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Inflation at 8.5% A New Four-Decade High Apr 13, 2022

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Inflation ticks up again to a new four-decade high of 8.5%. This is now the sixth straight month of inflation over 6%. The current rate of inflation continues to be driven by high energy costs and more rises in grocery prices. Some economists hope that we are hitting a peak as prices in some sectors begin to ease, but the overall problem persists. Gwynn Guilford, economics reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, a new proposal in California would shorten the work week to four days and force overtime beyond that. The plan would apply to companies with more than 500 employees and could in effect raise employees’ wages by 25% increasing costs for employers. There are currently pilot projects with 38 companies exploring the effects of switching to a four day work week. Wes Venteicher, reporter at The Sacramento Bee, joins us for what to know.

Finally, health experts with the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force will be issuing draft guidance that all children as young as 8 years old should be screened for anxiety. One of the things they point to is the effect that the pandemic has had on young kids and also an increase in numbers of kids aged 6-17 that have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Brianna Abbot, health reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what’s in the recommendations.

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Thousands of Etsy Sellers Go On Strike, but Will It Make an Impact? Apr 12, 2022

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Thousands of Etsy sellers have gone on strike. Protesting an increase of transaction fees, we are seeing as many as 14,000 sellers put their shops into vacation mode. The impact is unclear at the moment as Etsy has about 5 million sellers on the platform. Charity Scott, e-commerce reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more on this strike as the company makes efforts to become a bigger destination for shoppers.

Next, there’s another massive cargo ship that is stranded in Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and it has been there for a month now! The circumstances aren’t as disruptive as the last time a cargo ship was stuck in Suez Canal, but it is becoming somewhat of a destination for gawkers and those bored enough wanting to see a stranded ship. Julie Bykowics, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how the Coast Guard will be making a third attempt to get the ship free.

Finally, the Army wants to build new barracks for its soldiers at Fort Bliss in Texas, but to save time and money, they will be using a 46-foot 3D printer. A machine called the Vulcan uses a special kind of concrete called Lavacrete to build the walls of the building at a lower cost than traditional construction. David Roza, Air Force reporter at Task and Purpose, joins us for what will be the largest 3D printed building in the western hemisphere once it’s done.

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Democrats Hoping to Change Narrative Around Economy Ahead of Midterms Where Losses Are Predicted Apr 11, 2022

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There is a Covid outbreak in Washington D.C. where many that are close to the president have tested positive in recent days. A number of people attended a high profile dinner last week including the Attorney General and Agriculture Secretary. President Biden continues to test negative. Also as the midterm elections are on the horizon, former President Trump is endorsing Dr. Oz for Senate and Democrats are scrambling to change the narrative on the economy as many experts say they will have a tough time keeping majorities in Congress. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for more.

Next, Epic Games has just released the latest version of their 3D software development tool called Unreal Engine 5. This tool allows gaming and movie developers to present intricate 3D details, facial realism, and large-scale world building. Epic says that the new update will make it the backbone of everything from movies and video games to metaverse experiences. It is free to download and use, but Epic will take a cut once projects developed using Unreal Engine 5 make over $1 million in revenue. Andrew Chow, culture and tech reporter for Time magazine, joins us for the impact it might have.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Young Men Driving Theater Rebound, the New Sober-Ish, Tik Tok Tics Apr 10, 2022

Show notes

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Freeze on Federal Student Loans Payments Extended, Walmart Raising Truckers’ Wages, PPP Looted by Millions Apr 09, 2022

Show notes

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

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Ukrainian Refugees Are Showing Up at the Southern Border as More Migrants Seeking Asylum Are Also Expected Apr 08, 2022

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As the war in Ukraine continues we are seeing a new surge of refugees at the border. More than 2,000 Ukrainians have reached the U.S. border with Mexico and more migrants from other countries are expected to seek asylum as the coronavirus public health order known as Title 42 will be lifted soon. Ukrainians have also been frustrated as there hasn’t been official guidance on how they can enter the U.S. Miriam Jordan, national immigration correspondent at the NY Times, joins us for more.

Next, drone deliveries are now a thing in Texas. ‘Wing’ is a division of Alphabet, Google’s parent company and just launched the first commercial service in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. People will be able to order things like small items from Walgreens, pet medication and even ice cream and have it delivered straight to their door in a matter of minutes. Harry Guinness, contributor to Popular Science, joins us for how it works and whether it will catch on beyond a novelty.

Finally, we have a jobs alert! Walmart is raising the starting salary of its truck drivers to at least $95,000 and up to $110,000 for their first year. Walmart will also start a training program to help people earn their commercial driver’s license. As consumer buying habits have changed, Walmart needs to beef up its supply chain workers to make sure stores are stocked. Melissa Repko, retail and consumer reporter at CNBC, joins us for what to know.

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Biden Administration Extends Federal Student Loan Payment Freeze Through August Apr 07, 2022

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Good news for those with federal student loans. The Biden administration has extended the suspension of loan payments through August 31. This is the sixth time it has been extended. This will benefit about 41 million people so they don’t accrue interest on their loans. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for what to know about the extension what politics are at play.

Next, as people made the shift to working from home during the pandemic and starting new jobs because of the Great Resignation, everyone was using their cell phones instead of their old business lines and caller ID has been outing people. Because caller ID is linked to the plan holder, many young professionals are being outed as still being on their parents’ phone plane. Lindsay Ellis, careers reporter at the WSJ joins us for more.

Finally, young men have been driving the rebound of movie theaters. As studios have begun to release big budget movies in theaters, the films that have made the most money are those catering to this demographic. Young men have been more comfortable returning than older people and women after shutdowns. Erich Schwartzel, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how this is influencing what entertainment looks like for everyone else.

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Could Elon Musk Bring Changes to Content Moderation Now That He Sits on Twitter’s Board? Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

Elon Musk has acquired a 9.2% stake in Twitter making him the largest shareholder. That’s 73 million shares worth about $3 billion and now, he also has a seat with the board of directors. Musk has about 80 million followers and has been critical of Twitter in the past. Sarah Needleman, tech reporter at the WSJ, joins us for where many think Elon could play a big role at the company… issues of content moderation.

Next, are some people ‘super immune’ to Covid? There are many who have had Covid multiple times, while others have avoided infection all together. Researchers are currently studying health care workers whose bodies fought off infection, but never created specific antibodies for it. The hope is that understanding what kept them from getting sick could lead to better vaccines. Madison Muller, health reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.

Finally, the use of certain drugs in small amounts is beginning to be claimed by wellness culture. Microdosing of magic mushrooms or even MDMA is getting more attention and even rewriting the definition of what it means to be sober. While research remains limited, many feel that the positive effects of small doses can be beneficial to their lives. Luke Winkie, contributor to Vox, joins us for the new sober-ish.

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Inflation Is Making People Change Their Buying Habits to Find Deals Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Inflation continues to be at a 40-year high with no signs of letting up. In response, shoppers are starting to change their buying habits and cutting back on staples. Consumers are buying things in smaller quantities and also switching to store brands to save money. The big question is whether consumer product giants will adjust prices after betting big that people would stick with them. Sharon Terlep, consumer products reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, there is an estimated 7.7 to 23 million people that might have had long Covid. In an effort to find root causes and treatments, patients suffering from these prolonged symptoms are joining with researchers to come up with answers. While that might seem like a given, that is not the usual partnership in place when studying diseases.. Frances Stead Sellers, senior writer at The Washington Post, joins us for how long Covid is changing medical research.

Finally, why are people acting so weird? We are seeing more crime, unruly people and other strange behavior recently and it begs the question, what’s up with that? Experts suggest a range of things have been influencing people with stress as the main culprit. People are also drinking more and are dealing with isolation. Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for what’s going on with all this weird behavior.

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Covid Paycheck Protection Program Has Lost Billions of Dollars to Fraud Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

Amid shutdowns during the pandemic, the government stepped in quickly to provide much needed financial support to Americans and business owners, but maybe they moved too quickly. One of the plans to help was the Paycheck Protection Program also known as PPP which we now know has been looted by fraudsters to the tune of billions of dollars. The true amount may not be known, but in this program alone it could be about $80 billion and much of it is unrecoverable. To scam the government people inflated the number of employees they had or even created companies out of whole cloth and there was little verification. Laura Strickler, national investigative reporter at NBC News, joins us for the looting of the PPP.

Next, in an update to a story that was first reported on last fall, teen girls are still going to doctors offices with TikTok-related tics and other disorders as well. While some of these tics might seem like Tourette's, they are actually being diagnosed with functional neurological disorders which can include verbal tics and abnormal body movements. New research is supporting other theories that some of these girls were also susceptible to other disorders. Once they got treatment for the tics, other disorders began to develop, but doctors still think that social media videos play a factor. Julie Jargon, family and tech columnist joins us for more.

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