Week of July 28th, 2025

In an economic crisis involving hyperinflation, gold would be valuable. A total societal collapse, not so much.

After discouraging revisions to May and June’s jobs reports, the president moved to fire the nonpartisan head of the BLS.

Midsize businesses are more likely to either absorb the cost of tariffs or pass them along to their customers.

We’ll break down the historic jobs reports revisions that prompted Trump to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As electronic labels roll out in grocery stores across the U.S., consumers and lawmakers fear they could lead to surge pricing.

On the one hand, there are economic forces at work. On the other, there’s a deeper philosophical question about using art as a store of value or investment.

On Friday, job growth figures from earlier months were revised sharply downward. Also on the show: are President Trump's new tariffs legal?

Employers added just 73,000 jobs last month, well short of what forecasters expected. Worse, revisions shaved a stunning 258,000 jobs off May and June payrolls.

The city follows New York, San Francisco and others with legal protections against that kind of bias in housing, public accommodations and hiring.

The Trump administration set August 1 as the deadline for countries to strike new trade agreements with the U.S. Some met the deadline, and others did not.

From the BBC World Service: President Trump’s long-delayed tariff deadline has finally passed and for countries without a deal, the import taxes are steep — the highest in almost a century.

The Tea app is a place for women to share red or green flags about men they've dated, or connect with one another. But it recently suffered a major data breach. Plus, why some members of Congress are protesting a deal with China to allow Nvidia to sell its H20 chips to the country. And YouTube is rolling out new age estimation technology to protect younger users.

Layoff announcements were up 29% from June to July, and up 140% compared to last July. Should we be worried? Plus: data erosion, car key fobs, and the private equity-ification of youth sports.

The youth sports industry has amassed an estimated market value of $40 billion according to the Aspen Institute. Private equity has taken notice and is ready to play ball.

Well-designed key fobs tell consumers what to expect from the vehicle they’re about to get into, says Hannah Elliott at Bloomberg.

Wages are also rising but people aren't spending as much.

Job cut announcements rose 29% in July from the previous month, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The Federal Reserve is still waiting and seeing, folks.

Meta and Microsoft shares jumped Thursday following strong quarterly earnings, with both companies attributing the gains to AI-driven productivity and revenue growth.

We spoke to families at Shanghai’s new Legoland theme park about what they’re willing and not willing to spend on.

The central bank chose not to cut rates, given the uncertain effects of tariffs and a resilient overall economy. But the committee's decision was not unanimous.

From the BBC World Service: Goods from South Korea will face a 15% tariff under a new trade deal. Meanwhile Brazil will be harder hit, with a 50% tax on imports.

Simon Johnson, a Nobel-winning economist at MIT, says AI innovations can produce productivity gains, but not everyone will benefit from those gains.

Three percent GDP growth for the second quarter is great. It’s also misleading. Plus: jobs, stablecoin, and the case for a U.S. Department of Economic Security.

As the U.S. employs more tariffs and sanctions, former international economic security advisor Daleep Singh makes the case for economic Geneva Conventions, and a federal Department of Economic Security.

The economy is hot, but maybe not as hot as it looks.

Many of the gains came in leisure and hospitality jobs.

The GENIUS Act has smoothed the path for stablecoin growth.

It’s the first time since 1993 that multiple FOMC members have voted against a rate decision.

The U.N. has warned Gaza is on the brink of famine.

The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3% in Q2 — a higher-than-expected rebound. But there's more than meets the eye.

The rapidly expanding recreational marijuana sector sees plummeting prices and multistate operations pulling out of Michigan.

The U.S. has announced just six deals — with the U.K., the EU, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Friday is the latest deadline for the U.S. to sign trade deals with other countries, or else they'll face higher tariffs.

From the BBC World Service: The Australian government announced it will ban children under 16 from having YouTube accounts starting in December.

Sayash Kapoor, co-author of the book "AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference," says developers should test any AI bot prompt change before releasing the update to the public.

Consumer confidence grew last month, but Americans remain cautious about the labor market. Plus: the resurgence children’s magazines, ethics in AI music, and a foreign investment math lesson.

Trade math doesn't lie.

While all sorts of child- and tween-focused magazines of the previous decades are no more, a new generation of print magazines for kids is emerging.

The Trump administration’s tariffs are raising costs for businesses, reducing the benefits of productivity improvements.

Thousands of grocery stores around the country rely on customers who pay with SNAP benefits. Some could close because of cuts Congress just approved to the food assistance program.

Funding cuts aren’t the only thing libraries are up against.

Survey data from The Conference Board shows Americans are feeling better about the economy than they were earlier in the year, but concerns about the job market linger.

The rising volume of AI “bands” on streaming platforms presents an ethical dilemma.

To qualify for clean energy tax credits, the recent GOP tax bill requires new wind projects to start construction by July of next year.

President Donald Trump remarked offhandedly over the weekend that “we will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States.”

Regulatory approval could take a spell.

The two neighbors are bound by a 1944 water-sharing treaty. But much of northern Mexico is in the grip of severe drought, and the country has fallen well behind in its water deliveries.

Two behemoths of freight rail are joining forces: Union Pacific is acquiring Norfolk Southern for $85 billion.

From the BBC World Service: State media says around 20 million families are eligible for the payments. But will it work?

Road freight is still the backbone of Canada's economy, but trucking is changing, with digital freight-matching platforms reshaping how drivers find work and how goods get delivered.

Our digital bread crumbs can make us vulnerable to online hacks.

The Biden-era Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program championed a “fiber first” strategy.

They’re cautious, but haven’t slammed the brakes yet. Plus: credit cards, a home bakery, fiber optic cables and fuel efficiency.

Local banks say businesses are still taking out loans, despite elevated interest rates. In some cases, that's because they don't want to wait for rates to fall.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act zeroes out the fines the federal government charged automakers for violating fuel efficiency standards. That could change the kinds of vehicles carmakers build, at least in the short term.

And they're adding premium perks to justify the price.

It’s more of a promise than a realistic spending boost, according to some experts.

Elizabeth Sund is the owner of Sundbakes, a home bakery in Minot, North Dakota.

The price of oranges, for example, has increased by 26% since 2019 due to rising labor costs, lingering supply chain issues, and climate change. 

A federal appeals court is set to weigh in.

There’s been a “targeted, surgical removal of data sets, or elements of data sets, that are not aligned with the administration’s priorities,” said Denice Ross at the Federation of American Scientists.

Feelings of economic uncertainty are beginning to impact sellers, prospective homebuyers, and the real estate agents who work with them.

New research suggests people are getting used to high prices and mortgage rates.

Threats to the availability and comprehensiveness of federal data have become more severe during President Donald Trump’s second term.

From the BBC World Service: EU leaders are being briefed today on a new deal with the United States that halves the tariff President Donald Trump threatened to put on European goods.

From cooling neck gaiters and helmets with fans, to high-tech sensors that can measure internal body temperature, the demand for and supply of wearable gadgets that help beat the heat is growing. The tools can help increase comfort, but they can also be crucial for outdoor workers who are at risk of serious heat-related illnesses.