Marketplace All-in-One

The European Union is trying to end its dependence on Russian oil — but that may be costly and complicated. This Thursday, we talk about how Western countries are pressing Russia to terminate its war in Ukraine while minding their own energy supplies. Plus, China is watching. And earlier this week, we mused that Twitter-famous billionaire Elon Musk could probably just buy the company if he wanted to. He revealed today that he made an offer. Does Musk listen to “Make Me Smart”? Finally, we share signs of spring that made us smile.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Join us Friday for Economics on Tap. We’ll be livestreaming on YouTube starting at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The pandemic sidelined millions of working women. Now, women — who often earn less than their male counterparts, yet spend more for similar products — are feeling the sting of inflation more acutely too. That could further slow their return to the workforce. Plus: Spending at the pump goes up, college students could get nice tax returns and cryptocurrency is having a moment … at kids’ summer camp.

Tesla and SpaceX leader Elon Musk is offering to take the social media company private in a takeover bid valued at about $43 billion dollars. He’s already Twitter’s largest shareholder, having purchased 9% of the company’s shares. We speak to senior economics contributor Chris Farrell about the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022, better known as Secure 2.0, which aims to make it easier for Americans to save for retirement.

From the BBC World Service: While inflation in Eurozone countries reached a record annual high of 7.5% in March, economists don’t expect an interest rate increase from the ECB. We hear why. And, new checks at the U.S.-Mexico border are causing outrage and long delays for truckers.

One of the takeaways from the 2019 college admissions scandal is the enormous cultural weight placed on college prestige. Does going to a more prestigious school really make a difference your life? It depends, says Ron Lieber, author of “The Price You Pay for College” and The New York Times’ “Your Money” column. We spoke to Lieber about different facets of this concept. We check in on small businesses that have been stocking up on inventory to avoid – or at least soften the blow – of supply chain issues.

We’ve got bitcoin, dogecoin, litecoin. Every day a new coin. These are known as cryptocurrencies, unregulated digital coins that live outside the banking system in blockchain technology. Recently, the U.S. Federal Reserve said it was exploring the possibility of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. It would be issued, regulated and backed by the government, just like paper dollars. Some countries are already experimenting with this, like the Bahamas, Nigeria, Sweden and China. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Eswar Prasad, professor at Cornell University. He’s the author of a recent piece in MIT Technology Review: “Money is about to enter a new era of competition.” And he explains what it would look like for all these currencies to coexist.

The strength of Russia’s ruble even in the face of sanctions from the West has surprised some. This Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday, we’ll get into some of the ways Russia’s worked to prop up its currency, and how long those actions might work. We’ll also tackle your questions about shift work and health, the worker shortage and taxes.

Here’s everything we talked about on the show today:

Do you have a question for Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday? Send a voice memo or email to [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART (508-827-6278).

There’s a monetary policy principle that says for every percentage point of inflation,  interest rates should rise a percentage point or more. But could rates north of 8% actually be in the cards for the Federal Reserve? Today, we’ll do the numbers. Plus: What JPMorgan’s earnings report hints about the economy’s future, why student enrollment dips complicate school budgets and how Russian retaliatory sanctions are affecting jam sessions.

We check in with an Atlanta muralist to kick off a story of how visual artists are finding ways to utilize NFTs as a way to not only connect with their followers, but also rethink the value of their work. While NFTs are a pathway to another dimension of possibilities for these artists, the challenges of navigating the technology still remain. The White House is poised to send more military aid to Ukraine in the form of heavy equipment.

Rising interest rates and an influx of stashed cash built up over the pandemic era could have banks more willing to push loans to people and businesses. Consumer prices hit a 40-year high in March, and hints at what April could bring might come in the form of the coming wholesale price numbers. We look into how fledgling shopping centers have pivoted to become medical hubs during the pandemic.