The hot and cold economy, explained. Delta will start paying flight attendants for boarding time. And self-recorded auditions may be here to stay.

High commodity prices, driven by pandemic disruptions and the war in Ukraine, are roiling the global economy. Developing nations are particularly sensitive to these increases, especially in food prices. We speak to David Malpass, President of the World Bank, about the bank’s latest economic projections and what they say about where the world may be headed. Forecasters are talking ahead of morning’s forthcoming GDP numbers, which may show a slowdown amid high inflation. 

From the BBC World Service: The BBC understands that if Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, buys the drugstores, he plans to expand the U.K. brand into India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Plus, a Samsung smartwatch commercial faces criticism from women. And, the “urban miners” looking to profit from electronic waste.

Business owners are facing shrinking profit margins as they deal with higher costs for materials and rising wages. We take a look at what options businesses have, including raising prices. A look at why the stock market has been down in the past month. Businesses have been investing in new equipment, which can improve productivity at a time of labor shortages.

Rental rates are rising faster than they have in years. According to one expert, rents are going up by an average of 15% per year nationwide, compared to just 3% before the pandemic. We take a look into what’s driving the increase and what it means for consumers. Russia has cut off natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria amid increasing tension over their support for Ukraine. A look into why markets have been down in the past month. House prices have been increasing rapidly over the pandemic, but the shortage has been building for years – even before COVID.

From the BBC World Service: As the European Union holds emergency gas talks to decide how to respond to Russia, what does turning off the gas taps mean for Poland and Bulgaria? Plus, a Chinese drone manufacturer has halted sales to Russia and Ukraine to try and stop its products being used in the war. And, the “vampire devices” which are driving up our home energy bills.

More people will soon have access to Pfizer’s Paxlovid COVID treatment. After initial supply limits, the Biden administration says the country now has plenty available and that it wants more locations to offer the drug. We talk to Marketplace’s Nova Safo about how the drug may soon become widely available in pharmacies. Blackstone, one of the country’s largest investors, will purchase a massive office complex called PS Business Parks, signaling a shift back toward office work after the pandemic drove people to work at home. The negligent homicide case involving a nurse is being closely monitored by medical professionals who worry it could set a precedent of criminalizing medical mistakes.

Few industries have been impacted by pandemic-driven disruptions quite like the construction business. Whether it’s a lack of building materials or a shortage of workers, construction companies have been wading through one challenge after another for years. For more on this, we take the “Economic” Pulse of Maurice Rahming, president of O’Neill Construction Group in Portland, Oregon. Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has raised questions about what the tech billionaire is trying to accomplish — we speak to Erik Gordon, professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, about the deal.

From the BBC World Service: What to do about the besieged city of Mariupol is expected to be top of the list of subjects the UN’s Antonio Guterres and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin are expected to focus on. Plus, is Beijing next for a citywide lockdown as China sticks to its zero COVID strategy? And, why U.K. drugstores are reporting shortages of hormone replacement therapy.