Marketplace All-in-One

Apple will start allowing customers to self-repair their Apple devices using tools and parts from the company. It’s a big policy shift, and a victory for the “right to repair” movement. Home builders have enough supply challenges, but data suggests yet another one: A shortage of land. We also look into how HBCUs also have an extensive history of being underfunded.

From the BBC World Service: As Turkey’s central bank further slashes a key interest rate, we hear how President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes unorthodoxly that high interest rates cause prices to rise. And, with inflation so high, what is life like for the average person in Turkey? Plus, the Chinese blockbuster that’s causing consternation in Hollywood.

The pandemic has many of us relying on technology in new ways. And it prompted some innovation, including in the health care sector. For example, patients who need dialysis on a regular basis mostly go to clinics or hospitals, but during the pandemic, more kidney patients wanted to have their treatments at home. And as “Marketplace Tech’s” Jesús Alvarado explains, some new technology may make that a bit easier.

Texas is throwing a bit of shade at California. In a recent ad, it says Texas ports are open and ready to solve the nation’s supply chain problems. But can ships really be diverted from the Port of Los Angeles to Houston? It’s not as easy as it sounds. Plus, we’ll answer your questions about why skyscrapers keep lights on at night, ESG investing and the origin story behind a piece of Marketplace merch.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Read the transcript here.

Thanks to those of you who sent us questions this week. If you have a question you’d like our hosts to answer in a future episode, call us at 508-82-SMART (508-827-6278) or send a voice memo.

Big-box retailers like Home Depot, Target and Walmart are well stocked and ready to go for the holiday season. But for smaller retailers and businesses, inflation and supply chain issues are packing a real double whammy. Many are having to balance price increases that won’t alienate customers with creative solutions in order to protect their bottom line. They’re doing things like slimming down selections, cutting hours or adding storage space. We’ll also hear about the Forest Service’s plans for prescribed burns, what needs to happen to meet President Joe Biden’s EV charging infrastructure goals, and how Netflix is showing off its streaming-service might.

Upbeat numbers from some of the nation’s big retailers seems to counter some of the panic that’s been fueled by supply chain woes and inflation. Julia Coronado discusses the role of demand in all this during our markets overview. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy breaks down his plan for the embattled U.S. Postal Service as the holidays arrive. We ask for the thoughts of small businesses about paid family leave.

The U.S. Postal Service had a rough holiday season in 2020. To help avoid a repeat, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is enacting a series of cost-cutting measures that are part of his 10-year plan to help bring the USPS out of its financial funk. We spoke to DeJoy at length about his plan and how the Postal Service will handle the holiday rush. A recent Bankrate survey notes how some Americans aren’t confident about their ability to save up for retirement.

From the BBC World Service: Speaking at a summit in Singapore, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that at the start of 2022, the Biden administration is likely to start building out an economic framework for the Indo-Pacific region. And, a BBC investigation found two of the world’s most wanted cyber-crime suspects appear to be living luxurious lifestyles in Russia, despite the Kremlin’s claims it doesn’t shelter hackers.

As you may have heard, Marketplace’s Molly Wood has been working on a new podcast called “How We Survive,” about solutions to the climate crisis. The latest episode is called “The Better Battery,” which we need to store renewable energy in our attempts to mitigate global warming. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Molly about how the batteries we have are good and getting better. But a better battery might let us use our cellphones all day without charging or drive an electric vehicle from San Francisco to Los Angeles without stopping.