Week of January 28th, 2019

In its push for global dominance, Amazon bet big on India as a major growth market. But the company wasn’t counting on the country’s tough new e-commerce rules. With the retail market saturated at home, Amazon, Walmart and other corporations must find emerging markets to grow. So why is India limiting Amazon’s services? And how will […]

The January jobs report was the fourth report where average hourly earnings topped 3 percent compared to a year earlier. But do four months of solid gains make a difference to wages across the board?

The Trump administration is retooling the lottery for H-1B visas.

This morning’s jobs report showed that wages have grown for six straight months. On today’s show, we look at the economic forces at work. Then: Amazon is trying to move into new markets like India. But can its competitive pricing model scale internationally? Plus, what’s a “Zestimate” anyway? 

The January jobs numbers are out, and they show a strong but tightening job market. Big oil earnings beat forecasts, encouraging investors. And as thousands descend on Atlanta for Sunday’s Big Game, a war is waging between Super Bowl sponsor Pepsi and hometown mainstay Coca-Cola. How much do those tickets go for, anyway? Today’s show is sponsored by the Alliance for Lifetime Income and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

Some investors are optimistic that Big Oil has been able to ride out the plummeting prices of late last year.

What will the jobs numbers tell us about a tumultuous January? The White House is trying to lower drug prices for consumers by curbing the influence of pharmacy benefit managers. The polar vortex continues to wreak havoc on infrastructure across the Midwest. Plus, politics in Super Bowl ads? Not this year. Today’s show is sponsored by the Alliance for Lifetime Income and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.    

From the BBC World Service… As the U.S. and China struggle on trade talks, Japan and the E.U. are cheering a new trade arrangement between them that starts today. It creates one of the world’s biggest free trade areas covering nearly a third of global economic activity. Then, ahead of elections in India, the government unveils its new budget. Afterwards, drones have been the subject of much controversy in recent months — remember the one that grounded flights at London’s Heathrow airport? But, in Africa, the flying technology presents huge potential for business and economic development. Today’s show is sponsored by the Alliance for Lifetime Income and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

Foxconn says building TV screens in Wisconsin doesn't make sense. But R&D and advanced manufacturing do.

The impacts of the trade war with China are widespread. Today we’ll zoom in on agriculture, and a family farm in Washington that’s feeling it. Plus, the latest on Foxconn, which now says it’s backing away from building TVs in Wisconsin in favor of advanced manufacturing. Plus, after living through the government shutdown, discouraged federal workers might be seeking out other employment opportunities.

The January jobs numbers are due Friday morning. How will they reflect all those federal workers who were told to stay home during the partial government shutdown? What does the Fed easing on raising interest rates mean moving forward? Plus, we hear from one federal contract worker who talks about how she is dealing with not getting the shutdown back-pay afforded to others. Today’s show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington College of Business, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and Indeed.

The Fed goes back on its plans to keep raising interest rates, deciding to instead be “patient” with markets. Amazon is king when it comes to cloud computing, but competitors are nipping at their heels. Plus, we hear from one federal contract worker who talks about how she is dealing with not getting the shutdown back-pay afforded to others. Today’s show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington College of Business, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and Indeed.

From the BBC World Service… The European Union’s three biggest member states have reportedly set up a payment channel to allow business transactions with Iran and circumvent U.S. sanctions. What will it mean for relations between the U.S. and Europe? Then, India’s unemployment rate is at a 40-year high, and it comes ahead of elections in just a few months. Plus, today marks just two months until the U.K. leaves the E.U., but as politicians struggle with finalizing an exit deal, British carmakers say they’re on “red alert” as investment in the industry has dropped nearly 80 percent over the last three years. Today’s show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington College of Business, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and Indeed.

The United States and several other countries have made it clear that they don’t want hardware from Chinese telecom giant Huawei to be part of future fifth-generation wireless networks. They’re worried that Huawei could install back doors in a 5G network that could let the Chinese government, companies or hackers spy on information crossing that network. But no matter who is building a 5G network, there will be cybersecurity threats. So who’s in charge of making sure that protection against hacking, spying or other cyberthreats is built in from the ground up? Molly Wood talks with Tom Wheeler, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 2013 to 2017. He’s now a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. He says the government should be in charge. Today’s show is sponsored by Pitney Bowes and Indeed.

Chinese and American trade negotiators meet in Washington Wednesday and Thursday to achieve an amicable end to the two countries’ current trade tensions. It won’t be easy. Sure, the United States might lower tariffs in exchange for China taking more of U.S. fossil fuels and soybeans. But the talks could still fail. The Trump administration […]

We can say “Super Bowl” as much as we want. Super Bowl, Super Bowl, S U P E R  B O W L. But if you’re an Atlanta-area business or an advertiser hoping to capitalize on the game, you have to get creative because the NFL has that trademark locked down. But first, we bring you the latest from the Federal Reserve, which announced Wednesday it’s not hiking rates any time soon. Plus, could you quit Google or Amazon for a week? (No, you couldn’t.)

Aircraft maker Boeing tops $100 billion in sales for the first time, a sign the global economy is doing pretty well. Congress hears from those hurt by high drug prices. Plus, homeowners in hurricane-prone Florida are finding fewer options to protect themselves as insurance companies cut back on coverage for natural disasters. And — surprise — Facebook is again in hot water over privacy concerns. Today show is sponsored by Pitney Bowes, the University of Florida College of Business and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

How will the polar vortex and subsequent heating costs affect Midwesterners’ pocketbooks? Apple is facing the reality that people in China and India are not too keen on spending $1,000 for an iPhone. Plus, we take a look at how elder care agencies are dealing with getting clients to where they need to be. Today show is sponsored by Pitney Bowes, the University of Florida College of Business and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

From the BBC World Service… In his first media interview since being detained by Tokyo authorities, automotive tycoon Carlos Ghosn says he was the target of deception and conspiracy from rivals in Japan who took note of his power at Nissan. Brazil’s fatal mine and dam collapses of late have led to the shutting down of 10 major sites built by the same company, but what of the people who rely on mining for their living? And we look at the woes of the auto industry in China amidst the U.S.-China trade war. Today show is sponsored by Pitney Bowes, the University of Florida College of Business and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.  

Apple released its earnings Tuesday afternoon, and although it met its lowered expectations, revenue from iPhones was down 15 percent over the same quarter last year, and the future trend is still down. For years, Apple’s smartphone strategy has been to make premium devices with a premium price tag. The starting price is basically $1,000 for a new flagship iPhone. But those prices are hard to swallow in China and India, markets Apple is depending on to grow its global market share. Even here in the United States, consumers aren’t upgrading their phones as much as they used to. Molly Wood talks with Julie Ask, principal analyst at Forrester Research, about whether Apple can keep commanding such high prices. Today’s show is sponsored by Kronos, the University of Florida Warrington College of Business and Lenovo for Small Business.

Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO, has been dominating the 2020 presidential chatter for a few days now. And while the spotlight’s focused on whether Schultz will run as an independent candidate, it’s also casting a big shadow on his former company. In an email, Starbucks’ current CEO Kevin Johnson told employees the company doesn’t […]

We’ve got big tech drama at home and abroad topping today’s show: We’ll get you caught up on the new charges against Huawei and an alarming iPhone bug. Plus, the latest on Brexit. Then: Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz might be running for president in 2020, but can the brand insulate itself from politics?

Government agencies responsible for payroll worked over the weekend to start issuing missed paychecks.

How could imposing sanctions on Venezuela affect you at the gas pump? After two missed paychecks, federal workers hope payroll gets into gear to give them their due by the end of the week. Plus, in the last part of our mini-series on fertility’s impact on the economy, we take a look at how immigration  could help a shrinking American workforce. Today’s show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, WellFrame  and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

The U.S. has charged Chinese tech giant Huawei with stealing trade secrets, in once instance, allegedly by absconding with the arm of a robot named “Tappy.” The cost of prescription drugs has been rising in recent years, and Congress is holding a hearing  on the issue Tuesday. Plus, choirs of protests in Britain, literally. Today’s show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, WellFrame  and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

From the BBC World Service… Venezuela responds to fresh U.S. oil sanctions, the last punishment it needs while its economic woes deepen. Chinese telecom giant Huawei calls the U.S. accusations against it “immoral.” We decipher the war of words and trade between the two giants. And how corrupt do people think the U.S. is? Transparency International tells us the definitive ranking of corruption perception. Today’s show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, WellFrame  and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

One of the major challenges of using renewable energy like wind or solar is that there’s overproduction. The sun shines and the wind blows mostly during the day but then drops off at night — when people tend to use the most power. Batteries can help smooth out those peaks and valleys, but cost has limited wider adoption. Now battery storage is maturing as an industry. So what does that mean for regular people? Marketplace’s Jed Kim talks with Ravi Manghani, director of energy storage at energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, who says the tech is getting to houses through transmission lines, maybe even yours. Today’s show is sponsored by Pitney Bowes and WellFrame.

The government shutdown may be over, for now, but agencies that gather economic data could take a while to get caught up. We’ll look at the effects and talk with Congressional Budget Office Director Keith Hall. Plus, the state of the iPhone in China and a conversation with “Wonder Woman” and “I Am the Night” director Patty Jenkins. 

For all the talk of an impending recession, forecasters seem split on when it’ll actually hit. Economists are scrambling to make up for the data held up during the partial government shutdown. A Brazilian mining company’s billions in assets are frozen following a deadly dam break over the weekend, but it’s not the first time the firm’s operations have been put under scrutiny. Plus, we take a look back at that one time Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz told Marketplace’s David Brancaccio he was not considering running for elected office. Today’s show is sponsored by SignNow, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

The partial government shutdown is over, but we’re still dealing with the fallout, and that probably means your tax return won’t arrive as soon as you’d hoped. Can all this be prevented from happening again by banning shutdowns? Plus, museums are trying to compete with the likes of Netflix by opening seven days a week. Today’s show is sponsored by SignNow, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

From the BBC World Service: China is six years into a trillion-dollar plan known as the One Belt One Road initiative.

Social media was invented to keep up with friends, but if you’re fed up with data leaks and privacy concerns, you might decide to quit. It turns out social media may not even need you to know you, because your friends and their posts are pretty good indicators of who you are. In a new study, scientists took to Twitter and found people who interacted regularly. By analyzing the tweets of just eight or nine of a user’s friends, they could predict the kinds of things the original user would post. Marketplace’s Jed Kim talks with Jim Bagrow, a professor at the University of Vermont who led the study. Today’s show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington College of Business and Triple Byte.