Marketplace All-in-One

There’s been an increased demand for adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) as skyrocketing interest rates have made homes a lot more pricey for possible buyers. While these kinds of home loans can lead to lower monthly payments, they carry some risk. The BBC reports on AirBnb’s exodus from China. For today’s Economic Pulse, we talk to the CEO of the Roosevelt Institute about the prospect of student debt being canceled.

Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support Marketplace Morning Report.

From the BBC World Service: The World Food Programme’s director bluntly lays out what could happen if food production and delivery continues to be hit by the war in Ukraine. AirBnb is leaving China, as tourism continues to be hit hard there by zero COVID policies. And commuters rejoice as the long-anticipated Elizabeth line opens in London.

Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support Marketplace Morning Report.

It’s Monday, and we’ve got a lot of news on our minds. We’ll talk about President Joe Biden’s comments about Taiwan and what Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, has to say about crypto. Then we’re diving into some recent writing about the scale at which the United States funds its military, even as we’ve withdrawn from active conflict in Afghanistan. How that money is spent, and isn’t spent, says a lot. Plus, Texas lawmakers may target business that help employees get abortions. Finally, we’ll consider some pointedly phrased communications for our make me smiles.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support “Make Me Smart.”

Have a question or comment about something you heard on the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voice message at 508-827-6278, or 508-U-B-SMART.

Some economic forecasters are downgrading their outlooks for growth for the rest of the year. Slower growth may actually help ease inflationary pressures but could still leave the economy vulnerable to a recession. Today, we’ll discuss. Also, how lifting tariffs on Chinese imports could ease inflation, the rise and fall of negative interest rates in Europe and the next big thing in higher ed: classes for TikTok influencers.

The Texas power grid and the organization that runs it made the news a couple of years ago when freezing weather led to deaths and people without power for days. The temperatures in the state now have people reaching for air conditioning and boosting the toll on the electric grid. This is leading to calls for energy conservation. Enter renewable energy, which is picking up the slack. Julia Coronado discusses lower equity prices, futures and the Fed in our talk about the markets. The global economic forum known to many as simply Davos has kicked off.

Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support Marketplace Morning Report.

The baby formula shortage has led many parents to consider breastfeeding. That comes with a variety of costs and barriers, especially in workplace culture. Zoom exploded during the pandemic and has become a fixture in the American workplace lexicon. But what’s Zoom to do with all that money? President Biden, on the final day of his Asia tour, launched a new economic alliance with 12 Indo-Pacific nations.

Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support Marketplace Morning Report.

From the BBC World Service: The meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos has kicked off with a warning from the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva. Meanwhile just 170 miles away in Northern Italy, people in the steel town of Brescia are feeling the squeeze of the rising cost of living. And Australia has a new prime minister; he had to be sworn in before all the votes were counted because he is already off to Tokyo for the Quad summit with the U.S., Japan, and India.

Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support Marketplace Morning Report.

Advances in medical technology have pushed the boundaries of fetal viability, a term for the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb. When the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, doctors could support babies delivered as early as about 28 weeks. Now, it’s 22 weeks. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Dr. Rachel Fleishman, who works in a neonatal intensive care unit at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. She wrote an essay for NBC about viability, and what it’s like caring for very premature infants.

Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support “Marketplace Tech.”

It’s Friday, and the S&P 500 is at risk of becoming what economists call a bear market — when stock prices fall for a prolonged time. But how bad is that, actually? We’ve got some context. Plus, the Law School Admissions Test may become optional, and our hosts share their thoughts on the strong dollar and a pizza musical. We end with a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Tell us what you think about today’s show. Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voice message at 508-827-6278, or 508-U-B-SMART.

Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support “Make Me Smart.”

While the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to cool down the U.S. economy, China’s central bank is taking the opposite approach to juice its slowing economy. Today, we’ll dig in. Plus, we wrestle with overstaffing at retailers and hear what the infant formula shortage teaches us about market concentration.