Marketplace All-in-One

That’s right, the platform that’s popular among younger investors is exploring the world of retirement planning. Inflation has led to a boost for packaged foods. The BBC reports on the development of a next-generation fighter jet.

From the BBC World Service: The U.K. government has announced one of the biggest financial shake-ups in more than 30 years – we look at what it means for global banking. We have the latest on the trial of the collapsed payment company Wirecard, the biggest fraud case in German financial history. Plus, we find out who will be joining Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa on his SpaceX flight to the moon.

Unions have come to the video game industry. They started small at just one indie developer about a year ago, then those efforts started to spread. Workers at some of the biggest names in the business have started organizing — at Activision Blizzard and recently at ZeniMax, a company owned by Microsoft. This sudden upswell is shaking up an industry that has long been known for grueling hours, low pay and a workforce that is not especially diverse. So how did the union movement go from 0 to 60, and where is it headed from here? Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Nicole Carpenter, a senior reporter for Polygon, a gaming and entertainment news site. She recently wrote an explainer about unions in the industry. She said a turning point came in 2021 when California sued Activision for an alleged pattern of sexual harassment and discrimination, which set off a chain of investigations and lawsuits that brought the problems of the industry into the public eye.

Today’s episode mentions heavy topics like substance use disorder and death, which some listeners might find distressing.

Last year, 80,000 Americans died due to opioid overdoses. Kimberly opens up about losing a loved one to the epidemic and highlights new research on the impact of opioids on the labor market. Plus, political prisoner Brittney Griner is home.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Join us tomorrow for our final episode of 2022. We’re hosting a festive Economics on Tap starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time/3:30 p.m. Pacific time on YouTube Live.

And if you have a holiday cocktail recipe or beer we should try, please send it our way. We’re at [email protected] or (508) U-B-SMART.

Americans’ spend-happy ways continue. Credit was up by 7% compared to October of last year, and card balances shot up faster than they had in 20 years. In this episode, bigger debts with higher interest rates are digging big holes for consumers. Plus, prices rise for packaged goods, researchers advocate for sustainable aviation fuels and the fine art market may be primed for a slowdown.

Fed up with her husband not doing his part around the house, Jalie Gil decided to go on strike and document it all on TikTok. When the strike went viral, her private struggle for equitable housework became something of a reality show. Jalie updated every day, and viewers cheered her on from the virtual picket line. But in the real world, her marriage was being pushed to its breaking point. This week: How Jalie’s strike transformed her marriage and her world view.

This episode was reported by Reema Khrais, produced by Alice Wilder, edited by Laura Mayer and engineered by Drew Jostad. 

The Chinese government has rolled back many of its toughest anti-COVID restrictions following protests and potential damage to the economy. What happens now? Jennifer Pak updates us from Shanghai. The BBC reports on new currency bearing the visage of King Charles III making the rounds. The BBC also has more on the E.U. attempt to tackle bias in a variety of algorithms.

Because of the pandemic, there’s going to be a shift as to the sources of those profits, according to the International Air Transport Association. Elsewhere, we check in on China, which is in the midst of easing its zero-COVID restrictions. Then, a report notes how coal could be replaced as the world’s top bringer of electricity.

From the BBC World Service: After the ousting of Peru’s president, we look at what change at the top means for the economy. Plus, why has the U.K. given the go-ahead to its first coal mine in 30 years? And, how significant will Harry and Meghan’s Netflix series be for the streaming service?

Hurricane season is officially over. There were 14 named tropical storms this year, three of which made landfall as hurricanes on the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico, including Hurricane Ian. The climate crisis, along with the boom in coastal development, have given hurricanes the power to cause more death and destruction. Marketplace’s Amy Scott spent a day with people who try to predict such disasters for our climate solutions podcast, “How We Survive.” She found out that climate change is making their job more complicated.

This episode originally aired Nov. 16 on the “How We Survive” podcast.