Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

The 100th meridian is the longitudinal boundary separating the humid East and the arid West. Researchers say the dry line is moving east because of climate change, threatening some of our cheapest and most reliable crops, like wheat and corn. In this episode, Amy drives across Kansas to talk to farmers on both sides of the dry line to see how they’re adapting to climate change. And we hear from a scientist who’s trying to breed crops that will thrive in a hotter, drier world.

Rya Jetha, tech culture reporter at The San Francisco Standard, spends a lot of time thinking about the industry’s internal dynamics. Gone are the computer programmers, self-proclaimed nerds of an era mostly focused on software development. Jetha says the new tech bro is of the “hard tech” era, with emphasis on the charisma needed to raise huge sums of money for expensive hardware innovations and AI technologies.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday for and against the legality of President Trump’s signature economic policy: tariffs. In this episode, a lawyer walks us through what’s at stake and how the major questions doctrine may come into play. We also consider whether it’s possible to repay the $90 billion accumulated in tariff revenue should SCOTUS rule against the president, and scrutinize potential ‘plan B’ tariff policies.

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The Trump administration is reducing the number of refugees allowed to enter the U.S. each year from 125,000 to 7,500 and prioritizing the admission of white South Africans, or Akrifaners. In the Loop learns what this means for local refugees from Mohammed, who is waiting to be reunited with his family, and Sally Schulze, communications manager at RefugeeOne. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs have rattled the global economy this year. That goes for both allies and adversaries of the United States. But the future of some of these tariffs hinge on the outcome of a Supreme Court case challenging their legality. On today’s show, Asma Khalid, co-host of “The Global Story” podcast from the BBC, joins Kimberly to explain what’s at stake. Plus, how international relationships are shifting in the Trump era.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "The Global Story, The Supreme Court battle over Trump’s tariffs" from the BBC World Service
• "Geopolitics of Trump Tariffs: How U.S. Trade Policy Has Shaken Allies" from Council on Foreign Relations
• "The president who cried tariffs: will the US supreme court challenge Trump’s trade war?" from The Guardian  
• "China and India pledge to be 'partners not rivals'" from BBC News 
• "The rise and fall of globalisation: the battle to be top dog" from The Conversation

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Kimberly-Clark’s stock closed down 14% yesterday after it gambled nearly $50 billion on a company called Kenvue, maker of Listerine, Band-Aids, and Tylenol — the painkiller HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy wants to link to autism, despite a lack of scientific evidence. People are now suing Kenvue, a potential liability that will become Kimberly-Clark's problem. We unpack. Also: potential changes to public service loan forgiveness and a speech by Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

Oral arguments over the Trump administration's "reciprocal tariffs" are set for tomorrow, in a test over limits to a president's power to act without Congress. Whichever way the high court decides, however, the co-founder of True Places, a Pennsylvania-based folding camp chair company, thinks that likely won't be the end of the tariff rollercoaster. Plus, Norway's massive sovereign wealth fund has voted against Elon Musk’s pay package from Tesla. Why?

From the BBC World Service: Starbucks is selling the majority stake of its business in China to investment firm Boyu Capital as part of a $4 billion deal. The global coffee brand hopes the funds will help kick-start growth in the face of growing local competition. Then, it's a big week for Tesla, as vote results are expected on Elon Musk's proposed $1 trillion pay package. But Norway's sovereign public wealth fund, a major investor, stated it's opposing the deal.

It’s Skimbleshanks’ birthday bash and Bridget and Ryan head to the two-dollar general store for party supplies. When they get back, they tackle Harper’s question about why $2 bills exist if nobody uses them. With a little help from two ghostly guests from history they discover why this rare bill still matters.

If your family is interested in learning even more about today’s question, check out our website. We’ve got conversation starters and a tip sheet!

This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

OpenAI’s latest AI video generator Sora 2 has gotten a lot of attention for its realistic creations. The tool is supposed to have guardrails to prevent creating videos based on misinformation.

But new analysis from watchdog group Newsguard found that, when prompted, Sora 2 often generated videos based on lies, such as false claims having to do with election fraud in a foreign country or that a toddler was detained by immigration agents.

Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Sofia Rubinson, senior editor at Newsguard, to learn more.