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Today, we’re diving into Bumble’s controversial anti-celibacy ad campaign, what it says about the state of dating apps and why some women are joining the anti-patriarchy movement. It’s time for a Kimberly rant. Plus, more updates on the Baltimore bridge collapse. Later, we’ll get queasy about cicadas and smiley about puppies!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

With the big push to unionize auto workers in the South, it looks like it might be another hot labor summer. And if you and your little ones have questions, this episode is for you! Today, we’re bringing you a special episode from Marketplace’s kids podcast, “Million Bazillion,” all about the history of labor unions, collective bargaining and how unions changed the way we work. Plus, how many hours a day should a ...

A “third place” is where people hang out when they’re not at home or work, and they’re becoming increasingly important for building community and connection. Guest host Reema Khrais explains why we’re hearing a lot more about them these days and shares the story behind her own third place. But first, we’ll discuss the knock-on effects of falling birth rates across the globe, why some cities are l...

The latest survey data from the University of Michigan shows consumer sentiment in the U.S. is at a six-month low. We’ll unpack the numbers and get into what they can and can’t tell us about what’s really going on in the economy. And, a plan to split up U.S. Cellular between T-Mobile and Verizon is in the works. It’s part of a larger fiasco brewing at the Federal Communications Commissi...

Joint fundraising committees allow aligned political campaigns to raise more money faster. We’ll break down how these operations work and how they’re affecting the cost of elections. Then, guest host Sabri Ben-Achour explains why China’s electric vehicle industry may not be at “overcapacity,” as U.S. and European officials have argued. Plus, artists’ fears summed up in one c...

Increasingly popular buy now, pay later services allow shoppers to split their purchases into smaller, recurring payments. We’ll get into why these loans are blurring economists’ understanding of today’s consumer debt landscape. We’ll also discuss President Joe Biden’s climate and infrastructure spending spree, and the knock-on effects of parents dying from drug overdoses. Plus, s...

College endowment funds are at the center of student protester’s calls for their schools to divest from Israel. Charlie Eaton, a sociology professor at the University of California, Merced, and author of “Bankers in the Ivory Tower,” said the size of these funds have created a moral dilemma for the wealthiest universities. On the show today, Eaton explains how college endowments work, why most universities donR...

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...

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 / H...

• “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 R...

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 fr...

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 ...

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&#...

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!

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• • “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 Ful...

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 “...

Several American dollar store chains have been down bad these days. Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and 99 Cents Only have all recently announced store closures. On the other hand, Dollar General is poised to expand. This has us wondering: What’s going on with the dollar store business model? Has today’s inflationary economy broken it? On the show today, Sandro Steinbach, professor...

Today, the Biden administration announced plans to implement strict staffing requirements at nursing homes. Kimberly Adams unpacks what this rule may mean for care and the nursing home business model. Plus, guest host Nova Safo returns to discuss the United Auto Workers’ historic victory in the South and the latest troubles at Tesla. And, high-speed rail is finally coming to the U.S.

Here’s everything we talked about to...

The Joe Biden administration announced highly anticipated updates to Title IX. The new rule expands protections for LGBTQ+ students and sexual assault survivors. But it stops short of addressing the rights of trans athletes. Then, we’ll get into the outrageous hoops rich people jump through to get out of paying state taxes. Plus, we’ll weigh in on swapping seats on airplanes and more in a round of ...