Gas prices have dropped, but that hasn’t led to the big bump in consumer sentiment some might have expected. We check in on the minutes from the Fed’s July policy meeting. The BBC checks in on Afghanistan one year after the Taliban’s seizing of control. It appears colleges still have a long way to go when it comes to dealing with small businesses owned by people of color.

First, we peek ahead to some big retail data coming out this week. The People’s Bank of China makes a surprising move. Felicia Wong of the Roosevelt Institute discusses what could be next for the Democrats following a number of agenda victories.

From the BBC World Service: The People’s Bank of China cut its benchmark interest rate for the second time this year, in a surprise move after data showed slower than expected economic growth in July. Plus, South Korea promises aid to North Korea if the country stops developing nuclear weapons. And, a year after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, many women and girls are still excluded from work and formal education.

Christopher Low measures market activity with us. A wrinkle in the ongoing saga of gas prices: The price of crude is rising. The BBC looks in on how new COVID restrictions in the East have affected local lives as well as the global supply chain.

People are still leaving jobs to find new ones at record level, and data shows that it’s generally working out for them. Speaking of records, the demand for vinyl remains high, so we talk to someone at a record-pressing plant to get a sense of how the industry is adapting to new challenges.

From the BBC World Service: Lee Jae-yong was convicted of embezzlement and bribery, but the Seoul government says he’s needed back in charge of the country’s biggest company to help the post-pandemic economic recovery. Plus, an armed man took hostages at a bank in Lebanon and demanded access to his frozen savings. And, the Swedish firm that’s developing a less environmentally intensive kind of steel.

We talk cooling inflation and producer price index with Diane Swonk of KPMG, then we examine how the Nasdaq appears to have regained some of its footing and returned to a bull market. Grocery prices are rising faster than the cost of eating at a restaurant. The BBC reports on Gambia’s efforts to address the issue of people without addresses.

Gas prices vary from one state to another … why is that? We try to explain. The BBC reports on basement apartments in South Korea in the wake of record rainfall and flooding. Art critic Blake Gopnik talks about a new exhibit that touches on industry and economics.

From the BBC World Service: Low water levels on the River Rhine mean vessels are having to restrict the load they can carry. Following flooding in Seoul, South Korea, authorities are moving to ban basement apartments. Plus, we hear how disruption to China’s manufacturing hubs is impacting supply chains around the world.