Marketplace All-in-One

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:

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:

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org 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:

Send us your suggestions for Paris Games-themed cocktails or let us know what Olympic events you’re looking forward to watching. Email makemesmart@marketplace.org 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:

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org 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:

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org 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.

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:

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org 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.

To an individual, the climate crisis can feel overwhelming. There’s only so much composting you can do, right? It can be tempting to bury your head in the sand. But what if instead we imagine that we can succeed in fighting climate change? That’s the subject of Ayana Johnson’s new book, “What If We Get It Right?” Amy talks with Johnson about how we can fight off climate dread and work toward a more sustainable future.

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:

How are you getting involved in civic life? What helps you fend off feelings of hopelessness? Let us know at makemesmart@marketplace.org 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?