Mid-day Update

As retail chains prepare to report results, we'll chat with Julia Coronado from Macropolicy Perspectives about the state of the industry. Job prospects in this sector are looking dim as Amazon rises in power. Afterwards, we'll look at how Trump is doing with filling government positions, and then talk about Mexico's push to legalize marijuana.

Last month's jobs report is officially in: the U.S. economy added 209,000 jobs in July, with the unemployment rate ticking down to 4.3 percent. Christopher Low, chief economist at FTN Financial, joined us to put the numbers into context and share how he thinks Janet Yellen and co. might react to the report. Afterwards, we'll discuss the U.S. Virgin Islands' economic woes, which it's trying to help solve by imposing $25-a-day timeshare fees.

Sure, the U.S. economy is creating jobs, but wages have stagnated. Is the job market feeling a little familiar these days? It might, if you lived through the '90s. Diane Swonk from DS Economics shares some parallels between our current labor market, and how it was doing a couple of decades ago. Afterwards, we'll look at Trump's support of a new proposal that would dramatically scale back immigration, and then talk about a shortage in trial lawyers.

In early trading, the Dow Jones crossed 22,000 for the first time. Despite all of the negative headlines coming out of Washington, the stock market continues to perform well. Susan Schmidt from Westwood explains what's fueling investors' optimism. Afterwards, we'll look at why pharmaceutical companies are starting to abandon generic drugs.

The big push to repeal Obamacare fell apart last week, but the White House isn't backing down. As soon as today, President Donald Trump may make a decision that could lead to a major hike in monthly health insurance premiums. We'll look at by how much and just how many Americans could be affected. Afterwards, we'll discuss Walmart's ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gases, and then talk about a decline in the price of eggs — which is good news for you, but bad news for U.S. poultry farmers.

Discovery Communications is reportedly buying Scripps Networks in a $14.6 billion deal. The two parties think this will become must-see television, especially for women. On today's show, we'll discuss whether this merger has what it takes to succeed. Next, as we wrap up the month, we'll talk about the state of the economy with economist Julia Coronado from Macropolicy Perspectives. Plus: A look at what features the next-generation iPhone might have —and how much it might cost.

On Friday, the Senate ended up voting down the Republican measure to repeal Obamacare. But the battle over this health care law isn't quite over yet. On today's show, we'll take a look at the ways Trump could still gut Obamacare. Afterwards, we'll discuss news that the economy grew at a faster pace than the previous quarter, and then chat with economist Heidi Shierholz about why the automation of jobs may be a distraction from other pressing economic issues.

The end may be nigh for one of the world's most important interest rates. The LIBOR, or London Interbank offer, may play a role in whether your household budget is on track and your adjustable mortgage. But there's news that it may get phased out over the next four years. On today's show, we'll look at why it may go away and what'll take its place. Afterwards, we'll discuss the future of the Fed Chair position, and then chat with Guardian reporter Chris Arnade about the importance of McDonald's in local communities.

There's a whole lot of turbulence in Washington, yet the markets are going up. There's uncertainty. The economy is doing all right (but not fantastically). And company earnings reports are just OK. So what gives? Julia Coronado, an economist at Macropolicy Perspectives, joins us to chat about the strange nature of the stock market. Afterwards, we'll talk with the Eurasia Group's Ian Bremmer about the new sanctions bill against Russia, which has bipartisan support here in the U.S., but isn't getting a warm reception in Europe.

Some prominent Democrats in the House and Senate have banded together to launch a sort of mini-New Deal — or "A Better Deal," as they're calling it — to improve the lives of workers. On today's show, we'll chat with the Roosevelt Institute's president and CEO, Felicia Wong, about the plan. Afterwards, we'll look at the history of generic drugs, which weren't always so accessible for Americans.