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Private equity plays a major role in lots of sectors across the U.S. economy, and now it’s getting into the veterinary business. Today, Kimberly discusses the rise of these big outside investors in pet care and the financial and emotional decisions we make in caring for our beloved pets. Plus, we bid Jasper goodbye. But first, Amy breaks down a pair of cases involving the popular housing site Redfin and what they mean for how homes are bought and sold. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Redfin to pay $9.25M to settle commission lawsuits” from Inman “Redfin settles commission lawsuits f ..read more

Southern European economies, including Greece, are growing faster than some of Europe’s longtime powerhouses, like Germany. We’ll get into how Greece pulled off an economic turnaround after the devastating 2012 financial crisis. And, Halle Berry’s shouts from the steps of the Capitol are calling attention to the need for more menopause research. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Europe’s Economic Laggards Have Become Its Leaders” from The New York Times “Halle Berry shouts from the Capitol, ‘I’m in menopause’ as she seeks to end a s ..read more

“Spotting tech-driven disinformation isn’t getting easier” from Marketplace Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty. It’s time to rewind and revisit some of the big business stories of the week. First up, stagflation. Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell isn’t seeing signs of it, and neither is Kai Ryssdal. We’ll explain why. Plus, what Walmart’s decision to shut down all of its health clinics says about the U.S. health care system. Also, we’ll break down th ..read more

With the presidential election less than six months away, election workers are raising concerns about their safety. We’ll get into the rising threats to election offices and how that might affect staffing ahead of November. Also, how Tesla’s disbanding of its Supercharger team could impact the Biden’s administration push to expand electric vehicle use. Plus, how a pest control professional saved a baseball game from a swarm of bees. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Nearly Two-Thirds Of Election Officials Worry Politicians Will Interfere With Their Work: Poll” from HuffPost “Local Ele ..read more

Today we’re talking about the trade deficit at the request of some of our curious listeners. Since the mid-’70s, the U.S. has persistently been importing more goods than it exports. Is that such a bad thing? We’ll hear from Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, about why the U.S. has a trade deficit, whether it’s a good or bad thing, and why a country’s overall trade deficit matters more than deficits with specific countries. Then, we’ll get into how online political donations are fueling election campaigns this year. Pl ..read more

Nope. It’s not just your imagination. The Biden administration has been on a roll to finalize several regulations — from changes at nursing homes and updates to Title IX to health care protections for transgender people. Kimberly explains what’s really behind the mad dash. Also, Kai is back with a reminder: Don’t sleep on the foreign exchange market, folks! And we’ll smile about the tales of two cats. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Biden administration strengthens health care protections for LGBTQ+ Americans” from The 19th News “Congressional Review Act Threat Looms Over Biden Admi ..read more

Protests over Israel’s war in Gaza have erupted at universities across the United States. We’ll discuss what the sweeping protests and other high-profile political battles at colleges could mean for the economics of higher education. And, what the Federal Reserve might look like under a second Donald Trump presidency. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Protests Threaten College Graduations, Denying Seniors Second Chance at Normalcy” from The New York Times “What students say about the protests rocking their campuses” from The Washing ..read more

“Boeing failures are a case study of America’s manufacturing “dark age” from Marketplace “How science could disrupt the gin industry” from Marketplace Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty. It was a big week for tech earnings calls. Guest host Nova Safo unpacks how they went down for Tesla and Meta, and why the stock market reacted so differently to what their CEOs had to say. Plus, what Boeing’s troubles say about the state of U.S. manufacturing. And ..read more

Today, we’re talking about two different kinds of bans. As expected, President Joe Biden signed the TikTok sell-or-ban bill. But first, guest host Meghan McCarty Carino breaks down the Federal Trade Commission’s decision to ban noncompete agreements and their impact on workers and innovation. Plus, we’ll smile about Emily Dickinson and her newfound love of exclamation points!!! And how “old” is “old”? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Business Groups Race to Block FTC’s Ban on Noncompete Agreements” from The Wall Street Journal “FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements That Restrict Job Switchi ..read more