Marketplace All-in-One

The Federal Reserve is looking into the creation of a digital currency. We touch upon what a digital dollar would mean. A lawyer in Atlanta came up with an unusual solution to the debt-ceiling saga among lawmakers: A platinum coin with a Treasury-sanctioned value of $1 trillion that could be plopped into the Treasury’s bank account with the Fed. The Department of Justice has new measures to tackle cybersecurity.

From the BBC World Service: President Vladimir Putin says Russia is prepared to do its part to help ease soaring global energy prices, if a controversial pipeline transporting Russian natural gas to Europe gets approved. Plus, 7-Eleven announces plans to expand in India in a partnership with Reliance Industries, which is run by Asia’s richest person. And, amid pressure for Australia to cut its carbon emissions at a faster pace, we hear from one rural community that’s heavily reliant on coal mining for jobs and income.

In this episode of “Marketplace Tech,” host Molly Wood introduces us to her new podcast: “How We Survive.” The new show is a deep dive into technological solutions to the climate crisis and the businesses behind them.

You’ve heard about bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but how are they different from a digital dollar? On this Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday, we’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a digital dollar as the Federal Reserve ponders making its own digital currency. Plus, we’ll explain the economics behind robocalls and vaccine mandates. And we get an email from a listener and her cats who want to know what’s up with pet food shortages.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Read the transcript here.

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Mental health professionals have had virtual tools for decades, but the pandemic catalyzed the field to offer more telehealth services. It’s a change that experts say is here to stay and one that makes care more accessible. The shift has also incited an investment boom in mental health startups and apps that topped $1 billion last year. Also on today’s show: Workers can be choosy in the current job market; why this winter’s gas bill might give you sticker shock; and a chat with San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly.

Think of a “tontine” as a contractual lottery for money collected and invested from a group of people – except the money will ultimately go to the person who has lived the longest. It sounds like a dastardly plot (and it was, in a movie) but it was real until the early 20th century. And, some economists think a tontine could have a positive effect. We explore this with Marketplace’s Chris Farrell. Also today, Susan Schmidt discusses the markets with us. Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen urges regulation of the company. There’s also buzz swirling around a potential work requirement for parents in order to access their child tax credit funds.

A major international shipping industry group presented that zero-emission target this week. One of the actions needed to reach that goal could be switching to an alternative fuel, but how realistic is all this? Also today: We look into the potential ripple effects of the spike in oil prices. We also talk to Molly Wood about the launch of our new podcast, “How We Survive.”

From the BBC World Service: Cracks are somewhat deepening in China’s construction sector, beyond the financial problems facing the Evergrande conglomerate. Plus, England is set to ban so-called “essay mills” which offer essay writing to students for a fee. And, Marrakesh in Morocco is finding new ways to draw tourists back and regain its crown as Africa’s most popular tourist city.

When Facebook went down for several hours this week, we got a sense of just how much people rely on the company and its apps. And not just because they’re addicted to scrolling and likes. These platforms are also used for commerce and banking, particularly WhatsApp, the messaging service. In many parts of the world, you can also use it to send money, like you would with Venmo, or to pay for a purchase. And in some countries, that’s a big deal because the banking and finance infrastructure is less developed. Marketplace’s Marielle Segarra speaks with Lisa Ellis, a partner with MoffettNathanson, about the effects of the outage.