Marketplace All-in-One

Last night, the House Select Committee investigating the attack on the Capitol started showing the evidence it has been gathering about who knew what and when. To build that case and tell the story, members are relying on video footage, social media communication and text messages. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Alex Howard, director of The Digital Democracy Project. He says a major focus is the role social media and virtual communication played before, during and after the attack.

This week, U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced a bill to regulate cryptocurrencies. Then, they went on TV pumping up bitcoin. We’ll explain why that’s not cool, starting with the fact that, according to her financial disclosures, Lummis is a big-time crypto investor. Consult your own financial advisers, and think twice before investing in crypto via your retirement account. Plus, tonight’s Jan. 6 committee hearings are this generation’s Watergate moment. Will you be watching? And, are UFOs real? NASA wants to find out.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you think about today’s show or anything else that’s on your mind. You can reach us at [email protected] and (508) 827-6278 or (508) U-B-SMART.

A supposed “stablecoin,” a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar, collapsed last month. Venture capitalists and crypto hedge funds lost billions, and some average-Joe investors lost everything. Today, we sort through the wreckage. We’ll also dig into the European Central Bank’s rate hike and answer some of your inflation questions.

This episode originally aired May 2021.

Mira Celper had always wanted to be best friends with her mom, but their relationship grew strained once her mom started dating the mysterious David, a successful engineer. As her mom fell deeper in love, Mira couldn’t shake the feeling that something about David was off. So she set out to find the truth.

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The Government Accountability Office added unemployment insurance systems to its list of programs at high risk for fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. Though jobless claims have remained low, the office has said the pandemic exposed a variety of weaknesses in the system. China correspondent Jennifer Pak provides another update from Shanghai, where she has a little more freedom of movement. Hundreds of thousands of children have lost a parent or guardian to COVID-19, and that also comes with devastating financial consequences.

A landmark antitrust bill would change the way the largest Big Tech companies do business. More states are requiring their high schoolers to learn the ways of money. Across the pond, our friends at the BBC are paying the equivalent of $8.60 for a gallon of regular gas. The national average here in the U.S. is $4.95. It’s a little more than $10 in Norway. We try to break down why.

From the BBC World Service: The European Central Bank is holding a meeting in Amsterdam on Thursday, but is not expected to raise interest rates despite soaring inflation across the Eurozone. Plus, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization releases its first report into global food security since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, warning that the world’s poorest countries are now paying more money for less food. And, we look at the controversy surrounding the most lucrative golf tournament in world history, as the Saudi-backed extravaganza begins just outside London.

In many ways, tech culture is startup culture, and launching your own startup can be particularly difficult when you’re from a group that’s been historically underrepresented in the sector. Kathryn Finney is the founder and CEO of Genius Guild, which builds and invests in companies led by Black founders. She’s also the author of a new book that’s coming out this week, “Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy.” Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke with Finney about her experiences and why the term “startup” is synonymous with tech.

A major stock index entered “bear” market territory recently. One of our listeners is wondering why we call it a “bear” or “bull” market and where those terms come from. We have some answers. Plus, more of your questions about gun manufacturing, the Federal Reserve and why the heck Mariah Carey is getting sued over her holiday hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” almost 30 years after it was released?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

If you have a question you’d like us to find the answer to, send it our way. We’re at [email protected] and (508) 827-6278 or (508) U-B-SMART.

Lawmakers and consumer advocates are in a standoff over which agency should regulate cryptocurrencies: the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Today, we dive into the debate. Plus, a look at retailers’ continuing inventory woes, the government’s changing definition of “small business” and the costs of school security.