Week of February 12th, 2024

And the juxtaposition with American right-wing politics.

Plus: The Super Bowl for florists, the New York Times best seller list and Reasons To Be Cheerful.

Also: another blow to ESG investing, the cost of big-name credit cards and our excess stuff is feeding the booming storage space industry.

Corporate ESG initiatives face legal and political challenges.

Consumers often choose a familiar name, despite the costs. The CFPB’s findings come as credit card debt in the U.S. is rising.

Take Boston. Over the next five years, that city could face a tax revenue shortfall to the tune of $1.2 to $1.5 billion, according to a new study from the Boston Policy Institute.

Stocks fall; services costs push up PPI; consumer sentiment unchanged so far in January; housing starts fall.

Investors chasing returns have fueled a self-storage boom.

Also in this newsletter: A touching “defend your splurge” and a harrowing scam story.

It comes down to how much money the theaters think they’re going to earn.

Having a digital currency could make payments more efficient, but critics have raised privacy concerns.

Microsoft sees the change in strategy as a revenue opportunity, explains Tom Warren, senior editor at The Verge.

Microsoft, the owner of Xbox, announced on Thursday that it’s bringing several previously exclusive games to rival consoles.

Wholesale prices rose in January; FCC bans AI robocalls; Biden administration releases new details about student debt relief plan; Japan and the United Kingdom dip into recession.

Economist say the rise in high-tech manufacturing — of things like semiconductors and circuit boards — in the U.S. bolsters national security.

How can consumers protect themselves from malicious AI? We’ll dig in.

We’ll hear how generative AI is being used to manipulate and what consumers can do to protect themselves.

From the BBC World Service: Aviation was responsible for 2% of global carbon emissions last year, according to the International Energy Agency.

Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired, joins Marketplace’s Lily Jamali to discuss this week’s biggest tech stories.

When Caitlin LaClair and her family moved to Texas and then Massachusetts, they were hit with sticker shock.

Also: What rising import prices mean and why a bank created for emancipated Black Americans matters today.

Layoff announcements at big companies –like Cisco, this week–can seem at odds with low unemployment claim numbers and positive monthly job reports.

Gotta reach young voters where they are, right?

But so far they’ve only added GPS tracking to less than 1% of the nation’s railcars.

Consumers’ inflation expectations are falling. But they say the high prices imposed by inflation are still eroding living standards.

Prices may continue to stay high if services and imports rise in tandem.

Stocks rise; retail sales post biggest decline in 10 months; number of striking workers more than doubles in 2023; import prices rise.

The Freedman’s Bank was the first opportunity for formerly enslaved people to save and protect their money. But its failure in less than a decade still haunts Black Americans today.

How do you keep your dream alive when it’s draining all your money?

The new FAFSA form was supposed to simplify the application process, but the roll-out has hit some snags.

First-time claims for unemployment benefits were lower than expected earlier this month; the Biden administration gives $970 million to 114 U.S. airports; Airbus reports that revenues were up 11% in 2023.

Turns out, we weren’t very spendy in the first month of the year. Retail sales tumbled 0.8% in January.

With price increases hitting major brands, many retailers are creating their own private label products and their popularity is growing.

Larger endowments — which tend to invest more in private equity and venture capital — didn’t do as well as smaller ones that stuck to investment basics.

Due to a temporary change in the law, student loan forgiveness is not considered federally taxable income. State tax laws vary, though.

Anyone who received forgiveness in 2023 or gets it in the next two years doesn’t have to worry about federal taxes.

From the BBC World Service: How did the two major economies falter? We dig in.

Many U.S. states have passed regulations to shield minors from the harms of social media. But Nicol Turner Lee of Brookings and other experts warn that a patchy legal landscape can hinder efforts on the national level.

Israel’s war in Gaza has decimated the area’s economy and infrastructure.

Plus, split surveys on small business optimism, a map of all the country’s zoning laws, and the falling number of small farmers. 

Thanks to the success of her beadwork business, owner Mikailah Thompson was able to start a creative agency for Native artists.

One survey showed small-business owners in a downbeat mood for the 25th straight month. Another had satisfaction at 85%.

And, diversity is still a challenge in the agricultural industry. According to the census, 95 percent of American farmers are white and on average, are just over 58 years old.

Stocks rise; Fed could hold rates steady at its next meeting; Lyft includes typo in earnings forecast; Airbnb revenue rises.

The WSJ’s Lauren Weber talks about “how we sort ourselves into different occupations and how in some ways we are sorted.”

Walmart’s acquisition of the smart TV maker would give it significant access to streaming data from ads — the kind that tracks what people buy

Zoning laws are notoriously arcane, but a new tool from the National Zoning Atlas is turning them into something like a Google map for land use laws. “We want people to understand what zoning says and what it does,” said Sara Bronin, the National Zoning Atlas Director.

Microsoft pointed to cyber spies working for China, North Korea, Iran and Russia; Lyft stock temporarily soars after incorrect earnings statement; Sony’s PlayStation 5 console struggles; Airbnb says booking demand remains strong.

How cabaret performers weathered the pandemic.

Come taste the wine, come hear the band. We hear how Seattle’s Can Can Culinary Cabaret transformed during the pandemic.

Manufacturers of sweets and candies face rising costs for sugar and cocoa due to weather patterns and disease denting supply.

Lovers and chocolate lovers beware: That heart-shaped box of chocolates is going to cost you.

From the BBC World Service: Citizens in Southeast Asia’s largest economy vote on Wednesday in presidential and legislative elections.

With Val’s Day here, people seeking romance on the internet may not love digital services’ practices regarding the collection of personal information. Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, explains that apps can create a “profile of how a person actually lives.”

Plus, who pays on a date these days?

Spending on services is up, but Leta Harris Neustaedter says business at her Metamorphosis Performing Arts Studio has its ebbs and flows.

The two aims shouldn’t compete, they say.

Inflation didn’t fall as much as some economists predicted, but it’s not all doom and gloom either.

They used to sell as a guilty pleasure to be hidden away. Now they’re cool and out in the open.

“If we have a China that’s growing more slowly, there’s less opportunity” globally, says economist Adam Posen.

The CPI rose 3.1% in January compared to a year ago.

Stocks fall; inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s target; small business optimism declines; Hasbro revenue falls.

Despite inflation, people still buy as much food, medicine, gasoline — even coffee.

Recommended listening for “This Is Uncomfortable” fans: How do you navigate money challenges as the first in your family to attend college?

Consumer prices rose at an annual rate of 3.1%; Treasury Department proposes money laundering rule for investment advisers; Coca-Cola improves sales in foreign markets; activist investor Icahn targets JetBlue Airways.

Proposed legislation in New York state would increase labor protections for models, content creators and other behind-the-scenes fashion pros.  

There are renewed fears that a Donald Trump presidency will weaken U.S.-Europe security ties.

The move is part of the company’s push to expand internationally. Critics says add-on fees hurt their budget.

What is being done to protect models and hold agencies accountable?

Modeling may seem glamorous, but the realities of the industry can be far from picture-perfect.

From the BBC World Service: Police in Delhi banned all public gatherings after farmers threatened major demonstrations in India’s capital.

Rolfe Winkler, reporter for The Wall Street Journal, chronicles how the genetic testing company went mainstream, but some business moves led to financial problems, as the company still hopes for a future in pharmaceutical development.

And why the NATO alliance matters today.

“They are very cozy and comforting,” said Danyel Smith of The New York Times Magazine. “Especially in these times.”

Why do oil producers keep merging? Plus, nearly a year after regional bank troubles, small businesses are less nervous about their accounts.

Publicly held Diamondback Energy is buying privately held oil driller Endeavor Energy Resources, creating a company worth $50 billion.

Stocks fall; most economists think interest rates are where they should be; consumers more optimistic about their personal finances; inflation expectations dip.

According to consumer-reported incidents on the website DownDetector, issues with the Paramount+ app spiked during pre-game coverage and continued throughout the bowl. Paramount+ says that only a small number of users were affected.

Some observers think they are a proxy for Big Tech.

Quinceañeras bring Latino families together to celebrate a young woman’s 15th birthday. They’re getting more lavish — and more costly.

Business owners have taken steps to protect their cash since three regional banks failed last year.

Two Texas oil producers announce plans to merge; the Senate moves toward a final vote on aid for Ukraine, Israel and other countries; a Dutch court rules the government can’t export F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.

More economists are optimistic about the outlook for this year, but some think the Fed is keeping interest rates too high.

Between a wave of retirees and a drop in the number of people graduating with accounting degrees, the whole profession is struggling to staff up.

Mortgage debt has grown 30% since before the pandemic. But the majority of mortgage debt holders have rates below 5%.

Tax season is here. But if you’ve been putting off finding an accountant, good luck.

From the BBC World Service: Starlink, the internet connection system made by SpaceX, is allegedly being used by Russian troops.

It’s been almost two years since 19 children and two teachers were slain in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary. Photojournalist Tamir Kalifa has documented the way lives were changed in the Texas town.