Marketplace All-in-One

(U.S. Edition) The plummeting value of the Turkish lira has now gotten the attention of the European Central Bank, which is keeping an eye on how the crisis could be affecting other foreign banks. Also, a federal court has banned an insecticide that has been linked to developmental disabilities in children — the latest development in the insecticide's contentious history. And, if you're in the market for any odd items that have been graced with the presence of a celebrity, Graceland in Memphis is holding an auction that includes things like a jacket from Elvis. We explore how celebrity auctions have gotten to this point. Today's show is sponsored by Abby Connect (Abbyconnect.com/morning) and Indeed (Indeed.com/marketplace). (08/10/2018)

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … A fresh plunge in the Turkish lira today is capping a tumultuous week for the country as investors grow increasingly nervous about inaction from the government and central bankers. With a new economic plan set to be released, we’ll explore what options Turkey has to soothe investors’ frayed nerves.  Then, vacationers in Europe might find themselves waiting at the airport for new flights after Ryanair cancelled planned routes amid a pilot strike. Afterwards, India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, but the local industry is in serious trouble as it tries to balance profits and worker wages in an increasingly competitive market. We’ll take you there and hear from some workers and industry players about the challenges facing their business. Today's show is sponsored by Abby Connect (Abbyconnect.com/morning) and Indeed (Indeed.com/marketplace). (08/10/2018)

To finish out our series on venture capital, we'll take a look to the future. Cryptocurrency may have its disruptive eye cast toward venture capital. The initial coin offering is a type of crypto-crowdfunding that startups can use to raise cash quickly without kissing the Silicon Valley ring. But do ICOs really have the potential to replace venture capital for startups? We go back to the time Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood spoke with Yuliya Chernova, who covers venture capital for the Wall Street Journal, about the pros and cons of ICOs. 

There are no trade stories in today's podcast (you're welcome). Instead, we're talking about mergers and acquisitions. This summer has seen several high-profile deals go through and others fall apart. That's not unusual. In fact, one out of five announced mergers don't end up happening at all, and only half are successful. Why do they fall apart? Mostly because of people. Then, in light of the insider trading charges against Rep. Chris Collins, we'll look at congressional investing do's and don'ts. Plus, the business of the Academy Awards and what "outstanding achievement in popular film" means anyway.

(Markets Edition) The government says there was no inflation from June to July. But what does that mean, given how inflation impacts our daily decisions? Also, many businesses are joining forces to support the U.S. Postal Service — they may not be the Avengers, but they do have a name: the Package Coalition. Speaking of finding help, we also speak to an expert about how to handle working in a hostile environment. Today's show is sponsored by Avast (avast.com) and Indeed (Indeed.com/marketplace). (08/09/2018)

(U.S. Edition) The U.S and Japan meet to talk trade for the first time since the U.S. pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We’re also keeping an eye on the rising inflation in Turkey as the Lira continues to drop. Also, New York City has stopped Uber and Lyft in its tracks there, halting permits for a year due to concerns about traffic. Today's show is sponsored by Avast (avast.com) and Indeed (Indeed.com/marketplace). (08/09/2018)

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … Fresh controversy around the ongoing European migrant crisis deepens after hundreds of farm workers in Italy go on strike. Then, Swedish meatballs and D-I-Y furniture have landed in India after IKEA opened its first store there today. We’ll hear from the company’s boss about its plans for future investment in the country. Afterwards, Snap, Crackle, and Pop – three jovial characters Kellogg’s has relied on for decades to sell their Rice Krispies cereal – are now under pressure in the U.K., along with other snack brands, as the government looks to tackle the country’s childhood obesity problem. Today's show is sponsored by Avast (avast.com) and Indeed (Indeed.com/marketplace). (08/09/2018)

This week we’re diving into stories about venture capital. There’s a group of venture capital firms that want to change the world for the better and make money. This is called impact investing. One of the firms working in this space is Impact America Fund, which invests in companies with diverse missions — for instance, a startup that helps African-American stylists sell their own hair extensions. Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood talked with Impact America Fund founder Kesha Cash about the sometimes complex collision of money and mission in venture capital.

Remember when we had to pay for credit scores? It wasn’t all that long ago. Now it seems everybody wants us to check our scores all the time, for free. Why? But first: It's been 160 days since President Donald Trump announced his steel and aluminum tariffs, kicking off the trade war. As White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow told us last week, the effect on real gross domestic product has been minimal. That's true, but it doesn't mean people aren't feeling the effects — and the longer the trade war goes on, the more pain people are gonna feel. We'll look at the micro and the macro today. Plus: Elon Musk's tweet yesterday about taking Tesla private was a big deal, but until he shows us the money, it's only theoretical. We'll talk about the implications (and the legality) of the announcement. 

(Markets Edition) The Trump administration might try to deny citizenship to people who've received welfare, help from social services, welfare, and coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Its reasoning? This notion that immigrants are a drain on health services. But we'll look at a some new data showing immigrants actually use them at a lower rate than people born in the U.S. Afterwards, we'll discuss Elon Musk's plans to potentially take Tesla off the public stock market, and then we'll explore how open office floorplans might actually lead to less interaction among co-workers. Today's show is sponsored by Avast (avast.com), Indeed (Indeed.com/marketplace), and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (planetm.michiganbusiness.org). (08/08/2018)

(U.S. Edition) On Twitter, CEO Elon Musk said he might turn Twitter from a publicly traded company into a private one. We'll look at what exactly Musk would gain from this move. Afterwards, we'll discuss news that the U.S. will impose its latest round of tariffs against China in about two weeks, and then we'll chat with organizational psychologist Karlyn Borysenko about some tips for dealing with horrible bosses. Today's show is sponsored by Avast (avast.com), Indeed (Indeed.com/marketplace), and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (planetm.michiganbusiness.org). (08/08/2018)

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service…Despite U.S. tariffs enacted six days into July, China’s monthly exports rose more than expected. We’ll dissect how America’s tit-for-tat trade spat with the country could impact the economy in the second half of the year. Then, Malaysia’s former prime minster had pleaded not guilty to new charges of money laundering brought against him on Wednesday. Afterwards, Pakistan’s sports star-turned prime minister hasn’t been sworn in yet after elections last month, but he already faces a mounting financial crisis as many analysts believe the country will look for its thirteenth IMF bailout. We’ll take you there and investigate how the newly-minted politician will try to turn things around. Today's show is sponsored by Avast (avast.com), Indeed (Indeed.com/marketplace), and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (planetm.michiganbusiness.org). (08/08/2018)

The Japanese multinational SoftBank Group launched its $98 billion VisionFund last year. Since then, it's dramatically changed the landscape in tech and venture capital. The fund has taken a majority stake in Uber, poured billions into WeWork, Nvidia, DoorDash, Slack and the dog walking startup Wag. SoftBank's influence is so big, it's pushing other venture capital companies to raise more money. Sequoia Capital, one of Silicon Valley's best-known firms, is reportedly trying to raise more than $12 billion in new capital just to keep up. In our series on venture capital's promise and perils, we'll relisten to Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood's conversation with Anand Sanwal of CB Insights about how VisionFund is changing everything. (08/08/2018)

It's been 20 years since the scandal, and the second season of Slate's "Slow Burn" is taking another look.

Say what you will about Elon Musk — he's not shy about saying what he thinks. The Tesla CEO tweeted this morning that he was considering taking the electric car company private, "funding secured." We'll talk about what that meant for markets, but also what it might mean for the American car consumer, because if there's gonna be a lot more Model 3s on the road, we're gonna have to learn how they work. Then: Google likes to do big things, but whether it gets those big things done is a whole other matter. Case in point: What ever happened to Google Fiber? Plus, what you need to know about Disney's foray into the streaming video business.