Marketplace All-in-One

Workers at game developer Activision Blizzard have voted to unionize. That’s the company behind games like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush, and which has faced lawsuits and federal investigation for accusations of discrimination and sexual harassment. The new union, The Game Workers Alliance, comprises fewer than two dozen employees in one division of Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision. But it’s the first union at a major company in the $180 billion gaming industry and could be a sign of things to come. Marketplace’s Marielle Segarra has the story.

Regular listeners of this podcast might recall an episode we did a few years back on Modern Monetary Theory. MMT is the economic theory that basically says a country that controls its own currency can’t go broke because it can always print more money. But with inflation at 8.3%, one listener is wondering whether rising prices disproves MMT. We call the expert on MMT to find out. Plus, we take your questions about how canceling student loan debt might affect the wealth gap, using a single world currency and the economic consequences if part of Oregon really secede to Idaho.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

If you have a question for our hosts, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voice message at (508) 827-6278 or (508) U-B-SMART.

If you usually just smile and nod when you hear the term “metaverse,” have no fear! Today, Kai Ryssdal explores and demystifies the immersive digital world that companies are investing billions in. On the docket: tools for virtual education, digital event spaces and a conversation on a simulated seafloor. We’ll also look at the contentious relationship between Russia and OPEC, and dive into the (still) hot job market.

The 70% figure was a goal of the World Health Organization that was stated roughly a year ago. However, the world’s population isn’t even close to meeting that goal – some countries haven’t even cracked 10%. We look into why. Susan Schmidt joins us for today’s discussion on market activity. A lifeguard shortage will be keeping pools and beaches around the country closed. It’s also the first day of hurricane season, and we dive into what goes into disaster preparedness for some communities.

We spoke with Melissa Daimler, a former WeWork executive and the current chief learning officer at Udemy, who addresses the concept of company culture in her new book, “ReCulturing.” The Supreme Court has paused a Texas state law that would have challenged how social media companies police hate speech and misinformation. Jennifer Pak checks in from Shanghai, which is easing its COVID lockdown after more than 60 days.

From the BBC World Service: Relief could be coming to China’s financial hub Shanghai, as the city’s lockdown restrictions begin to ease, with hopes that could aid an economic recovery. Also, there are accusations of “greenwashing” at one of Germany’s biggest investors. New data sheds light on what the economic impact of sanctions has been on the Russian economy.

Scientists are working toward building the next evolution of computers: quantum computers. And recently, a team of researchers in the Netherlands made another step toward that future after they successfully sent quantum data to three locations in a network. That development could lead to the creation of a quantum internet, an essential part of any future attempt to build quantum computing networks. Cade Metz, a technology correspondent for The New York Times, wrote about this recent development. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke with Metz about quantum computing, what makes the concept different from the computers of today, and why this latest development with quantum networks involves “teleportation.”

After the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, it’s easy to feel discouraged about guns in America because we’ve been here before, and little has changed.

But one person who remains hopeful in times like these is Dr. Garen Wintemute. He heads the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis, and has been studying gun violence for decades.

“Violence is a health problem,” he said. “It kills more people than motor vehicle injuries. And, yes, I’m constitutionally hopeful. But my hope is born out of having done this for 40 years.”

On the show today, Wintemute walks us through some of the policies that could make a real difference, from “red flag” laws to universal background checks, and discusses why this time could be different despite the gun control gridlock in Washington.

In the News Fix, the nation’s highest court is going to great lengths to find the person who leaked the draft opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade. Plus, if you’re tired of paying high gasoline prices, get used to it. We’ll explain why.

Then, listeners sound off on Uvalde, and we all get smart about bourbon!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

A spending spree on goods at the start of the pandemic helped clog the global supply chain. Now, consumer spending on services has reached pre-pandemic levels. Today, we examine that shift — and the good and bad that come with it. Plus: A hot summer job market, bare-bones housing inventory and another crucial shortage at hospitals.

We feature a story out of the South, where Tia Freeman of Nashville’s experience illustrates how abortion bans could be a hazard to one’s economic opportunities as well as health. Larry Adam of Raymond James joins us for today’s discussion on the markets. Also, it appears the trend of remote work is actually driving up housing costs.