Mortgage rates dipped below 6% last week. Now, they're back up. Sudden conflict and uncertainty almost always cause volatility in the mortgage market. This time, fears of inflation and higher oil prices are to blame. Also, a look at how the U.S. might protect and insure vessels traveling through the Persian Gulf, and how the Republican tax and spending law signed last summer might help big corporations like Amazon, Meta, and Tesla avoid paying taxes.
Marketplace All-in-One - Brands are racing to show up in AI search
You've probably heard of search engine optimization, or SEO. That's what you need to do to get your shoe brand or your coffee shop or your public radio show picked up and pushed out by a search engine. Now, with more people using AI to search for things, these brands have to work on what's being called AEO, or "answer engine optimization." When someone asks Chat GPT "where do I get good coffee in Baltimore?" Your brand shows up. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Erin Griffith, a reporter at the New York Times, about what companies can do to make the AI look their way.
PBS News Hour - World - As U.S. escalates attacks, Iran hits American diplomatic targets in Middle East
As U.S. and Israeli jets continue their punishing attacks inside Iran, the Islamic Republic has widened its targets throughout the Arab states of the Gulf, and against Israel. American diplomatic targets in the Gulf were hit overnight and almost all of the civilian airspace throughout the region remains closed. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
PBS News Hour - World - Trump pushes back at conservative voices critical of Iran war
On the fourth day of the American-Israeli war with Iran, the death toll from the bombardment mounted inside Iran. Nick Schifrin and Liz Landers joined Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
PBS News Hour - World - Tehran endures 4th day of intense bombardment from U.S.-Israeli forces
Iran experienced a fourth straight day of airstrikes from U.S. and Israeli forces. Special correspondent Reza Sayah reports from Tehran. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
PBS News Hour - World - Bolton says Iran war justified and critical for ‘peace and stability’ in Middle East
John Bolton was the national security advisor in President Trump's first term. Since then, he has emerged as one of the president's most vocal critics. He has also maintained that eliminating the Iranian regime is the only way to end the nuclear threat. Bolton joined Geoff Bennett to discuss Trump's decision to strike Iran. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Marketplace All-in-One - War sends cargo to the skies
Military conflict, like the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, can wreck carefully planned cargo routes. While some ships were sent around the Horn of Africa to avoid the Red Sea, other merchants are pivoting to a costlier measure: transporting goods via airplane. The catch? Air cargo often travels through major airport hubs in the Persian Gulf. In this episode, logistics economics and geopolitical conflicts collide. Plus: Retailers release holiday earnings, vehicle sales may have rebounded, and Compass clashes with Zillow over online listings.
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Chicago Reader Is Still Free, Still Freaky – Now, Once A Month
Chicago’s premiere alt-weekly has been a hub for art, music, and local investigations since the 1970s. Following a brief hiatus from print, the Chicago Reader is returning to print with a fresh approach to its locally-rooted writing and reporting.
We check in with the Reader’s editor-in-chief Sarah Conway, and features writer Katie Prout, on how its team is building on the legacy of the Reader to create a renewed vision for community-focused journalism.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Marketplace All-in-One - The U.S., Iran and the rise of drone warfare
As war in the Middle East widens, it’s become clear that drones now play a fundamental role in global conflict. They’ve changed the way wars are fought—and how much they cost. On today’s show, Kimberly talks with Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute in the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy, about how drone technology has evolved over the years, how the rise of drone warfare has changed the way global conflicts play out, and what that means for civilians.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- "Iran strike marks first time U.S. used new one-way attack drones in combat" from Task and Purpose
- "Iran Fires Cheap Drones Into Arab Countries, Wreaking Havoc" from The New York Times
- "How are Drones Changing War? The Future of the Battlefield" from the Center for European Policy Analysis
- "America’s Eroding Airpower" from the Center for New American Security
- Obama’s Final Drone Strike Data from the Council on Foreign Relations
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Marketplace All-in-One - What’s going on with the bond market?
When the world gets scary, investors are usually very hungry for bonds because they're safer bets than the stock market. But with the war in Iran, bond yields are going up, yet investors aren't as hungry for them. The reason? Inflation. And later in the program, the Environmental Protection Agency scrapped its “endangerment finding.” We'll discuss what that means for the auto industry and emissions standards.