Author: Marketplace

Researchers figure livestock herds contribute between 12% and 20% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. That's mostly methane from the digestive process. But a study from UC Davis finds that, when fed seaweed early on, cattle’s microbiome can be altered, reducing the amount of methane emissions. But first, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point — though they have limited data to go off of.

Bankruptcies appear to be mounting in the subprime auto lending business. This all comes as auto loan delinquencies are rising, and the price of new and used cars stays stubbornly high. Amid all this, the Trump administration is quietly exploring a rollback of federal supervision of subprime auto lenders. Then, could federal law override state law that prevents medical debt from affecting your credit score? Plus, OpenAI goes from non-profit to for-profit.

From the BBC World Service: U.S. President Donald Trump is in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, or APEC. As U.S. tariffs in the region loom large, he'll also be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow. Plus, Ben Cohen — co-founder of Ben and Jerry's — says he's launching a new, Palestinian-themed melon-flavored sorbet after previous attempts were blocked by the firm's parent company Unilever. And, life-saving, 3D-printed equipment is coming to some Syrian hospitals.

Climate change is transforming how the world grows and eats. In this episode, host Amy Scott talks with New York Times international climate correspondent Somini Sengupta about what she’s learned from farmers adapting to extreme weather. From drought-resistant crops to regenerative practices, Sengupta shows how communities on the front lines of climate change are finding new ways to survive and feed their families — and what their stories can teach us about building a more resilient global food system.

Beijing is making it easier for global science and tech talent to visit or do business in China. Chinese officials opened a new K visa for graduates in science, technology, engineering and math to do research and start companies. This comes as the U.S. is cutting research grants and choking H-1B talent visas. Overseas, analysts say America’s loss could be China’s gain. But within China, there is a lot of anger over the K visa. Marketplace’s China correspondent Jennifer Pak explains from Shanghai.

Amazon and Chegg both announced layoffs this week; Chegg says AI competition was a factor, and Amazon’s CEO alluded to AI-related job cuts earlier this year. History tells us when a new technology comes along and totally overhauls society (think, the steam engine), we end up with new, better jobs. So … why have we only heard about AI-related job elimination? Later in the episode: Wayfair bucks home goods trends, consumer confidence stays sorta glum, and schools struggle without pandemic-era universal free lunch funds.

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It’s Day 28 of the government shutdown, and lawmakers still aren’t budging on the budget. But Congress faces key deadlines this week: Funds for assistance programs like SNAP could run out, and Americans may see their healthcare premiums skyrocket as open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans begins Nov. 1. On today’s show, Kimberly unpacks what’s at stake with CQ Roll Call reporter Aris Folley. Plus, we’ll answer some of your questions along the way.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• ”6 ways the shutdown is about to get worse” from Politico
• ”Largest federal workers union calls for an end to the shutdown, putting pressure on Democrats” from NBC
• ”Government shutdown continues to add to stress on air traffic controllers and disrupt flights” from AP News
• ”As Shutdown Drags and Trump Flexes, Congress Cedes Its Relevance” from the New York Times

We want to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

More than half of homeowners say their insurance premiums went up in the last year, according to Consumer Reports. The biggest culprits? Inflation, construction costs, and extreme weather. In response, Consumer Reports has drawn up what it calls a "Homeowners Insurance Bill of Rights," which it hopes will be adopted by states around the country. Today, we'll hear more. But first, Elon Musk has released an artificial intelligence-powered rival to Wikipedia.

The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee starts a two-day meeting on interest rates today. Most of the government data the Fed usually considers when voting on rates isn’t available because of the shutdown. We did get a tardy consumer price index report last Friday, though, and the Fed also produces some data itself. But can that paint a clear enough economic picture? Also: why workplace insurance premiums are likely to climb.

From the BBC World Service: During the financial crisis of 2008, the crimes of Bernie Madoff came to light. The ripple effects of his Ponzi scheme — one of the biggest frauds in Wall Street's history — are still being felt today. Now, banking giant HSBC has put aside over $1 billion for litigation related to Madoff. And later, we'll learn more about India's hard-hit carpet industry and a sports betting scandal in Turkey.