Marketplace Morning Report

How could imposing sanctions on Venezuela affect you at the gas pump? After two missed paychecks, federal workers hope payroll gets into gear to give them their due by the end of the week. Plus, in the last part of our mini-series on fertility's impact on the economy, we take a look at how immigration  could help a shrinking American workforce. Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, WellFrame  and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

The U.S. has charged Chinese tech giant Huawei with stealing trade secrets, in once instance, allegedly by absconding with the arm of a robot named "Tappy." The cost of prescription drugs has been rising in recent years, and Congress is holding a hearing  on the issue Tuesday. Plus, choirs of protests in Britain, literally. Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, WellFrame  and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

From the BBC World Service... Venezuela responds to fresh U.S. oil sanctions, the last punishment it needs while its economic woes deepen. Chinese telecom giant Huawei calls the U.S. accusations against it "immoral." We decipher the war of words and trade between the two giants. And how corrupt do people think the U.S. is? Transparency International tells us the definitive ranking of corruption perception. Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, WellFrame  and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

For all the talk of an impending recession, forecasters seem split on when it'll actually hit. Economists are scrambling to make up for the data held up during the partial government shutdown. A Brazilian mining company's billions in assets are frozen following a deadly dam break over the weekend, but it's not the first time the firm's operations have been put under scrutiny. Plus, we take a look back at that one time Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz told Marketplace's David Brancaccio he was not considering running for elected office. Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

The partial government shutdown is over, but we're still dealing with the fallout, and that probably means your tax return won't arrive as soon as you'd hoped. Can all this be prevented from happening again by banning shutdowns? Plus, museums are trying to compete with the likes of Netflix by opening seven days a week. Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

From the BBC World Service... China is six years into a trillion-dollar plan known as the One Belt One Road initiative. Like the ancient Silk Road before it, the idea is to establish new lines of business by connecting Asia with the Middle East, Africa and Europe. We'll hear how Beijing is lending countries like Pakistan billions of dollars to build much needed infrastructure projects, but can the recipients afford the debt? Then, America's financial watchdog is investigating Japanese carmaker Nissan over executive pay.  Plus, Brazil's courts have frozen $3 billion of assets belonging to the mining giant Vale to ensure the company pays for damages caused by a dam collapse that's left 58 people dead and 300 missing. Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Pitney Bowes and Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

A potential global economic slowdown portends problems stateside. The Fed's Open Market Committee meets next week to gauge the strength of the U.S. economy, but will they be able to "do the numbers" with a shutdown-driven dearth of data? Plus, a recent study — one of many — finds that raising the minimum wage does not mean fewer jobs. 

Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and Indeed.

On day 35 of the partial government shutdown, we take a look at the payments not being deducted from federal workers', zero-dollar paychecks for things like health insurance premiums. Plus, fertility rates in the U.S. have gone down during last few years, and other developed countries are going through the same demographic shifts.  Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and Indeed.

From the BBC World Service… As Venezuela's political rivals continue to battle for control, runaway inflation and a worsening economic situation are hurting millions of people – both those leaving the country and those who are still trying to live and work there. Then, with China and the U.S. still stuck in a stalemate on trade, we hear from the new boss at Goldman Sachs who says a swift resolution might not be in the cards. Plus, a look back at how product placement has become a booming business over the last several decades.

Today's show is sponsored by SignNow, Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage and Indeed.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday that the U.S. and China were "miles and miles" from resolving their trade conflict, and the markets heard it loud and clear. The Milken Institute has released its annual list of best-performing cities, and No. 1 might surprise you. Plus, we travel to the Kansas City which is performing very well thanks to its booming auto industry.