Author: Marketplace

Following the murder of George Floyd, the social justice movement it accelerated led to a wave of support for Black-owned businesses — from consumers, banks, and big corporations. But a lot of that support has faded away. Today, we'll hear how small business owners have grappled with the ebbs and flows. Plus, as films and television shows opt to film in places like Georgia or New York, businesses in Los Angeles say the move away from Hollywood is hitting their bottom line.

Last month, Marketplace's Mitchell Hartman visited Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he reported on the history of the area's “Black Wall Street” and its destruction during the Tulsa Race Massacre more than a century ago. The city's mayor recently announced a $105 million reparations plan. Tulsa joins a number of localities addressing the racial wealth gap, but if addressed federally, the sum would have to be closer to $16 trillion. We'll hear more. But first: how to tell how factories are navigating tariff pivots.

From the BBC World Service: Oil prices influence the prices of many goods that we buy. Now, mixed signals from President Donald Trump about whether to get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran are causing volatility in global oil prices and adding to overall economic uncertainty. And, we'll look at how key industries in Thailand are feeling about the prospect of steep U.S. tariffs.

Despite having free primary schools, children in Malawi are lagging behind. According to UNESCO, almost 90% of them cant read a simple sentence at the age of 10, due in part to a shortage of teachers and basic resources. But the government has gone for a high-tech solution — digital tablets.

The Fed kept interest rates as-is today, and Chair Powell said policymakers are “well-positioned to wait” before making another move. But what if oil price shock, propelled by roiling conflict in the Middle East, forces his hand? In this episode, we break open the Fed oil crisis playbook — but we hope Powell won’t need it. Plus, projections show the GOP tax bill will cost more than it makes, AI productivity won't boost humans equally and port logistics get complicated under shifting tariff policy.

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Every day this week, we’ll take a look at the ripple effects of the budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress that would enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. Today, we focus on the bill’s impact on health care and social programs. We explain how the Senate’s version of the reconciliation bill cuts Medicaid more aggressively than the House of Representatives’ previous version. Then, we hear from a listener about how the bill’s Medicaid cuts could affect the hospitals they work with, particularly in underserved rural areas. Plus, we answer a listener question about how states would absorb the costs of the bill’s federal funding cuts.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Senate Bill Would Make Deep Cuts to Medicaid, Setting Up Fight With House” from The New York Times
• “Hundreds of rural hospitals at risk if Medicaid cuts pass, Democrats say” from Healthcare Dive
• “2025 Budget Impacts: House Bill Would Cut Assistance and Raise Costs for Seniors” from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• “GOP bill would have states picking up more of the tab for programs like Medicaid and SNAP” from Marketplace
• “How Would Potential Federal Budget Cuts Impact State Budgets?” from Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
• “What are the Implications of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill for Hospitals?” from KFF

Got a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Financial markets are strangely calm so far this morning, given — among other things — continued hostilities between Israel and Iran. As the trading day gets underway, there's been no sign from the White House about whether the U.S. would take military action against nuclear facilities in Iran. We'll try to get a sense of the market. Plus, sometimes taking a vow of poverty is easier said than done. From Marketplace's "This Is Uncomfortable," we'll learn all about a nun's finances.

Contractors provide legally required services for people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These include medical care, where providers are trying to navigate the administration's assertions that detainees do not have rights to normal due process. Today, we hear about a mental health facility in Colorado that decided not to take this business. Also: a big win for cryptocurrency businesses in the Senate and a look at the horror movie economy.

From the BBC World Service: Japanese vehicle exports to the United States dropped by almost a quarter last month amid the fallout from President Donald Trump's new tariffs. Tokyo has been seeking relief from the 25% U.S. import taxes on foreign-made vehicles, but no agreement has been reached despite a series of high-level talks. Plus, we hear how French wine producers are reacting to the uncertainty around tariff talks.

Protests in Southern California and around the country over raids targeting undocumented immigrants played out differently on social media depending on the person or the platform. They’re peaceful - look at the carnival atmosphere. They’re violent - Los Angeles is in flames. These competing narratives underline the hyper-siloed nature of online discourse and the power of misinformation. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Renee DiResta, Research Professor at Georgetown University about how protest discourse has been playing out online.