Week of January 23rd, 2017

Economist Marc Levinson says governments can't do much to increase productivity, despite what you've heard.

We’re looking over a shifting policy landscape this week: first, Nancy Marshall-Genzer explains who our federal workforce is and what a hiring freeze means for them. Then, Dan Gorenstein explains the latest news with the Affordable Care Act. Lizzie checks in with the executive chair of the St. Helens’ council to find out how their economy is dealing with Brexit. Plus, Rachel Bloom, star of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” takes the Marketplace Quiz, and we go long and short on the week’s news.

We check back in with St. Helens, a town in Northern England.

The state's successful program is in doubt, along with the Affordable Care Act.

The 360-degree film follows several asylum-seekers being held in Britain.

First up, we try to cram President Donald Trump’s very busy first week into about five minutes of live radio. Then, deeper dives into the United States’ trade relationship with Mexico and a possible hitch in Trump’s plans for the Keystone pipeline. Plus, how Republican-led Michigan is grappling with Medicaid expansion. 

Missouri's would stop tenure for new hires starting next year. Iowa's would revoke tenure for all professors.

Right to work bars unions from requiring workers to pay dues as a condition of employment.

The head of the International Fund for Agricultural Development says there's been a lack of investment in rural areas.

President Donald Trump’s has issued two executive orders to crack down on illegal immigration. As a result, state and local law enforcement agencies will have the power to enforce immigration laws. But some departments aren’t eager to be involved, worrying that police-community relations will be strained. Next, we’ll talk with the head of the U.N.’s International Fund for Agricultural Development on how to improve rural communities, and then look at a rise in bills that would boost penalties for protesters. 

Amid news that Verizon and Charter could be planning a merger, telecom analyst Angelo Zino takes a look at what this deal would mean to consumers. Afterwards, we’ll discuss whether the Federal Communications Commission should be involved in business moves like these. Harold Furchtgott Roth, an FCC commissioner from 1997 to 2001, gives his take. Finally, we’ll play this week’s “Silicon Tally” with Wayne Cotter, an engineer turned comedian.   

The city hasn't seen a building boom like this since the '20s.

The president threatens withdrawal of federal funds to try to force cooperation.

In a next life, she'd help look for aliens at SETI, because why not?

Whoever ends up paying for the wall, the U.S. and Mexico will remain intertwined.

Leigh Gallagher dives into the story of Airbnb in her new book, looking at how a business idea turned into a multibillion-dollar company.

In Washington, D.C., lobbyists are in a frenzy.

The U.S. and Mexico are at loggerheads. But whoever ends up paying for the wall, the U.S. and Mexico will remain intertwined. Then, we’ll look at the choices facing lobbyists and sanctuary cities under new rules from the Trump administration. Plus, a deep dive into Airbnb.

If a U.S. job isn't likely, an expensive U.S. education doesn't make sense.

While U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May welcomes Trump’s enthusiasm for Brexit, the two don’t seem to be on the same page when it comes to globalization. Can the two strike a trade deal? Next, we’ll talk about Johnson & Johnson’s decision to buy the Swiss biopharma company Actelion for $30 billion, and then look at the U.S. Army’s new $580 million pistol contract.

HE believes L.A. is a prime location for tech companies to grow.

As Trump calls for the return of manufacturing in the U.S., Los Angeles is looking to technology as a promising sector for job growth. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti joined us to talk about why he wants to make LA a tech hub and how he’ll try to ensure that it’s a diverse one. Afterwards, we’ll look at how viable it is to work for ridesharing companies. Uber recently agreed to pay $20 million to settle claims that it misled drivers about how much they could expect to earn on the job. 

It's twice as expensive to gain membership at the Mar-a-Lago, and Trump Hotels want to triple their numbers.

But a few major details are still unclear.

A look at how Trump's actions fit the mold for a Republican president. And, how they differ.

A president willing to call out individual companies is practically unknown.

On our first episode of Make Me Smart, we asked you to tell us what you thought about the show, and you had lots to say about polls and presidents.

Private companies, investors, workers and consumers depend on government economic data for a wide array of financial decisions.

As President Donald Trump orders his long-promised wall with Mexico, we check in with our reporter on the border to talk about what the project might cost. Then, we look at where Trump fits among previous Republican presidents, and his effect on steel, stocks and immigrant communities.

The executive order's actual economic effects on U.S. steel and iron production are unclear.

Marketplace contributor Chris Farrell says Trump's base relies on them.

Trump will lay out new strategies for immigration and border security between the U.S. and Mexico on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.

Trump will reportedly move forward on his campaign promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams — who’s currently in Nogales, Mexico — is exploring some of the reactions to the possibility of increased border security. Next, we’ll discuss how AT&T is faring with its its new internet streaming service, DirecTV Now.

As AT&T prepares to announce fourth-quarter earnings later today, we’ll revisit the company’s proposed $85 billion merger with Time Warner and look at what it means for consumers. Next, we’ll talk about the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s connection to the television and film industry. Hollywood had rallied behind beefed-up copyright protections included in the TPP, a deal that Trump withdrew from on Monday.

The account seemingly responds to the president's statement about environmentalism.

Where some may see an odd coupling, one software company sees opportunity.

Syrians drill it into their children’s heads that they have to be self-reliant.

Amid a flurry of executive orders, we’ll take a closer look at three of President Donald Trump’s initiatives: robust infrastructure spending, new auto manufacturers and a federal hiring freeze. After that, we’ll ask more broadly: can you really run the country like a business? Plus a preview of our new podcast, “Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly” and a look at Syrian entrepreneurship in the U.S.

Professor Mark Blyth said Trump has some of the same problems with capitalism as Marxists did back in the '70s.

President Donald Trump, the TPP and so much more on our first full episode.

The Center for Disease Control canceled an upcoming environmental health conference and some say it has to do with the changing political landscape.

Trump has put a halt to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and will potentially strike deals with individual countries. We’ll look at whether these deals will be better for the U.S. than the TPP. Next, we’ll explore the ways the new administration could affect the housing market, and then chat with a professor who argues that Trump is channeling Marxists from the ’70s. 

Walls and fences aren’t the only things dividing the U.S. and Mexico. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams — reporting from Nogales, Mexico —  examines the low-and high-tech barriers that exist between the two countries. Afterwards, we’ll look at the conversation surrounding private photos in the digital age. Dozens of states now have laws that make it a crime to publicly disclose someone’s intimate image without his or her consent.

The White House Press Secretary tweeted his harsh critique of the company for years.

Corn farmer Keith Alverson says he and his peers are cautiously optimistic.

A look at Donald Trump's first Monday as President of the United States.

Prime Minister Theresa May wants a bilateral trade deal with America.

It’s Donald Trump’s first work day as president, and it was a busy one. He met with a number of business leaders to talk trade, and pledged to cut down on regulation by 75 percent. We’ll look at what that means,get a farmer’s take on the Trump administration and take a look at our trade relationships with China and the U.K.. Plus, a conversation with the CEO of Equinox. 

Equinox CEO Harvey Spevak used to have to "defend against whether the gym business was a fad business." His fitness empire includes fitness clubs and Soul Cycle.

The lawsuit accuses Trump of violating the U.S. Constitution.

Sonny Perdue, former governor of Georgia, is Trump's pick to head the U.S.D.A.

President Trump has signed a new order giving federal and state officials authority to waive or delay parts of the Affordable Care Act. We’ll look at how much weight it carries. Next, we’ll talk about a possible plan from Foxconn, a major Apple supplier, to create a $7 billion factory in the U.S. Finally, we’ll speak with economist Teresa Ghilarducci about how Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement.

During his time as head of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler pushed for internet providers to deliver information at equal speeds. But companies have pushed back against this idea of net neutrality. Wheeler joined us to talk about the telecom industry, his successor, and his plans for the future. Afterwards, we’ll hear from Harvard professor Susan Crawford about what telecom policy might look like under President Trump. 

The former FCC chair talks telecom policy, access and data under President Donald Trump.