Marketplace All-in-One

Let’s face it, it’s getting more expensive to eat out these days. One of our listeners noticed the price of his burrito went up by $2 and wonders if it’ll go back down now that inflation is a slowing a bit. Probably not. We’ll explain. Plus, we take your questions about student loan debt relief, electric vehicles and the military, and one of our listeners makes us smart about cherries!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We can’t make this show without you! Keep submitting your questions at [email protected] or leave a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART.

Amid an inventory glut and flagging profits, Target said its 63-year-old CEO will stay on for three more years, even though he was mandated to retire in two. The retailer joins a growing list of companies to nix age limits in the C-suite. Today, we’ll dig into why the rule exists but is falling out of fashion. Plus, an equal pay win for the U.S. women’s soccer team and a TikToker who makes monetary policy fun.

No more people under the age of 35 in Juul ads, social media or product placement – it’s all a part of massive tentative settlement for the e-cigarette maker. Susan Schmidt of Exchange Capital Resources drops some market insight for us. There’s a different side of the supply chain saga – retailers are now dealing with too much stuff.

Oil prices are now at a seven-month low, and a lot has happened in those seven months. Plus, Californians have been asked not to charge EVs during peak hours. And, what’s the “joint employer” rule? Something that helps tip labor regulations back toward workers.

From the BBC World Service: Russia and the West have already faced off on energy supplies, now Putin alleges grain exports from Ukraine are not going to the world’s poorest countries. Plus, how India’s silicon valley has been pounded by the heaviest rains in decades with power cuts and worries of further disruptions.

Much of the western United States dealt with scorching temperatures over the past week, with some parts of California reaching more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. That state is in a multiyear drought, and some residents are allowed to water their gardens and lawns only one day per week. Texas, Nevada and New Mexico are also experiencing severe droughts, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So, farmers have to be especially careful about how they use precious resources like water. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Jill McCluskey, a professor of sustainability at Washington State University’s School of Economic Sciences, about how smart tech in agriculture can help.

Russia said Friday it would not resume pumping natural gas to Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline. By Monday, one gas benchmark had shot up 30%. Governments are spending big to keep utility companies afloat, which could be pushing some countries to the brink of financial crisis. We’ll talk about it, plus energy news stateside and a sobering look at problem gambling as legal sports betting expands.

Artificial intelligence. It’s a phrase that gets thrown around a lot. But what are we really talking about?

“Artificial intelligence is not one thing. It’s not a single technology. It’s a term that is applied to all sorts of technologies that vaguely behave like the human brain, and in some cases, aren’t even close to behaving like the human brain,” said Cade Metz, a technology correspondent covering artificial intelligence at The New York Times and author of the book “Genius Makers: the Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook and the World.”

When the artificial intelligence field was created in the 1950s, the aim was to mimic human intelligence. Today, some researchers believe we’re already there or really close. But the thing is, there’s still lots about human intelligence we don’t understand.

On the show today, we’re going to get smart about the state of AI as Metz walks us through how far AI has come, where it’s at, where it’s headed and what it has to do with cat photos!

In the News Fix, Russia is saying the quiet part out loud, and an important marker in the ongoing aftermath of Jan. 6 insurrection.

Then, we’ll hear from a new mom about quiet quitting, and what happened after one listener switched Siri’s voice to the one that sounds like Kimberly. Plus, a TikTok finance wiz answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Join us tomorrow for Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday. If you’ve got a question you’d like us to answer, email us at [email protected] or leave a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART. 

First, where markets are starting out after the Labor Day holiday, on the heels of several consecutive down weeks for stocks. Michael Schumacher of Wells Fargo Securities discusses how money is shifting in various ways. Plus, back-to-school shopping is not immune from inflation. And, Marketplace’s China correspondent Jennifer Pak checks in regarding the state and impact of the country’s COVID lockdowns.

A blistering heatwave is expected to strain California’s power grid. There was supposed to be a water conservation plan for the Colorado River by now, but it hasn’t happened yet. We try to follow where money goes when Texas puts migrants on buses to sanctuary cities.