From the BBC World Service: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in China with a long list of global issues on his agenda: There’s conflict in the Middle East, America’s support for Taiwan and the way China supplies crucial technology to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Also: key issues for women voting in India’s general election and southern Spain’s struggle with the highest unemployment rate in Europe.

Blinken’s thorny China trip

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A new class of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s, like Wegovy and Zepbound, helped grow the weight loss industry to nearly $90 billion last year. Now, weight loss companies, apps and fitness companies are adapting their to programs include the drugs, as well. Also, allegations of serious fraud threaten a big U.S.-U.K. soccer deal, and China’s latest trade data showed a return to growth in April.
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How weight loss drugs are transforming the weight loss industry

A recent TransUnion report shows borrowers aged 22 to 24 are carrying an average of roughly $2,800 in credit card debt — adjusted for inflation, that’s more than millennials in the same age range a decade ago. Then, an ad for Apple’s latest iPad has gone viral … for the wrong reasons. And what might America’s next economy look like? We discuss what achieving an economic framework that works for everyone might entail.
Support our nonprofit newsroom today and pick up a fun thank-you gift like our new Shrinkflation mini tote bag or the fan favorite KaiPA pint glass!

Gen Z is starting out with more debt

From the BBC World Service: The European Union plans to use profits from frozen Russian assets to fund arms to Ukraine, which could be worth around $3 billion a year. Plus, the head of public relations at China’s biggest search engine, Baidu, apologized after glorifying a work-till-you-drop culture. And as China’s President Xi Jinping concludes his European tour in Hungary, we look at the country’s growing EV battery industry.
Support our nonprofit newsroom today and pick up a fun thank-you gift like our new Shrinkflation mini tote bag or the fan favorite KaiPA pint glass!

How frozen Russian assets could fund Ukraine’s war effort

Today’s episode of Marketplace Tech is all about financial scams: how they work, what kinds of technology scammers use, and how to spot a scam before you fall victim to one. We’re passing the microphone to victims of scams to tell their stories and then breaking down how the scammers pulled it off with Marketplace’s Lily Jamali and Selena Larson, staff threat researcher at Proofpoint.
Support our nonprofit newsroom today and pick up a fun thank-you gift like our new Shrinkflation mini tote bag or the fan favorite KaiPA pint glass!

How scammers hijack their victims’ brains


Increasingly popular buy now, pay later services allow shoppers to split their purchases into smaller, recurring payments. We’ll get into why these loans are blurring economists’ understanding of today’s consumer debt landscape. We’ll also discuss President Joe Biden’s climate and infrastructure spending spree, and the knock-on effects of parents dying from drug overdoses. Plus, singer Tyla’s sandy Met Gala look, and forgotten 100-year-old love letters make us smile.
 
Here’s everything we talked about today:
 



“More than 320000 U.S. children lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011-2021” from Axios



 



“Playbook: Biden’s race to Trump-proof his legacy” from Politico



 



“Biden’s biggest challenge: How do you even spend $1.6 trillion?” from Politico



 



“‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Has Americans Racking Up Phantom Debt” from Bloomberg



 



“Video: See moment Tyla is carried up Met Gala steps” from CNN



 



“Tyla’s sand-covered Met Gala 2024 gown was chopped in half after the red carpet” from Page Six



 



“When to use buy now, pay later services” from Marketplace



 



“Hidden love letters spark historical mystery in Baltimore” from The Baltimore Banner




 
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.


Blinken’s thorny China trip

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