Marketplace All-in-One

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.

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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.

When Sonia Delgado divorced her husband after 30 years of a bad marriage, she thought she’d finally seized financial freedom. She’d no longer have to go along with her ex’s money decisions, which had landed them in chronic debt and insecurity. But when she learned she would have to pay him alimony for the rest of her life, it was as though the divorce had tethered her, once and for all, to everything she wanted to leave behind.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And to get even more Uncomfortable, subscribe to our newsletter. Each Friday you’ll get a note from Reema, Uncomfortable videos and some recs from the team. If you missed it, here’s the latest issue.

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

Whether you call it the Big Quit or the Great Resignation, the nationwide trend of people quitting their jobs has also hit health care. Nurses everywhere are quitting in record numbers. We spoke to a former ICU nurse who agreed to talk about his conflicted decision to go. Inflation has caused the IRS to make some tax adjustments. Diane Swonk helps us examine some of the aspects of the labor shortage in today’s discussion about the markets.

From the BBC World Service: There’s no live tracker of Alibaba’s sales data, or live audiences for the company’s annual gala this year. But predictions suggest that spending on beauty, health and electronic goods from Alibaba and their competitors will outperform Singles Day last year. And, as Germany grapples with a fourth wave of COVID-19, the public and businesses are becoming fiercely divided on the need for another round of restrictions.

People have been quitting their jobs en masse to the point where the phenomenon has even led to a variety of nicknames, like The Big Quit. However, an expert we spoke to notes that instead of quitting, now might be a good time to reset terms with employers. We look at the mountain of work companies have to do to prepare for the Biden Administration’s federal vaccination rule. The Justice Department is suing Uber over its wait-time fees, saying they violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The tech industry is kind of every industry at this point, including the financial industry, which is why the the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is starting to pay a lot more attention to tech companies. From PayPal, to Apple Pay, to Meta’s digital currency, the agency set up to rein in big banks is now calling out Big Tech. Last month, it asked online payment processors for more information on how they are operating. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams went to the CFPB’s offices, just across the street from the White House, and asked the new director, Rohit Chopra, if he believes his agency is adequately equipped to take on these big companies.

We’re inflating! Today, we got word that consumer prices jumped the highest they ever have in the last 30 years. One listener wants to know how much of that has to do with former President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. The answer? Not as much as you’d think. Plus, we’re fielding your questions about who is or isn’t keeping governments and businesses accountable on climate action, and the origin of “bananapants.”

Here is everything we talked about today:

Read the transcript here.

Thanks to all of you who submitted a question. If you’d like the hosts to answer a question in an upcoming episode, call us at 508-82-SMART (508-827-6278) or send a voice memo.

Just a few years ago, 78-year-old Poinsetta McKnight was the last homeowner living on the 1900 block of Etting Street in Baltimore. The street bore the scars of redlining, but with the help of the nonprofit Black Women Build – Baltimore, the block has come back to life. More than half a dozen homes have or are being renovated by and sold to Black women at affordable prices, with plans for further development and community building in the works. Plus: Unpacking today’s inflation numbers; supply chain issues come to a bookstore near you; and two young nurses on why burnout in health care is so severe right now.

The last time inflation showed a spike like this, “Dances With Wolves” and “Home Alone” were dominating the box office during the first Bush administration. Susan Schmidt of Aviva Investors uses this data to kick off our discussion about the markets. We hear some more insight on inflation from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who talked with Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal earlier in the week. Sticking with the theme of rising prices, we look into how people are swapping out what they buy in the grocery store as a result. There’s also been a rise in foreclosures, and it doesn’t seem like it’ll slow down.