Marketplace

West Texas Intermediate is back below $100 per barrel. Average gasoline prices in the U.S. are down too, from $4.33 a gallon to … $4.32. So what gives? Today, we’ll dig into the disconnect between crude oil and gasoline and why the price spike hasn’t juiced electric vehicle sales. Plus: How global markets could respond to a Russian debt default and what the life of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh teaches us about happiness and success.

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China’s omicron surge is small by American standards. But the same zero-COVID policy that allowed its factories to churn out goods during the pandemic is now slowing down electronics manufacturing and restricting activity in major cities. We’ll bring you the view on the ground in Shanghai. Plus: Advocates say the U.S. should do more for Ukrainian refugees, in-person shopping gets a lift as mask mandates fall away and new demand for aluminum cans is leaving craft brewers behind.

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The stock market is often used as a predictor of risk — financial, sure, but also geopolitical and global. The major indexes closed out a volatile week down slightly, but not far from where they were two weeks ago. What to make of that? We asked some experts. Also on today’s program: War complicates the Federal Reserve’s moves on inflation, and crypto miners seek cheap energy in upstate New York. 

Palaces, private jets and superyachts — these are among the prized possessions of Russian oligarchs who have been singled out and sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and others. Today, we’ll examine the history of oligarchs, the relationship between them and Russian President Vladimir Putin and the iffy impact sanctions on these superrich types might have. Plus: Wages struggle to keep up with inflation, humanitarian organizations rediscover the “cash is king” approach to aid and the war in Ukraine threatens to worsen global food insecurity.

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When McDonald’s opened its Moscow location in the early ’90s, it signaled Russia’s transition to a market economy. But now corporations are pulling out over the war in Ukraine, and the Russian economy has been hollowed out by Western sanctions. Could the country be reverting to Soviet-era government interference? We’ll talk about it with the author of “Putinomics.” Later in the show: Why a federal gas tax holiday won’t ease much pain at the pump, and why ramping up U.S. oil production wouldn’t be an overnight fix either.

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President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports today, warning American consumers they’ll pay more at the pump. Historically, oil shocks have preceded recessions, but the pandemic may have equipped this economy to better withstand the price jumps. Later, we’ll examine why businesses are closing up shop in Russia and the country’s economic ties to China. Plus: How Americans can make sure their donations to Ukraine count.

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The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States is now more than $4. A lot of that price jump has to do with the surging cost of crude oil. With the U.S. and its allies discussing sanctions on Russian energy, we take a look at what it would mean to restrict one of the “last economic lifelines” for Russia’s economy and why the U.S. imports so much oil in the first place. Plus, the toll of war on Ukrainian students and a visit to San Francisco’s “Little Russia.”

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Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are relatively new, but they’re already changing the global economy. Ukraine is using cryptocurrency to fund its war efforts. We’re going to spend this month explaining how the crypto economy operates and answering all of the questions you might have been too afraid to ask. First, we’ll dig into the blockchain and bitcoin mining — no hard hat required. Plus: a great jobs report, the “London laundromat” and why the West still isn’t sanctioning Russian oil.

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Ukraine has become a hub for outsourced technology services over the past few years. That means the major tech companies that employ workers there are activating contingency plans to help keep those workers safe. Today, we’ll take a look at how some companies are responding when a part of their workforce is threatened by war. Also on today’s program: The job market appears to bounce back from omicron, investors flock to the security of the government bond market and Russian businesses in the U.S. struggle to retain patrons.

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Ukraine’s official Twitter account solicited donations in bitcoin and other online currency this weekend and reportedly received $20 million worth. Russians have also turned to cryptocurrency as an alternative to the plummeting ruble — and, potentially, a way for oligarchs to protect their wealth from sanctions. Plus: A look at the businesses that are divesting from Russia, and we delve into social media deplatforming Russia’s state media.

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