Week of December 10th, 2018

We got some data out of China today that showed slowing growth in retail sales and factory output at three-year lows. Add to that some meh car sales and weak consumer sentiment. In short, economic growth is the world’s second largest economy is continuing to slow. Some of which is predictable, expected even, as the […]

Have you ever left someone on read because you just didn’t want to date them anymore? More and more people are doing that with their jobs. We talk to the Washington Post’s Danielle Paquette about the growing trend of workers “ghosting” their employers. Then: Are you maximizing your flexible spending account? Millions of Americans still have money in their FSAs, which most have to spend before the year’s end. We look at how some workers are rapidly spending the money before it’s too late. Plus: We go over the latest on auto tariffs, trade and the U.S. budget deficit with the Washington Post’s Catherine Rampell and Politico’s Sudeep Reddy for the Weekly Wrap. 

While predictions of an economic slowdown are worrying some economists, American consumers are shopping away, according to strong retail numbers from November. With more protests planned in France this weekend, we look at how protests are impacting the country’s economy. Plus, with more and more Americans living with Alzheimer’s, adult daycare programs are becoming a viable option for affordable care. Today’s show is sponsored by Orvis, Selligent and Indeed. 

What could ride-share companies do for the health care system in the U.S.? Uber, Lyft and health-transportation startups are developing partnerships with health care providers to give people rides to medical appointments. Apple is making moves to Austin, Texas with a new $1 billion office complex in the Texas capital. Plus, the global debt has reached $184 trillion, according to a new report from the International Monetary Fund. We look at just how meaningful — or not — that large number is. Today’s show is sponsored by Orvis, Selligent and Indeed.

At the beginning of 2018, who’d have thought that by mid-December, Tesla stock would be on the rise, the company would be churning out Model 3 cars to great reviews and Wall Street analysts would be predicting sustained profits for the company? That’s all true, but not because everything at Tesla has turned tranquil. Molly Wood talks with Charles Duhigg, who just took a deep look at the firings, the outbursts and the last six months of drama at Tesla for Wired magazine. Today’s show is sponsored by Amazon Web Services and Logi Analytics. 

From the BBC World Service… Business activity plunges in France with more anti-government protests planned this weekend. Plus, the nude shade revolution in fashion leaves you out of pocket if you’re not white; we visit the entrepreneurs making the latest trend far more inclusive of all shades. 

Apple quietly announced a new $1 billion, 15,000-employee campus to Austin, Texas. It did so without the media frenzy — and blowback — Amazon experienced with its East Coast expansion this year. We’ll compare the two tech giants’ approaches. Then: Nearly half of American chief financial officers believe the country will be in a recession next year. Are we ready? Plus, this year’s record-breaking box office numbers.

The Consumer Price Index, if you take out food and energy, showed prices rising slightly. It climbed 0.2 percent, so year-over-year prices have climbed 2.2 percent. One of the reasons for the price hikes in November was rent. And you might not be happy to hear it, but it could well be another sign of […]

Universities regard football as the welcome mat to their institutions. And even schools in the NCAA Division II are taking it seriously enough to invest millions in the their athletic facilities.

China offers the U.S. an olive branch by unloading a bunch of soybeans. In a rare bipartisan move, legislators promise criminal justice reform that could mean early release from prison into transitional programs for many. Plus, a look at Division II colleges and the multimillion-dollar investments in their sports facilities. Today’s show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington School of Business, Selligent and Indeed.

Off-shore property on the East Coast goes up for sale in an effort to spur the move towards wind energy, classically Europe’s thing. In a rare bipartisan move, legislators promise criminal justice reform that could mean early release from prison into transitional programs for many. Plus, one 2018 trend you might have missed: health care mergers. Today’s episode is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington School of Business, Selligent and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

From the BBC World Service… A day after surviving her party’s confidence vote, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will meet with European leaders in Brussels to try to secure concessions to get her Brexit deal through Parliament. But what can they offer that will make it palatable to British politicians opposing it? Then, as if Brexit turmoil, an Italian budget crisis, violent protests over taxes in France, and a looming global economic slowdown weren’t enough on the list of tail risks for global markets, add tightening monetary policy to the agenda as the European Central Bank is expected to wind down its bond-buying program.

This week, Encyclopedia Britannica celebrates its 250th birthday. That’s remarkable, but what may be more surprising is the simple fact that it’s still around. The company went fully digital six years ago. No more tomes on shelves. That pivot is part of the company’s history of being pretty revolutionary. When it began, Encyclopedia Britannica’s founders published in English instead of Latin, making it a resource for the masses. Today, given that pretty much everyone gets most of their information on the internet, Encyclopedia Britannica is literally inserting itself online, wherever possible, to provide context and stay relevant. Marketplace’s Jed Kim talks with Karthik Krishnan, CEO of Encyclopedia Britannica. Today’s show is sponsored by Colgate University and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Mainly, Mars. SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell talked with us about it during a tour of the company’s main factory in Southern California. But first, with the sun (possibly) setting on the government-supported 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, we’ll assess its pros and cons. Plus, why all those new apartment buildings look the same.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate have reached a bipartisan agreement on a nearly $900 billion bill. To get there, House Republicans backed off demands to increase work requirements for people receiving food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bill could come up for a vote this week. 

Investors are desperate for signs the trade war between the U.S. and China is cooling, as China is reportedly offering at least one olive branch. An $867-million farm bill is up for a vote this week. Plus, the new president of oil-rich Mexico wants to end its dependence on imports of petroleum from the U.S. Today’s show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington School of Business, Selligent  and Indeed.

The White House nominates a libertarian economist as the country’s top housing regulator. Costco gets into the chicken-raising business. And what does a mistake in the text of the new tax law have to do with the drive-thru window at White Castle? Today’s show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington School of Business, Selligent , Indeed and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

From the BBC World Service… U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May faces a confidence vote in Parliament these evening, which could result in a leadership contest if she loses. She’s vowed to fight with all she’s got, but what does it mean for Brexit with three months to go, and what happens from here?  Then, as uncertainty around Britain’s E.U. exit grows, we hear from one business owner who is increasingly worried about what a no-deal scenario will mean for his business, half of which comes from the European Union. Plus, a look at how and why non-E.U. member Switzerland is prepping for all Brexit scenarios.

The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization is committed to cutting shipping emissions in half by 2050. That matters because shipping moves 90 percent of global trade. Right now, if shipping were a country, its emissions would rank sixth in the world. Part of the solution will be tech. Marketplace’s Jed Kim talks with James Corbett, a professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy at the University of Delaware, about high-tech sails. And, no, these aren’t the flapping sheets you’re thinking of. Corbett mentioned one solution being developed in Japan — a rigid surface covered with solar panels. Today’s show is sponsored by Colgate University and Logi Analytics.

Verizon created Oath out of its investments in “legacy” digital media companies AOL and Yahoo. The goal was to compete with internet giants Facebook and Google. It seems that the world’s biggest wireless network just wasn’t able to make that work. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

At the House Judiciary Committee hearing with Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, Rep. Zoe Lofgren from California had to ask for clarification that Google’s Search algorithm is not a “little man sitting behind the curtain figuring out what [Google is] going to show.” She wasn’t the only one that was confused by how Google works. On […]

Unemployment, inflation, GDP growth, bond yields … we do a lot of numbers on this show. But what should you really be watching if you’re nervous about another economic downturn? We asked James Poterba, president of the National Bureau of Economic Research. But first, we’ll recap Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s congressional testimony and look at the lobbyist job market as nearly 100 lawmakers leave their jobs.

Main Street doesn’t seem to know Wall Street is having a rough December. A state program in Tennessee is giving students free tuition to get into college, but with the remaining costs of books, rent and food, administrators are trying to figure how to keep them enrolled… and fed. Plus, Anu Anand breaks down the drama in India’s economy following the resignation of the head of their reserve bank. Today’s show is sponsored by the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

The head of Google is in the Congressional hot seat today answering questions about how the company handles users’ private information. The EPA is set to release a plan that will replace an Obama-era definition of what waterways are and are not federally protected. Plus, a new book explores the history of fabric beyond what we put on every morning.

From the BBC World Service… The U.K. parliament’s vote on Brexit has been indefinitely delayed. Now what? Prime Minister Theresa May is already on her way to the continent in a last-ditch effort to bring back concessions to push her deal over the finish line at home. Plus, it’s already been a big week for business in India with the central bank governor’s resignation and the possible extradition of a billionaire businessman facing unpaid loan charges. We’ll explain how the flow of money between public banks, industrial tycoons and political parties have landed the country in rough economic waters.

In the United States, would-be internet stars turn to YouTube, Twitch or Instagram. In China, it’s a livestreaming platform called YY, where creators sing or tell jokes to an audience that pays them directly in the form of digital gifts. Top streamers can make $100,000 a month or more, and lots of people now want in on the action. A new documentary about China’s livestreaming economy, “People’s Republic of Desire,” is in some U.S. theaters now. It’s about loneliness, fame and greed. Molly Wood talks with the film’s director Hao Wu about how China’s livestreamers are mostly looking for a better life.

Economic growth in the rest of the world will slow next year. And that slowing growth will take a bit of wind out the U.S. economy’s sails. So said Maurice Obstfeld, the outgoing chief economist of the IMF, this past weekend. In other words, despite “America first” rhetoric and increasingly nationalistic economic policies, the United States […]

Potentially, Uber or Lyft will get to plant the first flag in a new public business: ride-hailing apps. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

You’ve got a corgi, some home-cooked meals and a few thousand bot followers. What more do you need to be famous on Instagram? Today we’ll talk to a writer who learned it takes a lot more to make that sweet, sweet #spon money. But first, we’ll catch you up on the latest with Brexit and now markets are responding. Plus, Lyft and Uber’s race to become the first ride-share IPO.

Why limiting which federal benefits undocumented immigrants receive could be disastrous for some hospitals. Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn and the company have been officially charged of criminal wrongdoing. Plus, a look at catastrophe bonds in the wake of California’s devastating wildfires. Today’s show is sponsored by Navy Federal Union and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

From the BBC World Service… Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has been officially charged by Japanese prosecutors for under-reporting his income, but he denies any wrongdoing. And new figures from France’s central bank show the ongoing Yellow Vest demonstrations against higher fuel taxes are starting to hit the economy in real ways, leading the country’s finance minister to call the situation an economic catastrophe.  Plus, have you ever been called the wrong name at work and just let it slide? We chat about the repercussions of wrong names in the workplace and what you can do to correct an ongoing problem.

It’s been almost six months since the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality rules. Today is the deadline for the House of Representatives to overturn that decision, although no one expects that to happen. But what has the repeal meant for ordinary people? Well, according to new research, it’s meant wireless carriers potentially slowing down your video streams. Molly Wood talks with David Choffnes, one of the researchers. He’s assistant professor of computer and information science at Northeastern University. Today’s show is sponsored by Mozilla  and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Qualcomm has won an injunction to block Apple from importing old iPhone models to China. It’s the latest in a legal battle between the two tech giants over intellectual property. Then: A new solar energy rule in California that could make houses more expensive but panels cheaper for rest of the country. Plus, what it’s like to have an ESOP, or employee stock ownership plan, where workers become part-owners.