Marketplace

There are some signs that tensions between the U.S. and Iran could be de-escalating, but there’s more than just a physical war to worry about. Today we assess the tools for cyber warfare Iran has at its disposal, and the market reaction to last night’s missile attack in Iraq. Plus: a look at how technology might bring down the cost of prosthetic limbs, and more from our “Adventures in Housing” series.

Stocks hardly reacted to the first part of a trade deal with China last month, but the U.S. assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and new tensions with Iran have caused a stir. Today, we’re going to dig into how unpredictability riles markets and what it means for events to be “priced in.” Plus: What the low trade deficit does and doesn’t tell us, modern email etiquette and how the #MeToo movement has changed the American Economic Association’s annual conference.

Former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke sparked chatter in economic circles by saying the Fed should not rule out using negative interest rates. That would discourage banks from stashing their cash in the central bank and nudge them to lend. Even though the economy is growing at the moment, it could be good to have the option when things stall. But current Fed Chair Jerome Powell has pretty much ruled that out. Plus: How sanctions have shaped Iran’s economy, how alternative milks are putting a dent in the dairy industry, and how a Bahamian island is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian.

A U.S. airstrike in Iraq early Friday morning killed Qassem Soleimani, a powerful Iranian military leader. Iran has vowed retaliation, and while nothing has come yet, the oil markets are reacting. This is a critical spot in the oil market, and analysts are trying to assess where the heightened risks are to oilfields, workers, pipelines, processing facilities, vessels and shipping lanes. Plus: global spending on video games hit a high in 2019, a new industry that’s helping adults make friends and economic opportunities that lie on the hiking trails.

The U.S. dollar rose for most of last year, until September hit.  Since then, it has lost about 2.6% of its value, according to the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index. The rise and fall of global markets affects the value of the dollar because it’s thought of as a sort of safe haven. At the same time, the U.S. Federal Reserve started pumping more dollars into the U.S. financial system. But should we worry about the dollar’s drop? Plus: the fourth quarter election fundraising numbers are in, a new Nevada law that bans employers from denying jobs to applicants who test positive for marijuana, and the story of an international consultant who finally landed at home.

Ever realize you have 17 bottles of hand lotion and decide to reevaluate? That’s what Haley Falconer realized before she decided to do a shopping fast. She decided she would buy only the essentials, like groceries, and forgo all else. In the latest installment of our series “How We Shop,” we hear how she did it and how the year long experiment saved her family $4,000. Plus: A look back at this decade in the workplace, the story of a security guard who just turned 80 and a conversation about the board game industry.

A tweet from presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg about making the East Room in the White House an open office plan set the internet ablaze. Open plan office spaces have been trending for a few years now, but research shows there are quite a few downsides, like increased illness and decreased communication. Will the end of the decade bring the end of the open office? Plus: an update on U.S. trade relations, how a retired government contractor is winding down on the vineyard and a look at this decade in housing.

“Marketplace Tech” host Molly Wood dropped by to tell us about the major tech trends of the past decade. If the 2000s were about the growth of the internet, the 2010s were about learning how to use it. Software saw a boom, with the rise of apps like Uber and platforms like Facebook. Molly’s big prediction? By 2030, phones will be no longer. Plus: the trade deficit in goods shrank for the third straight month, California’s new data privacy law kicks in at the start of the new year and a nurse navigates finances in her semiretirement.

Comcast, NBCUniversal’s parent company, is reportedly in talks to buy Xumo, a free streaming service totally supported by advertisements. That could help NBCUniversal make good on its plans to launch Peacock as a free, ad-supported service not unlike good old fashioned TV. Plus: Tesla is set to deliver its first cars built in China, a sleeping pill-induced money horror story and how swimsuit fabric drummed up controversy at the Olympics.

With new global emissions rules kicking in Jan. 1, most analysts agree shipping costs are likely to rise. Shipping companies can do a couple different things to reduce their emissions, including purchasing cleaner but pricier fuel. The upside: Our air will be cleaner. Plus: a look at automatic inflation adjustments in minimum wages, how Saudi Arabia is pushing entrepreneurship and Pantone’s 2020 color of the year.