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Jonathan Frewin

Latest from Jonathan Frewin

  • Jul 20, 2021

    Ben & Jerry’s won’t sell its ice cream in the West Bank and east Jerusalem

    Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has warned the Unilever boss the decision would prove to be "financially wrong".
    Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Israel has warned the boss of food giant Unilever of “severe consequences” after Ben & Jerry’s announced it is to stop selling its ice cream products in the Palestinian territories under Israeli control. A company statement said to do so would be inconsistent with the brands’ values. Plus, global stocks take a breather after their worst sessions of the year Monday over supply chain concerns linked to the COVID-19 Delta variant. And, with only 5% of people in India vaccinated against COVID-19, women are falling particularly far behind.

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  • Jul 19, 2021

    Discount store chain Dollar General is moving into health care

    Dollar General has nearly doubled its store count in the last decade, filling in gaps in areas without big-box stores or grocery chains.
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    We also talk infrastructure and discuss how concerns about the delta variant could affect the markets.

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  • Jul 19, 2021

    What does England’s so-called “Freedom Day” mean for businesses?

    Nightclubs in England can now re-open and there are no limits on groups meeting up.
    Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: As England eases its main pandemic restrictions, mask wearing, capacity limits, and most social distancing are no longer legal requirements. Business owners are trying to work out which limits they want to keep in place. Plus, why Toyota is canceling its Olympic TV ads in Japan and executives won’t attend the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony. And, volunteers in Germany are playing a key role in flood relief efforts.

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  • Jul 19, 2021

    Two-bedroom rentals are out of range for low-wage workers across the U.S.

    An apartment rental sign in Los Angeles, where prices are sliding.
    Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

    Also, Toyota executives are backing away from the Tokyo Olympics, and we talk about the EU’s proposed carbon tax.

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  • Jul 16, 2021

    We didn’t buy more in June, but we did spend more …

    Retailers are shifting focus to match inflation-weary customers' preferences for savings over slurging.
    George Frey/Getty Images

    While retail sales were up 0.6% in the month of June, sales in quantity terms were down — the reason is inflation. Plus, a look at the banking sector’s insistence that employees return to the office. And we’ll hear from a farm in California’s Central Valley that is battling historic drought.

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  • Jul 16, 2021

    The president plans to warn U.S. companies about Hong Kong

    A person holds a Chinese national flag during a flag-raising assembly marking the 24th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 1, 2021 in Hong Kong, China.
    Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

    The Biden administration is preparing to issue a warning to American businesses about the risks of operating in Hong Kong due to mounting surveillance and data security concerns. Plus, the simple reason the federal government is having a hard time recruiting federal wildland firefighters; and where optimism is being felt in this economy … and where it isn’t.

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  • Jul 16, 2021

    Further curbs on Hong Kong freedoms send fresh chill through U.S.-China relations

    Further curbs on Hong Kong freedoms send fresh chill through U.S.-China relations
    RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: As Hong Kong security laws continue to suppress pro-democracy protests and freedom of the press, China readies its response to reports of fresh U.S. sanctions. Plus: How violent protests in South Africa are crimping fuel supplies, and a look at gin’s evolution from “mother’s ruin” to a tipple of choice for drinkers around the world.

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  • Jul 15, 2021

    Tweaking the balance of power between labor and employers

    Organizers in support of the unionization of an Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, earlier this year. The NLRB completed the vote count in April. Workers voted to reject the union.
    Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

    Change is coming to the National Labor Relations Board — how might that affect how it does its work? Plus, we consider Federal Reserve Chair Powell’s latest pronouncements on inflation and a new study that makes a compelling economic case for improved early childhood education.

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  • Jul 15, 2021

    South Africans struggle to find food and fuel as protests spiral

    South Africa is to deploy 25,000 troops to try and manage days of unrest.
    Luca Sola/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Widespread violence and ransacking of stores continues in South Africa, where protests sparked by the jailing of the country’s former president Jacob Zuma are being fueled by outrage about poverty, unemployment and inequality. Plus, why China’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has hit a speed bump; and the Asian palm oil giant Korindo is stripped of a green certification status over allegations it destroyed vast areas of rainforest to make way for plantations.

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  • Jul 15, 2021

    What child tax credit payments mean to families

    Many families are likely to use part of their child tax credit payments on school supplies.
    Philippe Huguen/Getty Images

    Child tax credit deposits begin rolling out this week. We’ll hear from families about what the cash assistance will mean for them and from experts about whether this six-month program might stick around. Plus, news about product recalls, Amazon and just who should be responsible for doing the recalling. And Wall Street Journal reporter Gwynn Guilford joins us to assess how difficult it might be to control future inflation.

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