Week of June 12th, 2017

Amid reports that President Trump is under investigation for obstruction of justice, we talk with a former White House insider about what happens to the business of government when the president faces legal action. Plus: Why street vendors, and not doctors, are the main source for medicine in Haiti. Then: How a trip to a theme park could be the best financial education your child will ever get. And staying with the kids: School’s out! Listeners share the challenges of balancing the budget over the long summer vacation, and working parent expert Julia Beck offers tips on how to get ahead of the game.   

Leave the drama in the courtroom.

Factories are smaller and greener, and consumer tastes are changing.

After living in America for years, one Australian immigrant faces uncertainty about staying.

It wasn't long ago Amazon was just a quaint online book store.

Festivals generate revenue for local businesses, but they help build a sense of community as well

Chances are, you're probably grilling this weekend.

Jennifer Doudna says the real value in the technology is that it 'opens up opportunities for applications.'

How does your family make things work during the long break from school?

The Obama administration started normalizing relations with the country, Trump says he'll renegotiate.

It is doable, Theme Park Insider says.

Retailers got a shock to the system today when Amazon announced plans to buy the high-end grocer Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. So what does the world’s largest digital retailer want with all those stores? We’ll talk about it in the Weekly Wrap. Then: What comes to mind when you hear the word “manufacturing”? Giant factories? Big burly dudes operating heavy machinery? Well, it might be time to rethink that. A new group of entrepreneurs are bringing smaller-scale manufacturing back to America’s cities. Plus: Another installment of our seasonal series “Summer: Brought to You By.”

Some Americans actually prefer the latter.

It's a work in progress that could take decades to finish.

The online retail giant is buying the grocery chain for $13.7 billion.

Nestle has announced it's looking for a buyer.

Apple is set to launch data on when you listen to your favorite podcasts and where.

U.S.-Cuba relations may get a little chillier. While President Obama worked to thaw them, President Trump is expected to re-freeze some of America’s policies toward its Caribbean neighbor. We’ll discuss what some of those could be, which may include new travel restrictions. Afterwards, we’ll look at news that Takata — the company accused of covering up potentially deadly airbags — may file for bankruptcy. And finally, we’ll chat with Marketplace’s Molly Wood about Apple’s plans to release data about podcasting behavior, which’ll include information on when people listen to podcasts and at what point they bail out. 

The White House and Silicon Valley are meeting up to try to make the federal government run better — whether or not each really wants to work together. On Monday, the newly created American Technology Council will gather for the first time to try to change up how the government uses digital services. Tony Romm, a senior editor at Recode, joined us to talk about the major tech CEOs who might show up, along with key tech issues the White House has its eye on. Afterwards, we’ll play this week’s Silicon Tally with Justin Haywald, the managing editor of Gamespot, and then look at the Grammys’ plans to allow online voting. 

Humorist and language fussbudget Jenny Allen wants to squash these overused words and phrases.

Here are the numbers behind the much-discussed coal industry in the U.S.

Brian Merchant has the backstory on the iPhone's creation in his new book, "The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone"

It’s not just Mexico and the U.S. that are affected by remittances, the UN reports.

Fewer people are saying 'take me out to the ballpark.' At least, the ballpark in the Bronx.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt caught a lot of heat for claiming the U.S. has added 50,000 coal jobs. That’s not true; there are actually about 51,000 coal miners in this country total. That small group wields out-sized political influence, so we’ll do numbers on the coal industry and the way energy is moving overall. Then: A gas explosion in Colorado this spring is renewing an intense debate in that state over drilling in urban areas. Plus, as we approach the ten-year anniversary of the iPhone, we’ll take a look at the untold stories of its invention with author Brian Merchant.

It reflects 'improving efficiency,' BP economist says.

Traditional lenders have shied away from financing the trendy homes, but that could change next year.

California school makes its remedial classes shorter and more relevant.

Whenever there’s a disaster, someone usually launches a relief effort online. Well, those in the U.S. will soon be able to do that using Facebook now that the social media giant is launching a fundraising tool tied to its “Safety Check” feature. On today’s show, we’ll talk about what this means for the charity landscape and whether crowdfunding is getting too crowded. Afterwards, we’ll discuss HP’s move into 3-D printing and how the process could affect the manufacturing industry. And finally, with questions swirling about malicious interference in recent U.S. elections, we’ll look at vulnerabilities in Georgia’s voting machines. 

A trade war might be brewing. There’s currently an investigation at the Department of Commerce to determine whether cheap steal imports are a threat to national security. On today’s show, we’ll take a look at how other countries might retaliate if that happens. Afterwards, we’ll talk about Delta Airlines’ decision to test new technology that would record facial images of travelers leaving the U.S. Then, we’ll discuss how community colleges are starting to change up their remedial courses, which cost money but often don’t count for college credit. 

High demand and short supply mean some labels are all but unavailable in stores.

We are slowly becoming a nation of renters. What does that mean for Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored backer of mortgages for individuals and investors?

'Whoever has the audience wins.'

Puerto Rico is hoping for U.S. statehood, and flag enthusiasts are mapping out the possibilities.

As many suspected, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates a fourth of a percent today. It’s the third hike in six months, and we’ll get a little wonky parsing Janet Yellen’s comments on inflation, the labor market and overall economic health. Then, we’re going hunting for the silver lining in a very cloudy year for retailers. Plus: a look at why bootlegging is booming again.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling supports a new class of generic drugs.

A congressional aide says House Majority Whip Steve Scalise is in stable condition.

It could become harder to pay off.

The state hopes to attract business with cheap land, nearby international ports and supply chain partnerships south of the border.

Youth unemployment has fallen by nearly half since 2010, and fewer young people are looking for work.

The head of the high-profile Chinese company Anbang is no longer running it — and now the public doesn’t seem to know where he is. Some speculate that CEO Wu Xiaohui has been detained by anti-corruption investigators. We’ll chat with the BBC’s Stephen McDonell about what could have happened to him, and learn more about his company’s background. Next, we’ll discuss the resignation of an Uber board member who made a sexist remark during an all-staff meeting about sexism and harassment, and then take a look at how teens are faring in the summer job market.

Uber has released an external report on its workplace, an environment that some have called abusive. We’ll recap the changes that the report proposes, which include the recommendation that HR keep track of complaints and employee data. Afterwards, we’ll chat with Buzzfeed’s Katie Notopoulos about how transparent celebrities have to be about ads on their Instagram accounts. And finally, we’ll talk with Mozilla’s chief marketing officer, Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, about the role of ethics and corporate responsibility in the business world.  

The containers were popularized by Cambodian immigrants in the 1970s.

While they didn't 'pull the trigger,' Russian hackers hit systems in 39 states.

Growers say fears of immigration enforcement under Trump may already be hitting their bottom line.

The latest on Uber, plus FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny talks internet privacy and protecting the open internet.

'There’s a lot of client engagement and collaboration along the way,' ad executive says.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he wants a vote on Republicans’ health care bill before Congress leaves town for the July 4 recess. That gives the Senate 13 working days to vote on 17.8 percent of the American economy without, so far, any public hearings. We’ll take stock of where that’s at. Then: A new Bloomberg investigation found Russia’s digital intrusion into the U.S. election was more widespread than we thought. We’ll talk about the latest. Plus, two local news stories that get at interesting questions: Why can’t the Yankees sell tickets and why do Southern California doughnuts come in pink boxes?

Some players were able to shave a fraction of a second off running times. But one scientist says the technology is inconsistent.

Will its unaccredited status hurt graduates of the program?

Uber’s board has now seen a report on the company’s internal culture and is considering changes. Except … it doesn’t have a whole lot of power. In many Silicon Valley companies, the power actually lies with the founder. Noam Wasserman, author of “The Founder’s Dilemma,” joined us to discuss whether these founder-centric structures are becoming trendier, and why some founders are able to gain so much control. Afterwards, as part of the launch of this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, we’ll look at the rise of professional virtual reality sports.  

Panama has abruptly cut ties with Taiwan and embraced mainland China, a major blow for Taiwan’s government. On today’s show, we’ll take a look at some of the likely incentives for the Central American country’s move. Afterwards, we’ll discuss Gymboree’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, and then talk about the Medill School of Journalism’s decision to let its accreditation lapse. 

If a company is made in its founder's image, then it's tough to cut the founder out.

We just need to figure out the trillion-dollar funding, the president of a Mississippi barge company says.

As New York City adds a new number, the after-market 212 is thriving.

Federal funds help fight beach erosion, protecting an industry that draws $1 billion a year from visitors.

Beware the ides of March.

In this summer’s Shakespeare in the Park, the titular character in “Julius Caesar” is distinctly Trumpy. Of course — 400-year-old spoiler alert! — he’s assassinated, and outcry from the right caused Delta and Bank of America pull their support. The theater is the latest in a growing series of political minefields for brand-sensitive companies. We’ll look at how companies are trying to find their way and what it means for entertainment. Plus, it’s been a tough start to the week for America’s highest-profile CEOs, with GE’s Jeff Immelt being shown the door and Uber’s Travis Kalanick facing a possible leave of absence amid personal tragedy and a new report of dysfunctional corporate culture. Then: New York City is adding a new area code, and the after-market for the old 212 is booming.

The annual count rose 23 percent. Expectations are growing for two major funding efforts recently approved by L.A. voters.

The startup scene is blossoming in Phoenix

The Pulse nightclub hasn't reopened, and is now a makeshift memorial.

The Trump administration could rein in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a watchdog agency that critics say has too much power. We’ll talk about the exact restrictions the White House might place on the bureau, and why the president’s team takes issue with it. Afterwards, we’ll look at how sanctions imposed on Qatar by five Middle Eastern countries has been affecting it economically. Plus: On the one-year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, we’ll discuss how businesses in the area have been faring. 

Myomo, a medical robotics company, is going public on the New York Stock Exchange. That’s not exactly unusual, but it’s the first company to do so on a national securities exchange using a provision that’ll let companies advertise the stock directly to investors. Mark Elenowitz, head of TriPoint Global Equities, stopped by to explain why this is significant and why other companies haven’t done this before. Afterwards, we’ll take a look at Seattle’s growing tech scene, including its funding environment and what makes it different from Silicon Valley.