Author: Marketplace

President Donald Trump wants Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates. But the Fed makes that call based on analyzing the economy, not a president's wishes. This has some concerned that the president is looking for a pretext to fire Powell — like costly renovations to the Fed's DC headquarters. Plus, these are the dog days of summer travel. And, who's really paying for tariffs: foreign exporters or U.S. businesses?

From the BBC World Service: The Canadian firm Couche-Tard, best known for Circle K, is walking away from a $47 billion bid to buy Japan’s Seven & i, the parent company of 7-Eleven. Couche-Tard says it faced a “calculated campaign of obfuscation and delay” from the Japanese side. Then, Americans are firing up their grills this summer, but they’re getting singed by the cost of beef. Prices continue to rise. We find out why.

Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Joseph Cox, a reporter at the tech news site 404 Media, about his recent reporting on how ICE is uses ISO ClaimSearch, among other databases, to find deportation targets.

The number of people 85 years and older is expected to double in the U.K. over the next couple of decades. Apian, a London-based health care logistics company that partners with the National Health Service, thinks automation can help. We visit Apian to understand how automated robots could ease the burden of caring for an aging population. Also in this episode: A pilot pushes for menopause policies at British Airways, and an entrepreneur launches a skincare business at 50.

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Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

According to the latest consumer price index, the reported prices of several items, including apparel and household furnishings, increased in June, suggesting some preliminary effects of the Trump administration’s tariff policies. We discuss President Donald Trump’s response calling for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, and why it’s so crucial to preserve an independent central bank. Then, we take a look at Missouri, where the state’s legislature and the governor overturned the outcome of a ballot initiative. What does that say about the state of public participation in the democratic process? And, we celebrate some wins from listeners about a rekindled drive to write poetry and what it means to be a good friend.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Missouri governor repeals paid sick leave law approved last year by voters" from The Associated Press
• "Missouri Rolls Back Paid Sick Leave Entitlement; $15 Minimum Wage Remains" from National Law Review
• “Missouri’s voters restored abortion rights. Their leaders are trying to overrule them” from the newsletter The 19th News
• "D.C. budget update: Tipped minimum wage compromise fails, ranked choice voting funded as budget advances" from WAMU
• "Inflation picks up again in June, rising at 2.7% annual rate" from CNBC

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More than five years after the start of the pandemic, we’re learning more about who's working in person and who isn't. Labor Department data shows 29% of men work from home, down from 34% two years ago. But the number of women working remotely has stayed flat at 36%. We'll discuss what to make of the dynamic. Also: Wholesale inflation remains unchanged, and the White House launches an investigation into unfair trade practices by Brazil.

Real average hourly earnings fell in June. Just one month of data doesn't make a trend, but forces at work in both the labor market and inflation data could further eat into Americans' wages. We'll unpack. Then, President Donald Trump’s bill to claw back federal funding for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting could get a final vote in the Senate today. Plus, the Department of Defense is investing in a U.S.-based rare earth mining company.

From the BBC World Service: The annual inflation rate in the United Kingdom clocked in higher than expected in the month of June, at 3.6%. Much of inflation's stickiness there has to do with rising food and gasoline prices. Meanwhile, U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced steps to encourage people to invest in stocks and shares. Also on today's show: a look at why Cuba's labor minister has resigned and more tariff news for Indonesia and Brazil.

Know how some companies intentionally make it hard for customers to fix their own gadgets? In the armed forces, as military contractors consolidate and equipment becomes increasingly software-driven, it's become a problem. Now, some Pentagon leaders are talking about adding right to repair provisions into procurement contracts.

Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with now-retired Master Sergeant Wesley Reid, who's spoken out in favor of the military's right to repair, informed by his experiences at an Afghanistan army field hospital in the late 2000s.

By 2050, around a quarter of people in the U.K. will be 65 or older — about ten years before the U.S. reaches that milestone. For our ongoing “Age of Work” series, host Kai Ryssdal and ADP chief economist Nela Richardson take a trip to across the pond to understand how businesses and the government are preparing for an aging population. Plus, hear how one Brit is navigating the job market in his 60s, and check in on a London honey shop owner we last spoke with during Brexit.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.