Marketplace All-in-One

The European Union’s Digital Services Act requires big internet platforms to create searchable public libraries of their ads, allowing researchers to see who an ad is targeting and reaching and what it’s urging its audience to do. But a new assessment finds that those libraries are lacking. We dig in. Plus, China’s economy grew faster than expected, but Chinese consumers are still struggling. We’ll also hear how to find reasonably high interest rates on savings.

Big corporate landlords provide the company RealPage with data you can’t just see on Zillow, like the rent a tenant actually pays versus what’s advertised publicly. In return, the company recommends a rent price to set. Now, lawsuits are alleging that RealPage uses the data for wide scale rent-fixing. Also: the latest news on shares of Trump Media and a frank conversation about the shame that comes with debt.

From the BBC World Service: Economic growth in China, the world’s second biggest economy, beat expectations in the first quarter. Official data shows it’s being led by the manufacturing sector, but domestic demand is still weak. Plus, the Panama Canal will permit more ships from next month, easing congestion. And Colombia has become a top destination for so-called digital nomad; we take a look at how this is affecting the economy.

President Joe Biden won Arizona in 2020 by a razor-thin margin, flipping the state blue for the first time in more than 20 years. As a result, Arizona became a hotbed of election misinformation and conspiracy theories, as false claims of a stolen election led to protests outside voting centers, a GOP-backed ballot audit and threats against election workers. Now, with just over 200 days until the 2024 election, experts warn that artificial intelligence could supercharge misinformation and disinformation in this year’s race. So how are election officials in a state that has already been in the trenches preparing for another battle over facts? In this episode of “Marketplace Tech’s” limited series, “Decoding Democracy,” Lily Jamali and Kimberly Adams look back at what happened in Arizona during the last presidential election and how the state became entangled in conspiracy theories. Plus, we hear from Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes about how his office plans to combat AI-charged misinformation this year.

This week, Bridget and Ryan are working hard to answer a question many listeners sent in, including Benicio, about labor unions and how they work. They get some help from a group of middle school babysitters called The Caregiver Crew who want to form a union. We’ll learn the ins and outs of negotiations, collective bargaining, strikes, and even … scabbing.

If your family is interested in learning more about labor unions, check out the page for this episode at our website. We’ve got discussion questions and tips for learning more!

This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Get one month free and earn $10 today when you sign up for Greenlight at greenlight.com/million.

It’s Tax Day! Millions of Americans have already filed their 2023 returns, but today we’re talking about tax protesters and the moral and ethical reasons some refuse to file their taxes or pay what they owe. Plus, the “no landing” scenario has entered the chat. And, what are we getting wrong about the cosmos?

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The economy has historically been a major factor in election forecasting. But right now, the economy is kinda all over the place. In this episode, how some experts are adjusting their models to account for increased polarization and others are throwing in the towel. Plus, more guessing games: Will BYD crush Tesla? Should firms make big deals before inflation cools? And wait — when am I scheduled to work?

Stocks close down; retail sales rise 0.7% from February; homebuilder confidence flat in April; investment banking revenue pushes up Goldman Sachs earnings.

Retail sales increased 0.7% in March, Commerce Department says; FBI boards cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore bridge; Goldman Sachs quarterly profits soar amid more deal making; global smartphone sales rise nearly 8%.

The Colorado River, vital to the American West, faces a crisis as demand surpasses its supply due to rising temperatures and unsustainable usage practices. As millions depend on its waters for survival, challenges like rampant growth and water-intensive farming further strain this precious resource. Across the region, communities must rethink water distribution and utilization to adapt to a drier future.

In this special, we follow Leigh Harris and her husband Franck Avril, residents grappling with water scarcity in their dream home built on a dry lot. Their journey underscores the urgency of finding affordable water sources amidst worsening drought. Additionally, we delve into technological innovations, from desalination to rain water, offering potential solutions to the crisis. We also examine a growing movement, rooted in Indigenous values, to give nature — rivers, fish, crops and trees — the same rights as people, and what that might mean for the future of the Colorado River.

On today’s program, we’re taking a closer look at immigration and entrepreneurship. Immigrants are more likely to start a new company than U.S.-born citizens, studies show. And those new businesses need to make hires — turns out, immigrant entrepreneurs are associated with a net gain in jobs. We’ll discuss. Also, a boost in the Internal Revenue Service budget seems to be making a difference, and investors respond to rising tensions in the Middle East.

Today is Tax Day. While payers in 12 states have the opportunity to use a pilot IRS system to directly file their taxes online, tax software companies like Intuit and H&R Block have introduced generative artificial intelligence assistants to be more competitive. But do they work? Then, Samsung beats out Apple for title of the world’s biggest smartphone maker, and we examine how residents of “news deserts” access their local news.

From the BBC World Service: Tensions continue to run high in the Middle East after Iran’s recent drone and missile attacks against Israel. We’ll delve into how this weekend’s events could make a bad situation worse for Iran’s heavily sanctioned economy and the people living there. Plus, we’ll hear how the ongoing war in Ukraine could provide another big hit to energy prices, and we’ll preview the outlook for Zimbabwe’s new gold-backed currency.

The programming language known as COBOL turns 65 this year. We couldn’t help noticing that’s right around retirement age, but COBOL is nowhere near retirement. It remains a mainstay of IT operations at U.S. government agencies, businesses and financial institutions. Yet the programming language, which is older than the Beatles, is no longer taught at most universities. Glenn Fleishman is a freelance tech journalist who has written about this aging slab of digital infrastructure. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali asked him whether our continuing reliance on COBOL is a problem.

It’s hard to get around without a car these days. But in the last couple of years, owning one has become very expensive. We’ll explain the deceptive practices happening in the auto lending market. And, we’ll explain how Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s power in the Democratic Party was demonstrated by a campaign contribution. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty and weigh in on “dumbphones” and adult gap years.

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As more cities and states debate abolishing subminimum wages for tipped workers, we’re keeping an eye on Washington, D.C., where the tip credit system is being phased out. Though food service staff shrunk last year, some current servers say their paychecks are much more stable. Plus, corporate defaults climb and the cost of Asian imports falls as the cost of goods from Mexico increases.

Stocks fall; JP Morgan CEO cites economic uncertainty; consumer confidence holds steady; import prices rise in March.

Profits rose 6% at JPMorgan Chase; BlackRock profits soar 36%; Citigroup, Wells Fargo profits decline; S&P 500 quarterly earnings expected to be up 5%.

The unemployment gap between Black and white workers has consistently been around 2 to 1 ever since the government started disaggregating the data more than five decades ago. While the Black unemployment rate is relatively low historically, the gap remains. We’ll discuss the institutional reasons why and how best to tackle the issue. Also on today’s program: the return of standardized testing and a preview of Senate hearings centered on Boeing’s manufacturing and safety practices.

Next month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will tell us how much of the income generated by workers’ toil actually went to them in Q1. That stat is called labor share of national income — and it’s shrinking. Plus, a government committee that scrutinizes deals between foreign companies and American firms may be getting more power. And 14 states are opting out of a summer EBT program that would help families buy groceries.

Wanna learn more about labor share of income and see Marketplace reporter Nancy Marshall Genzer get a pie in the face? Check out the Marketplace TikTok feed.

From the BBC World Service: Thousands of victims of a huge investment scam believe police in London have nearly $4 billion worth of bitcoin that belongs to them and want the British government to give it back. Then, The European Central bank held interest rates steady but gave strong hints about future rate cuts. Plus, we hear about padel, one of the world’s fastest growing sports, and its Olympic ambitions

The Labor Department this week confirmed what a lot of Americans have been feeling: Inflation is kind ofsticking around, and higher interest rates are likely to as well. We’ll look at what that means for venture capital, which was already slow to flow. Plus, the Joe Biden administration announced a $6.6 billion deal with Taiwan-based semiconductor maker TSMC to build a third production hub in Arizona. We take a look at the ongoing rollout of the CHIPS and Science Act, which makes it all possible. But first, Tesla has settled a lawsuit in the death of a software engineer who was killed driving a Tesla while using the company’s semiautonomous driving software, Autopilot. The suit put scrutiny on Elon Musk’s claims about the software.

Marketplace’s Lily Jamali is joined by Jewel Burks Solomon, managing director at Collab Capital, for her take on these stories.

Today, we’re discussing the bond market’s big reaction to the latest inflation news and why you shouldn’t worry about it. Plus, a new Boeing whistleblower comes forward, and Beyoncé calls out the home insurance industry.

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Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. We’ll have news, drink, and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Like a choreographed dance, central banks usually move together in managing interest rates. But with a high U.S. inflation reading in March, other banks might cut rates before the Fed. The European Central Bank is closer to its target and has signaled a cut in June. Plus, West Texas natural gas extractors are paying to get rid of their excess, colleges are hiring managers to help athletes get name, image and likeness deals, and a complicated insurance tactic is raising patients’ out-of-pocket costs.

Stocks close higher; cost of financial services, equipment wholesaling and other services rise; mortgage rates near 7%; initial jobless claims fall.

Lorena has been a garment worker in Los Angeles for over twenty years, going to work each day in a small factory to sew trendy fast fashion clothes for pennies per item. But one day, she decided enough was enough, and she took a stand against the poor work conditions and low pay. In part two of our mini-series on fast fashion, we look at the system of production: who pays the price for cheap clothes? And how might that system change for the better?

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Delta Air Lines reported strong sales and summer demand; Constellation Brands reported strong beer sales; CarMax struggled amid high prices and interest rates; initial jobless claims declined to 211,000 last week; ECB maintains record high interest rate.

On Wednesday, Republicans, Democrats and college officials took to Capitol Hill to vent about the Education Department’s botched rollout of a newer, simplified FAFSA form. That’s the form high school students fill out and send to colleges to determine financial aid offers — and it’s affected millions of students. We’ll also discuss fresh wholesale inflation figures and get a sneak peak at the latest season of Marketplace’s “Million Bazillion” podcast, which tackles kids’ biggest money questions.

Meta’s latest answer to protecting kids on Instagram is automatically blurring images that may contain nudity. The company says it will test this on the platform’s direct messaging feature. We’ll parse the details. Plus, the FCC is requiring large internet providers to post “broadband nutrition labels” that provide a snapshot of charges and performance data. Will they impact consumers’ internet diet? And a recent survey finds that CEOs are feeling pretty optimistic.

From the BBC World Service: A Vietnamese court sentenced property developer Truong My Lan to death after she was convicted of taking $44 billion from one of Vietnam’s largest banks. Also, South Korea’s liberal opposition party won in a landslide majority in the country’s general election. And paralympian Stef Reid is asking sportswear companies who use amputee athletes in their marketing why it’s not possible to buy single shoes.

More than 99% of all species that have lived on Earth are now extinct — something humans have certainly had a hand in. There’s now an entire scientific discipline devoted to bringing some of these species back. If you’re picturing those cloning scenes from “Jurassic Park” right now, we get it. But “de-extinction” is not quite that. Beth Shapiro is the chief science officer at Colossal Biosciences, a bioengineering startup working on de-extinction. She explained to Marketplace’s Lily Jamali how the process works.

Inflation is hotter than anticipated, according to today’s consumer price index. Electricity, for instance, cost 5% more year over year. And in the coming months, demand for electricity is expected to grow — scientists predict this summer is gonna be a hot one. In this episode, an air conditioning price forecast. Plus, the lone busy cargo facility in Baltimore, country music’s Black influences and an economic fortuneteller that’s always changing its mind.

Inflation is coming in hot! Today’s consumer price index shows prices kept rising in March. Kai Ryssdal explains the one thing everybody should be doing right about now in addition to taking a deep breath! Plus, the rising cost of insurance — from homeowners coverage to life insurance — and what companies are doing to dump customers. Also, hear a whale talk to a scientist.

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The annual rate of CPI inflation ticked up in March; Accounting giant KPMG fined $25 million in exam-cheating scandal; Trump Organization’s former CFO gets 5 months jail sentence for perjury.

The U.N.’s Simon Stiell is calling for changes in global finance to help fund climate change response; inflation increased to 3.5% in March, the Labor Department says; starting today, broadband providers must provide price labels; Google, Intel unveil advanced chips for A.I.

That’s the conclusion of many investors this morning, following the release of the consumer price index. Consumer inflation clocked in at 3.5% annually, while central bankers are looking for a figure closer to 2%. We’ll talk through the data. Plus, a European court ruled that two Russian oligarchs were wrongly sanctioned following Russia’a invasion of Ukraine. And the Congressional Budget Office found that immigration means gains for U.S. economy.

The value of a typical home has reached $1 million or more in 550 U.S. cities, according to Zillow. That’s a record high, and those not-so-affordable homes are proliferating well beyond the usual high-cost metro areas like New York, San Francisco and LA. Also on the program: what to expect from today’s consumer price index report and how a cocktail with roots in wartime propaganda manages to stay relevant.

AI models are increasingly being used by the fashion industry, as they save time and money. Some models and agencies are fans, but others want to see more protection for the image rights of models. What does it all mean for the fashion industry? The BBC’s Sam Gruet reports.

From the BBC World Service: Rising food prices, strikes and paying for an aging population were familiar themes as South Koreans voted today. Then, Spain has become the latest country to scrap so-called “golden visas,” where foreign nationals are granted residency rights in exchange for investments. And later, we hear about the aviation industry’s race against time to produce enough sustainable aviation fuel to meet the industry’s growing demands.

There’s a lot of buzz about a slowdown in the electric vehicle market. EV sales, while still growing, are not accelerating at the pace of just a few years ago. At the same time, EV makers from Teslato General Motors and Fordare pushing back EV plans. So, what gives? On the show today, Robinson Meyer of Heatmap explains what’s really happening with the U.S. EV market, what it’s going to take to rev it back up, competition from China and whether moves by the Biden administration will be enough to help domestic EV producers pull ahead.

Then, can robots make the meatpacking industry safer? Plus, in celebration of Monday’s solar eclipse, a planetary scientist answers the Make Me Smart question.

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We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Curious about which way the global economy’s headed? Take a look at copper prices. Demand for the metal is soaring, and copper futures are now at the highest levels in almost two years. Also in this episode: $10 billion. That’s how much Blackstone’s paying to acquire luxury apartment owner AIR Communities. Plus, the impact of a federal shutdown on tribal nations and the latest for a seller of records and comics in Jackson, Mississippi.

Small business optimism falls; gold hits a new record; EPA tightens rules for chemical plants.

Small business hiring plans are at the lowest levels since May 2020, NFIB finds; Norfolk Southern agrees to $600 million settlement for East Palestine derailment; EPA issues tougher chemical plant emissions rule; European countries along North Sea form alliance to protect infrastructure.

Walmart has opted to settle a $45 million class-action lawsuit over allegedly inflating prices for certain products sold by weight, such as produce and meat products. That means if you purchased “weighted goods” from Walmart, you could be eligible for a payout of up to $500. Plus, investors are braced for the release of March’s consumer price index tomorrow, and we examine how funding from the CHIPS Act is being doled out.

“What we’re living through is a historic, tectonic change in how news is produced, consumed and paid for,” says Tim Franklin at Northwestern University’s Local News Initiative. And he’s feeling encouraged. Today, we’ll discuss some of the economic models that could help bolster the sustainability of local news. But first, Tesla recently settled a case challenging how the company marketed its driver-assistance technology. We’ll hear more.

From the BBC World Service: After U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned about cheap Chinese green imports, business leaders in Europe are sharing their concerns about Beijing’s impact on the sector. Then, the money-laundering of 27 people connected to the Panama Papers gets underway. And later: Politicians have long utilized social media to reach voters. But whether (semi-embarassing) short dance videos are in store, is utilizing TikTok the right move for politicians?

Bridget and Ryan are back for a whole new season of “Million Bazillion”! Since we’ve been away, Ryan’s developed an interest in soapbox car racing — just in time for a question from Abigail about how cars are made. Bridget and Ryan head to a car factory to find out the answer. By the end of the episode, they’ll need to put their newfound knowledge (and Ryan’s skills as a soapbox racer) to the test!

If your family is interested in learning more about cars, check out the page for this episode at our website. We’ve got discussion questions and tips for learning more!

This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Start saving for your first car with up to 5% on savings. Get one month free and an extra $10 when you sign up for Greenlight Infinity at greenlight.com/million.

We hear words like “safety” and “transparency” thrown around in the artificial intelligence industry, but they don’t always mean the same things to a tech insider that they do to the rest of us. Luckily, tech journalist Karen Hao wrote a helpful glossary of 50 AI ethics terms to help us make sense of what tech leaders really mean by the words they use. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with her about some of the double meanings on her list.

The Biden administration is in a mad dash to address student debt relief ahead of the presidential election. A new plan could benefit tens of millions of Americans. We’ll explain. Plus, a Kai rant about a CEO who gets too much attention. And, there seems to be a market for everything! We’ll tell you about a new fad involving kids and mini pencils.

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We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.