Marketplace

It’s a tax bill! It’s a healthcare bill! It’s a tax bill! It’s a healthcare bill? Just when we were beginning to fully grasp the Senate’s tax bill, Republicans throw in a repeal of the individual health care mandate. And, trade deficits: the president tweeted that he wants them erased — quickly — but why? Economists talk about ways to bring them down, and we have a report on the oil and gas industry, where one trade deficit could become a surplus. Plus, the bipartisan deal in the works to ease banking regulations, and the health risks of fracking.

With the rise of online banking, branches are looking for innovative ways to attract people. One bank in Berlin added a cafe and co-working space, as well as a kids’ corner and a space for gallery exhibitions. Plus, travel insurance is on the rise. And we have reports on dividend cuts at General Electric, the ongoing tax cuts saga and President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Tax overhaul took over most of our coverage this week, so we end today with a check-in on the state of tax bills in the Senate and the House. And President Donald Trump's speech in Vietnam today asserted that the U.S. won't enter multilateral trade deals. We take a look at what his administration prefers instead. Plus, a regulation that would make internet platforms liable for what their users do intends to curtail sex trafficking, but could have many "chilling" implications, especially for smaller companies.

That's what policy analyst Barmak Nassirian said when he saw the tax bill. He was thinking of the graduate students who work as research assistants and take advantage of certain tax breaks to offset the cost of their education, which is one of the deductions Republicans working on the bill are looking to slash. Continuing with tax overhaul analysis, we discuss whether cutting corporate taxes will actually bring jobs back to the U.S., since the tax bill can't change the dynamic of the global economy. And with UN climate change talks underway with little support from the White House, we look into the possibility of smaller state and local efforts.

And the water flowing into the tub is from deficits. Deficits like the $1.7 trillion in 10 years that the new tax bill is expected to add, according to the Congressional Budget Office. How long until the tub overflows? We explore that metaphor and other ways to think about our debt situation. And a week into the open enrollment period for Obamacare, we talk about how the change in administrations has affected people signing up for health care. Plus, can Snapchat's popularity among teens translate into share price? And finally, a dispatch from China ahead of President Donald Trump's trade talks with Xi Jinping.

The theory of trickle-down economics has been used to sell tax cuts for the wealthy in the past. But does it really hold water? And rates of homeownership have been increasing despite rising prices in the real estate market. We look into where this seemingly new money is coming from. Plus, Brexit blues continue with dire financial predictions, Disney's flexing on theaters with tough contract terms and journalists who criticize them, and Ellevest CEO Sallie Krawcheck talks about the Harvey Weinsteins of Wall Street.

Tax havens aren't all white sand and palm trees — Montana and Wyoming offer the same kind of anonymity for shell companies. And there are important distinctions between illegal  activity and tax avoidance. Speaking of taxes, we dig a little deeper into the new tax bill, looking at the impact of removing alimony deductions and discussing just how pro-growth it is with Neil Bradley, senior vice president and chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Plus, a fact check on President Donald Trump's statement that arms sales are job creation and a look at the day-to-day life of Puerto Ricans who had to leave the island because of power outages and food shortages.

Your regularly scheduled episode of Marketplace is landing in your feed later today, but for now we have something special.

The Uncertain Hour is back for a brand-new season, and this year we're unpacking a ten-letter word that influences our lives every day: regulation. Federal regulations affect everything from what’s inside your peanut butter jar, to how the opioid crisis spread, to how we define crime in America. Our first episode tells the story of Ruth Desmond, the "Peanut Butter Grandma." She was a concerned citizen who started lurking in the halls at the Food and Drug Administration and changed food forever.

The things we fight the most about are the things we know the least about, so subscribe to The Uncertain Hour and visit theuncertainhour.org for more.

Kai gets into a weedy economic conversation about the tax bill with Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. There’s still a lot to unpack about the bill, which we also discuss with Sudeep Reddy of Politico and the Los Angeles Times’ Don Lee on the Weekly Wrap, and with advocates for small business owners. And in not-tax-related news, a preview of President Donald Trump’s upcoming travels to Asia as America’s brand ambassador and why an unconventional faction will be leading the U.S. envoy at next week’s United Nations climate talks in Germany.

It’s tax day. Well, not that tax day. But the Republicans’ tax plan is finally here and we’re doing a full analysis. Here are a few highlights: fewer brackets, a new family credit, goodbye to most exemptions, and lower corporate rates. We talked to people across the country about their thoughts on these changes. Taxes were not the only big news today out of Washington. President Donald Trump announced that Jerome Powell will succeed Janet Yellen as Fed chair. Plus, how residents of a Colorado suburb are trying to stand up to the oil and gas companies that want to drill in their neighborhood.