Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

Changes are afoot at the Federal Reserve: President Donald Trump will name a new Fed chair in the coming year, and the central bank’s job could get complicated as the economy absorbs the full impact of new tariffs. In this episode, why Fed independence is crucial and where the federal funds rate is headed in 2026. Plus: Families weigh the cost of child care, the BLS remains behind on data releases, and state farm bureaus offer cheaper health insurance to farmers — with a catch.

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Health coverage for millions of people is on the line as the federal government cannot get on the same page on a new health care plan or extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. If subsidies expire, premiums for Marketplace coverage will become much more expensive. Millions are projected to lose their coverage and providers that serve primarily uninsured, Medicaid and other vulnerable patients will bear the brunt of this change. In the Loop hears from Loretto Hospital CEO Tesa Anewishki and Sinai Chicago CEO Dr. Ngozi Ezike about how they’re continuing to provide healthcare to Chicago’s most vulnerable. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

The average age of Congress' members has gotten older compared to the Americans it represents. This 119th Congress is the third oldest since 1789. On today’s show, Princeton economist Owen Zidar joins Kimberly to explain how decades of public policy have fueled a generational wealth gap and what our so-called gerontocracy has to do with it. Plus, what it would take for Congress to really address the economic issues younger Americans are facing.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• ”It’s My Party and I’ll Leave When I Want To” from Intelligencer
• ”Gerontocracy is everywhere” from Slow Boring
• ”How baby boomers got so rich, and why their kids are unlikely to catch up” from The Washington Post
• ”The Age Divide: How America’s Electoral System Reinforces the Gerontocracy” from New America
• ”The Everywhere Millionaire” by Owen Zidar

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These days, Americans are drinking less alcohol. While that may be a positive from a health perspective, it’s not great news for California grape growers. Industry groups predict that 2025 will be the smallest harvest since the mid-’90s. These changing consumption habits are changing the landscape of California vineyards. Also, the Trump administration is reducing fuel efficiency standards, and layoffs are running high ahead of the next Federal Reserve meeting.

The Transportation Security Administration announced earlier this week that passengers without a REAL ID or other acceptable documents (like a passport or tribal ID) will have to pay a $45 fee for the extra screening required to get through security. We'll hear more. Plus, as part of our continued lunar economy series, we'll learn about what developing infrastructure or communications systems on the moon might look like.

From the BBC World Service: European antitrust regulators have just launched an investigation into Meta over its rollout of artificial intelligence features on WhatsApp for European users. This move marks the latest action by European regulators against large technology firms, as the trade bloc seeks to balance support for the sector with efforts to curb its expanding influence. Then, air travelers in India face continued disruptions, and Japan tries to regain a stronghold in semiconductor chip manufacturing.

Every day, consumers are confronted with the fragility of our personal data privacy — another data breach, another government agency accessing databases they didn't previously have access to, another consent form popping up to get permission to gather more data.

It's almost too much for any one person to keep a handle on, according to Rohan Grover, professor of artificial intelligence and media at American University. He recently co-authored a piece for The Conversation about why data privacy seems to have largely fallen out of the public discourse, even though he says the topic is more urgent than ever.

In our news wrap Wednesday, Israel received remains believed to be those of one of the last two hostages still in Gaza, President Trump proposed rolling back fuel efficiency standards set by the Biden administration and a dozen former FDA commissioners say they're "deeply concerned" about proposed changes that would create a far stricter process for vaccine approvals. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Small business owners’ economic moods remain mixed. But, as is so often the case, how folks feel is different from how they act. And hard data tells us small business owners are pulling back on hiring — one ADP report shows businesses with fewer than 50 employees cut a net 120,000 jobs in November. Should we be worried? Plus: Retailers benefit from buy now, pay later offerings, import prices sans fuel rose in September, and cap-and-trade carbon emissions programs have changed since their inception.

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.

One year ago, Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire that was supposed to end a war between the militant group Hezbollah and Israel, a war that left more than 4,000 Lebanese and more than 100 Israelis dead. But with near-daily Israeli attacks still taking place, life for civilians in Lebanon's south remains dangerous. Special Correspondent Simona Foltyn reports from that tense border. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy