Marketplace All-in-One

The Supreme Court is hearing two cases on affirmative action in higher education. We’ll talk about what it means for race and diversity across society, from college campuses to corporate America. Plus, can haunted houses ease stress and anxiety? And, Kimberly gets in the Halloween spirit by sharing a few jokes and last-minute costume ideas.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

If you’ve got a question for the hosts or your own answer to the Make Me Smart question, call 508-U-B-SMART and leave us a voicemail. You can email [email protected].

We spend a lot of time on this program talking about the big-picture data of this economy. But data doesn’t tell the whole story. Today, we travel to Buffalo, New York — a city where low-wage workers have enjoyed wage growth of more than 40% in the past few years — and hear how workers along one street are navigating inflation, the labor market and recovery from the pandemic.

Many economists believe the gathering of Fed policymakers is an omen of another interest rate hike. Over in Europe, inflation’s growth has led to greater cost-of-living problems, as the BBC reports. Then, we check in on some school districts in Texas that have shifted their schedules into a four-day work week.

Russia has suspended a deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports out of the Black Sea. The debate over sick days has jammed up negotiations between unions and the railroad industry. Federal aid will become accessible to homeless hurricane victims.

From the BBC World Service: While Russia pulled out of a deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports to safely leave the country, the U.N. says a dozen ships left Ukraine on Monday. So far, the grain deal has allowed almost 10 million tons to leave Ukraine since July. Plus, Brazil’s president-elect Lula da Silva pledges to tackle poverty, again. And, the English pumpkin farmer whose business is booming this Halloween.

It’s an uncertain Monday at Twitter because Elon Musk has taken over and started shaking things up. Last week, according to Bloomberg, he reassured employees that he did not plan to discard three-quarters of the staff, as he reportedly told investors earlier. But the self-described free speech absolutist has made no secret of his desire to make some personnel cuts, particularly around content moderation. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Sarah Roberts, a professor and director of the Center for Critical Internet Inquiry at the University of California, Los Angeles, who also worked previously on Twitter’s health research team. She said that while content moderation is often framed as a political issue, it’s much more than that.

Warning: This interview references abusive online material involving children.

You can bet in Vegas. At the racetrack. On sports. But what if you could place a bet on the midterm elections? A government commission is weighing a startup’s proposal. We’ll explain. Also, President Joe Biden reacts to Exxon’s record-breaking profits. Plus, a round of Half Full/Half Empty! And, find out what listeners think about political candidates on TikTok.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

If you’ve got a question for the hosts, leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART. You can also send an email to [email protected].

Inflation is the unwanted guest who somehow has not taken the hint. Prices are still rising month over month. And though the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are being felt throughout the economy, we’ll likely be asking that question for a while before prices start to stabilize. Plus, a race toward I bonds, a plan to keep college students in STEM and the economic woes of going on tour.

One big question: Will it become a looser place for content? We talk with Lauren Hirsch of the New York Times about Musk’s potential next steps. Christopher Low of FHN Financial discusses consumer spending. Then, we dive into tax-related boycotts in a Texas county with reporter Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media.

Apple and Amazon’s earnings reports show growth, but also some signs of slippage. Then, during our time in Texas, we have a chat with the new president of Rice University.