Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

This year, amid ongoing economic uncertainty, corporations are expected to refinance old debt, invest in artificial intelligence, and prep for mergers and acquisitions. All of which require extra cash. And how do corporations stretch their budgets? By taking on more debt, of course. Later in this episode: An Altadena small business owner struggles to rebuild after the LA fires, Texas pitmasters weigh rising brisket prices, and Costco converts wine snobs.

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It’s that time of year again: coughs, sniffles and a whole lot of people feeling achy and run down. Chicago is among several US cities experiencing a surge in influenza cases, and a new strain of influenza called subclade K or “super K” is partly to blame. On today’s In the Loop, we talk with experts about how to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Our panel today: Dr. Brian Borah, medical director for the Vaccine Preventable Disease Surveillance Program at the Chicago Department of Public Health; and Dr. Nicholas Cozzi, emergency physician at Rush. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

It’s been a year since the Eaton and Palisades fires swept through Southern California, taking 31 lives and destroying over 16,000 structures — including the homes of “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio and his neighbors in Altadena. On the show today, David joins Kimberly to talk about the road to rebuilding the community and the complicated, costly task of rebuilding with fire resistant materials.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "How my Altadena neighbors are rebuilding, one year since the Eaton Fire" from Marketplace 
• "L.A. wildfires broke record for costliest in the history of the planet" from the San Francisco Chronicle 
• "These numbers tell the story of the Los Angeles wildfires, one year later" from AP News
• "Marketplace’s David Brancaccio on community, loss and rebuilding in Altadena" from Marketplace
• "To rebuild homes cheaper, faster and safer, some want new rules" from Marketplace

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

Dustin Kunkel is a father of two, works in the solar panel business, and is a neighbor of "Marketplace Morning Report" host David Brancaccio. Kunkel lost his Altadena home in the Eaton Fire and, since then, spoke to 30 contractors before finding someone to rebuild the house. We hear what the process — and pricing — has been like. Also, the realities of this economy continue to diverge for lower- and higher-income households.

Today, we have the story of one burned block: that of "Marketplace Morning Report" host David Brancaccio. Last year's wildfires in California were the costliest in history, with more than 16,000 structures destroyed and over 30 deaths. Fifteen of the houses destroyed in the Eaton Fire sat on a single street in Altadena. A year on, we check in with Brancaccio's neighbors to hear about life, loss, and efforts to rebuild.

From the BBC World Service: Delcy Rodríguez, who had served as vice president under President Nicolas Maduro, has promised stability amid economic uncertainty. After taking an oath of office, she vowed to guarantee the peace of the country, including "the economic and social tranquillity of our people." This morning, we recount the history of how Venezuela got to this moment. Plus, Nestle recalls baby formula products in Europe over concerns of food poisoning toxins.

Artificial intelligence isn't just chatbots. The technology is being integrated all across our economy and our lives. And that convergence of AI and robotics, biology and more is likely to be the most important tech trend in 2026, according to Futurist and CEO of the Future Today Strategy Group, Amy Webb.

Nicolás Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, appeared alongside his wife before a federal judge in New York on Monday. They were taken by American soldiers early Saturday on orders of President Trump. On Monday, administration officials were briefing members of Congress, who were not notified before the operation, on what would come next. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

With Nicolás Maduro in U.S. custody, Amna Nawaz spoke with Mary Triny Mena of Feature Story News in Caracas to discuss the reaction in Venezuela. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The situation in Venezuela's neighbor to the West, Colombia, is tense tonight. Though Colombia is a major non-NATO ally of the U.S., President Trump has repeatedly threatened its President, Gustavo Petro, alleging without evidence that he has ties to the drug trade. Geoff Bennett discussed the situation with special correspondent Mónica Villamizar, who is in Bogota. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy