Latest from James Graham

• Mar 7, 2023

  AI could open a legal can of worms for tech

  

  Generative AI programs like Microsoft’s ChatGPT have taken the world by storm this year. We talked to Marketplace Tech host Meghan McCarty Carino about the nature of these platforms and how that has opened up a debate over who’s legally liable for the content AI systems produce. There’s a bipartisan push in Congress to restrict TikTok in the United States that goes further than the current ban prohibiting the app on government devices. And, a look at the findings in the first report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Equity Commission.

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• Mar 7, 2023

  China rebukes US over ‘containment’

  

  From the BBC World Service: China’s leader Xi Jinping has rebuked the US, blaming it for trying to “contain, “encircle” and “suppress” his country. Richard McGregor, a Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute in Sydney speaks to us about the latest developments. Plus, France endures its biggest day of strikes over the retirement age, and we hear about the laws the British government is trying to pass to stem the flow of migrants crossing the English channel.

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• Mar 6, 2023

  A big week ahead for macroeconomic wonks

  

  It’s set to be a big week for watchers of the larger U.S. economy — Fed Chair Jerome Powell will testify to Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the February jobs report comes out Friday. We spoke with economist Julia Coronado about what we should expect in the week ahead. Vehicles, a good that enjoyed high demand and high prices during the peak of the pandemic, are now in lower demand partly because of elevated interest rates and inflation-weary consumers. And, a look at why some big cities in France are banning electronic billboards. 

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• Mar 6, 2023

  The rise of the “outdoorsy” real estate craze

  

  Resort towns across the Western U.S. are seeing record-breaking prices for housing amid a wave of buying by ultra-rich people. The trend is fueling a housing crisis for local workers, who often find themselves being priced out of housing. New legislation in the Senate is looking to restrict senior members of the executive branch from trading stocks. And, retailers are saying that inflation-wary consumers are prioritizing value over luxury…and stores are shifting gears to accommodate. 

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• Mar 6, 2023

  China increases defense spending, citing “escalating” threats

  

  From the BBC World Service: BBC’s China Correspondent Stephen McDonnell reports from Beijing as China says it will increase military spending by more than 7% this year, while warning of “escalating” threats. South Korea tries to build bridges with Japan by picking up the cost of World War II reparations, plus, it’s one month to the day since the earthquakes devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, we hear from the BBC’s Correspondent Anna Foster on the ground.

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• Mar 3, 2023

  For Biden, industrial policy is now in vogue

  

  Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced that companies could begin applying for funding under the CHIPS and Science Act, but only if they met certain conditions including limiting stock buybacks, providing childcare to workers, and others. According to Felicia Wong, CEO of the liberal-leaning Roosevelt Institute think tank, this could herald a new embrace of industrial policy by Biden to push forward his agenda. And, a look into a new report that details the growing extent of the racial disparity in home ownership in America. 

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• Mar 3, 2023

  Republican-led states push against “woke” investing

  

  Legislatures in various Republican-controlled states have passed or are mulling restricting banks from ESG investing, which considers environmental, social, and governance factors. We look at what’s behind the backlash to ESG and why some are assailing it as “woke investing.” The Biden Administration released its new Cybersecurity Strategy yesterday, which includes a call to companies to play a greater role in securing their own products. And, excerpts from Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal’s interview with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, where they discussed the economics of the war in Ukraine. 

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• Mar 3, 2023

  Could privatization be behind the fatal train crash in Greece?

  

  From the BBC World Service: The fallout from Tuesday’s deadly train crash has brought attention to the era of privatization that followed Greece’s financial crisis in 2015. We look at what role that could have played in the leadup to the disaster. A new report says Chinese scientists are leading their American counterparts in dozens of fields of technological research. And, could South Korean reality TV be the next big streaming sensation?

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• Mar 2, 2023

  Why racial inequality is often underestimated

  

  The disparity between how much wealth — on average — people of different racial groups hold has been well-documented through research. Yet according to one study, the size of that gap is frequently underappreciated. We talk to Ivy Oyeandor, a professor at Northwestern University and co-author of the study, about that misperception as part of our Econ Extra Credit series. And, KPMG Chief Economist Diane Swonk dissects the latest economic data, which indicates economic strength because of infrastructure spending but risks prolonging inflation. 

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• Mar 2, 2023

  Insulin prices get a haircut — for some people

  

  Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced it would cut the prices of some of its most-used insulin products by 70%, as well as cap out-of-pocket costs for consumers at $35. We look at what that could mean for patients, most of whom have been paying sky-high prices for the drug. Congress yesterday passed a bill to prohibit ESG — Economic, Social, and Governance — retirement investing, a measure likely to be vetoed by President Biden. And, as part of American Public Media’s “Call to Mind” campaign around mental health, we look at the effects of social media on loneliness. 

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