Marketplace show

Marketplace

Summary: Every weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day’s business and economic news — no econ degree or finance background required. “Marketplace” takes you beyond the numbers, bringing you context. Our team of reporters all over the world speak with CEOs, policymakers and regular people just trying to get by.

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  • Artist: Marketplace
  • Copyright: Copyright 2024 American Public Media

Podcasts:

 Welcome to ~*~the future~*~ | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:55

It's not all it's cracked up to be. A Tesla Model S rear-ended a firetruck at a red light last night. The car was doing 60, and witnesses say it didn't break. The driver broke his ankle, and now investigators are wondering if the car's autopilot system was active at the time. The self-driving mode has been involved in two fatal crashes, and there are a lot of questions about whether drivers can be expected to take over when self-driving tech is essentially still in the testing phase. We'll talk about that, plus the story of Project Maven, a Pentagon initiative to make drones better at recognizing things. A dozen Google staffers have resigned over it. Plus, the latest from TV upfronts and what you need to know about the Supreme Court's gambling ruling. All that and more on Marketplace for Monday, May 14, 2018.

 05/11/2018: Remember when the news was slow? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:26:05

We packed a lot in the first half of this episode: What President Donald Trump said (and didn't say) in his speech on drug prices today, the looming NAFTA deadline, the swamp and the draining thereof, it's all here. Then: The upfronts are next week. That's the big to-do the major TV networks have every year to show off their new lineups, and, as with most recent years, streaming makes it an uphill battle. Plus, why $5.6 billion worth of U.S. scrap exports to China just came to a screeching halt.

 05/10/2018: Doing the numbers on the Hermit Kingdom | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:27

President Donald Trump announced today he's going to meet Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore. There are a whole lot of variables in this equation: What's motivating who to do what? One thing that might have driven North Korea to the negotiating table is its economy. It had been growing amid sanctions, but now? We'll talk about it. Then, another economic story couched in a geopolitical one: Now that the U.S. is re-imposing sanctions on Iran, what will the EU do? Plus: Some 2,300 families fled Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Now, the program giving them temporary shelter on the mainland is coming to an end. So where will they all go? 

 05/09/2018: What's Facebook up to? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:22

The news coming out of Facebook this week is maybe a bit friendlier than it has been: The company announced some leadership shuffles yesterday, along with a new department focused on blockchain technology. We'll kick off today's show with everything you need to know. Plus, we're still talking all things trade, exploring the effects of new Iranian sanctions and a new bill to give companies a break on tariffs on imported goods. Then: Would you subscribe to a car the way you would subscribe to Netflix? Some brands are offering monthly payments that cover the car, insurance and maintenance.

 05/08/2018: The economic fallout of leaving the Iran nuclear deal | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:40

Iran agreed to a slew of limits on its nuclear program three years ago in exchange for lifting decades of international sanctions from the United States and five other countries. The year after the deal went into place, Iran's real GDP grew by 12.5 percent. Growth has certainly fallen off since then, and there were protests in Iran this winter over economic inequality. Now that President Donald Trump has withdrawn from the deal and threatened new sanctions, what happens to U.S. companies doing business there? And businesses of other countries in the deal? That's where we're starting today. Then, we'll examine the story of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who positioned himself as an ally of #MeToo before stepping down today amid allegations of abuse. Plus, the Parkland shooting has renewed demand for a whole range of products and services to make schools safer from gun violence. We'll take a look at that market.

 05/07/18: A venti deal between Starbucks and Nestle | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:38

Or maybe it's a grande deal? Whatever. It's a very big deal. The Swiss food brand is paying more than $7 billion for the rights to distribute Starbucks coffee. We'll talk about what Nestle does (or doesn't) get for its money. Probably it means no one will write "Nestly" on their cups again. Then: Tomorrow is the first big primary day for elections in the country and a preview of what may come in November's midterms. A lot of the people running this year are political newcomers from the science community. They worry that the people in power now are discounting science when they make policy, but they're learning that running a lab and running a campaign are two very different things. Plus: Why fast food restaurants like McDonald's, KFC and Taco Bell are experimenting with modern architecture and comfy furniture in their stores.

 05/04/2018: The economy is weird right now | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:35

The labor market, to be specific. It's been out of whack for a while, and this morning's jobs report only got stranger. Last month saw 3.9 percent unemployment, the lowest in 18 years. Finding a job is pretty easy, but wages still aren't rising. What's changed since 2000? That's where we'll start today. Then: Obamacare is still the law of the land, minus the individual mandate, which Republicans removed as part of the new tax plan. As a result, premiums are going up again. Plus: How'd things go with this week's China trade talks? And why is the New York Times' food critic going after ice cream sundaes? Two equally important questions we'll answer today.

 05/03/2018: Yes, millennials buy houses sometimes | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:24

We've been talking a lot about the countries and companies that have asked for exemptions from President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs. But remember, the whole point of these things is to help out America's steel and aluminum industries. So we'll start today's show looking at the pro-tariff crowd before chatting with a few of the thousands of companies looking for exemptions. Then: Tesla's earnings call yesterday was feisty as Elon Musk's electric car company beat expectations while posting a record loss. We'll look at the challenges Musk is facing as he makes the turn from luxury to the mass market. Plus: Conventional wisdom says most millennials just can't buy houses anymore. We'll talk to a few who did and see how they were able to swing it.

 05/02/2018: 2 percent inflation euphoria | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:15

Today, the Federal Open Market Committee chose not to raise interest rates, but it did have other news: Inflation has reached the Fed benchmark of 2 percent. How tolerant of inflation is the Fed going to be? That depends on whether the economy is experiencing good or bad inflation. We look at the difference between the two. Meanwhile, a U.S. delegation led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are on the ground in Beijing, resting up before their tariff meetings tomorrow. Most American companies doing business in China are making money, so they might want different things from the talks than the negotiators do. Marketplace China Correspondent Jennifer Pak breaks it down for us. Speaking of tariffs, American companies submitted over 3,500 applications for exemptions. We dig into what some of these companies are doing to try and increase their chances.

 05/01/2018: Just because you use words interchangeably doesn't mean they're the same | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:24

Ahead of a midnight deadline last night, the White House gave a slew of countries exemptions from steel and aluminum tariffs lasting a month or longer. South Korea has already scored itself a permanent pass by agreeing to restrict its steel and aluminum exports to the United States. That's the deal the Trump administration is offering Europe and its NAFTA partners, too: If you don't want tariffs, then agree to a quota. Thing is, there's a pretty big economic difference between the two. We'll explain, then examine the reaction to this policy from a number of trading partners. Plus, a look at Canada's skills-based immigration policy, which Trump has said he admires, and its unintended side effects.

 04/30/2018: The race to 5G | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:26:08

The big corporate story du jour is T-Mobile and Sprint, but we're going to focus on something specific the two wireless companies said when they announced a proposed merger: that the combined company would be able to move faster on fifth-generation wireless technology than anyone else — specifically the Chinese. Will that help win over government regulators? We'll talk about. Then, ahead of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's trip to Beijing, we'll talk about China's bid for tech domination by 2025. Plus: President Donald Trump has until midnight tonight to make up his mind on a whole bunch of temporary tariff exemptions. We'll look at the state of play so far. 

 04/27/2018: Is vaping *too* cool? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:26:14

The e-cigarette manufacturer Juul started off aiming its product at adult smokers looking to quit, but now the brightly-colored, fruit-flavored refill cartridges have caught on with teens, and the FDA is stepping in. We'll talk about it. Plus: the view from Dallas on NFL Draft Day, and the Avengers' infinite sponsorships. Plus, everything's looking up at Amazon: profits — and the cost of a prime membership.

 04/26/2018: Buying a Ford doesn't mean what it used to | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:26:08

The big corporate headline of the day is an industrial story, a commodities story, a global trade story and a good ol' wow-that's-an-interesting-move story. Ford Motor Company announced this morning it's going to stop making cars for the North American market, save the iconic Mustang. We'll talk about what that means for the company and the auto industry writ large. Then: Despite Facebook's recent privacy fiasco, the company reported a 63 percent increase in year-over-year profits for the first quarter. We'll explain why. Plus: Teachers have been striking all over the country this spring, but there's another massive reorganization in Puerto Rico's schools you need to know about. We'll bring you the view from the ground.

 04/25/2018: Enchanté! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:31

If what's past is prologue, we're in for a change of mood at the White House. French President Emmanuel Macron's on his way out of town, after what you can only call a very warm reception from President Donald Trump. German Chancellor Angela Merkel shows up on Friday. The two European leaders are pushing the same agenda, but they're going to be greeted much differently. Then: CFPB head Mick Mulvaney said last night he wants to take the agency's database of consumer complaints offline, out of public view. We'll explain what's going on. Plus: A visit to Guangzhou, the south China home of the world's biggest trade show, Canton Fair. 

 04/24/2018: Who's up, who's down | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:26:07

Quick: Are rising interest rates good or bad? What about oil prices? Home prices? It's kind of a trick question. Those are all signs of an economy that's growing quite nicely — when wages are going up. That's where we're starting today. Then: If you're talking about wages, it's worth mentioning that some of the biggest companies in this country are sitting on mountains of cash: $102 billion at Google's parent company, more than double that at Apple. So what are companies doing with all that money? We'll explain. Plus: Back in the '60s, traffic in Los Angeles was so light you could get across town in 20 minutes. We know firsthand that's impossible now. So what happened? And what's that say about the economy?

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