Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

The AI boom is propelling a once-obscure group of state regulators into key decision-making roles for the economy. AI needs data centers, data centers need power and power is generally regulated in some way — depending on the state — by public utilities commissions.

That's the topic of a new report from the Center on Technology Policy at NYU. Scott Brennen, CTP director and author of the report, said these commissions often make decisions on planning and permitting for new infrastructure and decide the rates utilities charge consumers.

The United States on Wednesday seized a tanker ship off the coast of Venezuela. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post that a warrant was executed for the crude oil tanker that was once used to transport sanctioned oil from both Venezuela and Iran. Nick Schifrin joins Amna Nawaz with more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Assad family's oppressive half-century rule ended one year ago this week, as Bashar al-Assad fled for Russia amid an insurgent takeover after he spent more than 12 years slaughtering his own people. His flight was a moment of joy and reckoning for millions of Syrians who opposed him. Syrian filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab, an Oscar-nominated documentarian, brings a very personal look at going home. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter point. That’s pretty much what analysts expected. But in other parts of the world, central banks have been signaling that they plan to hold rates steady or even hike them. In this global economy, why is the U.S. out of step? Also in this episode, we hear the pros and cons of quarterly earnings reports, check in on a union-run pipefitting apprenticeship and dig into why wage growth has slowed.

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Dynamic pricing is here. Several consumer groups designed a shopping experiment with hundreds of volunteers who shopped on Instacart for the same products at the same time from the same stores. The conclusion? 75% of products were offered at different prices to different customers. Plus, we'll chat about what's next for interest rates today and on into the new year. And later, we'll have a conversation about AI with Nobel laureate Peter Howitt.

Today, the Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates by a quarter point. While there's no guarantee of it, the move could translate to lower mortgage rates, too. This presents an opportunity for bad actors to pitch homeowners something that might cost more than they’d think. Today, we discuss some "too good to be true" refinance opportunities. But first, Texas has launched the first state-run cryptocurrency reserve with a $5 million purchase of Bitcoin.

From the BBC World Service: Amazon has announced plans to double its investment in India by 2030 — to the tune of around $35 billion — with a focus on artificial intelligence and e-commerce. It comes after Microsoft and Google also laid out multibillion-dollar spending plans for AI in India. Also, the U.K.'s Royal Navy is developing ways to counter an increasingly serious threat from Russia to cut its critical undersea infrastructure.

The extended Black Friday sale season means a lot of people have been buying new TVs. The top sets today can display in up to 8K Ultra High Definition, they have deeper blacks, brighter highlights and are thinner and lighter-weight than ever. And yet, modern TVs have their haters — a dedicated group of purists who find them lacking, and would rather hunt down a good old fashioned used plasma.

In a move with major implications for national security and the race to dominate artificial intelligence, President Trump announced Monday that he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip — an advanced chip used for developing A.I. — to China. Tufts University professor Chris Miller, author of “Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology," joins Geoff Bennett with more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

When revenue grows, hiring grows — usually. But in November, retail sector job cuts were up nearly 140% year over year, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, in spite of strong consumer spending. What gives? Mostly, more automation. Also in this episode: Medium-term bonds send hints about Fed interest rate decisions, an AI bubble burst will come with new jargon, and small business owner optimism is up.

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.