Marketplace All-in-One

From the BBC World Service: Large-scale protests that began in Canada two weeks ago to oppose covid-vaccine mandates have now spread to cities across the globe. The question is, can they reach agreements with governments before causing more economic disruption? Plus: As the cost-of-living crisis continues, the Irish government steps up financial help to households. And, the ongoing row between Lithuania and Beijing deepens as China cuts off imports of beef, dairy, and beef from the Baltic nation.

The Smithsonian Institution’s Arts and Industries Building in Washington, D.C, is helping visitors explore how technology can, and should, shape the world of tomorrow. Marketplace producer Sasha Fernandez takes a tour of the “Futures” exhibition.

Today we’ll talk about some big news on the #MeToo front — Congress approved a new bill that guarantees legal recourse in courts to employees who have experienced sexual harassment at work. We’ll also talk about the latest in the fight for student athlete rights and how rising rents play into inflation. We’ll end with some Make Me Smiles, including zoo fundraisers and an update on our favorite Zoom cat-astrophe!

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

This morning’s inflation numbers tell a story: Prices are going up faster than they have in 40 years, cutting into profits. But Tyson Foods saw its profits soar by double digits last quarter. Aren’t companies like Tyson feeling supply chain disruptions and inflation the same as the folks who are buying meat at the grocery store? Plus: The holdover law from the 1970s stopping universal access to fentanyl tests and a $5 billion plan to get electric vehicles road trip-ready.

The NFL’s grandest event, the Super Bowl, is mere days away, but the league is also getting attention for a different reason. Claims of racist hiring practices were brought by a lawsuit from former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. We look at what NFL teams have done since the lawsuit, and the dynamic that exists within the league when it comes to hiring people of color. Trucker protests blocking the U.S.-Canada border have started to disrupt the whole North American auto industry. Diane Swonk highlights inflation hitting an even higher level during our discussion about the markets.

A new report from the McKinsey Global Institute says the transition to net zero by mid-century would require over $9 trillion in annual spending and epic change in the global economy. We spoke to Mekala Krishnan, the lead author of the report and a partner at McKinsey, about the challenges the transition can bring. For the first time, a Federal Reserve bank will be led by a Black woman. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston announced Tuesday that economist Susan Collins will take over on July 1.

From the BBC World Service: U.S. inflation is expected to hit a near four-decade high. The pain Americans are feeling in their pocketbooks is one people the world over are grappling with. Plus: the Philippines reopens to vaccinated, COVID-negative travelers. And, we’re keeping an eye on how the Freedom Convoy’s movement is spreading across the globe.

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure law President Joe Biden signed in November included $65 billion to get high-speed internet to more people. Much of that funding is expected to be channeled into rural and low-income communities. Now, exactly how all those billions will be distributed is still being worked out. But in the meantime, many states aren’t waiting. They are boosting broadband access using another pot of cash, tapping into pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act — a law that included about $360 billion for broadband investments and support. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Anna Read, senior officer with the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Broadband Access Initiative, about this tactic.

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In 1965, the ratio of CEO-to-average-worker compensation was 21:1. In 2020, that number had skyrocketed to 351:1. One listener wondered: “How has that gap grown so wide?” We answer that, plus why gas prices list the tenth of a cent and if unlimited vacation is all it’s cracked up to be on this Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday.

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

The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Ontario to Detroit, carries more than a quarter of all goods traded between the U.S. and Canada. For three days now, truckers protesting Canada’s vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions have blocked the bridge, interrupting a trade link critical to American automakers and Canadian parts manufacturers. It’s the latest in a long line of supply chain disruptions for the industry. Also on today’s show: A small-business love story from Draper, Utah, and a close look at how inflation is disproportionately affecting rural America.