Week of September 23rd, 2019

For the first time, the conservative kingdom is opening up to tourists from more than 40 countries.

Plus: Saudi Arabia opens up to tourists, and a conversation with Rakim. 

If you want to know what’s going on in this economy, the bond market is a pretty good place to start.

The influential emcee reflects on his life, his creativity and his career.

Many indirect costs are not counted in official estimates.

Consumer confidence looks to be waning. VCs — and the Pope — are going green. Bills are piling up for GM and strikers.

SNL begins its 45th season with an historic appointment in 29-year-old Bowen Yang.

How likely is another government shutdown? A stock exchange calls it quits. Saudi Arabia opens up to tourists.

France unveils 2020 tax cuts to ease Yellow Vest protests. Saudi Arabia allows global tourists in for the first time. Why young people are buying up defunct British pubs. 

Employees at the co-working unicorn are stuck in IPO limbo and may suffer losses.

The Senate version of a federal spending bill would ban Chinese vehicle makers from the U.S. public bus sector on grounds of national and economic security.

Today, we dig into why. Plus: Health care spending is breaking records and consumer confidence, explained.

For people who served time in prison, finding affordable housing can be a challenge.

A lot of it comes down to taxation, the stock market and the country’s demographic makeup.

The Census Bureau’s annual survey helps businesses figure out where and what they should be selling.

Reema Khrais and “Call Your Girlfriend” producer Gina Delvac answer your money questions.

Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of gross domestic product.

Ted Rall’s new cartoons tackle the isolation and financial stress of family caregiving.

Impeachment looks to stall trade agreement. U.S. wealth grows along with the wealth gap. How whale poop is assisting in the fight against climate change.

Top earners took a bigger slice of the income pie, while everyone else’s slices shrank.

Priorities are expected to shift in the coming weeks and months.

A study from the IMF looks at the economic impact of whales on alleviating the effects of climate change.

What happens to Congress’s other business with impeachment ahead? The U.S. remains the global postal regulator. Dealing with an aging parent through cartoons.

Hong Kong authorities hold public meetings to try to ease the political crisis. The U.S. agrees to stay in a global union that has regulated international mail service for more than a century. Is giving citizens free services like transport, education and healthcare a good idea?

The stock market can be intimidating. Here are some basics to help you find the right place to park your money.

Being in control of your personal information means you choose to sell it to the company of your choice.

Plus: What a no-deal Brexit would do to Europe and what’s next for embattled e-cigarette maker Juul. 

As the deadline for Brexit approaches, Bloomberg reporters sketch out a vision of the future.

The company also said it would stop advertising in the U.S. and won’t lobby the Food and Drug Administration on flavored e-cigarette regulation.

Kai Ryssdal breaks down the ins and outs of the initial public offering.

Kai talks the CEO of The Garcia Companies, who helped build the enterprise around Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Many employers are already prepared for the rule change.

What does potential impeachment spell for the economy? Investors wait on data. Peloton is in legal trouble for using unlicensed music in its fancy bike workouts.

Music lawyers say each song in a Peloton workout video requires more than one license, often from multiple rights-holders.

For the fifth time, Sylvester Stallone returns to the big screen to play John Rambo, so let’s do the numbers on the franchise.

In some states, like Florida, government agencies depend on fines to make up budge shortfalls.

Over a million salaried employees are now eligible for overtime pay. Amazon offers employees health care… sort of. Some states still suspend licenses for unpaid fines that are not driving-related.

The U.S. and Japan talk trade. Britain’s nuclear power ambitions suffer another setback. Why the future of travel booking isn’t necessarily online.

Academics are helping create some metrics to measure the healthiness of tweets.

Elder care can be a challenge without the help of siblings.

Nearly a fourth of Americans earn money from freelance work, and 44% said “gigging” was their primary source of income.

Mortgages, auto loans and credit card balances are all on the rise, according to the New York Federal Reserve.

Plus: What you need to know about new overtime rules, and, inspired by Greta Thunberg, what we talk about when we talk about “economic growth.”

Had the 2016 rule been instituted, roughly three times more workers would have been covered.

“I think she is cutting out a political path on which economists must now travel,” said economist Ashoka Mody.

Maybe they’re cashing in. Maybe they’re worried.

Heather Cantua Phillips owns more than both her parents combined, and that’s put a strain on their relationship.

To battle opioid overdoses, experts want businesses to think of naloxone like an EpiPen.

Bill McKibben, environmental activist and founder of 350.org, says emphasis on continuous economic growth in the 20th century has backfired on us in the 21st century.

The British government has repatriated about 8% of the 155,000 UK citizens who were abroad on vacations when the 178-year old travel-booking company went bust.

“Indebted” delves into how the college affordability gap defines middle class life in America.

All eyes on the United Nations General Assembly this week.

Consumer confidence has held up well in spite of trade turmoil, tariff threats and market volatility.

How much in reserves does the Fed actually need? Consumer confidence is high heading into the holiday shopping season. Parents are doing anything and everything to get their kids through college.

What post-Brexit deal will the U,S, and Brtiain strike? “War” is declared on climate change at the U.N. Google wins a “right to be forgotten” case. Apple’s massive Mac Pro will now be built in Texas.

Britain’s highest court says Parliament suspension is unlawful. Europe limits the right to be forgotten. We look at the lasting impact of Thomas Cook’s demise.

Competition and consumers might follow — or shrug.

“We’ll be watching,” said Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Plus: Americans are saving more money, and farmers aren’t keen on being bailed out. 

The “Fosse/Verdon” actress pointed out that women of color can end up making half of what their white male counterparts make.

At this LA-based tortilleria, there’s only one way to make a tortilla: with organic corn.

The tech industry relies on an army of temps and contractors who don’t get the cushy benefits of full-time employees.

“Trade, not aid,” has become the mantra for farmers dealing with the trade war.

WeWork is reportedly in a fight with its biggest investor over whether its co-founder should step down as CEO.

What are we talking about when we talk about inflation?

The world’s oldest travel-booking company has gone bust, leaving workers and travelers in limbo.

Congress is still trying to sort out what is and what isn’t a presidential emolument. This week is prime time to buy a house. CBS continues to add diversity to its slate of programming.

The U.K. scrambles to get erstwhile Thomas Cook customers home. Oxfam pushes Second Hand September for the good of the environment.

As the world’s oldest travel-booking company collapses, how do customers and shareholders bear the impact? Recommendations to cut down on meat and dairy hits small environmentally-friendly farmers. 

Without diverse primetime shows like CBS’ “Bob Hearts Abishola,” TV networks are leaving money on the table.

Communities need tech to become more resilient to climate change.