Latest from Nick Esposito

• May 17, 2023

  For the first time since early pandemic, supply chains have capacity to spare

  

  That’s according to a new report this week from the consulting group GEP. And it’s partly because companies have been able to get rid of their mountains of unsold stuff. Plus, more data on consumer behavior in this economy. Big-box retailers are seeing sales stagnate some, but there are some bright spots in housing construction data. And, the rise of Wrexham. The economics behind a small Welsh soccer team’s ascension, thanks to some Hollywood investment.

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• May 17, 2023

  “Economic coercion” is on the G-7 agenda

  

  Economic coercion is essentially economic bullying. And later this week at the Group of Seven summit in Japan, the U.S. and its allies are expected to tackle this problem. There are many examples of this form of economic retaliation, and recently China’s economic policies are under scrutiny. We speak with someone whose jobs it is to address these international economic issues, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Plus, we look at the Biden administration’s latest challenge to a big corporate merger, this time in the pharmaceutical industry.

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• May 17, 2023

  Europe is leading on AI laws. Will the U.S. follow?

  

  From the BBC World Service: As the ChatGPT creator warns of the dangers of artificial intelligence, we hear from a European lawmaker involved in drawing up the world’s first comprehensive AI legislation. He thinks the U.S. will follow suit. And, we look at how Welsh soccer club Wrexham has fared under the ownership of American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. They’ve helped turn the club’s fortunes around and have become the poster boys for U.S. investment in European soccer.

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• May 16, 2023

  Revisiting the banking bedlam this year

  

  There are multiple congressional hearings underway today to take a look back at what happened with the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank earlier this year. In the Senate, we’re hearing from former executives of those banks. In the House of Representatives, the Federal Reserve’s top banking watchdog and other regulators are speaking. Also today: we have the latest data on retail sales. How are consumers holding up? And lastly, why you might be paying more for flood insurance.

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• May 16, 2023

  AI is on Capitol Hill today

  

  Generative artificial intelligence has gripped the world’s imagination with its potential to disrupt our economy and way of life. The Senate is tackling that today in a hearing which includes the chief executive of OpenAI. Plus, add up everything all of us consumers in this country owe and you will get … a bill of more than $17 trillion. What can this household debt number tell us about where the economy’s headed? And, a change to Medicare that Congress is considering which could save the federal government as much as $150 billion over a decade.

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• May 16, 2023

  Game on? Europe approves Microsoft’s Activision deal

  

  From the BBC World Service: The European Union has given the green light to Microsoft’s $68 billion acquisition of Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard. Meanwhile, the U.K. antitrust regulator is standing firm on its view the transaction will be bad for consumers, and it’s still being challenged in the U.S. Plus, telecommunications giant Vodafone is cutting 10% of its workforce after missing targets. And, the Sudanese film industry has reached a major milestone: a movie from the country has made the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time.

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• May 15, 2023

  How did Turkey’s economy play a role in election voting?

  

  Or maybe we should be asking how it’s continuing to play a role in voters’ decisions. The presidential election in Turkey is, after all, headed to a runoff after no candidate was able to secure at least half the vote. We check in with reporter Victoria Craig in Ankara for the latest, including how the candidates are approaching the economic situation in Turkey. Plus, a new Marketplace podcast looks to break down the basics about money and financial literacy, lessons we should all get when we’re younger but often don’t. The show is called “Financially Inclined.”

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• May 15, 2023

  The latest fossil fuel industry merger

  

  They’re not exactly household names, but ONEOK and Magellan Midstream Partners are coming together in a deal valued at nearly $20 billion to create a behemoth in the energy industry. The deal will give ONEOK, which transports natural gas, a new role in the oil business. Plus, we use the news of a big Peloton recall to look at where the company is headed next. And, China’s government says it is open to foreign investors and businesses now that it has declared victory over COVID. But foreign businesses aren’t quite so sure they’re really welcomed.

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• May 15, 2023

  Turkey’s presidential election heads for runoff

  

  From the BBC World Service: Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is leading the presidential election, but he’s just shy of winning a key 50% of the vote. That means a runoff with opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is expected in a few weeks. Victoria Craig joins us from Ankara for more. Plus, the BBC’s Leonardo Rocha reports on Argentina as it raises interest rates to 97%. And, China announces a raft of measures aimed at encouraging couples to have children.

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• May 12, 2023

  How conflict in Sudan is spilling into the global economy

  

  The civil conflict between rival military factions in Sudan has carried a big human cost thus far — over 600 people have died so far, according to the UN. Some knock-on effects of the conflict are also appearing in the global economy. We chat with the BBC’s Will Bain about how the global supply of gum arabic, a raw material used in a bevy of consumer products, is at risk. And, we check in with Christopher Low, chief economist at FHN Financial, on how people in financial circles are reacting to the debt ceiling fight in Washington.

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