Marketplace All-in-One - The economics behind the rise of BTS and Korean culture

From the success of “K-pop Demon Hunters” to the return of BTS, K-pop is having a moment. But the rise of Korean culture was no accident—it has a decades-long backstory of investment by the South Korean government. On “Economics on Tap,” Kimberly talks with Michelle Cho, researcher of East Asian pop cultures at the University of Toronto, about the history behind the spread of Korean culture and how it’s shaped industries from entertainment to beauty. Speaking of K-beauty: sunscreen or sheet masks?


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WSJ What’s News - Governments Push Citizens to Cut Back in Scramble to Save Energy

P.M. Edition for Mar. 20. WSJ global economics correspondent Tom Fairless reports on how governments across the globe are responding to the energy crisis by urging households and businesses to cut back on their energy consumption. Plus, a nationwide movement to strip Cesar Chavez’s name from buildings and parks is gaining traction. West Coast correspondent Jim Carlton tells us how it’s taking shape in California. And the Justice Department sues Harvard over the civil rights of Jewish students, escalating the administration’s fight with the university. Julie Chang hosts.


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State of the World from NPR - The Ukrainian town enmeshed in netting to evade deadly Russian drones

Entering the Ukrainian town of Izium brings the odd sight of roads and sidewalks completely covered in wide stretches of overhead netting. It’s a low-tech defense against the latest deadly Russian drones known as, FPV, or first-person view drones. FPV’s can fly up to 15 miles and are piloted by unjammable fiber optic cables. Cities in eastern Ukraine are preparing for an advancing front line as Russia’s full-scale war enters its fifth year.

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Motley Fool Money - The Reality of Investing in 2026

The war in Iran doesn’t seem to be slowing down and that’s impacting oil prices today, but that’s just the beginning. Economic spending is next and higher costs could hit many industries, which will have lasting impacts for years. We discuss what we can learn about the history of oil prices and war and how we’re investing through it all.


Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Jon Quast discuss:


- The Iran war and how it impacts markets

- Are there safe havens?

- Picking a stock market Final 4

- Stocks on our radar


Companies discussed: Alphabet

NVIDIA (NVDA), Apple (AAPL), Tesla (TSLA), Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), Amazon (AMZN), Palantir (PTLR), Micron (MU), Disney (DIS), Chipotle (CMG), RocketLab (RKLB), Waste Management (WM), Costco (COST), Vistra (VST), Tractor Supply (TSCO).


Host: Travis Hoium

Guests: Lou Whiteman, Jon Quast

Engineer: Dan Boyd


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CrowdScience - Can I unlock my car using my head?

CrowdScience listener Doug has been experimenting with holding his wireless garage key to his chin. Why? Because he's testing a strange trick of physics. The range of a key can apparently double when held against your head rather just being held in your hand. Could this really be true, and if so why? Presenter Caroline Steel goes on a wavy journey of self-experimentation with antennas. She follows the story of Doug as he wanders the streets of Calgary in Alberta, Canada testing the key on his head from different distances and even testing it on his dog Maura’s head. To understand the physics behind all this, Caroline meets Dr Lina Mohjazi, Lecturer of Autonomous Systems and Connectivity at the University of Glasgow and Guy Vandenbosch, Professor of Electromagnetic Radiation at KU Leuven University in Leuven, Belgium. Presenter: Caroline Steel Producer: Tom Bonnett Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Hand holding a car key remote in front of a red car - stock photo Credit: vadishzainer via Getty Images)

WSJ Minute Briefing - Stocks Fall for Fourth Straight Week

Nasdaq loses 2% to close out the week. Plus: Super Micro Computer shares plummet after employees are accused of smuggling servers to China. Nexstar Media’s shares rise after closing Tegna merger. Katherine Sullivan hosts.


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1A - The News Roundup For March 20, 2026

As Israel and the U.S. continue to fire missiles at targets within Iran, the American military and President Donald Trump are weighing the costs and benefits of putting U.S. boots on the ground in the Middle East once again.

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s Department of Homeland Security confirmation hearing saw him clash with his fellow congresspeople. Despite the meeting’s testy tone, the committee cleared Mullin by a single vote, sending his confirmation to the full Senate.

A federal judge ruled this week that Voice of America must reinstate more than 1,000 employees after the Trump administration placed them on leave last year.

And, in global news, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, announced this week that the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t technically closed to all traffic, just to ships controlled by the country’s enemies. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is leaning on Japan to send warships to the passageway, to counteract Iran’s efforts to control the flow of trade.

New reporting from The Guardian indicates that before the U.S. began bombing Iran, security officials from U.S. allies judged that, as talks between Washington and Tehran progressed, a peace deal was in reach.

The U.S. eased sanction on Russia and Venezuela this week to unlock more viable sources of oil as energy prices rise and the war with Iran continues.

We cover the most important stories from around the world in the News Roundup.

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