Marketplace All-in-One

Odds are, you’ve heard the figure by now: 6.8%. That’s what the consumer price index clocked for year-over-year inflation today. Those rising prices, especially for essentials like food and housing, are squeezing folks on low or fixed incomes. Though the federal government uses the CPI to adjust things like food aid and Social Security, economists are increasingly concerned that additional changes may be needed so benefits can keep up with inflation. But first, the Weekly Wrap, followed by a look at FEMA’s climate resilience plans and a dive into how a classic ballet performance is becoming more inclusive.

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Inflation is the highest it’s been almost four decades, according to the data from the Labor Department this morning. We talk to Christopher Low for our markets discussion about how it got there. Tyson Foods is doing the robot – not the dance, but rather planning to spend billions to automate its processing plants. It’s not the only company thinking about doing this, either. We examine a program that puts formerly incarcerated women on a path to a job in tech.

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The shopping mantra of “finding a cheaper deal online” might not ring true for much longer, as Adobe’s digital price index is showing that online prices are being raised because of the pandemic-triggered shift to e-commerce for so many consumers. The science journal Nature has a study that shows the effectiveness of seemingly small finance-based incentives to get people to do things like work out. We also look into how some independent bookstores have managed to flourish online.

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From the BBC World Service: China has become an economic colossus 20 years after joining the World Trade Organization, U.K. economic growth disappoints as new coronavirus restrictions set in due to the Omicron variant, and European soccer clubs are selling virtual coins or official “fan tokens” that can be traded for profit or loss like other crypto-currencies.

Many law enforcement agencies use software that crunches crime statistics, 911 calls and other data to try to predict where crimes are likely to happen. The idea is, this can help them know where to deploy scarce resources. A recent investigation by Gizmodo and The Markup looked into one of the companies doing this, PredPol, and found that the software disproportionately targeted certain neighborhoods. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Aaron Sankin, a reporter with The Markup and one of the authors of the report.

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Starbucks workers at a store in Buffalo, New York, have voted to form the company’s first U.S. trade union. The move could pave the way for baristas across the country to do the same. We’ll talk about what this means for today’s labor movement and workers everywhere. Plus, a quick sprint through the news, including an update on boosters for teens and China’s Evergrande. Then, in the make me smile department, we’ll hear about an Ikea-inspired tourism campaign — and a rap song about the debt ceiling?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

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While both chewing on the lowest number of initial unemployment claims since the late 1960s and bracing for tomorrow’s inflation data for November, we decided to cast our minds ahead to December 2022. What’s the labor market going to look like in 365 days? Can we expect inflation to continue roaring ahead? We asked some experts to peer into the crystal ball. Also: Sabri Ben-Achour reports on China’s state-sponsored industrial espionage and an explainer on the significance of waning worker productivity.

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Gina Serna is helping lead Colombia’s effort to sterilize the roughly 120 invasive hippos roaming the Magdalena River — hippos that were never supposed to be there at all. They were illegally imported decades ago by Pablo Escobar, the country’s most notorious drug lord. In many ways, it’s the perfect job for Serna. She dreamed of being a wildlife veterinarian since she was little. On the other hand, her career has a direct tie to the worst thing that’s ever happened to her.

“This Is Uncomfortable” is Reema Khrais, Donna Tam, Megan Detrie, Peter Balonon-Rosen, Camila Kerwin, Phoebe Unterman, Marque Greene and Serena Chow.

It’s been a year since the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X debuted, and they (along with other gaming tech items) are still incredibly difficult to pin down. One of the major factors has been the semiconductor chip shortage. Data is showing that hiring in education has actually picked up. Diane Swonk drops in for our markets discussion as jobless claims hit a 52-year low.

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Kellogg’s cereal plant employees have been on strike for more than two months. Earlier this week, they voted to reject a contract offer from the company. Now, Kellogg’s says it is done negotiating and will begin permanently replacing the striking workers. That opens up a few questions. Child care is still struggling with the labor shortage, and there are ripple effects. Spotify finds itself in a battle with comedians over royalties after removing their work from its platform.

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Update (12/10/21): The story about Spotify’s battle with comedians over royalties has been updated to correctly characterize the legal status of the comedians’ claim. For more information, check out the story on marketplace.org.