Plus, major U.S. banks pull out of a planned $20 billion bailout for Argentina. And Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix all submit bids for Warner Bros. Discovery. Kate Bullivant hosts.
The holiday shopping season is here, and AI companies are pushing new chatbot retail partnerships. But, can these tools deliver on their promises to make shopping easier? Plus, the return of Vine, the beloved video app known for its ultra-short absurdist memes.
But first, Meta is not a monopoly, according to a federal judge’s ruling this week in the longstanding antitrust case against the social media giant, which claimed Meta had stifled competition by buying Instagram and WhatsApp.
Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired, to discuss all of the above on this week’s “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”
President Trump signs a bill requiring the Justice Department to release Epstein investigation records, shifting responsibility to Attorney General Pam Bondi as questions remain about how much will be made public. Nvidia’s strong earnings ease fears of an AI market bubble, even as investor anxiety persists. The delayed September jobs report shows solid hiring but rising unemployment. At the G20 summit, leaders move forward without U.S. participation, emphasizing climate and inequality. UC regents approve new tuition hikes over student protests. In business, Disney posts strong gains in streaming and cruises despite weaker theatrical performance, and L.A.’s delivery bots expand into grocery service through DoorDash.
Britain’s home secretary Shabana Mahmood proposed a big shift in immigration policy this week. Our correspondent explains Labour’s reforms – and the reasoning behind them. Why military spy balloons are making a comeback. And celebrating historian Gillian Tindall, who illuminated ordinary lives to bring the past to life.
The CDC quietly rewrites its vaccine guidance online to suggest shots might cause autism, raising new questions about political influence over public health. President Trump unveils a 28-point Ukraine peace plan that leans on territorial concessions Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. And New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani heads to the White House for a meeting with a president who has labeled him a radical threat.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jane Greenhalgh, Rebekah Metzler, Megan Pratz, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Since starting his second term, President Trump has thrown the full weight of the federal government behind the denying the idea of transgender identity, and pushing to prevent trans minors from getting gender-affirming medical care.
Two parents of a trans child discuss facing the scramble of supporting their child, and their fears of becoming targets of the government.
Amid indictments and censures, President Trump suggests certain Democrats face charges that carry the death penalty. The Justice Department abandons a case against a woman who was shot by a Border Patrol agent. And Ukraine ponders a U.S.-backed peace plan that would give large swaths of land to Russia.