12/29/2017: Athleisure vs. the cotton industry
Dec 29, 2017

12/29/2017: Athleisure vs. the cotton industry

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Spandex, yoga pants, and Lycra aren't just for Pilates classes anymore. They're infiltrating the American wardrobe, and it's plaguing the already beleaguered cotton industry. Plus, there are $2 billion worth of bitcoin transactions every day. Some governments, like South Korea, want to regulate speculation on the volatile cryptocurrency. And this holiday weekend, you may find yourself watching a football bowl game. It's a tradition that dates back to the first Rose Bowl game in 1923, but why has the schedule ballooned to 40 bowl games a year?

Segments From this episode

U.S. cotton farmers are suffering from two years of depressed prices — China, weather and yoga pants are mainly to blame

Dec 29, 2017
The trendiness of synthetic fiber yoga pants is hurting American cotton farmers. But deep in the heart of North Carolina, cotton researchers are designing new fabrics to stay competitive.
NC Cotton Farmer David Dunlow in one of his fields.
James Morrison/ for Marketplace

2017 jobs picture was rosy, but are we at full employment?

Dec 29, 2017
2017 was a good year for jobs. Over the past year, (November 2016 to November 2017, the latest figure available), unemployment’s fallen by half a percent to just 4.1 percent. And according to orthodox economics, that means we’re hovering around full employment. Basically, the model says: If unemployment falls lower, employers will be so desperate […]

Spandex, yoga pants, and Lycra aren’t just for Pilates classes anymore. They’re infiltrating the American wardrobe, and it’s plaguing the already beleaguered cotton industry. Plus, there are $2 billion worth of bitcoin transactions every day. Some governments, like South Korea, want to regulate speculation on the volatile cryptocurrency. And this holiday weekend, you may find yourself watching a football bowl game. It’s a tradition that dates back to the first Rose Bowl game in 1923, but why has the schedule ballooned to 40 bowl games a year?