Marketplace All-in-One

As the off-again, on-again partial government shutdown looms, we ask, "Who's 'essential,' and who's 'non-essential'?" Prognosticators say the U.S. GDP will shrink next year. Plus, Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood drops in to break down Facebook's recent privacy scandal, the latest of many.  Today's show is sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Navy Federal Credit Union.

From the BBC World Service... Britain's second biggest airport, Gatwick, has reopened more than 30 hours after it was shut down by a rogue drone. The ensuing chaos threatened to ruin Christmas for more than 100,000 passengers on one of the busiest travel days of the year. An aviation expert assesses the costs. Over in Germany, the country's last coal mine closes today. The fossil fuel used to be a bedrock of the German economy, but the country is now looking to meet climate change targets. And Spaniards are hoping to hit the holiday jackpot after a year fraught by political and economic upheaval.   Today's show is sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Navy Federal Credit Union.

Time is pretty much up for you to do your last-minute Christmas shopping if you're buying through Amazon. You could still go to a store, but who does that anymore? It is not a stretch to say that Amazon is trying to take over all things holiday. It tends to offer something new this time of year. In 2018, it's fresh Christmas trees, delivered to your doorstep. How does Amazon hope to compete in the Christmas tree market? And why? Joshua McNichols is a reporter at public radio station KUOW in Seattle and co-host of the podcast "Prime(d)." He explains  how Christmas trees fit into Amazon's big-picture strategy. Today's show is sponsored by Orvis  and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Today was another keep-you-on-your-toes day in the stock market: Investors are buying, prices are going up and yields are going down. We talk about what that all means. Also: It’s the holiday season, and there are just a few days left until the kids unwrap their toys. We take a look back at the history of Hot Wheels, products that made Mattel $847 million last year. Plus, we take a closer look at the creator economy and the dark side of social media influencing.

The chairman of the Fed "felt" the market when it decided to raise interest rates this week but not enough, it seems. China, an IRL superpower, lauds the late Stan Lee at a World Trade Organization meeting. Errant drones shut down a busy airport in London. And in 2019, millennials will outnumber baby boomers. How will the younger set's consumer habits shape the future economy? Today's show is sponsored by Orvis, Alliance for Lifetime Income and Indeed.

Teachers have a tough job, and usually, social media is more of a classroom distraction than a help. But recently Molly took a field trip to Madison Park Academy, a public high school in East Oakland, CA, where she visited  Jacob Levy, a social studies teacher who's using Instagram to make his job teaching government a whole lot easier. 

After the Fed’s decision to raise interest rates yesterday, we look at why — in such a strong economy with inflation so low — the hike was necessary. Plus, we’re wrapping up our Divided Decade coverage for the year. Today, we look at the not-so-lucky Americans who graduated into the recession in 2008. How are they faring today? And finally, National Returns Day, the peak day for returning gifts via UPS, arrived before Christmas for the first time. Today's show is sponsored by Orvis and Alliance for Lifetime Income.  

From the BBC World Service…Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn could soon be released on bail after a Japanese court rejected a request to extend his detention. Then, the French government will release its revised budget after Yellow Vest protests spurred violent debate about President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms. So, what’s in the new budget blueprint? Afterwards, the West African nation of Togo has seen some economic growth over recent years, but many feel it hasn’t been inclusive and political instability  has made things worse. And despite violent unrest, the government will push ahead with elections today. 

Today the Fed announced that it would raise interest rates for the 4th time this year. Higher interest rates means Fed watchers on Wall Street are reacting. We break it all down. Then, how FedEx is a sort of bellwether for the economy. Later, we cover the latest in Facebook’s data privacy struggles – which include a lawsuit and a New York Times investigation. Also: the United Kingdom’s Court of Appeal ruled that Uber drivers are considered company employees, so we talk about what that means for worker wages. Plus, Stephan James, the star of “If Beale Street Could Talk,” on his job as an actor.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin blames recent market volatility on high-speed trading and the Volcker Rule, which bars banks from making risky bets with their money. FedEx stock dips after it voices concern over a global economic slowdown. All eyes are on the Fed as it decides on the much-anticipated interest rate hike Wednesday. And in one British town, the "Garbage Queen" saves valuable rubbish from a doomed fate at the landfill. Today's show is sponsored by Orvis, Navy Federal Credit Union and Indeed.  

On Wednesday, the Fed will decide on whether to raise the interest rate for the fourth time this year or take the president's suggestion and "feel the market," but what does either move mean for the average consumer? A decade after the subprime mortgage crisis triggered the Great Recession, rising home prices coupled with lower sales signal a not-as-calamitous slowdown. Facebook faces another privacy scandal. Plus, remember the Blackberry? Well, it never really left. Today's show is sponsored by Orvis  and Navy Federal Credit Union.

From the BBC World Service… Merger mania in the pharmaceutical industry: Pfizer and Glaxo SmithKline agreed to combine their consumer health businesses into one company with sales of more than $12 billion. Then, the mobile unit of Softbank made history in Japan today with the largest trading debut there, but the share price fell 14 percent. So, why does the tech giant need the money from its initial public offering anyway? Plus, a look at how a rising number of cancer cases in India's "food bowl" region is causing farmers to move away from toxic pesticide use. Today's show is sponsored by Orvis  and Navy Federal Credit Union.

There's only one digital-first news organization on Twitter's top 10 most-tweeted-about news outlets. It's NowThis News, a media company delivering news mostly to millennials, mostly via video on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms. NowThis launched in 2012 with no print or broadcast baggage. NowThis reports 2.6 billion video views a month, reaching 70 percent of millennials at any given time. But lots of digital media companies, especially the ones aimed at millennials, laid off employees or closed in 2018. Publishers found that relying on Facebook or even Google for views could be risky. Molly Wood spoke with Tina Exarhos, chief content officer at NowThis, at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Next Gen conference last week. Today's show is sponsored by Orvis  and Navy Federal Credit Union.

While predictions of an economic slowdown are worrying some economists, American consumers are shopping away, according to strong retail numbers from November. With more protests planned in France this weekend, we look at how protests are impacting the country's economy. Plus, with more and more Americans living with Alzheimer’s, adult daycare programs are becoming a viable option for affordable care. Today's show is sponsored by Orvis, Selligent and Indeed. 

What could ride-share companies do for the health care system in the U.S.? Uber, Lyft and health-transportation startups are developing partnerships with health care providers to give people rides to medical appointments. Apple is making moves to Austin, Texas with a new $1 billion office complex in the Texas capital. Plus, the global debt has reached $184 trillion, according to a new report from the International Monetary Fund. We look at just how meaningful — or not — that large number is. Today's show is sponsored by Orvis, Selligent and Indeed.