Week of July 24th, 2017

"The system in Syria is different. We don't have credit. We deal only in cash."

As traditional schools lose students to online programs, some costs remain.

"There is now an expectation that people should have access to care."

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney says the White House and Republicans in Congress are on the same page, but questions remain.

Larry McNeely designed the sturdy upright bike for jaunts at Southern California beaches. Can you feel the wind in your hair?

Next on the book club: Alternate histories and search histories, ruthless dictators and assassinated presidents. It's up to you.

Wow, TGIF. We’re going to try to fit in as much analysis as we can about health care, staffing changes, the Federal Reserve and more. Then: Tax reform. It’s the next big thing on Republicans’ list. After six months, congressional leaders and negotiators from the White House have come to agreement on the broad outlines of what they think it’ll look like. And that was the easy part. We’ll talk about what’s next. Plus: As part of our series “Summer, Brought to You by…” we’ll take a look at the origin of the classic beach cruiser bike.

We’re weighing some silly and serious questions on the show this week. Would you fake an engagement for the wedding-related discounts? Is the payment app Venmo making us rude? What’s it like to be a refugee resettling in the U.S.? And can lasers save jeans manufacturers money (and water)? All of this, plus health care and race in banking. 

What would you fake to save a little money?

More people and companies are looking at the benefits of a flexible approach to work.

We want to know if the money-sharing app is causing angst among your friends.

Economist Heidi Shierholz makes her case.

We’re capping off today’s show by playing Silicon Tally, the game where we try to stump each other with numbers from the week’s news. Rose Eveleth, the producer for ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcasts, faces off against host Ben Johnson. Afterwards, we’ll discuss Softbank and Didi Chuxing’s $2 billion investment in Grab, Uber’s biggest rival in Asia.

Republican legislation may have been shot down Friday morning, but the health law's future is still uncertain.

Obamacare remains the law of the land. Three Republicans joined all Democrats to vote down the measure to repeal it earlier today. But the health care battle isn’t over yet — the White House just might let the Affordable Care Act collapse. On today’s show, we’ll talk about the steps it might take to encourage its demise. Afterwards, economist Heidi Shierholz joins us to discuss how the notion of a “robot takeover” is a distraction from other economic issues.

All Democrats and three Republicans voted "no."

It's an alternative to traditional schools that don't work for some kids. But there are some concerns about the charters' performance and oversight.

Use less water, share more of it. One Georgia water agency bucks the water wars stereotype.

We’re going to set aside the palace intrigue around new White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci today (yes, even that) and take a look at his finances instead. He ran a fund-of-funds firm called SkyBridge Capital, which he sold to a Chinese company to take a government job. We’ll take a look at the sale and how much “The Mooch” is set to make from it. Then: a deep dive into the challenges and promise of wind farms at sea and a visit to a virtual charter school in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Adobe will phase out the browser plugin by 2020.

Sen. McCain is one out of millions of Americans who return to work after cancer treatment or diagnosis.

For some, the fast food giant allows them to connect with others.

Senate Republicans are putting together a third health care bill as they scramble to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The new measure will reportedly allow employers to stop offering health insurance and taxes on medical devices would also end. On today’s show, we’ll talk about about the show of unity in Washington against the Senate’s efforts. Afterwards, we’ll discuss how more Americans with cancer are continuing to work, and then look at whether Google could jump start virtual-reality filmmaking.

The practice of getting a virus onto someone’s machine or network, locking up the data, and demanding a payment for the key has become popular and lucrative in a short period of time. The result: $25 million in paid ransom over two years. On today’s show, we’ll look at the “business model” behind this form of malicious hacking. Afterwards, we say our parting words to Adobe Flash amid news that the company is going to stop producing new versions. 

A program called Growing Together encourages refugees living in Tennessee to get back into farming.

The Federal Open Market Committee wrapped up its meeting today. No changes in interest rates, as we all knew there wouldn’t be. But the Fed did change its narrative of the American economy. We’ll try to read the tea leaves in Chair Janet Yellen’s statement. Then: Amazon says it’s hiring 50,000 people for fulfillment centers all around the country. That’s about a quarter of all the jobs the entire economy has been adding every month. But is the hiring spree actually as big a deal as it seems? Plus: A Nashville organization tries to pair refugee organizations with hipster restaurants.

You may not have heard of him, but the Tennessee farm boy was once the richest man in Mexico.

The vending machine firm sees radio-frequency identification chips inserted directly into the hands of their employees as the future.

President Trump said he would ban transgender people from the military.

The measure may have support from both parties in the U.S., but Europe isn't too happy about it.

The company Three Square Market provides software that runs vending machines, self-checkout kiosks and, soon, microchips that can be implanted into its employees’ hands. Vice President of International Development, Tony Danna, joins us to share what exactly these chips are capable of. Afterwards, we’ll chat with Anatrope founder Tiffany Rad about two of the biggest hacking gatherings in the U.S.

While everyone’s watching the latest health care news, there’s another important issue being discussed in Washington, D.C. — the cost of borrowing. As the Federal Reserve wraps up its policy meeting, we’ll talk about what the future of interest rate hikes might hold. Afterwards, we’ll take a look at stock market volatility, and then discuss how small businesses are trying to prepare against cyber criminals. 

Government funding has been pretty reliable — up until now, the Los Alamos National Laboratory researcher says.

Farmers, in particular those producing grain, are struggling, thanks mostly to low commodity prices amid a global grain glut.

The Trump administration revives the debate about civil-asset forfeiture.

The Senate’s effort to repeal-and-something Obamacare inched forward a bit today, and the next 24 hours or so are going to be busy. We’ll walk though what happens next. Then: The Federal Reserve meets tomorrow, so let’s talk interest rates. The benchmark federal funds rate has gone up a full percentage point since the Fed started hikes. So why isn’t your saving account making a thing? Plus: Farmers are struggling thanks mostly to low commodity prices amid a global grain glut. We’ll look at the view from the wheat fields.

The modern credit economy mostly works, author Josh Lauer says.

And many don't have enough to cover basic needs for three months.

Let's do the numbers on marriage.

Generics used to be sold out of car trunks. Then Congress got involved.

But, according to data from Indeed, they tend to offer little growth and lower pay.

With many cities trying to become the next Silicon Valley or tech hubs in their own right, the job site Indeed decided to take a look at where job growth is actually happening. Turns out the same places (think San Francisco) still have a money monopoly on the market. But there are some promising areas. Indeed’s chief economist Jed Kolko stops by to break down the site’s findings with us. Next, we’ll look at Windows’ decision to phase out its Paint program, which will be replaced by a 3-D version. The BBC’s Zoe Kleinman explains its appeal, and how even professional artists sometimes use it to create illustrations.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today on a bill to impose stricter sanctions on North Korea, Iran and Russia. On today’s show, we’ll talk about how these sanctions impact U.S. businesses. Afterwards, we’ll discuss Michael Kors’ decision to buy Jimmy Choo in a $1.2 billion deal: Plus: A look at why the American dream is still out of reach for so many. The nonprofit Prosperity Now finds that more than a third of American households don’t have enough on hand to cover basic needs for about three months.  

Happy National Tequila day!

The ACA's Innovation Center finds ways to slow spending while looking out for patients.

Aaron Foley says there are "680,000 stories waiting to be told. Not all of them come from downtown."

Farmers are renting out their fields to eager eclipse watchers.

There are two big votes on Capitol Hill tomorrow, and we’ll talk about both on the show today. First, the House is taking a bill on Russian sanctions. They’re a source of tension with the White House and some businesses in the European Union who say they’ll be squeezed. Then: As health care keeps gobbling up more and more of our economy, controlling costs is something everybody agrees on. Ahead of another Senate vote tomorrow, we’ll look at the Affordable Care Act’s Innovation Center, which finds ways to slow spending while looking out for patients. Plus, some of the best views of the upcoming solar eclipse will be from rural Oregon. That’s an economic super nova for one farming town. 

For people with disabilities, finding a job can be a difficult journey.

How 44 million Americans make the most of their spare time.

Inside one of the most popular — and expensive — shows in the world.

The Kansas City Royals have created quiet zones for fans on the autism spectrum.

At least two companies have started doing human trials.

Treble is like LinkedIn for musicians, CEO Matt Bond says.

Advanced artificial intelligence requires small, yet very important components: chips. Google happens to be one of the latest tech companies that’s starting to get into the AI chip game. And on today’s show, we’ll chat with Urs Holzle, senior vice president for technical structure at Google, about why the tech giant is starting to invest in this area. Afterwards, we’ll look at a new social media service for musicians that may help create the next Sonny and Cher. 

The House of Representatives could vote tomorrow to enact new sanctions on Russia for interfering in the U.S. presidential election. On today’s show, we’ll dive into what exactly this new package of sanctions will include. Afterwards, we’ll discuss the future of America’s relationship with the U.K., and then look at an emerging biomedical industry: the harvesting of young blood to help the old.