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Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories
Jan 7, 2022

What happens to our economy if we’re not a democracy?

Also on today’s program: where wage gains are outpacing rent increases and why cryptocurrencies sometimes mirror the stock market.

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Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest inside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. - Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification.
Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest inside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. - Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

Segments From This Episode

  • The economic legacy of the Jan. 6 insurrection is “intertwined” with the pandemic

    by Kai Ryssdal and Sean McHenry
    Protesters loyal to Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. The nation's political instability, said Wendy Edelberg of Brookings, "makes me nervous for the year ahead."
    Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

    “So much is good about the recovery,” said Wendy Edelberg of the Brookings Institution. Yet “we’re still in the midst of chaos.”

  • Wage hikes outpace rent hikes in some parts of the country

    by Amanda Peacher
    In most places in most years, rents rise faster than renters' incomes, according to a researcher at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

    And new data shows that buying a place is more affordable than renting in some areas.

  • Why interest rates, stocks and crypto are sometimes correlated

    by Sabri Ben-Achour
    ​For some people, cryptocurrencies are like gold — a place to store and protect your money. Above, a woman walks past a cryptocurrency exchange in April 2021.
    Chris McGrath via Getty Images

    On Wednesday, the Nasdaq lost more than 3%. The S&P 500 sank nearly 2%. Cryptocurrencies fell, too. Is that all related?

  • The economy is in good shape. Why are people feeling down about it?

    by Justin Ho
    Though inflation is hampering consumers' views of the economy, people often overestimate how high inflation really is.
    Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images

    Several indicators suggest that the economy is humming along. But recent surveys show, a growing number of people feel exactly the opposite.

  • As omicron cancels festivals and other events, businesses that support them are reeling

    by Savannah Peters
    People pass a banner for the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday. The festival canceled its in-person program, a blow to local restaurants, bars and hotels.
    George Frey via Getty Images

    The Sundance Film Festival, for example, just canceled in-person events two weeks before they were set to begin.

  • In fire-prone California, experts push utilities to monitor the riskiest equipment on the grid

    by Lily Jamali
    Utilities have been making upgrades to their systems. Above, workers re-anchor a pole that suspends power lines outside Acton, California.
    Lily Jamali/Marketplace

    Power lines and equipment have sparked devastating blazes. Now companies are asked to take stock of their aging infrastructure.

Music from the episode

The Team

What happens to our economy if we’re not a democracy?