Marketplace All-in-One

The daily ups and downs of financial markets tell us what bets market participants are placing on the future. But right now, markets are dealing with a lot of uncertainty caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and they are reacting accordingly. India is buying discounted Russian oil, and the U.S. and European countries have urged India to spurn Russia to no avail. The BBC reports on cryptocurrency fraud in Australia, and how Meta could be involved.

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From the BBC World Service: One of President Putin’s most reliable spokesmen, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, has been speaking on Russian television today about efforts to keep the economy on track in spite of Western sanctions. The war in Ukraine is wreaking havoc on supply chains around the world. The BBC’s Monica Miller looks at how it is impacting businesses in Singapore. Australia launches legal action against Facebook’s parent company Meta, alleging it allowed scam ads to target users with fake celebrity endorsements for cryptocurrencies.

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It’s March Madness, and while millions of fans will enjoy watching the games, a decent chunk of them will also be betting on the games. Dozens of states have legalized online sports betting in recent years, with apps like FanDuel and DraftKings fighting for the eyes and dollars of new gamblers. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with John Holden, an assistant professor in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University, about the growth of this industry.

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Since the beginning of the year, lawmakers in over 20 states have proposed bills limiting access to abortion pills by mail. The Food and Drug Administration had, in December, nixed a rule requiring that patients pick up their pills in person. There’s also an update on the continued detention of basketball star Brittney Griner in Russia and an insider look at how the Senate’s daylight saving time vote came to pass. After we wrap up the news, our hosts share a couple of technological marvels as Make Me Smiles!

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

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The stock market isn’t alerting us to a potential recession, and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell doesn’t think one is likely in the next few years either. But as the Fed raises interest rates, economists’ forecasts are a little muddier. Today, we asked experts to paint a picture of our economic outlook. Plus, the war in Ukraine disrupts global auto production and Iranians reflect on the drawbacks of sanctions.

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Americans spent $1.7 trillion shopping online since the pandemic began, according to new data from Adobe. That’s a lot more than they spent in the two years before the pandemic. It looks like it’ll be even more in 2022. We speak to the BBC’s Victoria Craig about her chat with the Lithuanian president. Diane Swonk shares market insight following the Fed’s decision to raise interest rates.

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It’s time for March Madness, and whether it’s on a basketball court or investing, people can sometimes get on a roll, where it’s deemed they have the “hot hand.” There have actually been studies about this, and we decipher the history of the hot hand with senior economics contributor Chris Farrell. The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for the first time since 2018, and more is coming. The BBC looks into what a ban on Russian energy would look like for Germany.

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From the BBC World Service: But with fears growing that the war in Ukraine could push Germany into economic recession and stoke soaring inflation, it might be difficult for Germany to meet the Ukranian president’s demands. Plus, nearly 2 million people have fled the war in Ukraine, seeking refuge. We hear from President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania, whose country is seeing an increasing number of people looking for safety and security.

Federal regulation on tech privacy has yet to be fully fleshed out by Congress, so for now, state legislatures are taking a crack at it. California, Colorado and Virginia all have their own privacy laws, and Utah could be joining them. The state’s legislature has signed off on a new bill, and it’s just awaiting the governor’s signature. But consumer advocates say that this presents a patchwork of protections. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Margaret McGill, a tech reporter for Axios, about the Utah bill.

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The Federal Reserve raised interest rates today for the first time in three years, and for Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday, we’re answering your questions about it. Plus, why gas prices are volatile, and how to avoid misinformation and disinformation coming out of Ukraine.

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

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