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Nick Esposito

Latest from Nick Esposito

  • Ford slashes its workforce in Europe
    Georges Gobet/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Ford is cutting jobs to get over its next big hurdle: transitioning to electric vehicles. 3,800 jobs are going at the car maker, as part of a major restructuring programme in Europe. We find out why. Plus it’s all change at the Bank of Japan, as Kazuo Ueda is nominated to be its new head. And, we talk to an old-fashioned Irish matchmaker on Valentine’s Day.

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  • Senators, President Biden take aim at corporate “junk fees”
    Samuel Corum/Getty Images

    As the new Congress gets underway, one priority for a bipartisan group of senators led by Massachusetts’ Ed Markey is getting rid of corporate “junk fees,” starting with ones airlines charge parents to sit with their young children. It’s a sentiment that’s been echoed by President Biden, who focused on extraneous fees in his recent State of the Union address. Recent economic data has been positively upbeat, but economist Julia Coronado warns that some of the good news could be overstated because of seasonal trends. And, a look inside the world of regenerative agriculture, a greener alternative to traditional farming. 

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  • How permanent is remote work really going to be?
    Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

    The remote working trend that started during the pandemic may be tapering off as employers require employees to come back in the office, but it’s likely to stick around in some form. According to Chris Farrell, that’s because employers that offer remote work will now be able to distinguish themselves in the labor market. The U.S. government is imposing economic restrictions on the Chinese firms that manufacture balloons from U.S. technology. And, consumers in the coming year may be a bit more inclined to shop cautiously as the economy slows and pocketbooks tighten.

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  • All out! Strikes continue across Europe
    Christophe Archambault/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: There’s been no rest for industrial unrest in Europe as another week of strikes kick off across the continent. We hear from France, Portugal and Spain. Plus, the authorities in Turkey make arrests over suspected building violations in the wake of the deadly earthquake. And, many economies depend on remittances – money sent home from workers or families overseas – but tighter budgets around the world mean less money is being sent to Pakistan at a time when it’s struggling with a foreign currency crisis.

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  • Could poultry farmers come to the rescue for egg suppliers?
    miheco/Flickr

    Egg prices are still up in supermarkets across the board, but there could be relief on the horizon for egg suppliers in the form of eggs from poultry farmers — if regulators give the go-ahead. People have fled en masse from their homes in disaster-affected Turkey to different parts of the country, reports Victoria Craig. Russia announced its production of oil substantially, leading to higher market prices for energy. And, advertisers for Sunday’s Super Bowl showdown are having to navigate their messaging around Americans’ unease about the state of the economy. 

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  • This year, Super Bowl commercials will feature more brand collabs
    Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

    This Super Bowl weekend, millions of eyes will be trained on TVs around the world to watch the big game — and the multi-million-dollar advertisements that come with it. We check in with Jeanine Poggi, editor of the publication Ad Age, to see what brands have up their sleeves this year. The NFL, meanwhile, is facing a lawsuit from a group of former players over the league’s handling of disability claims. And, a look at why video game prices are starting to deviate from the normal $60 for a new release. 

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  • Turkey and Syria plead for more aid
    ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is appealing to the world to send emergency supplies and cash to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Pakistan’s talks with IMF officials have ended with no deal agreed. Plus, the chaos in Nigeria continues as the deadline to replace old bank notes with new ones is extended.

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  • With NFTs, what does and doesn’t count as art?
    Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

    A federal district court in New York has ruled in favor of Hermès, the maker of the Birkin brand of handbag, in a trademark case against the artist behind the “Metabirkin” NFT. Art critic Blake Gopnik, who worked with the team defending the artist, walks us through the verdict. KPMG Chief Economist Diane Swonk takes us through what the latest round of layoffs means for the economy. And, inside the CVS’s acquisition of a primary care provider. 

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  • This debt ceiling fight brings up old overspending concerns
    Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

    The fight playing out in Congress over the debt ceiling is being called different from previous spats about spending, but many arguments by Republicans today harken back to a longstanding unease with government overspending. We talk to Michael Boskin, a professor of economics at Stanford who headed the U.S. Council of Economic Advisors during George H.W. Bush’s presidency, about his views on the dispute playing out in Washington. And, Disney’s not-so-new CEO, Bob Iger, is running into a litany of challenges as he tries to boost the sagging entertainment giant. 

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  • BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 29: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), speaks to the media following talks at the Chancellery on November 29, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. Scholz met with the five leaders as part of an annual, informal dialogue over the global economic situation. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

    From the BBC World Service: The head of the World Trade Organisation Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala tells us richer countries have a moral obligation to help poorer ones through the cost of living crisis. Plus, what next for games developer Activision Blizzard and its $70 billion tie-up with Microsoft after the UK competition regulator said it would hurt consumers? And, can Credit Suisse rebuild? After a string of scandals, it has a new management team and a new plan but a massive annual loss – its worst since the 2008 financial crisis – shows the scale of the task ahead.

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