Sep 16, 2020

Wear a mask, people

Masks are required on a high school campus in Westfield, Indiana, in August. Justin Casterline/Getty Images

We're talking about the behavioral economics today. Plus: retail sales, the movies being pushed back, and of course, the latest from the Fed.

Segments From this episode

COVID-19

The devil is in the details when it comes to rising retail sales

by Sabri Ben-Achour

Sep 16, 2020

Spending continues to grow, but at a slower pace. And some expect it to level off altogether in the coming quarter.

Patrons dine at an outdoor restaurant in downtown San Diego, California, in July.

Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images

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Interest rates are going to be low for awhile

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spoke today after the FOMC concluded its scheduled September meeting. “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal gives an update on what Powell said.

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Census finds nearly 30 million people didn't have health insurance in 2019

by Kimberly Adams

Sep 16, 2020

With COVID-19-related job losses, health experts expect the number of people without insurance to grow this year.

A man has his temperature checked at a COVID-19 testing site in Long Beach, California. The number of Americans without health insurance is expected to go up this year.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

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My Economy

Four generations of family work together on restaurant

by Andie Corban

Sep 16, 2020

Tess Thomas, owner of Emma's BBQ in Seattle, Washington, uses her mother's recipes at her restaurant.

An employee wipes down a table at a BBQ restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia.

Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

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COVID-19

Weak box office is scaring Hollywood into delaying theater releases

by Jasmine Garsd

Sep 16, 2020

With the release of "Tenet," Hollywood hoped to prove Americans were eager to fill seats in cinemas. Nope. Now what?

Moviegoers watch a film at a reopened AMC theater in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in August. While theaters are reopening, dragging box office numbers are spooking studios.

Tom Cooper/Getty Images

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Libraries and social services go hand and hand, especially in the pandemic

by Kai Ryssdal and Alli Fam

Sep 16, 2020

We check in with a Tennessee librarian whose staff is helping patrons with computers and virtual schooling.

"I want to see the library lively. I want to see the programs back," says Jennifer Pearson, director of the Marshall County Memorial Library. Above, she stands in the middle of her staff.

Courtesy of Jennifer Pearson.

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COVID-19

Will it work to fine people who refuse to wear a mask?

by Scott Tong

Sep 16, 2020

To encourage a certain behavior, policymakers can choose carrots or sticks. There's evidence that the sticks are more effective.

Masks are required on a high school campus in Westfield, Indiana, in August.

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

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Music from the episode

Baghdad Sun Apollo Brown

Redbone Childish Gambino

City Music Kevin Morby

Sound Is Vibration Atmosphere

Giving Up The Ghost DJ Shadow

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer II

Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II

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