves and what they say about the debate over how to handle the unhoused crisis. Plus, a group of players in the AI space has issued a stark warning that calls for greater regulation of the technology. And finally, the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, has reached a $6 billion opioid settlement that also shields those individuals from civil liability.

From the BBC World Service: Tech industry leaders have repeated calls for controls on artificial intelligence to protect humanity. But Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy in the UK, says it’s transforming work for the better. And in Ukraine, the BBC’s Joe Tidy reports how demand for drones is skyrocketing as a new front emerges in its conflict with Russia.

Last week, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned about the risks social media could pose to the well-being of children and adolescents. It’s a topic the American Psychological Association has also been researching. The organization recently released recommendations based on the growing body of research into how social media is affecting young people. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Mitch Prinstein, the APA’s chief science officer, about social media’s effects on identity, relationships, sleep and more.

Growing beef or chicken in a lab out of a few tiny animal cells may sound like something out of a sci-fi novel, but with nearly $3 billion invested in the lab-grown meat industry, that future may already be near. On the show today, we talk with food tech journalist Larissa Zimberoff about how meat is grown in a lab, why companies are banking on it as a potential climate change solution, and the challenges that lie ahead for the industry. Plus, is lab-grown food here to stay?

In the News Fix: We have a deal on the debt ceiling. We’ll get into what it all means and why the negotiating might not be over.

Later, a listener weighs in on retailer return policies, and our beloved intern gets creative with his answer to the Make Me Smart question.

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

New business formation is still higher than before the start of the pandemic. But instead of ensconcing themselves in downtowns or central business hubs, many companies are popping up in surrounding neighborhoods. Today, we’ll take a bite out of growing, donut-shaped business developments. Also on the program: why consumer confidence has slipped, why international tourism is down and what’s behind the historically low Black unemployment rate.

China’s nascent civilian plane-making industry notched a recent win when the Comac C919, the country’s first domestically-produced passenger jet, carried a cabin full of passengers for the first time. We look at what that could mean for the established aviation duopoly of Boeing and Airbus. Plus, this week should be no short of economic news, according to Julia Coronado, president of MacroPolicy Perspectives. And, a look at how initiatives to address homelessness are being slowed by a lack of government funding.

If there’s been a defining trend in American cities thus far in the 21st century, it’s been the rise of housing prices to astronomical levels. That’s also meant a huge increase in the number of people who aren’t able to afford a place to live, according to Gregg Colburn, a professor at the University of Washington who co-authored the book “Homelessness Is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns.” We spoke with him as part of our new “Finding Your Place” series exploring the reality of homelessness in America. And finally, the debt ceiling deal struck over the weekend faces a legislative test in Congress.

From the BBC World Service: Ahead of the launch of a new iPhone model, Apple supplier Foxconn is ramping up efforts to recruit more workers for the world’s largest iPhone factory. Delegates from 175 countries are meeting in Paris for a major conference on ending plastic pollution. In Portugal, the housing crisis is getting worse, despite new government measures to try to control it; in Lisbon, the average rent is now three times the minimum wage.

While Bridget and Ryan are busy working on Season 5 of Million Bazillion, today we’re bringing you a special episode with lots of smart money advice from Marketplace’s newest podcast, “Financially Inclined.” Host Yanely Espinal gets into the basics of budgeting and why it’s important to make a plan for how to save and spend your money. Plus, meet a professional financial hype woman!

We’ll be back in your feeds this fall. Until then, if you’ve got a money joke or a money tip you want to share with Ryan, Bridget and the “Million Bazillion” team, send it our way using this form.

Generative AI may help some workers become better and faster at their jobs, which could ultimately boost wages. That’s good news for workers, right? Not if employers roll out AI in a way that replaces workers. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke to Anton Korinek, economics professor at the University of Virginia, on the long- and short-term impacts generative AI may have on the labor economy.