Latest from Jonathan Frewin

• Jul 14, 2021

  And you thought inflation was hot for consumers

  

  U.S. producer prices surged in June, stoking investors’ concerns about the nature of the inflation. Plus, what we know so far about the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending proposal; the response from China to Treasury Secretary Yellen’s recent characterization of its “economic practices” as “unfair”; and how the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) is working to encourage unbanked American households to open accounts — the effort is connected to the expanded child tax credit, which starts this week.

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• Jul 14, 2021

  “Super shoes” push athletes to records, fuel fresh competition controversy

  

  From the BBC World Service: Former Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn speaks about fleeing Japan after being detained on allegations he understated his annual salary and misused company funds. Ghosn denies all claims. Plus, why a Nike shoe worn by record-smashing track and field athletes is coming under scrutiny.

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• Jul 14, 2021

  Why Chinese companies listing in the U.S. have the Chinese government so worried

  

  With increased oversight of major tech firms by Chinese regulators in recent days, whither a) China’s access to foreign capital and b) U.S. access to the Chinese market? Martin Chorzempa, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, joins us to discuss. And: In pursuit of extra space, tourists with savings are splurging on the first-class cabin. 

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• Jul 13, 2021

  Why California’s battery-supported grid is off to a slow start

  

  California’s grid operator hoped new battery storage could prevent rolling blackouts in the state, but installation has been delayed. Plus, the digital copyright arrangement that got Google in trouble with France and Marketplace contributor Chris Farrell on why he believes putting cryptocurrency into a retirement portfolio is a bad idea.

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• Jul 13, 2021

  France slaps Google with $600 million fine over news publishing

  

  From the BBC World Service: Google’s news aggregator uses excerpts and headlines from publishers around the world. In France, publishers agreed a copyright deal with the tech giant, and the French competition regulator says Google acted in bad faith in those negotiations. Plus (staying in France), being vaccinated against COVID-19 will be mandatory for the country’s healthcare workers by mid-September. And: As we move towards a lower-carbon world, what’s in store for the global oil industry?

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• Jul 13, 2021

  An experiment to reduce child poverty begins

  

  Starting Thursday, most families will receive $300 per child, per month, from the federal government. Experts estimate the expanded child tax credit can cut child poverty by half. Plus, how inflation can disproportionately hurt retirees on fixed incomes and how to interpret the second-quarter earnings this week of big banks like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase.

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• Jul 12, 2021

  More agreement on global tax crackdown

  

  G-20 finance leaders just backed a proposal for a global corporate minimum tax rate of at least 15%. There’s still a long way to go before that becomes a reality. Plus, a look at an upcoming economic “report card” and the upshot for student borrowers of loan servicer FedLoan’s decision to bow out.

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• Jul 12, 2021

  A used car can now cost you more than a new car

  

  While many new-car assembly lines are backed up, older cars are available … and they’re fetching premium prices. Plus, Caleb Watney, director of innovation policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, on the importance of immigration reform to America’s research and development efforts.

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• Jul 12, 2021

  Cuba’s biggest anti-government protests in decades

  

  From the BBC World Service: Anti-government demonstrators in Cuba are protesting food shortages and calling for freedom, democracy, and a more efficient COVID-19 vaccination program. Cuba’s economy is in crisis due to a combination of tough U.S. sanctions and the pandemic’s disruption to tourism. Elsewhere, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on why he believes the idea of free and open internet is under attack. And, why Taiwanese tech giants Foxconn and TSMC are buying 10 million COVID vaccine doses and donating them to the Taiwanese government. Correction (July 12, 2021): An earlier version of this podcast misstated the pronouns of Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen. The audio has been amended.

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• Jul 9, 2021

  Biden takes up the cause of competition

  

  With an executive order that President Biden is set to sign today, the White House is trying to encourage more competition across the board in the U.S. economy. One part of the executive order tells federal regulators to give greater scrutiny to proposed mergers, including when a Big Tech company wants to swallow a smaller competitor. Plus, a reminder that COVID anywhere is COVID everywhere in a global economy that is so interconnected. Also, how much it costs for businesses to adjust to more extreme weather. And, robots delivering food in Austin, Texas, are competing with humans for space on the road.

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