Marketplace All-in-One

In San Francisco next week, voters will decide whether the city's largest companies, most of them tech, should pay a tax that will raise money to help homeless families. Other cities have tried similar efforts. Voters in Seattle recently overturned a tax on large employers that would have funded affordable housing efforts, and the city's biggest tech employer, Amazon, strongly objected. But in San Francisco, the city's biggest tech employer is for the measure. Marc Benioff is the co-CEO of Salesforce, and yes, the guy who just bought Time Magazine. He's stumping for the ballot measure, called Proposition C. (11/01/18)

Inflation is (slowly) creeping back up, and major companies are starting to raise prices on essentials like diapers and paper towels. On today's show, we'll look at whether consumers are feeling the effects and ask all of you about your price-hike breaking point. Then: With midterms less than a week away, both parties are trying to win over Hispanic voters with more Spanish-language TV ads. But the messages are different from commercials in English. Plus, a conversation with Charles Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger. 

(Markets Edition) Americans are being paid a little more after a stagnant period, with wages and salaries showing a slight rise in the summer quarter. Here for more analysis is Susan Schmidt, head of U.S. equities at Aviva Investors. We then delve into the psychology of financial panic, using Orson Welles’ radio production of “War of the Worlds” as a jumping off point. What can a mock alien invasion about 80 years ago tell us about the workings of widespread panic during a financial crisis? Today's show is sponsored by American Express (americanexpress.com/seebusinessdifferently), Michigan Economic Development Corporation (planetm.com) and PayPal (paypal.com). (10/31/2018)

He took over from Schwab himself, and he told us how he's learned to put clients before dollars.

(U.S. Edition) We start off in Australia, where Wednesday was a red-letter day for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that doesn’t include the United States. Meanwhile, General Motors is slated to report its summer numbers, and it’s placing a big bet on electric cars to help drive its future. To that end, GM called for a zero-emission vehicle program for the U.S. Then, following our conversation with Trumponomics guru Stephen Moore, we head back to tax reform and get perspective from Felicia Wong, CEO of the liberal-leaning Roosevelt Institute, which has found in a bipartisan survey that many people aren’t fans of what’s happened to the tax system. Today's show is sponsored by American Express (americanexpress.com/seebusinessdifferently), Michigan Economic Development Corporation (planetm.com) and PayPal (paypal.com). (10/31/2018)

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service ... China continues to struggle from its trade war with the U.S. as its manufacturing industry continues to slide. India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, is afraid it may lose independence if the government imposes itself on the bank's policy-making. The bank cites economic disaster the last time the government intervened. And Halloween is being restricted in Mongolia in case it encroaches on the country's Buddhist values. We ask what this attitude tells us about Mongolia's approach to globalization at a crucial time in its economic development. Today's show is sponsored by American Express (americanexpress.com/seebusinessdifferently), Michigan Economic Development Corporation (planetm.com) and PayPal (paypal.com). (10/31/18)

Earlier this week, Google announced $25 million in grants for organizations working on “artificial intelligence for social good." The included things like wildlife conservation, stopping sex trafficking and eliminating biases in algorithms that perpetuate racism and gender discrimination. It's an admission that algorithms and AI are not neutral, and more care must be taken with their design. Molly Wood talks with Jamie Susskind, author of the new book “Future Politics: Living Together in a World Transformed by Tech.” He argues that we can design algorithms that reflect our highest ideals. (10/31/18)

A week before midterms, 21 percent of people we polled said not really.

It's felt harder than ever to avoid political conversations since the 2016 election, even (maybe especially) in the workplace. We'll look at how employers are handling tough conversations. But first, an unintended consequence of Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox: It has to give up 22 regional sports networks, which could be a business opportunity for team owners and new tech players. Plus, HBO has a new job on its sets: intimacy coordinator. 

(Markets Edition) First, we check in with the markets, where the S&P stock index is down a little over 9 percent for the month. David Kelly, chief global strategist at JP Morgan Funds has more. We also delve into the world of “Trumponomics” and the trade war with Stephen Moore, someone who advised the president on economic policy and now has a book out the he co-wrote with economist Arthur Laffer. After that, we head to college, sort of, to discuss how a small fraction of people use the 529 plan, which helps students and parents save for education. Today's show is sponsored by Alliance for Lifetime Income (retireyourrisk.org), GAIN Capital Group (gaincapital.com) and U.S. Bank (usbank.com/altitude). (10/30/2018)

(U.S. Edition) The Department of Commerce reports that the cost of goods went up 2 percent over the last year, which is just how policymakers like it. Marketplace's Ben Bradford helps explains why 2 percent is an important number for the Federal Reserve. Also on Tuesday, the British government says it's going to tax big internet companies to raise more money. We talk to the BBC's Andrew Walker for more. Then, we take a closer look at the tax overhaul and "Trumponomics" with economist Stephen Moore, who has advised President Trump and co-wrote a book with Arthur Laffer, who is seen as the father of Reagan-style economics. Today's show is sponsored by Alliance for Lifetime Income (retireyourrisk.org), GAIN Capital Group (gaincapital.com) and U.S. Bank (usbank.com/altitude). (10/30/2018)

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service ... Energy giant BP has posted bumper profits, as it benefits from the global recovery in oil prices. The humble soybean has recently been caught up in the tariff war between the U.S. and China, now the crop is suffering from global deforestation. We head to the Cerrado in Brazil to see the impact on soy farmers and local people in an area known for its lush biologically diverse lands. And Spain is the main point of entry for African migrants heading to Europe, but Barcelona is having a hard time finding work for its new arrivals. Today's show is sponsored by Alliance for Lifetime Income (retireyourrisk.org), GAIN Capital Group (gaincapital.com) and U.S. Bank (usbank.com/altitude). (10/30/2018)

Yeah, we're going to talk about the trade war and corporate earnings today. We'll do the numbers, too. But let's be honest: The main event is Kai Ryssdal's conversation with RuPaul. They got coffee in West Hollywood last week to talk about the business Ru has built on drag and how he became the "Queen of Queens." Plus, what the holiday season will look like without Toys R Us.

He may be the "most famous drag queen in the world," but that didn't happen overnight.

(Markets Edition) Asian and European markets have been dropping Tuesday, with Wall Street lagging as well. We check in with Jay Bryson, managing director and global economist at Wells Fargo Securities for more. Then we look at the mechanics behind the ever-growing Mega Millions lottery prize, which has surpassed $1 billion. How do lottery totals get this high? Then we look at the economics of pro sports stadium, especially their potential impact on a community. For an example, we look toward the story surrounding a proposed soccer stadium in Nashville. Today's show is sponsored by GAIN Capital Group (gaincapital.com), Navy Federal Credit Union (navyfederal.org) and PayPal (paypal.com). (10/23/2018)