Marketplace All-in-One

From the BBC World Service: Foreign ministers from across the European Union are widening the criteria the bloc uses to impose sanctions on Belarus as thousands of migrants remain trapped in freezing conditions at the border with Poland. Also, the Beijing Stock Exchange officially opens for business. Plus, Austria introduces lockdown restrictions for unvaccinated citizens. And, India considers pollution lockdown measures in Delhi amid worsening air quality levels.

The one trillion dollar infrastructure package goes beyond money for bridges and roads. It also includes around 65 billion dollars for a different type of infrastructure: broadband. Something that was especially vital for many in this pandemic, with those lacking access often unable to work or attend school remotely. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Christopher Mitchell, the director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance. He says that while that $65 billion is going into lots of different programs, there are a few big themes.

The United Nations COP26 climate summit is going into overtime because there’s still a lot of work left to do. We’ll explain why the meeting has been a disappointment both in terms of results and in terms of what it’s meant for the spread of climate misinformation. Plus, good news on the vaccine beat. Mandates work! Also, happy birthday, Molly’s mom. And … we have Make Me Smart T-shirts and sweatshirts! You can get yours at Marketplace.org/shop.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Read the transcript here.

Thanks to everyone who joined us live on YouTube for this episode! 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.

Indigenous Americans are vaccinated at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But vaccination rates are much lower in communities that surround many tribal nations. Marketplace reporter Savannah Maher explores how tribal employer vaccination requirements are complicating economic relationships for one Wyoming reservation. Plus: the Weekly Wrap, a gloomy consumer sentiment report and why corporate splits seem to be all the rage.

The health care giant has announced that it is splitting into two companies – one focused on consumer products, and the other focused on pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The split is expected to complete in 18 to 24 months. We talk to our own Kimberly Adams about Marketplace Tech’s series of stories about tech regulation. Christopher Low joins us for our discussion about the markets.

From the BBC World Service: Turkey is stopping citizens from Iraq, Syria and Yemen from flying out of the country to Belarus because of what it called the problem of “illegal border crossings” into the European Union. Many migrants face sub-zero temperatures close to the border. Plus, the Japanese industrial conglomerate Toshiba will split itself into three publicly-listed companies focused on infrastructure, devices, and memory chips. And, Cape Town’s unusual ways to cope with severe water shortages.

U.S. intelligence officials have been warning American companies in five industries – artificial intelligence, quantum information systems, biotechnology, semiconductors and autonomous systems – of possible foreign threats in business dealings with other countries. We spoke to Michael Orlando, acting director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, about it. We also discuss the further effects of recent inflation, especially when it comes to how consumers feel about their spending as holiday shopping continues.

All this week, we’ve been talking about what it will take to update our laws and regulations to address some of the thorniest issues in tech and society. Today, Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams reports on the tech industry perspective.

Electric truck startup Rivian made its debut in the public markets. It’s sold less than 200 vehicles, so how could the company be valued at $86 billion, more than Ford and almost the same amount at GM? We’ll explain what’s really going on in the EV market. Plus, a true hollowed-out shell of story about our climate and why COP26, the United Nations conference, probably won’t help much. Also, Iceland trolls Mark Zuckerberg, and we’re here for it!

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.

We talked about it yesterday and we’ll talk about it again: according to the Consumer Price Index, inflation is up 6.2% in the past year, the biggest surge in three decades. Today, we’ll take a look at some of inflation’s far reaches, from dramatic increases in rents, to its impact on tax brackets, to what it’s doing to the price of fertilizer. Also on today’s program: why Congressional Budget Office scores matter; a look at the surprising economics of outdoor recreation; and a California law that’s transformative for garment workers and manufacturers.