As China returns to some sense of normalcy after the worst of the pandemic — and as the U.S. tries to slow down a new surge in coronavirus cases — relations between the two countries have reached a low point. On today’s show, Marketplace’s China correspondent, Jennifer Pak, tells us about the view from Shanghai, what state media are saying and what’s going on with a potential ban on the mega-popular app TikTok. Later, we’ll hear from a listener who’s wrestling with the child care crisis here at home and another who’s using lockdown to pick up (and stick with!) a new hobby.

As always, you can find links to everything we talked about today on our episode page at MakeMeSmart.org. And don’t forget to check out Marketplace’s brand-new kids’ podcast, “Million Bazillion,” on your favorite podcast app.