Latest from Jesson Duller

• Apr 27, 2022

  The rental market is tight and getting tighter. What does that mean for renters?

  

  Rental rates are rising faster than they have in years. According to one expert, rents are going up by an average of 15% per year nationwide, compared to just 3% before the pandemic. We take a look into what’s driving the increase and what it means for consumers. Russia has cut off natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria amid increasing tension over their support for Ukraine. A look into why markets have been down in the past month. House prices have been increasing rapidly over the pandemic, but the shortage has been building for years – even before COVID.

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• Apr 27, 2022

  Russia cuts off natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria

  

  From the BBC World Service: As the European Union holds emergency gas talks to decide how to respond to Russia, what does turning off the gas taps mean for Poland and Bulgaria? Plus, a Chinese drone manufacturer has halted sales to Russia and Ukraine to try and stop its products being used in the war. And, the “vampire devices” which are driving up our home energy bills.

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• Apr 26, 2022

  Pfizer’s COVID treatment drug is set to become much more available

  

  More people will soon have access to Pfizer’s Paxlovid COVID treatment. After initial supply limits, the Biden administration says the country now has plenty available and that it wants more locations to offer the drug. We talk to Marketplace’s Nova Safo about how the drug may soon become widely available in pharmacies. Blackstone, one of the country’s largest investors, will purchase a massive office complex called PS Business Parks, signaling a shift back toward office work after the pandemic drove people to work at home. The negligent homicide case involving a nurse is being closely monitored by medical professionals who worry it could set a precedent of criminalizing medical mistakes.

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• Apr 26, 2022

  Construction businesses feel the squeeze of supply chain woes, labor shortages

  

  Few industries have been impacted by pandemic-driven disruptions quite like the construction business. Whether it’s a lack of building materials or a shortage of workers, construction companies have been wading through one challenge after another for years. For more on this, we take the “Economic” Pulse of Maurice Rahming, president of O’Neill Construction Group in Portland, Oregon. Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has raised questions about what the tech billionaire is trying to accomplish — we speak to Erik Gordon, professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, about the deal.

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• Apr 26, 2022

  As the U.N. chief heads to Moscow, what’s life like in Russia?

  

  From the BBC World Service: What to do about the besieged city of Mariupol is expected to be top of the list of subjects the UN’s Antonio Guterres and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin are expected to focus on. Plus, is Beijing next for a citywide lockdown as China sticks to its zero COVID strategy? And, why U.K. drugstores are reporting shortages of hormone replacement therapy. 

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• Apr 25, 2022

  How could the demise of CNN+ affect other news companies?

  

  CNN reportedly spent tens of millions of dollars on developing CNN+ before canceling it last week. Warner Bros. Discovery’s shuttering of the service could affect other companies in the video news industry, which may be less willing to invest in that type of news streaming service going forward. Markets in Asia are reacting to rising COVID-19 cases in Beijing, which some may say could lead to a city-wide lockdown as seen in Shanghai. Girl Scouts added an online story to sell cookies to during the pandemic: online stores, but some parents are concerned it isn’t the same when it comes to developing crucial skills.

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• Apr 25, 2022

  How the war in Ukraine is felt in other countries – through debt

  

  The war in Ukraine is worsening debt risk in developing countries. Rising commodity prices, higher borrowing rates, and other factors are making the economic situation harder for countries like Sri Lanka. Many of the countries facing these challenges were previously considered risky, but the war is exacerbating poor conditions and may push some past the tipping point. Elon Musk and Twitter are reportedly in talks for the social media platform to be acquired by the SpaceX and Tesla billionaire. The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues convenes in New York City for a week of discussion on issues like indigenous rights related to business and the economy.

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• Apr 25, 2022

  Macron wins second term as French president

  

  From the BBC World Service: EU leaders breathed a sigh of relief as France’s centrist incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, warded off the challenge of far-right challenger Marine Le Pen to be re-elected as French president. Also today, panic-buying in Beijing over fears of a fresh lockdown, and English soccer is set to get a new regulator.

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• Apr 22, 2022

  What led to CNN’s subtraction of its CNN+ streaming service?

  

  The vehicle that was supposed to usher CNN into the streaming era appears to have been stopped in its tracks. Less than a month after launch, CNN+ is being shut down. We discuss some of the factors that led to this point. Christopher Low talks mortgage rates during our markets discussion. Marketplace’s China correspondent Jennifer Pak clues us in on life in Shanghai, which has been in COVID lockdown for weeks. It’s National Parks Week, and many parks are still using early pandemic reservation systems. Is it going to stay that way?

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• Apr 22, 2022

  How might the U.S. view the state of the war in Ukraine? The answer could be in the aid.

  

  President Biden recently announced an additional $800 million in assistance to Ukraine. However, there’s been a noticeable change in the kind of military aid the U.S. is sending, and that change could hint at the U.S. outlook on how the war is going. To help us break down the U.S. aid package, we spoke to Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Florida lawmakers have approved a bill to strip Disney of special tax privileges through self-government of its land in Orlando.

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