Marketplace

Nahhhh. With the holidays right around the corner, and ads inundating our collective consciousness, we try to figure out why deals are everywhere. But first, the British pound has fallen nearly 2 percent against the dollar amid shaky Brexit negotiations. What exactly are the markets trying to tell us? Then: a story about the state of temporary work in the years before and after the Great Recession. Also, one journalist (and mother) on how history, the economy and race have shaped American motherhood.

There's a Brexit deal ... we think. What happens next? What sticking points have held up the process? We talk to Marketplace’s Stephen Beard about whether or not the May administration will be able to close the deal with the European Union. Then, a follow up to our reporting yesterday looking at the auto bailout 10 years later. This time, we look at how the financial crisis transformed the economy of Kenosha,Wisconsin. Plus, we'll talk to AEG CEO Dan Beckerman for this installment of Corner Office. 

The wait is over — Amazon finally announced its new headquarter locations. They are near two major metropolitan areas: Crystal City, Virginia, just across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., and Long Island City in Queens, just across the East River from Manhattan. We'll be taking a look at what happens to housing and rent prices when Amazon moves in. Then, later in the show, we'll talk about what’s next for the places that weren’t chosen. Plus: Ten years ago, the government bailed out the auto industry partially on behalf of the workers. A decade on, how have those auto jobs fared? We check in on the bailouts that were meant to save the economy of Toledo, Ohio.

By now we don't have to remind you that the stock market is not the economy, but we'll give you some more context for today's decline. Also on today's show: One of the most influential companies you probably never heard of is going public. The mobile division of Japanese conglomerate Softbank is vying for an IPO. That's a big deal for American companies, including Uber, Slack and WeWork. Then: About 70 percent of online shopping carts are abandoned before purchase. Now e-commerce retailers are trying to figure out how to get shoppers to that last click. And we remember comic book genius Stan Lee. We talk to Gizmodo’s Evan Narcisse about Lee's impact on pop culture. 

It's been a long week. Let's take five minutes just to recap. We'll talk midterms, the Federal Reserve and more with the Wall Street Journal’s Kate Davidson and Politico Managing Editor Sudeep Reddy for the Weekly Wrap. Then, we'll get into tariffs, or more specifically, how to be exempt from paying tariffs. Since last March, the Commerce Department has been inundated with nearly 50,000 applications from steel and aluminum companies asking to be excluded from the tariffs — 10 times the amount it initially expected. So how does the Commerce Department choose who gets exempted? We dig into it. Plus, with tariffs there's always a catch, and the lobster industry is feeling it. We talk to Bloomberg’s Shawn Donnan about how Maine lobsters got caught in the trade war crossfire. 

Some things might change with the American economy because of the midterms, but we can always count on the good ol' Federal Reserve. The Fed has been meeting this week to discuss interest rates and the state of the economy. While interest rates held steady this month, an increase is anticipated in December. But what about housing interest rates? The average rate on a 30-year mortgage hit 4.94 percent this week, a near seven-year high. Now, the housing market is cooling off — new data is showing a further decline in mortgage applications. We talk to experts about what that means for the economy. Also, the deficit hawks are about to get louder. Talk of the federal deficit was rather quiet during the midterm elections, but with Democrats as the majority of the House, we're going to hear a lot more about it. Plus: a check-in on Big Scooter. Yes, we said it. Big Scooter. It's a multibillion-dollar industry. 

On today's show we'll look at the big-picture economic affects of the election results. New House, same deficit, so what can Democrats change? We talk to senior reporter Kimberly Adams about how the budget deficit will play out with the new Democratic majority. Voters in Idaho, Utah and Nebraska approved Medicaid expansion, meaning nearly 300,000 Americans could get coverage. A look at the future of Medicaid funding in these traditionally red states. And, in nonelection news, Puerto Rico has been approved for a $4 billion deal to assist its debt crisis. Plus, the latest installment of Corner Office. This time, we talk to Kaiser Permanente CEO Bernard Tyson about the challenges of the health care industry.

Chinese tech company Foxconn planned to bring a lot of new manufacturing jobs to the people of Wisconsin, until those plans changed. Turns out there aren't a lot of engineers for hire in Wisconsin. Now Foxconn is asking engineers in China to raise their hands and come on over to Wisconsin. We talk to the Wall Street Journal’s Shayndi Raice about Foxconn’s labor troubles. Also on today's show: Americans spend billions of dollars on their pets every year, with a large portion of that spent on food, and companies are taking note. Plus, in our latest installment of #HowWeChanged, we hear the story of a Wells Fargo loan officer who became a whistleblower in a case alleging the bank unfairly targeted African-Americans with subprime loans. 

How does the Commerce Department decide which companies are exempt from tariffs and which ones aren't?  We obtained some documents that offer a glimpse behind the curtain. And speaking of tariffs, amidst trade tensions, China is hoping to rebrand itself as a top import country. But can the world's leading exporter easily change tack? Plus, a look at how some of the largest American companies are trying to get people to the polls tomorrow, and how training, the new tax law and outdated tech are leaving IRS workers feeling behind the curve ... as tax season approaches.

Sears is shutting down more than 100 stores, which is good news for people in the liquidation business. What's it like when your job is help shut down other businesses? We'll look into it, but first: Fed Chair Powell said yesterday that the U.S. won’t be able to sustain economic growth without immigration. We'll look at why. Plus, what you need to know about bullet journaling.