Marketplace

Relationship status: it’s complicated. The U.S. government, along with 48 states and districts, sued Facebook today, alleging the social media giant bought or killed off its competition, resulting in an illegal monopoly. Now the Federal Trade Commission is demanding the company sells Instagram and WhatsApp. On today’s show: “Marketplace Tech” host Molly Wood explains what that means for Facebook and other tech giants. Plus, millions of Americans are on the brink of eviction and a look at varying COVID-19 cancellation policies.

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COVID-19 relief talks continue to hit snag after snag on Capitol Hill as each party fights for its priorities. But bipartisanship is flourishing elsewhere: lobbying. Around $3 billion a year is spent on lobbying, and the biggest, most lucrative lobbying firms in Washington are bipartisan. On today’s show: a look at the bipartisan business of political lobbying. Plus, Nielsen catches up with the streaming era and why Ikea is saying farewell to its catalog.

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Millions of families lost income due to the pandemic this year, and that’s leading to tough financial decisions. A big one? Whether or not to grow their families. COVID-19 could lead to 300,000 to 500,000 fewer births next year. And that could mean big economic consequences for the workforce in the future. Plus, why retailers are opting for smaller sales this year and what fur sales have to do with a U.S.-U.K. trade deal.

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In more normal times, adding 245,000 jobs in November would be great. But the American economy is digging out of a nearly 10 million job hole, hundreds of thousands of people are leaving the workforce, and soon we could be back to losing jobs again. On today’s show, we’ll do the numbers. Plus: checking in on Fannie and Freddie, vaccine PSAs and PPP loan forgiveness.

We’ve been saying it for months: This pandemic is peeling back the layers of what’s broken in this economy and this country. Today, we’ll examine a medical system at its breaking point, an unpredictable retail landscape and the possibility of a double-dip recession. Plus: With new vaccines comes the risk of hackers.

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A bipartisan group of senators proposed a $908 billion COVID-19 relief package Tuesday. The proposal comes after months of stalled negotiations on what the next package should be used for exactly. So on today’s show, we asked a few economists how the next round of relief money should be spent. Plus, an explanation of a physics theory that could help us understand post-pandemic recovery, and the role workplaces could play in coronavirus vaccine distribution.

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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testified before the Senate Banking Committee about the CARES Act — and it pretty much sounded like they were talking about two different economies. Powell focused on the big picture, while Mnuchin stuck to the letter of the law. And that could make passing more COVID-19 aid even harder. Plus: Most states have been underpaying pandemic unemployment benefits, and Capitol Hill is still overwhelmingly white.

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President-elect Joe Biden’s team Monday released the names of three people who will be on his Council of Economic Advisers. Cecilia Rouse, a dean at Princeton, has been tapped to lead the council. If confirmed by the Senate, she’ll be the first Black woman to ever chair the CEA. On today’s show: a look at how Biden’s economic team is coming together. Plus, a Wall Street data merger, a look at COVID-19 in food deserts and what’s up with 5G.

Hordes of crazed Black Friday shoppers storming big-box stores for once-a-year deals? Not this year. The coronavirus pandemic has caused a shift to online holiday shopping as people try to stay home and stay safe. And that surge in e-commerce means a delivery crunch could be coming. Plus, why another NBA season is starting so soon.

Most of us have spent the majority of this year from home. Working from home. Learning from home. And now, holidaying from home. On today’s show: We check in with some workers who will be celebrating the holidays from their work-from-home offices. Plus, what it’s like to be a senior on fixed income during the coronavirus pandemic.