Erika Soderstrom

Associate Producer

Erika works with a group of extraordinary producers to chase business and economic stories heard on “Marketplace Morning Report.”

Latest from Erika Soderstrom

Jun 29, 2021
It’s not just chicken wings
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Food shortages in the U.S. are running deeper right now. At least nine fast-food chains and restaurants surveyed by Reuters acknowledged some of their locations are dealing with shortages of key ingredients and products, as firms deal with end-of-lockdown distortions in supply chains. Plus, Facebook escapes one big antitrust lawsuit … for now. And, a new season of “Million Bazillion,” Marketplace’s podcast about money for kids and their families, and this week’s episode — all about taxes.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 29, 2021
India outlines a fresh economic stimulus package
Getty Images
From the BBC World Service: How rural India, where 70% of the population lives, has been dealing with the costs of coronavirus. And, the head of securities trading at the London Stock Exchange says post-Brexit trading has gone smoothly so far.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 28, 2021
We’re still trying to figure out where everyone is going to work
pxhere
And one area we’re watching as companies choose when and how to reopen is office furniture. Many businesses actually sold their furniture last year, and now getting facilities ready might not be as simple as dusting off the desks — because there might not be desks left to dust. Plus, a preview for the June data on hiring and unemployment which the government releases this Friday. And, in California, training a workforce to build and maintain electric vehicles.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 28, 2021
Infrastructure, yes, but also jobs
Anna Moneymaker/Pool/Getty Images
The bipartisan infrastructure deal appears on again after running into some trouble over the weekend. The wrinkle was President Joe Biden suggesting he won’t sign the $1 trillion deal unless a separate bill that Republicans oppose also comes to his desk. Plus, the investment in human capital that comes with the infrastructure deal. And, a new McKinsey report on structural racism in the workplace finds addressing wage disparities could lift 2 million Black Americans into the middle class.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 28, 2021
What does U.K. crackdown on Binance mean for consumers?
Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images
From the BBC World Service: Britain’s financial watchdog has barred the cryptocurrency exchange Binance from advertising in the country and warned consumers to exercise caution when it comes to crypto investments. It also revealed Binance is not registered to operate in the U.K. Authorities in Canada and Japan have also criticized Binance in recent days. Plus, how a “black rainstorm” warning in Hong Kong led to the suspension of stock market trading there. And, figuring out the post-Brexit future for Britain’s financial services industry.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 25, 2021
There’s an infrastructure deal. How will the U.S. pay for it?
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
There’s a bipartisan agreement to spend about $1 trillion on infrastructure, and there’s also agreement over how to fund that spending. We take a closer look at the revenue sources, including tougher tax enforcement, repurposed COVID relief funds and public-private partnerships. And, London after Brexit — specifically how the the financial services industry has fared. We preview a “Marketplace Morning Report” series coming next week that will look at what effect Brexit has had on business.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 25, 2021
Is online grocery shopping here to stay?
Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images
DoorDash is betting on it. This week, the food delivery app announced its expanding its grocery delivery service by partnering with Albertsons to offer on-demand groceries from nearly 2,000 stores. Plus, IPO plans from office food staples like Sweetgreen and Krispy Kreme. But those moves don’t necessarily signal that everyone will be back in the office soon. And, HR job postings are up 47% since before the pandemic, according to Indeed. We look at why companies are increasingly leaning on HR for help.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 25, 2021
Toshiba investors oust chairman in win for shareholder activism
Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images
From the BBC World Service: Toshiba was found to have colluded with the Japanese government to suppress the interests of foreign investors. The firm’s CEO had resigned in April over another scandal. Plus, a U.K. watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority, has launched a formal probe into fake online reviews on Amazon and Google platforms. And, South Africa’s Rooibos tea is the first African food to be given “protected designation of origin” status by the European Union.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 24, 2021
Uneven vaccine access is warping the global economy
Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images
Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of the Economist magazine, explains. Plus, we break down what’s driving GDP growth in the U.S. (Hint: It’s not the red-hot housing market.) And, a Supreme Court ruling in favor of California fruit farmers arguing that unions organizing on their property was an unconstitutional invasion. It opens the door to other employers who want to block oversight of their workplaces.
Read MoreDownload
Jun 24, 2021
What happens if struggling tenants get another month?
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
There are multiple reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will extend the moratorium on evictions through July. Plus, Buckingham Palace has released its annual report on public funding of the British monarchy with the statement it needs to do better in recruiting more people of color for its staff. And, an argument in defense of more hybrid and remote work after the pandemic ends.
Read MoreDownload