Marketplace All-in-One

We’re in the throngs of earnings season. Corporate ​​earnings releases are kind of like report cards for large companies, and while many have beaten quarterly expectations so far, their outlooks tend to be a little less rosy. Today, we’ll check the mood of corporate America. Plus, schools weigh spending options for COVID relief funds, short-term mortgages worry British homeowners and small businesses see supply chain relief.

First, we discuss mortgage rates with Susan Schmidt. For our Texas-focused coverage today, we examine the flow of political advertising money. The SEC is looking into updating the way it names things in order to aid frustrated investors.

Alphabet, Microsoft and Spotify are reporting declines in profit and ad sales growth. For our election-oriented coverage in Texas, we look at how redistricting affects the money dynamics for candidates. There’s a lower percentage of households with no checking or savings accounts with banks.

From the BBC World Service: Chinese shipping giant Cosco will take a 24.9% stake in Germany’s biggest seaport in Hamburg. Plus, closer links between Berlin and Beijing aren’t the only issue causing tension between France and Germany. And, Iraqi vacationers are boosting Lebanon’s tourism sector.

The Little River community in Miami is known for frequent flooding during heavy rains, high tides and storms. And when the neighborhood floods, sewage can spill into the yard; toilets back up. Even though it floods, the housing market here is hot. Long-time residents face displacement. This episode looks at flooding and flipping and how the two are related.

TikTok, with its quirky dances, is sometimes thought of as a Gen Z platform. Yet if you use the app, you’ve probably come across videos from distinctly older political candidates. Since 2020, the number of users on TikTok has increased by about 40%. And candidates have taken note. They post TikToks to reach younger audiences, make themselves seem likable and encourage people to vote.

The last few years have been a roller coaster for renters. Though  rents are up roughly 9% year over year, that’s an improvement from the increases seen last year. Is this a sign that the rental market is finally moderating, or just a temporary seasonal dip? Plus, a boost in new car inventory, new pay transparency laws that encourage fair compensation and banks’ role in the racial wealth gap.

Today, we’re bringing you an episode from “How We Survive”, Marketplace’s podcast about solutions to climate change. Hosted by Marketplace senior correspondent (and occasional “Make Me Smart” host) Amy Scott, this season of “How We Survive” is all about how we will (or won’t) adapt to rising waters.

The team headed to Miami, Florida, which is now considered one of the most vulnerable coastal cities in the world. But you’d never know that by looking at the local housing market. Florida’s economy is powered by real estate, and the state has no income tax. Local governments depend on revenue from property taxes, which is a precarious situation to be in when billions of dollars of property is at risk from rising seas and flooding (not to mention hurricanes).

In this episode we’re asking: If Miami is doomed, why isn’t the housing market acting like it?

“How We Survive” Season 2 is out now with new episodes dropping every Wednesday.

First, Drew Matus of MetLife Investment Management talks housing prices with us. Then, our election coverage has eyes on Texas, where the state is defending its redistricting maps. Oil and gas titans are reporting big profits.

Does the emergence of a Republican lawmaker in the Rio Grande Valley – typically a Democratic stronghold – signal a shift in that area? Then, we look at changes on the way for the mortgage industry. Also, polling data shows how people have a dimmer outlook of the American Dream.