Episodes

  • What's behind company layoffs
    Jul 4 2025

    Layoffs have been in the headlines a fair amount recently, with some companies cutting jobs in stages. Microsoft, Amazon and BlackRock are among the employers that have reportedly had repeated rounds of layoffs in recent months. Plus, it's been 10 years since Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote. A decade later, these couples are contributing significantly to the wedding business in Ireland at a time when overall marriage numbers are falling. Our BBC colleague Leanna Byrne visited her hometown of Dublin to speak to couples and vendors about how the wedding industry has changed.

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    7 mins
  • The Supreme Court delves into campaign finance again
    Jul 4 2025

    Changes in the interpretation of campaign finance law could be on the horizon. It's been 15 years since the high court decided that corporations and unions can give unlimited amounts of money to candidates. But political parties have to work within separate limits when it's money used in tandem by the party and the candidate. Also on the show: the state of news consumption in the U.S. and a new approach to homeless encampments in Northern California.

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    7 mins
  • The Big Beautiful Bill scrapes through
    Jul 4 2025

    From the BBC World Service: President Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, has squeaked through Congress. It boosts military and border spending and extends Trump-era tax cuts, but makes deep cuts to healthcare and food aid. Saturday marks a year in office for the Labour Party in the UK, so what’s the economic verdict of the past 52 weeks? And it's been 10 years since Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote, and same-sex couples are contributing significantly to the wedding industry when, overall, marriage numbers are falling.

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    7 mins
  • A sunny jobs report ahead of this holiday weekend
    Jul 3 2025

    The government reported today that 147,000 more people were on payrolls in June compared to May — a stronger outcome than initially forecasted. This data comes despite all the tariff-related uncertainty that many business execs have been speaking about lately. We’ll discuss. Plus, AI scraping could fundamentally break the business model of the internet, and an oasis of merch and pop-up stores is appearing ahead of the Oasis reunion tour kick-off.

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    9 mins
  • How flood-damaged businesses in Asheville are rebuilding
    Jul 3 2025

    Rebuilding a business after a natural disaster can be slow and arduous. That’s certainly the case in Asheville, North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene engulfed hundreds of structures in mud, water and debris last fall. In some parts of the city, damage was so severe that many businesses won't rebuild. Others, however, believe it’s worth the risk and are rebuilding with resilience in mind. But first: a U.S. trade deal with Vietnam, and resumed semiconductor chip business with China.

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    7 mins
  • Trump announces U.S. trade pact with Vietnam
    Jul 3 2025

    From the BBC World Service: President Donald Trump says that under the deal, goods from Vietnam will face a 20% tariff — significantly lower than the 46% levy he announced in April. Then, seen as a safe-haven, platinum has been riding high recently. Last week, it climbed above $1,400 per troy ounce for the first time since September 2014. And the long-awaited Oasis reunion tour kicks off in Wales on Friday. We'll check out the merch economy.

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    7 mins
  • No tax on Social Security? Not quite.
    Jul 2 2025

    The House of Representatives could vote as soon as today on President Donald Trump’s big tax and spending bill. Trump says the legislation gets rid of taxes on Social Security benefits, but it’s not quite that simple. We'll unpack. Then, we’ll discuss this morning’s surprisingly weak private payroll data. And, we'll travel to London ahead of the city's Pride festival, which has been hit by declining corporate sponsorship.

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    7 mins
  • Employers and workers wait and see
    Jul 2 2025

    An ADP report providing a reading on the strength of the job market comes out today. Meanwhile, another measure shows the labor market treading water: job churn. Do we have the confidence to leave and take a different job? Amid continued economic uncertainty, many workers seem to be staying put, and employers seem hesitant to let workers go. Also on the show: the financial burden of deployment for military families.

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    7 mins