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Meredith Garretson Morbey

Supervisory Senior Producer

Meredith is a supervisory senior producer at Marketplace.

Latest from Meredith Garretson Morbey

  • Jun 18, 2021

    Doggy day care is booming as people return to offices

    As people start to return to offices, there's a growing demand for pet day care services.
    Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: That’s because millions of people bought pets when COVID struck and many workers were instructed to work from home. But who will look after our furry friends now? Plus, commodity prices slide after a strong year as the U.S. and countries across Europe continue to lift COVID restrictions. And, promoters in England continue trials for how to run an outdoor music festival during a pandemic.

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  • Jun 18, 2021

    Is Amazon’s high turnover a huge red flag or the secret to its dominance?

    A sweeping New York Times investigation into Amazon's warehouses reveals high turnover, HR errors and worker frustration.
    Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

    Inside the investigation into “the Amazon that customers don’t see.”

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  • Jun 17, 2021

    When prison records stand in the way of getting work

    Firefighting is just one of the jobs done by people who are incarcerated. The chances they will get hired as firefighters after they get out of prison are low.
    David McNew/AFP via Getty Images

    Despite work experience and training for people who are incarcerated, many worry about finding employment once they get out. What, then, does rehabilitation mean? Plus, in a trend reversal, more people, not fewer, signed up for unemployment benefits last week. Also, support in the Senate continues to build for a bipartisan plan to fix infrastructure. And, why we’ve seen so many IPOs so far this year.

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  • Jun 17, 2021

    The central role of prisons in the U.S. economy

    “The Prison in Twelve Landscapes” features Nahshon Thomas, a formerly incarcerated man who teaches chess in Washington Square Park. Filmmaker Brett Story said she wanted to address how prison affects everyday life, like the employment prospects of people with criminal records.
    Courtesy of Oh Ratface Films

    In June, our documentary film selection for the “Econ Extra Credit” series is “The Prison in Twelve Landscapes.” It takes the approach of “visual poetry” to look at the culture of incarceration in the U.S. from many angles — all of them personal, many of them economic. Also, the news out of the Federal Reserve yesterday is that interest rates, steady for now, will likely start rising sooner than policymakers thought.

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  • Jun 17, 2021

    U.K. scouts can now earn a badge for money skills

    A composite image of a selection of the Scout Organization's badges on May 15, 2014 in London, England.
    Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Scouts in the U.K. introduce the organization’s first financial literacy skills badge. Plus, 500 police officers raided the offices of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper alleging its reporting breaches a national security law. The paper’s editor-in-chief and other senior bosses were arrested at their homes. And, the World Bank says it won’t help El Salvador implement Bitcoin as a form of legal tender.

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  • Jun 16, 2021

    Yep, there’s a market for used plants, too

    Plant Protection Society founder Nicolas Talliu with plants saved from the trash.
    John Laurenson

    And we’ve got the story of one French landscape gardener who saves and sells abandoned plants. Plus, have lumber prices hit their peak? Also, awaiting new analysis from the Federal Reserve on economic recovery, inflation and interest rates. And, the U.S. and EU set aside disputes over aircraft subsidies for now to focus their attention on China.

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  • Jun 16, 2021

    Why the Fed wants to keep its policies in pandemic mode

    A view of the Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C.
    Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

    The Federal Reserve is not expected to raise interest rates. But it turns out some of the Fed’s peers around the world are starting to put away their pandemic relief tools. Also, a major heat wave hitting the West and Southwest means the air conditioners are on and the power grids are stressed. And, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says the food situation there is difficult and that shortages are possible.

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  • Jun 16, 2021

    The EU is starting to roll out its COVID recovery funds

    European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is visiting EU member countries to formally sign off on their national COVID recovery plans.
    Jaime Reina/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Spain is set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries from European Union funding, and it’s planning labor reforms to tackle the seasonal nature of its tourism sector. Plus, digital sex crimes in South Korea have increased along with advances in spy camera technology. And, despite being Africa’s most powerful economy, Nigeria has many firms that struggle to access a regular electricity supply.

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  • Jun 15, 2021

    Why Americans are driving older cars

    That's because the quality of vehicles has only improved over time, and because people didn't drive as much during the pandemic.
    Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

    If it hasn’t rusted through, has good tires and an airbag, why trade? The quality of cars these days and, yes, the pandemic, have something to do with an aging car fleet in the U.S. Plus, more data on increasing prices equals more anticipation for what the Federal Reserve will say about its forecasts for interest rates. And, the systemic failure to equitably invest in Black entrepreneurs in the U.S., how that’s changing and whether the wave of commitments by corporations and venture capitalists over the last year represents a temporary blip or a lasting shift in how money is allocated.

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  • Jun 15, 2021

    Who decides if a newly reopened workplace is safe?

    The law says that workers have the right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions and that it’s illegal to retaliate against them for raising safety concerns. It requires companies to allow workers to form safety committees.
    Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

    One answer is giving rank-and-file employees, those not in management roles, a strong voice at the table. New York’s “Hero ACT” requires just that. It will require companies with more than 10 employees to implement a series of safety protocols to help prevent transmission of airborne diseases. Plus, today is the day California ends most of its pandemic restrictions. And, a report this week from the New York Federal Reserve found that people are finding it easier to obtain credit now compared with a year ago.

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Meredith Garretson Morbey