Jul 31, 2020

What it means to plant your flag in a coronavirus vaccine

President Donald Trump tours a North Carolina lab making components for a potential vaccine. The U.S. has struck deals with drug companies for access to coronavirus vaccines in development. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Plus: What's going on with the economy (and whether Americans' savings accounts are ready for it), how loss leaders work and the state of labor organizing in a pandemic.

Segments From this episode

The Weekly Wrap: The worst economic week on record?

Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal talks with Heather Long at The Washington Post about the most recent Federal Reserve meeting, the expiration of federal unemployment benefits and what might very well be the worst economic week on record.

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COVID-19

As the COVID-19 lockdown took hold, savings rates spiked

by Justin Ho

Jul 31, 2020

Government relief has boosted some incomes, and shutdowns have made it harder to spend.

A shuttered movie theater in Los Angeles. As people are unable to spend money on outings like movies and restaurants, the savings rate has climbed.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

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Milk

Why retailers price some items below cost

by Kristin Schwab

Jul 31, 2020

Lots of industries rely on loss leaders to get you in the door while quietly raising prices on other products.

Jose De Leon restocks shelves at the Presidente Supermarket on April 13, 2020 in Miami, Florida.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Why are people suddenly clicking on a 9-year-old article?

by Andie Corban

Jul 31, 2020

We asked Brian Ronaghan, Marketplace's director of product, to tell us about his search into why an old interview about the Book of Revelation was spiking online.

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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COVID-19

U.S. and EU vaccine deals raise fears of 'vaccine nationalism'

by Scott Tong

Jul 31, 2020

What does it mean for the rest of the world if countries have dibs on vaccine doses?

President Donald Trump tours a North Carolina lab making components for a potential vaccine. The U.S. has struck deals with drug companies for access to coronavirus vaccines in development.

Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

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Workplace Culture

Recessions are bad for labor movements ... except when they're not

by Meghan McCarty Carino

Jul 31, 2020

What the history of union movements can teach us about worker power during the pandemic.

Women strikers on a New York City picket line during the Uprising of the 20,000, a garment workers strike of 1909 and 1910.

Bain News Service

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Music from the episode

black coffee Elijah Who

Moonshape Blackbird Blackbird

Tej The So Ons

Emotion Motion Mokhov

Superstition Future TOPS

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Daisy Palacios Senior Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer

Sean McHenry Associate Producer

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