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.
Marketplace All-in-One - Britain’s inflation keeps creeping up
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.
Marketplace All-in-One - Right to repair hits the battlefield
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.
PBS News Hour - World - Will Trump’s shift on arming Ukraine help end Russia’s invasion? Experts weigh in
In announcing a new weapons package for Ukraine and a ceasefire deadline for Putin, President Trump reversed his previous stance towards Russia’s invasion. But will the weapons have the intended effect for Ukraine, or does the deadline give Russia weeks more to continue its onslaught? William Brangham has views from Kimberly Kagan and Jennifer Kavanagh. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
PBS News Hour - World - Projects bringing water to drought-ridden land could end with USAID’s dismantling
As the Trump administration ends USAID's mission, a project to bring water to drought-ridden lands is now in peril. In partnership with the Pulitzer Center, William Brangham and producer Molly Knight Raskin traveled to a community in central Kenya to look at the legacy of American foreign aid. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
PBS News Hour - World - Air India crash report raises questions about mental health care for pilots
New and troubling questions are emerging about what caused the Air India crash that killed 260 people. A preliminary investigation ruled out mechanical issues and found that the plane's fuel cutoff switches had been flipped seconds after takeoff. Experts believe it’s most likely that one of the pilots was responsible. William Brangham discussed more with aviation correspondent Miles O’Brien. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Marketplace All-in-One - Want to understand our aging workforce? Look to the U.K.
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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Are Modular Homes The Answer To Chicago’s Housing Crisis?
With a shortage of more than 150,000 homes in Chicago, the city is seeking new solutions to provide quick and affordable homes to residents. Modular homes and accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are seen as the most effective solution to this crisis, providing Chicagoans with cheaper access to housing. Reset learns more about the fight to legalize the construction of new ADUs and the overall fight for affordable housing in Chicago, with Bob Palmer, policy director at Housing Action Illinois; Alex Nitkin, government finance and accountability reporter at Illinois Answers Project; and Tim Swanson, founder of Inherent L3C.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Marketplace All-in-One - How could Medicaid cuts affect long-term care?
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is projected to cut Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion. The law changes eligibility rules, and some predictions estimate at least 10.5 million people will be eliminated from the program.
“For some adults, Medicaid will step in and help pay for care at home, or if care at home is not available, for care in nursing homes,” said Rachel Werner, executive director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. “With the cuts to Medicaid funding, we are expecting that the availability of care in both of those settings will diminish, and it will be harder for people to get the care they need to live independently.”
States will have to respond to the changes by either making up the funding gap or reducing services.
On the show today, Werner explains how the funding cuts could limit the caregiving options for older Americans who need at-home care and place a larger responsibility on their families. Plus, we discuss how to start planning for long-term care amid all the legislative changes.
Then, we’ll celebrate a listener’s win about her chocolate lab puppy. And, another listener’s quest to find life on Mars.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “How Medicaid Cuts Could Force Millions Into Nursing Homes” from The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania
- “Advocates warn that Medicaid cuts in the big budget law put home-based health care at risk” from Marketplace
- “New AARP Report: Majority of Adults 50-plus Want to Age in Place, But Policies and Communities Must Catch Up” from AARP
- “A Closer Look at the Medicaid Work Requirement Provisions in the “Big Beautiful Bill” from KFF
- “Medicaid cuts: The how and why” from the newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist
- “As the need for nursing homes grows, nurses are in short supply” from Marketplace
We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
Marketplace All-in-One - The tea on tariffs
New tariff threats are piling up. The president has threatened higher tariffs on goods from the EU and on anyone who trades with Russia. The EU is preparing retaliatory tariffs in response. Stuck in the middle of this tariff whirlwind are small businesses. Today, we check in with the owner of a Virginia tea shop to discover how her store is faring. But first, this morning's consumer price index shows accelerating price increases. Plus, from Marketplace’s “The Age of Work” series, we hear a story about aging and one family business in London.