Week of February 5th, 2018

Purdue’s promotions exaggerated the drug’s safety and risks of addiction, leaning heavily on one sentence used by sales reps to market the drug to doctors.

Five days of volatile markets, a five-hour government shutdown and one budget bill later …

Alison Green of the Ask a Manager blog gives her best workplace advice.

Whether a song becomes a hit will depend where people listen.

A union in California goes up against the rising tide of automation.

What a week, right? Huge market swings, a correction and, oh yeah, a baby government shutdown. Is this the new normal? That’s what we’re sorting through in the conversation that kicks off today’s show. Now let’s be clear: We’re in a correction, there’s no reason to get all jittery and do something crazy with your retirement savings. That said, it’s understandable that people’s calculations have changed in the decade since the financial crisis. Plus, revisiting “Dan and Dave,” perhaps the most famous Olympic ad campaign of all time.

It involves Reebok, two decathletes, and one fateful day in New Orleans.

It makes you more engaged.

But again, it's important to keep calm.

We gathered experts to answer this and more of your questions about the week's roller-coaster ride.

(Markets Edition) It’s been a volatile week for the markets, with the Dow plunging about 1,000 points yesterday. On today’s show, we’ll check in with economist Chris Low about the reasons behind the giant wave of selling. Plus: What the latest $400 billion federal budget deal means for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP.

Dandelion Chocolate's Todd Masonis and Greg D'Alesandre talk cocoa.

A brief history of retail work in America.

(U.S. Edition) While you were sleeping, the government shut down…and then voted to reopen. After Republican Sen. Rand Paul briefly helped stall a vote, the House ended up passing a $400 billion budget deal. We’ll talk to budget guru Stan Collender about where some of the money in this deal is going and why we could have another shutdown soon. Next, we’ll discuss how markets are doing in Asia following the Dow’s 1,000-point plunge yesterday, and then look at NBC’s plans to attract more eyeballs by streaming coverage of the Olympics online.

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … Another turbulent session in global markets after the broad indexes on Wall Street entered correction territory. Why are European markets bucking the trend? Then, this year’s Olympic games are estimated to have cost up to $13 billion, but how does that compare to the price of other global sporting events – and is it worth the outlay for host cities? Afterwards, we’ll take you to Penang, Malaysia, where chefs who made the city’s street food famous are retiring. But because the work has become unattractive to their children, what will happen to the well-known hawker stalls? 

The budget deal amounts to $400 billion.

When the markets are extremely volatile, it is common to want to find a scapegoat. And you might be thinking: It’s got to be the algorithms, right? Two kinds are used in Wall Street trading: those that optimize trades that humans make and those that take risks on their own. Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood talks with Michael Kearns, a professor of computer science at the University of Pennsylvania, who creates algorithms that are used on Wall Street. He said that generally, the algorithms are not to blame for drops in the market. 

The shutdown came after Kentucky Senator Rand Paul blocked a vote on the budget plan.

"Meals and food is the basic way that we show love and respect for one another," said the jail's warden, Catherine Fontenot. "And that’s what we need to show with people who have offended us the greatest."

The Dow and the Standard & Poor's 500 have dropped 10 percent from their all-time highs. That means they are in a "correction," their first in almost two years.

A special roundtable on the stock market. Plus, what it means to have a work spouse, the economics of streaming music, how chocolate is made, from bean to bar, and what to do when a colleague is on your last nerve. 

Another down, volatile day on Wall Street. The Dow closed down more than 1,000 points, and major indices are down about 10 percent from a couple weeks ago, putting U.S. markets square in correction territory. That’s where we’ll start today’s show. Then we visit a small city in Arkansas trying to regulate the smell it says is coming from a local meat-rendering plant, and finding out there’s not much it can do. Plus: Millennials aren’t killing business cards, just making them weirder.

(Markets Edition) Republicans and Democrats have come up with a way to keep the government funded for about two years. Diane Swonk, chief economist at the firm Grant Thornton, joined us to discuss how the bond market is reacting to Washington’s spending plans. Afterwards, we’ll look at a new study that shows southern cities have the highest credit card debt burden, and then talk to travel aficionado Mark Orlowski about ways you can keep yourself healthy with flu season underway.

(U.S. Edition) Congress might finally approve a longer-term budget deal, with the Senate expected to vote on one today and the House to follow. On today’s show, we’ll look at some details in the proposal, which would include a big hike in military spending and an increase in the debt limit (an unpopular move). Plus: How Montecito, California, is dealing with the aftermath of a series of mudslides last month.

We get a few tips on how to avoid getting sick when you have to travel during this flu season.

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … China’s yuan fell sharply this morning, at one point suffering its biggest decline since it was devalued by the country’s central bank in 2015. We’ll explain what’s pressuring the currency. Then, an interest rate decision and revised inflation forecasts are due out in Britain today. There’s been just one rate rise since the financial crisis of a decade ago … so, with Brexit risks looming on the horizon, what’s on tap from the Bank of England? Afterward, with wild weather swings, are catastrophe bonds a good investment? 

Buying the right domain name at the wrong time can command a hefty price tag.

At the heart of every new business is its name — domain name, in fact. We might be a mobile internet kind of world, but the website is still king, and your URL still matters.  Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood talks with Jen Sale, a domain broker for Evergreen, which specializes in acquiring and selling premium one-word domain sites, like robot-dot-com.  

As we tape this, one congressional chamber has come to an agreement about how to run the American economy, at least in part. The two-year budget deal would mean we wouldn’t have to worry about shutdowns or short-term funding bills until the middle of 2019, but it still has to pass the House and be signed by President Donald Trump. We’ll start today’s show with the latest. Then: Farming used to be a much bigger part of prison labor, but thousands of this country’s more than 2 million inmates still grow vegetables or feed crops for sale on the outside. We’ll take you to a Montana prison ranch where inmates get job training, build life skills and raise cows. Plus: a visit to the heart of “Brotopia.”

But food coming from a prison isn't necessarily a selling point.

Emily Chang details how Silicon Valley came to be a hostile work environment for women in her new book, "Brotopia."

The two-year deal gives wins to both GOP defense hawks and Democrats seeking billions for infrastructure projects and combating opioid abuse.

In his Contract With the American Voter, he pledged to spur $1 trillion in investments for projects around the country.

Some analysts and investors are saying that a popular measure of the volatility expected in the stock market may have made things worse.

(Markets Edition) Who’s to blame for all of this recent financial turbulence? Some are pointing fingers at the VIX Index, which measures volatility. We’ll look at some of the frustration directed toward it. Afterwards, we’ll discuss the success of Tesla’s ambitious Falcon Heavy launch, and some of the competition Elon Musk will have to face.

(U.S. Edition) With the market fluctuations we’ve been seeing this past week, does this bode badly for business decisions like hiring? While no one really knows, many analysts agree that economic fundamentals haven’t really been driving this volatility. We’ll break down some of the underlying causes. Afterwards, we’ll discuss why traders are actually fans of all these swings, and then look at why safe-haven currencies might not be the safe haven they used to be for investors at a time like this. 

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … Four months after elections, Germany’s two biggest political parties have finally made a deal to form a coalition government. What will it mean for long time Chancellor Angela Merkel? Then, there are calmer waters in the global stock market after a turbulent few days – but will more volatility resurface later this year as central banks continue to move to more normal monetary policy? Afterwards, Stockholm, Sweden, is poised to implement a ban on racist or sexist advertising in public spaces. But the plans, set for a final approval vote next month, have already caused a stir among advertisers.

The company's known for its excellent products. But are customers willing to pay the high prices the company is asking?

In the future, what will make us choose one product over another? It probably won’t be things like screen size or brightness. It’ll be more subtle attributes, like which phone is “smarter” than another. Apple is a company that’s known for making great products, but will those devices continue to be the best five years from now? Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood talks about it with Forrester analyst Julie Ask. 

Operating a small business, especially in a niche industry, can go either really well or not. For a couple decades, business at Steve Presser’s vintage toy store in Cleveland was booming, despite the challenges. We checked in on him on several occasions to see what it was like to be a small business owner in America’s heartland. Now […]

But the bigger context is volatility in the markets has actually been falling over the last 30 years.

The latest after the bell Tuesday.

A look back at our interview with Deborah Dempsey, retired Columbia River Bar pilot.

How does fiscal policy play into what's happening in the markets?

Alison Green shares tips for dealing with annoying co-workers.

Algorithms don’t generally create steep declines, but they do amplify trends, one expert says.

How are we doing today? Everyone feeling a little better? With clearer eyes and some of yesterday’s dive recovered, let’s take a closer look at what’s going on in the stock market. We’ll talk about algorithmic trading, bonds and the international market. Plus, don’t forget there’s a whole other storm brewing: We’re two days from another potential government shutdown.

The latest on markets following a global sell-off.

The markets had been hitting record highs, but this reversal might be a good thing.

(Markets Edition) Stock market volatility has been extreme this morning, with the Dow seeing a rebound that followed a dip at the open of trading. And with global stock market indicators also down, we’ll talk to market experts about the causes of this and why we shouldn’t worry. Plus: A look at General Motors’ push to enter the driverless car market.

(U.S. Edition) The Dow dropped almost 1,200 points yesterday in a record plunge. But no need to panic yet. We’ll look at what may have triggered the sell-off.  Afterwards, we’ll talk to Marketplace economics correspondent Chris Farrell about why some people are actually relieved that the market took that huge plunge, and then we’ll discuss how markets in Asia are faring, following volatility in the U.S.

(Global Edition) As losses in global stock markets continue in Asia and Europe, we explain why many investors are calling the downdraft a “healthy pause.”  Then, Chile has been given the largest donation of private land to any government in the South American region, which will be used to create five new national parks. But will it help the government’s determination to promote tourism?

When hackers broke into the credit reporting agency Equifax last year, they stole the Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and driver’s license numbers of over 140 million people. There was speculation that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would crack down on credit agencies and require better data handling. But this week, we found out that while there still might be consequences over the Equifax breach, they won’t come from the CFPB. Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood talks about it with Patrick Rucker, who had the exclusive for Reuters.

Economic growth is strong, unemployment is low — there were no major global disasters that could trigger the Dow plunging more than 1,100 points today. So what happened?

The Wonderful Company produced more pistachios and almonds than anyone else in the world. But to make money, they need water.

Let's break down today's wild ride in the stock market. Should you be concerned?

The drop erases the year's gains so far.

It’s the Dow’s biggest single-day point drop on record. We’re starting off today’s show with some context: What we know, what we don’t and how serious to take it. Then: If you’ve ever had Wonderful Pistachios, POM pomegranate juice or Halo mandarin oranges, you’re familiar with The Wonderful Company, which operates one of the largest farms in the world. Despite record droughts in California, it actually increased yields. Plus: Economic theory says the Eagles’ first Super Bowl win last night was more valuable than what would have been the Patriots’ sixth. We’ll talk about why.

Feuding congressmen, a formula to set monetary policy and the Swedes all played a part in this epic Twitter thread. We've set it to music.

(Markets Edition) As the markets tumble, we’ll check in with economist Julia Coronado from Macropolicy Perspectives about why we shouldn’t be panicking. Afterwards, we’ll look at the Fed’s order to have Wells Fargo kick off four members from its board, and then discuss the push to have the Family and Medical Leave Act provide more paid time off for employees. 

(U.S. Edition) Friday’s weak showing for stocks — the weakest day for stocks of the Trump presidency — is contributing to drops around the world. We’ll hear more from Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, about what could be going on. Afterwards, we’ll look at why the January jobs report — which showed American workers were getting paid more — might not be as positive as it seems. Plus: We dive into a new survey from GenForward — an ongoing study that looks at how millennials across different racial groups think about major societal issues — that shows where millennials stand on the issue of immigration.

Most millennials across all races support citizenship for immigrants who meet DACA requirements, but they disagree about whether immigrants are taking away jobs.

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … Brexit is causing political turmoil with talk that Prime Minister Theresa May could be removed by her own party. We’ll bring you the latest on U.K.-EU divorce talks. Then, the heir to Samsung has been freed from prison after a year behind bars. Afterwards, a journey to South Korea where, despite facing corruption allegations and mounting pressure to  step down, the country’s president still remains in office. We’ll explain what’s next for party leaders who are meeting today to discuss their next move.

Fewer companies are going public than did 20 years ago. How does that change the fortunes of all Americans?

Market volatility aside, why does a company decide to go public?  Is it just to repay investors, or is it about scaling the product, or is it about having a big branding event? Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood talks with venture capitalist Annie Lamont about why tech companies decide to go public, and why fewer are taking the leap.