Marketplace

Kai Ryssdal often liked to play a game on the show he would call What’s Janet Yellen Thinking? Well, today he took a trip to Washington, D.C., to ask just that. The two chatted about the potential impact of the Build Back Better bill, why Yellen thinks the current inflation is transitory and why raising the federal debt limit is “simply a must.” Also on today’s show, we’ll chat about General Electric’s big breakup announcement, revisit teen employment and hear from a couple in Brooklyn, New York, who are still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

Over the weekend, Congress passed the trillion-dollar, bipartisan infrastructure bill. There’s a lot of money in it to tackle a lot of issues: roads and bridges, electric vehicles and charging stations, broadband access and much more. In today’s episode, we dig into some of those investments, their impacts and timelines. Plus: Workers who were fired for refusing vaccination face different unemployment benefits policies in different states; retailers are rethinking the value of delayed and costly imports; and corporations want to plant trees to offset their carbon emissions … but there might not be enough global real estate.

Zillow announced this week that it’s winding down its house-flipping business. As an ibuyer, Zillow’s real estate technology made instant offers on houses, then the company fixed them up and resold them. But Zillow underestimated the rapid rise in home prices and failed to anticipate that those gains would moderate — resulting in a $400 million loss last quarter and offering a cautionary tale to other ibuying companies. Also on the show today: California’s farmers get supply chain headaches, the complicated relationship a young woman has with her family’s wealth and why some in the U.K. are camping out in churches.

Despite its noted absence by global leaders at the COP26 conference in Glasgow, Scotland, China is still aiming to curb emissions and become carbon neutral by 2060 — a decade later than targets set by the United States and European Union. But that’s no easy feat for the world’s second-largest economy and biggest polluter. Marketplace’s Jennifer Pak visits the city of Luoyang in central China to explore the hurdles, opportunities and importance of achieving that goal. Plus: Leisure travel makes a comeback; Senate Democrats reach to cap prescription costs for older Americans; and let the tapering begin.

The Grammy Awards announced this week that a series of nonfungible tokens will be issued to celebrate next year’s awards. The decision is in step with the industry; artists like DJ Steve Aoki and singer-songwriter Zola Jesus turned to NFTs — popular for their scarcity — when touring dried up because of the pandemic. The shift changes how music is valued and monetized. Also on today’s program: a brief history of the debt ceiling; the EPA announces new methane emission limits; and the U.S. and G7 appear to get serious about countering China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

Usually, people’s feelings about the labor market and the larger economy mirror one another. Recent surveys show that’s no longer the case. Why? Experts are pointing fingers at inflation and the uncertainty wrought by the pandemic. Later on in the show, we’ll also explore how minimizing economic inequality could better prepare the country for the next pandemic, hear how “dirty steel” plays into the U.S.-China trade war and see why England’s Stratford-upon-Avon is hosting a “mop fair.”

A carbon tax will be among the topics discussed at the upcoming COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. While more than 20 other jurisdictions around the world have implemented carbon taxes, a new tax is a hard sell to the U.S. public — and then there’s the powerful fossil fuel lobby. Also on today’s show: Why some economists are anxious about increasing prices and wages; rural Americans brace for higher propane prices as winter approaches; and a new delivery fee for Whole Foods groceries.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: There are issues in the global supply chain. One hiccup in the supply chain is a lack of truck drivers in the United States. Despite hiring bonuses of up to $10,000, fewer truck drivers are finding the stressful work and long hours worth it. And one of their biggest complaints? Difficulty finding a place to park and rest. We’ll also look at why the most iconic brand in the U.S. doubled its marketing budget this year, hear from San Francisco taxi drivers shouldering mountains of debt, and take a trip to a shipping container storage depot.

As congressional Democrats trim down the social-spending bill, a proposal for paid family leave may be cut from 12 to four weeks. The U.S. is one of only a handful of countries that don’t guarantee some paid family leave, and even at four weeks, would still be behind nearly every other country in the world. While such a policy could be vital to working parents, American reluctance to take time off could get in the way. We’ll also discuss corporations’ green pledges, why some companies are hiring leaders to manage remote and hybrid work, and hear about a horror author’s scary house hunt.

In the early ’90s, New Mexico had 34,000 acres devoted to the production of chiles, the pepper seen on menus across the state. But that number has dwindled, with some 8,000 acres set aside for chile production in recent years, according to the New Mexico Chile Association. The decline in chile production — largely the result of climate change and a labor shortage — may be a threat to businesses and the culture of the region. Also on today’s show: Housing advocates vie for their slice of the reconciliation pie; examining just how ethical ESG investments are; and a festival sign writer crafts a pandemic side hustle.