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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  • Copyright: Copyright 2024 American Public Media

Podcasts:

 08/31/2017: Power's out | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:21

A refrigerated storage container at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, exploded this morning. Well, the sheriff calls it a chemical reaction indirectly caused by flooding, which killed the power and backup power that was keeping the container cool. At any rate, it was bad, and eight more could go off. We'll start today's show by looking at the electrical grid: a piece of critical infrastructure that's very vulnerable to storms like Harvey. Then: We talked yesterday about the White House's tax plan, which, right now, doesn't exist. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin talked about it on CNBC today, and we'll break down his remarks. What you need to know about Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, before Trump potentially overturns it.

 08/30/2017: The White House doesn't have a tax plan | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:37

President Trump laid out his tax plan during a speech in Springfield, Missouri, today. Except, well, the White House has more of a sheet of bullet points than a plan. There are no details, although the president laid out four principles of tax reform, which we'll talk through at the top of the show. Then: According to FEMA, 40 percent of businesses that close during a disaster never reopen. And of those that do, nearly a quarter fail within a year. There are any number of reasons for that, but when it comes to floods, there's a certain structural problem that has to do with the National Flood Insurance Program. Plus: Will electric cars put mechanics out of business?

 08/29/2017: After the storm clears | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:29

It's still raining in Houston and all along the Gulf Coast. We don't quite know what it's going to look like when the water recedes, so we called Craig Fugate. He ran FEMA under President Obama and talked to us about what happens next and how displaced people can start putting their lives back together. Then: We'll look how undocumented immigrants are seeking (or even avoiding) help in Harvey's wake. Plus: Why does it seem like Congress does the same debt ceiling dance every couple years?

 08/28/2017: Why Houston floods | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:41

The thing about Hurricane Harvey is that other than there's gonna be more rain in and around Houston, there's a whole lot we don't know. We'll start with oil. Some of the biggest oil refineries in the country, not to mention the Port of Houston, are shut down right now, and it's not clear when any of that will open back up. Then we'll talk about the empty posts at key agencies responding to Harvey and the shelter strategy for people whose homes are underwater. Plus, we'll look at why Houston is especially susceptible to flooding. Believe it or not, there's other news to talk about today, too, including the Trump administration's restoration of a program that gives military gear to police and Uber's new CEO. 

 08/25/2017: Five weeks to shutdown | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:45

Remember when the news slowed down? Us too. The government has just five weeks to raise the debt limit and pass a budget, avoiding a government shutdown and potential global financial crisis. Trump and congressional leaders have few months more than that to pass tax reform, according to the latest deadline set by economic adviser Gary Cohn. We'll talk about the chances of both happening in time, plus the latest out of the Fed, during the Weekly Wrap. Then: Hurricane Harvey is a Category 3 storm as of this taping, and its eye is just off the coast of Corpus Christi, Texas. There are lives at risk, and the region is looking at billions in property damage. But the geography of the American petroleum industry means Harvey's costs will reverberate throughout the country.

 08/24/2017: How tariffs helped along the Great Depression | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:28

The four-letter word of global trade (so to speak) is "tariff." There are times when tariffs seem like they'd be a good thing, usually when people with power feel like the economy's not working for them. But if you bring up tariffs in polite conversation with a bunch of economists, they're gonna go right to the Smoot-Hawley Act of 1930. Perhaps the most infamous of American tariffs, it's credited by some with deepening the Great Depression. We'll talk about it as we continue our series on globalization, "Trade-off." Plus, we'll bring you the latest on the White House, Congress and the possibility of a government shutdown. Then: Taylor Swift is putting out a new single tonight, ahead of a new album in November, and you know we found the business angles.

 08/04/2017: Talking trash | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:46

Today's jobs report was good, really good. But as with almost all things economic, it wasn't all sunshine. We'll talk about why, and recap the rest of the week's news. Then: Toyota and Mazda said today they're going to build a $1.6 billion plant in the U.S. in the next couple of years. The news comes amid seven straight months of falling sales for the Big Three American auto companies. Plus: New Yorkers produce a lot of garbage, which is only natural in a city of 8.5 million people. But what’s not so natural is the city's recycling rate: around 17 percent.

 08/03/2017: When an immigration raid sets off economic crisis | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:43

President Trump has thrown his weight behind a bill that would fundamentally change American immigration policy. It would make immigration skills-based and cut in half the number of people legally allowed to come here. Put another way, it's a bill that would make the labor force smaller in an economy already pretty near full employment. We'll talk about it, then look at wages: The tight labor market is making it harder to hire without (finally) raising pay significantly. Plus: In Postville, Iowa, hundreds of workers were arrested in an immigration raid and virtually disappeared overnight. The small town's economy still hasn't recovered.

 08/02/2017: The Dow is not the economy | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:47

... And the economy isn't the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It's worth repeating today, when the Dow closed above 22,000 and President Trump is touting the record as a big economic win. We'll just note that stocks aren't even the right market to be watching; the dollar is tumbling. Then: Chaos continued in Venezuela today with confirmation that voting machines had been tampered with before last weekend's election. The U.S. is threatening more sanctions, but they could lead to unintended consequences. Plus: Most people expect public Wi-Fi to be free. So how do you make money providing it? We asked Boingo's CEO. 

 08/01/2017: A lot happened while you were busy watching Washington | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:46

The Trump administration has been pretty distracting. White House comings and goings, tweets, health care, all of it. So today we're bringing you a few stories you might have missed recently. To start, we'll talk car sales, which are tanking, and the bond market, which may or may not be in a bubble. Then: Wells Fargo is somehow still in trouble for something else. Plus: Just a couple generations ago, hunting was a way of life for some families. It put food on the table. Now fewer people are getting up early and putting on camo — but those who do are spending more.

 07/31/2017: If the government can get its act together, maybe businesses can? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:36

We're starting today with an attempt to bring order out of chaos. We're not talking about the recent White House staffing changes, but lobbying groups that are moving past health care as Congress turns to tax reform. Millions are set to be unleashed, but what do those groups hope to get for their money? Then: It's earnings season, and so far things are pretty good, but what does corporate health tell us about the economy? Plus, a history of the income tax deduction, and what "The Emoji Movie" says about Hollywood.

 07/28/2017: It's been quite a week | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:33

Wow, TGIF. We're going to try to fit in as much analysis as we can about health care, staffing changes, the Federal Reserve and more. Then: Tax reform. It's the next big thing on Republicans' list. After six months, congressional leaders and negotiators from the White House have come to agreement on the broad outlines of what they think it'll look like. And that was the easy part. We'll talk about what's next. Plus: As part of our series "Summer, Brought to You by..." we'll take a look at the origin of the classic beach cruiser bike.

 07/27/2017: The other Anthony Scaramucci story | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:31

We're going to set aside the palace intrigue around new White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci today (yes, even that) and take a look at his finances instead. He ran a fund-of-funds firm called SkyBridge Capital, which he sold to a Chinese company to take a government job. We'll take a look at the sale and how much "The Mooch" is set to make from it. Then: a deep dive into the challenges and promise of wind farms at sea and a visit to a virtual charter school in Erie, Pennsylvania.

 07/26/2017: Inside the mind of Janet Yellen | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:30

The Federal Open Market Committee wrapped up its meeting today. No changes in interest rates, as we all knew there wouldn't be. But the Fed did change its narrative of the American economy. We'll try to read the tea leaves in Chair Janet Yellen's statement. Then: Amazon says it's hiring 50,000 people for fulfillment centers all around the country. That's about a quarter of all the jobs the entire economy has been adding every month. But is the hiring spree actually as big a deal as it seems? Plus: A Nashville organization tries to pair refugee organizations with hipster restaurants.

 07/25/2017: This is what "voting to proceed" looks like | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:25:47

The Senate's effort to repeal-and-something Obamacare inched forward a bit today, and the next 24 hours or so are going to be busy. We'll walk though what happens next. Then: The Federal Reserve meets tomorrow, so let's talk interest rates. The benchmark federal funds rate has gone up a full percentage point since the Fed started hikes. So why isn't your saving account making a thing? Plus: Farmers are struggling thanks mostly to low commodity prices amid a global grain glut. We'll look at the view from the wheat fields.

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