Marketplace®
Every story is an economic story
Donate

Meredith Garretson Morbey

Supervisory Senior Producer

Meredith is a supervisory senior producer at Marketplace.

Latest from Meredith Garretson Morbey

  • Aug 2, 2022

    Record gas prices pump in record profits

    HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 14: Chevron gas pumps are seen on June 14, 2022 in Houston, Texas. Chevron has acquired the $3.15 billion Renewable Energy Group (REG), which has 12 biofuels refineries. The move advances Chevron's portfolio of biofuels as it seeks to sell biodiesel at all of its Chevron and Texaco branded gas stations around the country.
    Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    BP raked in $8.5 billion in profits in the three months ending in June, and you can add that figure to the mountain of profits from other Western oil and gas companies. The position of substitute teacher has grown in prominence. High-tech companies in the U.S. are investing in China, and that raises a lot of questions.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Aug 2, 2022

    What could a Nancy Pelosi visit mean for Taiwan’s economy?

    If Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan goes ahead, she would be the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit in more than a quarter century.
    Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: China has already warned of “disastrous consequences” if the U.S. House Speaker visits the island. Even the possibility of the trip has sent geopolitical tensions soaring between the U.S. and China. And geopolitical tensions can quickly spill over into economic ones for Taiwan, which is home to one of the world’s main semiconductor chip makers. Plus, the people making a living from selling waste from a landfill in Argentina.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Aug 1, 2022

    Some investors are suddenly optimistic

    Big data could illustrate racial bias in insurance.
    Getty Images

    Julia Coronado joins us to discuss the markets, which reflected a short burst of positivity as July concluded. But, while corporations are feeling better about the economy’s future, lower-income consumers are not. Plus, the Biden administration has launched an online heat check in response to the summer’s extreme temperatures.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Aug 1, 2022

    Getting a read on how the Biden administration views antitrust issues

    Getting a read on how the Biden administration views antitrust issues
    jovan_epn via Getty Images

    The trial over the proposed merger of two massive book publishing companies tells us something about how the Biden administration could enforce antitrust in the future. The head of the Pacific Institute clues us in about the role of business in the world’s water security situation.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Aug 1, 2022

    A grain ship finally sets sail from Ukraine to Lebanon

    A ship carrying Ukrainian grain is leaving Odesa and will transit via Istanbul on its way to Lebanon's Tripoli Port.
    OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: It’s hoped to be the first of many commercial sailings and is expected to arrive in Lebanon’s Tripoli Port in around six days. That’s because the Lebanese port of Beirut is largely not operating following a deadly explosion in 2020. Plus: China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan have reported manufacturing slowdowns. And, previous success for Germany’s women’s soccer team hasn’t always translated into more support or money for the sport.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Jul 29, 2022

    The latest inflation numbers show more pain for consumers

    NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 15: People shop for food along a busy street in Brooklyn on June 15, 2022 in New York City. As the American economy continues to see a rise in inflation, the Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday that it is raising interest rates by 0.75%, the largest such move since 1994. The Fed is attempting to cool the economy and keep prices on everyday items such as food, gas, and rent under control.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge for inflation went up 6.8% in the year that ended in June, reaching yet another 40-year high. It’s difficult to say, then, that we’ve hit peak inflation, and that’s stretching consumers even thinner, says Christopher Low, chief economist at FHN Financial. A look at what’s in the CHIPS Act, the semiconductor-boosting bill that’s expected to be signed into law soon. And we talked to APM Reports about their recent investigation into allegations against a popular COVID testing company. 

    Read MoreDownload
  • Jul 29, 2022

    Sen. Joe Manchin announces support for Democrats’ climate package

    WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 19: U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, questions Interior Secretary Deb Haaland during a hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on May 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. Secretary Haaland testifies on President Biden's fiscal year 2023 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

    West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has announced his support for a sweeping $430 billion dollar package in the Senate that aims to address climate change and health care. We delve into what’s in the bill and what Manchin’s support means for its prospects in Congress. Plus, a look into Amazon’s latest company results and what they mean for the retail sector. And, China is reportedly considering a relief fund for embattled property developers.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Jul 29, 2022

    U.K. says Russia is paying mercenaries in its war in Ukraine

    LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 12: Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street on July 12, 2022 in London, England. Boris Johnson appointed new ministers last week to take the place of ministers who resigned their posts forcing him to stand down as Conservative party leader and Prime Minister. Johnson remains in the post in a caretaker position until a new leader is returned on September 5,2022.
    Leon Neal/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Britain’s defense secretary, Ben Wallace, says a private Russian military company called the Wagner Group has likely been tapped to send troops to the frontlines in Ukraine. Also, the Eurozone reported stronger-than-expected economic growth. Plus, a ship carrying grain from Ukraine is expected to depart Odesa for the first time since the war began. And, you’ve probably heard the phrase “paperless office”, but what about the idea of de-printing and reusing the same paper again?

    Read MoreDownload
  • Jul 28, 2022

    The arrow of the U.S. economy is pointing to recession

    Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Flush with cash, many big American companies are buying back their own shares, a practice that is relatively unregulated.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    GDP declined 0.9% in the three months ending in June, and what that means is up for debate. The natural gas saga between the European Union and Russia has affected German chem company BASF. We talk more about finding purpose in your work with “Severance” as a backdrop.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Jul 28, 2022

    Inflation is hard to swallow. So is the medicine.

    As the Fed has scooped up assets to carry out quantitative easing, some are asking: At what cost? Above, the Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C.
    Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    The Fed has raised rates again, and we are about to get a first look at economic growth in the second quarter. As part of our examination of the Apple TV+ show “Severance,” we speak to a Wharton professor about the quest to find purpose in work.

    Read MoreDownload