Marketplace Morning Report

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service, welcome to our inaugural show — a global look at business that's part BBC, part Marketplace! Today, a South Korean commander said Pyongyang's forces would be "buried at sea" if there's more provocation ... but will further sanctions actually work? Afterwards, a British public relations firm may collapse after it was accused of running a "hateful and divisive campaign" in South Africa. Then, what are global cities doing to prepare for future, more frequent flooding? We head down the street to the Thames Barrier to find out.

(Markets Edition) The markets aren't moving much, despite a North Korean nuclear test and flood cleanup here in the U.S. Justin Urquhart Stewart of Seven Investment Management joined us to discuss whether things will shift, and shared his take on the overall state of the world economy. Afterwards, we'll look at the infrastructure London has in place to protect itself in the event of a flood.

(U.S. Edition) In the aftermath of Harvey, more than half of U.S. ethylene production is now offline. Ethylene is key to the things that surround you — everything from what you're wearing to household cleaners. On today's show, we'll look at the ripple effect this will have on consumer goods. Afterwards, we'll discuss what London's anti-flood infrastructure can teach us about tackling natural disasters in the U.S., and then talk about United Technologies' plan to merge with Rockwell Collins in a $30 billion deal.

In response to North Korea's latest nuclear test, Trump tweeted that the U.S. is considering stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea. We'll look at how many countries actually have ties to the area, and how likely it'd be for China — one of North Korea's biggest trading partners — to sever its relationship with the country. Afterwards, we'll discuss why home improvement retailers are succeeding right now, and then talk about the financial struggles NFL players may face after they leave the field.

Tropical storm Harvey has shut down some of the country's biggest refineries, meaning that the pipelines that they feed can't flow. One critical for serving the east coast: The Colonial Pipeline, which has also shut down. We'll take a look at how all this is starting to affect gas prices. Afterwards, we'll discuss Harvey's impact on global markets, and then talk about the new policies that school districts are starting to implement to address lunch shaming.

Explosions at a chemical plant near Houston have hospitalized at least 10 people. On today's show, we'll discuss the growing number of industrial and infrastructure problems resulting from this storm. Afterwards, we'll talk about the process of finding housing for Texas' flood victims, and then look at New York's decision to stop cracking down on subway-fare evasion.

More than 120 school districts remain closed as a result of the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. On today's show, we'll look at the accommodations some schools are making for students. Afterwards, we'll check in on how Texas utilities are coping with the hurricane's aftermath, and then discuss the catastrophic effects of heavy rains in South Asia.

North Korea filed a missile over Japan today, rattling markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. The U.S. dollar is often seen as a safe haven during international incidents, but it's the euro that's actually up this morning. We'll talk to the BBC's Andrew Walker about the rising strength of this currency. Afterwards, we'll look at how the federal government got involved in the business of flood insurance, and then discuss the economic benefits of compassion.

Hurricane Harvey has caused many refineries and port facilities in Texas to temporarily shut down. We'll chat with Energy Intelligence analyst Barbara Shook about the preparations they made prior to the event, and what's going to happen to the prices of crude oil and gasoline. Afterwards, we'll discuss news that Uber has chosen the head of Expedia, Dara Khosrowshahi, to be its new CEO, and then look at why St. Louis, Missouri is decreasing the city's minimum wage from $10 an hour to $7.70.

Shopping at Whole Foods is about to get cheaper, thanks to its merger with Amazon. We'll take a look at the kinds of items that'll see price cuts and what this shift means for the supermarket industry as a whole. Afterwards, we'll discuss news that the head of Samsung is heading to prison for five years, and then talk about the much-anticipated Mayweather vs. McGregor match, which could be the most lucrative boxing fight in history.