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Jul 31, 2017

07/31/2017: If the government can get its act together, maybe businesses can?

We’re starting today with an attempt to bring order out of chaos. We’re not talking about the recent White House staffing changes, but lobbying groups that are moving past health care as Congress turns to tax reform. Millions are set to be unleashed, but what do those groups hope to get for their money? Then: It’s earnings season, and so far things are pretty good, but what does corporate health tell us about the economy? Plus, a history of the income tax deduction, and what “The Emoji Movie” says about Hollywood.

Workers prepare for the Presidential Inauguration for incoming US President Donald Trump at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 5, 2017.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

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Segments From This Episode

How airports are failing senior travelers
by Ashley Milne-Tyte
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Long distances to walk, heavy bags to lift, arrival screens to squint at — older flyers face challenges
How tax withholding became the norm for American workers
by Adriene Hill
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Not everyone thinks automatic deductions for state and federal taxes are a good idea.
Tax reform is the next battleground
With the drama around health care refusing to die, legislators already have begun the next big policy effort on the Hill: tax reform. Congressional Republican leaders last week laid out what they want — permanent tax reductions is what it boils down to. And conservative organizations and grassroots groups are getting ready to blast Congress […]
Internet restrictions make doing business harder in China
by Andy Uhler
Many popular internet sites are blocked for users of the state network in China — Google, YouTube and more. Some users, many of them business users, employ a VPN, a virtual personal network, to get around that “Great Firewall.” In a crackdown on unregistered VPNs, China has persuaded Apple to pull all major VPN services […]
Why the oil industry may be the most corrupt in the world
by Scott Tong
Two cases of illegal payments and bribery came to light recently. One is against the oil services company Halliburton in Angola. The other involves a mining subsidiary of Glencore doing business in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With government heavily involved and centralizing many so-called extractive industries, drilling and mining are more prone to corruption […]
First there was "The Emoji Movie." Is Fruit Ninja next?
by Kai Ryssdal and Emily Henderson
No. 1 at the box office this weekend was Christopher Nolan’s World War II film “Dunkirk.” Right behind it at No. 2 was “The Emoji Movie.” That’s right, a movie about those little pictures you use when you’re texting. It’s yet another in release in a developing trend in Hollywood of making films from sometimes […]
Corporate profits surprise analysts this earnings season
by Amy Scott
Earnings season is well underway, and so far corporate profits for the second quarter have been pretty good. Surprisingly good, actually. Of the companies in the S&P 500 index that have reported results so far, most have exceeded analysts’ expectations. Plenty of earnings news is still to come, including reports tomorrow from biggies like Apple, […]

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07/31/2017: If the government can get its act together, maybe businesses can?

Subscribe:

Segments From This Episode

How airports are failing senior travelers

How tax withholding became the norm for American workers

Tax reform is the next battleground

Internet restrictions make doing business harder in China

Why the oil industry may be the most corrupt in the world

First there was "The Emoji Movie." Is Fruit Ninja next?

Corporate profits surprise analysts this earnings season

Music from the episode