Marketplace

Long before it became a flashpoint in the upcoming election, the United States Postal Service has been in deep trouble because of its deep debt. Today, we’ll dig into how pension obligations and congressional pressure have squeezed the USPS. Plus: remote learning for disabled students, rolling blackouts in California and why you really should take a vacation.

Yesterday, Aug. 13, represents how far into 2020 Black women would have had to work to earn as much as white men did by the end of 2019. On today’s show, we’ll talk about why. Plus: The toll the COVID-19 pandemic is taking on mental health and some parts of the retail sector.

Outdoor retailer REI had plans to open a brand-new headquarters in Seattle this summer. But with employees working from home, the company is looking to sell its new building before it’s even moved in. Today, we’ll look at the lessons learned by REI and other companies looking to cut costs in the pandemic. Plus: Some states are requiring companies to pick up the cost of employees’ Wi-Fi and home office supplies. But first, the latest unemployment claim numbers and cities’ budget shortfalls.

We’ve talked a lot on this program about structural economic racism, but what if the word “racism” isn’t even enough to describe the inequities in this country? Today we’re talking with author and journalist Isabel Wilkerson, whose new book argues just that. But first: What’s CFIUS and what does it have to do with TikTok? Plus the market for caregivers who have survived COVID-19, the ongoing legal battle over gig worker classification and how “creative accounting” works.

A new report from the New York Federal Reserve confirms that Black-owned businesses have been having more trouble during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a lot of it comes down to relationships with banks. We’ll look at why those relationships are so important. Plus: pay disparities in the video game industry, CEOs put pressure on Congress and a view from a college campus preparing to reopen.

That’s not exactly breaking news, but it’s important because more than 30 million people started facing their economic futures this week without an additional $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits. We’ll look at what that means depending on where you live. Plus: the inflationary and deflationary pressures on this economy, the disconnect facing students this fall and what’s going on with the White House, Microsoft and TikTok.

The Trump administration today announced a blockbuster, $2.1 billion vaccine-development deal with two drug companies, giving the United States dibs on 100 million vaccine doses. Hours later, the European Union struck a similar arrangement for even more doses. On today’s show, we’ll dig into fears around so-called “vaccine nationalism.” 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.

We expected a bad GDP report today, but that doesn’t make the historic contraction easier to swallow. Ditto for the 17 million continuing unemployment claims for the week ending July 18. Today, we’ll dig into what it all means for the economy. Plus: defining “disinflation,” the economics of the NBA’s Florida “bubble” and Ron Howard talks about “Rebuilding Paradise.”

Today the CEOs of Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon faced a (virtual) grilling from lawmakers over a whole slew of issues. We’ll run down everything you need to know about that, plus the latest from the Federal Reserve. Later, we’ll look at big retailers’ Black Friday plans, why a gap year isn’t an option for most college students and how some Americans are faring at the end of the month.

We’re talking a lot about negotiation today, in your household and in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said there won’t be a new COVID-19 relief package without liability protections for companies. It’s just one of many fault lines in the bill, and we’ll spend some time today talking about it and others, like unemployment benefits. Plus: America’s new multigenerational homes, what comes after “Our Black Year” and the behavioral economics of wearing a mask. We’ll also bring you a preview of our new podcast for kids and their families, “Million Bazillion.” Subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

Stocks have been on a run since March’s lows. But gold, the investor’s last resort, is hitting a record high. So what gives? Today, we’ll look at what a surge in the precious metal means for confidence in this economy. Later, we look at China’s live-streaming marketplace and reopened box office. Plus: How do you enforce a mask mandate?

The federal moratorium on evictions expires today. As you may have heard, the federal government’s unemployment benefits expire at the end of this month, too. Today, we’ll look at what it means to have an eviction on your record, and how long those effects last. Plus, we’ve got three stories on state and local politics, playing out in grocery stores without hazard pay, city-run cooling centers and on the streets in places without stay-at-home orders. By the way, please help us improve this podcast by taking a quick anonymous survey at americanpublicmedia.org/survey.

Well… you know the rest. Today we’ll talk about how America’s struggle to slow down COVID-19, and the resulting recession, could ripple through the global economy. Plus, we’ll tell you about the merger between two clickbait companies and the specific struggles facing minority-owned businesses and gig workers seeking coronavirus relief. By the way, please help us improve this podcast by taking a quick, anonymous survey at americanpublicmedia.org/survey.

We’re about to find out. Unless Congress has a new plan in place by next week, tens of millions of people are going to lose an extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits — around a 60% cut for most. A few days later, rent is due. Today, we’ll continue our look at the impact that loss will have on American households. Also set to change: requirements in many places for getting benefits at all. Plus: the coin shortage and what it takes for a company like Apple to become carbon neutral. By the way, please help us improve this podcast by taking a quick, anonymous survey at americanpublicmedia.org/survey. 

With many school districts going to online learning this fall, some parents are teaming up to hire private educators to tutor their “pod.” Today, we’ll look at how the system could work — and who it could leave behind. Plus: What you need to know about the government’s new COVID-19 tracking site and the coronavirus relief bill’s potential payroll tax cuts. Later, we’ll introduce you to Marketplace’s brand-new podcast, “Million Bazillion”! By the way, please help us improve this podcast by taking a quick anonymous survey at americanpublicmedia.org/survey.