Marketplace All-in-One

AT&T and Verizon are set to turn on their newest 5G technology Wednesday. Both companies purchased rights to more of the spectrum last year and have been ready to deploy it for months. But those plans have been on hold over concerns the expansion into that bandwidth could interfere with the tech on planes, specifically an aircraft’s altimeter, one of the tools that help planes land safely. To mitigate those concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration released a list of 50 airports that will have 5G buffer zones. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Joe Kane, director of broadband and spectrum policy at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation.

More than 1 billion people use the short-form video platform TikTok monthly, presenting a huge marketing opportunity for businesses. Take, for example, the language learning company Duolingo, which uses its big, green owl mascot in zany videos and has amassed a huge following in recent months. Today, we’ll chat with Duolingo’s social media coordinator about the authenticity and communication styles that attract a younger audience. Plus: A more-stressful-than-usual tax season ahead, the factors behind a dip in community college enrollment and why every celebrity seems to have a beauty brand these days.

In a picture of inflation, a food vendor in Los Angeles tells a tale of how the rising cost of onions has had ripple effects on her business and others like it. The advanced child tax credit checks have stopped coming for now, leaving many families who relied on it in a bind. The BBC reports on the resignation of the chairman of Credit Suisse, who apparently broke COVID protocols.

The evictions moratorium in New York expired over the weekend after a nearly two-year run during the pandemic. We look at its impact, and what tenants can still do. China’s economy grew last year, but some sectors within it are still struggling when it comes to sales, such as education and tourism. A report from Oxfam sounds the alarm on how the pandemic has greatly exacerbated the wealth disparity between the world’s billionaires and everyone else.

From the BBC World Service: While the Chinese economy grew more than 8% last year, it has seen a drop-off in demand, supply-chain issues and weakening economic expectations. Plus, the Credit Suisse chairman has resigned amid reports he twice broke COVID-19 quarantine rules. And, Paris is cleaning up its river water quality ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

Grab your drinks people. Economics on Tap is back (and we’re starting strong)! In our first Friday show of the new year, our hosts take a look at the anticipated response to a new rule that says private insurers will have to cover the cost of at-home rapid COVID-19 tests. With insurers not quite ready to implement the changes, we take a look at what you can do to get those costs covered when the rule goes into effect this weekend. Then, we’ll discuss the impact of a major settlement against the NFL. And as always, we’ll end the show with a another round of our favorite game, Half-Full/Half-Empty!

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

Since July, more than 36 million households have received a few hundred dollars every month through the expanded child tax credit. Tomorrow, that won’t be the case. In this episode, we hear what the extra cash has given families and what it means to have it taken away. We also hear why consumer sentiment took a dive, why bank loans might be making a comeback and what testing positive for COVID-19 has cost one family.

The Canadian province of Quebec has seen the highest number of COVID deaths in the country, and as it gears up to reopen and lift a curfew, it’s about to impose a tax on people who haven’t gotten vaccinated. Officials say that’s probably the driving force behind a spike in vaccine appointments. The Biden administration is rolling out billions for bridge replacement and repair. We check in with some retailers to see if they’ve been able to keep up with demand as government data on retail sales emerges.

The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked an emergency order by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that large employers require employees to be vaccinated or tested weekly, but allowed a similar mandate for health care workers. Debbie Berkowitz, a former senior OSHA official who’s currently a fellow at Georgetown University, joined us to discuss the rulings in more detail. Plus, car advertisements in France will eventually have to contain language that encourages people not to drive in an effort to address climate change. Can that even work?