Today, the Fed is all but certain to leave interest rates unchanged at the conclusion of its June policy meeting. That outcome is even more likely based on more data this week that shows inflation cooling. This would be the first time in more than a year that rates don’t go up at a Fed meeting. But the real story will be what Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says about the path forward on fighting inflation. Plus, Japan’s plan to deal with its falling birth rate, which poses an existential threat to the world’s third largest economy. And, a lesson from rural Minnesota about how to hire and keep workers. With the overall U.S. job market still running strong, worker shortages are common. But this is something that remote parts of the country have dealt with for a while. And they have solutions.
Well, they’re beginning to. School buses are going electric. And there’s a company in Georgia at the vanguard of this part of the energy transition. Plus, digging into inflation numbers for the U.S. economy, and deciphering whether rent prices are staying hot or cooling. Also, who holds the title of No. 1 beer in America? The landscape has shifted. And it comes after some consumers took issue with a Bud Light collaboration that featured a transgender influencer.
From the BBC World Service: Today, lawmakers in the European Parliament are taking on the twin challenge of regulating artificial intelligence and promoting its responsible use across the bloc. The European Union’s lead on technology and digital strategy, Margrethe Vestager, talks to the BBC’s Zoe Kleinman. Additionally, we hear what Japan is doing to address its falling birth rate. And, finally, Pakistan’s first female architect is awarded for her work empowering women.
So, how ’bout that inflation? Today’s Consumer Price Index data looks good on the surface, but there are more troubling signs deeper down. Economist Jeffrey Cleveland helps us break down the report and what it means for the Fed ahead of its meeting later this week. Plus, an app for asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border offers a way to access necessary immigration services, but migrants have been reporting a slew of problems including discrimination.
As Philadelphia deals with the collapse of a section of Interstate 95, there’s been a rush to assess the cost of rebuilding the highway and the burden the city might feel in the coming months. We look into how residents and commuters will be affected, as well as what a construction timeline could look like. Plus, we chat with the founder and CEO of the “Disparity Trap” board game which aims to educate people about systemic racism in a more lighthearted way.
From the BBC World Service: The Ukrainian government estimates an area the size of almost 2,000 football fields is currently under water, much of it some of the most fertile agricultural land on the planet. The UN’s aid chief, Martin Griffiths warns it will have a huge impact on global food security and prices. Plus, the BBC’s Olie D’Albertanson asks why nearly half of the soccer teams in the English premier league are now American owned, and Sir Paul McCartney reveals a new Beatles song will be released, thanks to AI.
There are two big events that economists will be tracking closely this week: the release of Consumer Price Index inflation data and the Fed’s rate decision shortly thereafter. We delve into the details with Julia Coronado, founder and president of MacroPolicy Perspectives. Plus, moderators across the social media platform Reddit will shut down select forums to protest the company’s move to charge developers using the website’s code. And finally, we talk with The Uncertain Hour host Krissy Clark about the new welfare work requirements passed in the debt ceiling deal.
If you get a meal from a fast food franchise nowadays, there’s an increasing chance that it’s been prepared by an underaged worker who’s been working too many hours. We look at new Department of Labor data that delves into the surprising rise in child labor law violations in some states, and why it’s been pronounced in the fast food industry. Plus, the failed Credit Suisse has been fully taken over by rival UBS after a Swiss government deal earlier this year. And finally, the BBC’s Leanna Byrne looks into how there’s been a growing wave of food fraud as production costs rise.
From the BBC World Service: Thousands of forums on the social media platform Reddit are being made inaccessible globally for 48 hours, as unpaid moderators around the world are protesting over planned changes; the BBC’s Zoe Kleinman explains. Plus, the BBC’s Paul Adams reports on the death of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. And finally, the BBC’s Leanna Byrne hears why high food prices mean food fraud is on the rise.
It’s official: the S&P 500 is officially in “bull market” territory. We get this week’s Low-down on the recent market optimism with Christopher Low, chief economist at FHN Financial. Plus, there are real economic consequences to poor air quality, including higher spending on medical treatment and lower spending on other industries. And finally, Turkey’s recently re-elected president has put together an economic team that looks capable of handling the county’s inflation problem.