Mar 3, 2020

Fed makes emergency moves

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Fed cuts interest rates by half a percentage point. Amazon cracks down on those selling COVID-19-related products at inflated prices. Quebec, Canada, as a potential giant storage battery to fight climate change.

Segments From this episode

COVID-19

In emergency move, Fed cuts interest rates by 0.5%

by David Brancaccio

Mar 3, 2020

"A half a point is not going to cure anybody," said Karen Petrou, managing partner of Federal Financial Analytics.

An interest rate cut that occurs between formal policy meetings is highly unusual.

Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

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COVID-19

Amazon cracks down on COVID-19 price gouging

by Marielle Segarra

Mar 3, 2020

The company says it has recently blocked or removed tens of thousands of listings for such products, like face masks and hand sanitizer.

Some third-party sellers have been charging hundreds of dollars for a couple small bottles of hand sanitizer or a box of protective face masks.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

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Moving away from carbon, with help from Canada

by David Brancaccio

Mar 3, 2020

Wind and solar resources in New England and New York fluctuate. One way to manage this uncertainty is trading with Quebec.

Several states in the northeast of America have committed to decarbonizing their electricity grids in the next 20 to 30 years.

Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

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Music from the episode

Panic Switch Silversun Pickups

The team

David Brancaccio Host

Victoria Craig Host, BBC

Stephen Ryan Senior Producer, BBC

Jonathan Frewin Producer, BBC

Daniel Shin Producer

Jay Siebold Technical Director

Brian Allison Engineer

Meredith Garretson Morbey Senior Producer

Erika Soderstrom Producer

Rose Conlon Producer

Alex Schroeder Producer

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