Marketplace All-in-One

Austria is getting ready for another round of COVID-19 lockdowns. With vaccine mandates hitting a roadblock in the United States and the fully vaccinated rate under 60%, we discuss the likelihood of another winter wave in America. Plus, we follow the drama over the auctioning of a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution. And, the hosts play our favorite game, Half Full/Half Empty.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Read the transcript here.

Thank you for everyone who joined us on YouTube today. We’re live Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Pacific/6:30 p.m. Eastern for happy hour! Subscribe to our channel and sign up for notifications so you don’t miss it.

As COVID-19 shuttered movie theaters across the country, production companies had few options: release films directly to streaming platforms or hold off on movie releases until the pandemic dust settles. But pressing the pause button can mean multibillion-dollar losses. In today’s episode, we hear from Vulture reporter Chris Lee about how even blockbuster films that are delayed may struggle to break even. Also: The Weekly Wrap; pharmacy chains eye the primary health care market; and even small retailers are getting a head start on holiday shopping.

Democrats passed the second part of President Biden’s domestic agenda today. However, there’s one element of the bill that Canada would like to go away. Canada says the bill would undermine its own efforts to build up an electric vehicle industry. Christopher Low joins us for today’s discussion about the markets. In New York City, the scars from the flooding of basement apartments illustrate the collision of housing and climate crises.

CVS plans to close hundreds of its stores over the next three years, signaling a shift toward health services and primary care many people say has been building for quite some time. We look into how the costs of COVID testing has affected shoppers near the border between U.S. and Canada. The FTC is cracking down on companies that make cancelling subscriptions too difficult, which could affect a lot of media companies.

From the BBC World Service: The Japanese government has announced nearly half a trillion dollars to provide further economic support from the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Austria announces a full national lockdown starting Monday, while Germany won’t rule out a similar move. And, after a year’s long protest by hundreds of thousands of farmers in India, the government vows to repeal controversial farm laws.

Many of us were online in the last two years in ways we wouldn’t have imagined pre-pandemic. Like for doctor’s appointments. The pandemic accelerated the widespread use of telemedicine platforms for both mental and physical care, in the U.S. especially. With public health states of emergencies in place, doctors could practice across state borders, increasing access for millions of patients. But now some states are letting their public health emergencies expire. So what does that mean for telehealth care providers across the country? Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Brian Gormley, who covers this for The Wall Street Journal.

Crypto enthusiasts came through. They’ve raised $40 million to buy a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution that’s up for auction to put it back in “the hands of the people.” We’ll explain how this all ties into what’s happening in the crypto space. Plus, why inflation is hitting some parts of the United States harder than others and the problem with Biden’s plan to open ports 24/7. Oh, and smiling quokkas!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Read the transcript here.

Join us on YouTube Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Pacific/6:30 p.m. Eastern for our live happy hour episode! Subscribe to our channel and sign up for notifications so you don’t miss it.

The success of releases like “Squid Game,” “Parasite” and the boom of K-pop is no coincidence. It’s the result of South Korea’s decades-long investment in film, television and music. Today, Marketplace’s Kristin Schwab takes a look at how Korean entertainment has become a $10 billion economic powerhouse. Plus: A chat with Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic about expectations and reality in economic recovery; why recent employment numbers are subject to so much revision; and surprising Census stats show relocations at an historic low.

This week, we’re running a story from our colleagues at the new Marketplace podcast “How We Survive.” It’s about the climate, but it’s not all doom and gloom. It explores solutions for avoiding some of the worst effects of the crisis.

If you liked this story, be sure to follow “How We Survive” wherever you get podcasts.

Diane Swonk talks with us about the data showing that the abundance of job postings amid the labor shortage is starting to pivot toward higher-wage employment. President Biden is asking the Federal Trade Commission to look into whether sharply rising gas prices at the retail level are due to some kind of illegal conduct. Sticking with the theme of natural gas, Andy Uhler’s exploration of the natural gas industry and its impact took him to the town of Hackberry in Louisiana, a shale oil and fracking territory near Shreveport. He checks in with us from there.