Week of July 8th, 2024

Money talks.

We chatted with the author and podcaster about her new book “The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality.”

The average cost of a wedding reached $33,000 in 2023. Expenses can add up quickly as couples face pressure to put on the perfect celebration.

“I used up eight of my nine lives in that job,” said Ray Charlton, who drove paperwork around Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Plus, a look back on the age of motorcycle messengers and a glimpse into the future of the administrative state.

Poles, lines and other infrastructure around the country are aging, and subject to damage from today’s more extreme weather.

Consumers feel frustrated with inflation; Surveyed economists think inflation would worsen under Donald Trump; Dollar General reaches a safety settlement.

The Supreme Court’s decision overturning the Chevron deference is a step towards rolling back the power of the administrative state, the origins of which go back more than a century.

If your health and welfare costs could exceed $58,250 USD over a maximum of 10 years, you fail Australia’s visa medical requirements.

The producer price index increased 0.2%; economists worried Trump will worsen inflation, WSJ survey finds; PepsiCo, Conagra signal limits to price increases; IMF predicts Fed rate cuts by end of year.

Today, we’ll hear how consumers see the world through Republican or Democrat lenses.

According to veteran showrunner Erik Oleson, the industry is experiencing a contraction after peaking.

There’s a persistent partisan gap in consumer sentiment polling.

Many foreigners with disabilities or serious medical conditions are routinely denied an Australian visa.

From the BBC World Service: Would violence in Colombia rapidly dwindle if the United Nations declared cocaine legal globally? The country’s president thinks so.

Natasha Mascarenhas at The Information joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino for this week’s Tech Bytes: Week in Review

Powell & Co. want to see more “good data” on inflation before cutting interest rates. Plus, shelter costs and climate change pose risk to the Goldilocks scenario.

And, why the neutral rate is hard for the Fed to pin down.

The owner of a Baltimore warehouse and shipping company describes how the port’s closure and reopening has affected business.

Housing costs rose 5.2% in June from a year earlier, pulling up the consumer price index.

Markets close mixed; PepsiCo blames “price conscious” shoppers for falling sales; Mortgage rates tick down; GM will retool a Michigan plant for EVs, with federal help.

High temperatures can lead to price spikes and headline inflation, a study finds. Sarah Kaplan of The Washington Post explains.

The decision is a win for tribal self-governance, but puts new pressure on the Indian Health Service’s already stretched federal budget.

The short answer? You can never have enough data.

The consumer price index fell 0.1% between May and June; initial jobless claims remain low at 222,000; Biden administration to distribute $1.7 billion to modernize old auto plants; Apple to open Apple Pay to competitors in two weeks.

There are currently funds you can invest in that mimic Congressional trades. We’ll hear more.

One scam that’s been around for a while — but is quickly adapting to new technology — targets job seekers.

Raises in real earnings help offset price increases but not all consumers share the benefits equally.

The Federal Trade Commission says companies like CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx are artificially driving up prices for medications.

Despite agita over the persistence of inflation, incomes have continued to outpace price increases.

From the BBC World Service: Indigenous leaders in Brazil are asking the United Nations to pressure President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to stop illegal mining.

Clare Stanton at Harvard’s Library Innovation Lab explains why link rot isn’t surprising and the challenges in archiving the web.

When the Fed cuts interest rates, how long until Americans feel the impact? Plus, the business of alumni magazines and life as a doctor before digitization.

Technology has allowed Dr. Winnie Lau of Florida to see more patients, but the level of care she’s giving is the same, she says.

And the staying power of the “Shrek” franchise.

While economists agree rate cuts won’t instantly juice an economy, there’s really no consensus on just how long that lag is.

According to a new survey from BlackRock, only 60% of Gen Xers say they are on track to have enough retirement savings. And time is running out — the oldest of them are reaching retirement age.

Stocks close higher; Powell says the election won’t impact rate decisions; Wholesale inventories rise; Intuit pivots to AI.

During the pandemic, many colleges cut costs by taking their magazines entirely online. Since then, there’s been a big shift back to print. 

A relatively new corporate benefit is leading to a rise in egg-freezing procedures. Emma Goldberg of The New York Times explains.

Compared to many other countries, the U.S. trade-to-GDP ratio is below the global average. But the explanation is complicated.

The tariffs cover steel and aluminum shipped from Mexico, but made elsewhere; Powell opens door to interest rate cuts; Microsoft leaves OpenAI board; Samsung workers in South Korea go on strike.

Fifth Third Bank has agreed to resolve claims that it harmed thousands of customers by opening fake accounts and charging for unnecessary insurance.

Even with a comparatively low unemployment rate, layoffs are rising. A new survey lays out some of the sacrifices workers are willing to make to avoid that fate.

When Beyoncé conquered Billboard’s top country albums chart with Cowboy Carter, it threw a brighter spotlight on other Black artists who’ve been shut out of country success — including Holden.

Would you work weekends? Make a longer commute? Even take a pay cut? Some workers say they would.

From the BBC World Service: 30,000 unionized Samsung workers go on strike as part of a campaign for better pay and benefits.

In 2020, many creators on the platform backed Biden’s campaign. Now, they’re offended by his policies on Gaza, climate and TikTok itself, explains Taylor Lorenz of The Washington Post.

Where to start to electrify your home.

Is it time to switch it up?

That medical procedure you put off during the pandemic is boosting health care hiring. Plus, heat waves and wildfires have major economic impacts.

Slowing demand in construction and manufacturing in the U.S. and around the globe have pulled steel prices lower for months.

People who left during during the pandemic are still being replaced. Providers struggle to fill the gaps as demand steadily rises.

Elementary and middle school kids are flocking to stores to buy products recommended on TikTok. But they may be harming their skin.

Markets mixed; Powell says labor market has cooled; Drug middlemen under fire; Non-alcoholic beer brand doubles in value.

The mood among businesspeople is better than it has been this year, but they’re still more pessimistic than the historical average.

The chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discusses the needs and obligations of pregnant workers and their employers.

Special correspondent Lee Hawkins shares his experience finding new family with online genetics tests — and reconciling fraught history.

Heat waves can cause adverse health effects and even be fatal. How are people and cities preparing for a world with more extreme heat?

For those who choose to stay and rebuild after a devastating blaze, the experience can become a test of patience and endurance.

A measure of small business optimism hit its highest point of the year in June; Hurricane Beryl leaves Texas oil infrastructure largely unscathed; Purdue Pharma creditors ask for authorization to sue Sackler family members; Boeing 737 planes to be inspected for potential faulty oxygen mask systems.

After last month’s Supreme Court ruling, a judge weighs whether to allow new lawsuits against individual members of Purdue Pharma’s owners, the Sackler family.

The amount includes money owed on things like credit cards, auto loans and student loans. Delinquencies are also rising.

Military spending and aid for Ukraine are high on the agenda at this week’s NATO summit; Americans added more than $11 billion to consumer debt in May; and a practical look at newly implemented guidelines from the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, is in Russia to “deepen ties” between the two countries on Mr. Modi’s first trip to Russia since the beginning of its war in Ukraine.

Journalist Ellen Huet examines the OpenAI CEO’s rise to power over the past two decades in the new season of Bloomberg’s “Foundering” podcast.

Where the number came from, what it means and why it’s not as precise as you may think.

A merger might boost your offerings, but that’s not all consumers care about. Plus, why stocks are up at the same time as consumer prices.

Investors are often wary of inflation. But those higher prices can bring benefits to companies.

Markets hit new highs; Markets anticipate inflation data; Corning pops on AI strength; TSA screens record number passengers.

As record sales declined, concert ticket sales became the big moneymaker for artists.

The challenge for streaming companies is not just getting subscribers, but also keeping them.

The FDA hasn’t approved a new UV filter for sunscreen since 1999. Some consumers are turning to foreign markets instead.

“If you don’t have any idea when or why a price might change, it creates a sense of urgency and a sense of scarcity,” says Amanda Mull at Bloomberg.

Seeking balance and well-being, urbanites pull their kids out of the country’s ultracompetitive system and head to village schools.

Boeing deal covers conduct before Max crashes; Texas ports, oil platforms close as Hurricane Beryl strikes; Skydance, Paramount agree to merger; France, Britain elect left-leaning leaders promising economic improvements.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” shows salesmen who prioritize quotas above customer needs.

Scams that target job-seekers are getting more and more sophisticated.

The dollar is more than 10% stronger than it was three years ago.

Also, make sure their resumes are computer friendly.

Paramount Global has agreed to merge with Skydance Media. What would that mean for Skydance’s CEO, David Ellison?

From the BBC World Service: France is facing political gridlock after a leftist alliance emerged as the surprise winner of France’s snap election.

Sarah Parvini of AP explains how AI cloning and consent are at the heart of the talks between video game producers and SAG-AFTRA.