The latest reading on the U.S. economy shows unexpected growth, led by spending on hotels, dining out and video games. We check in with some businesses that are feeling the consumer love. So that’s how the economy is doing. But how are people feeling about it? Split, according to a new poll that shows a growing divide between what high- and low-income earners think. Also: Profits from home sales fell but are still more than double what they were five years ago. And a doctor talks about her book on racism in medicine.

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain announced that the union has endorsed President Biden’s bid for re-election. It’s a big deal for Biden’s pro-labor image. But what else could the union endorsement mean for his campaign? And, we’ll get into the conflict between facts and feelings in today’s economy. Plus, the political implications of a decline in local journalism and what the history of the New Deal can teach about ambitious investment in our country’s infrastructure.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We?ll have news, drinks, a game and more.

Stocks rise; GDP grows at second-fastest pace since 2021; inflation slows down; unemployment claims rise

?This Is Uncomfortable” returns for its ninth season Feb. 1, with brand-new episodes about life and how money messes with it. We?ve got stories about medical scams, workplace discrimination, the fast fashion industry and more. New episodes coming Thursdays.

We have a special episode for you today. We’re sharing an episode of the new podcast from APM Studios and Western Sound called ?Ripple.?

The largest oil spill in American history captivated the public’s attention for the entire summer of 2010. Authorities told a story of a herculean response effort that made shorelines safe and avoided a worst case scenario. Was that really the whole picture?

?Ripple? is a new series investigating the stories we were told were over.

In Season One, the reporting team traveled hundreds of miles across the Gulf Coast to learn the ongoing effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill — which are still impacting many coastal residents more than a decade later. Here is episode 1! And if you?d like to hear more episodes, you can find ?Ripple? wherever you get your podcasts.

U.S. GDP growth was 3.3% in Q4 of 2023, stronger than expected; Biden administration releases $5 billion for infrastructure improvements throughout the country; Southwest, American earnings struggle in Q4 2023.

Mortgage rates have fallen since early last fall, when they hit 8% for the first time since 2000. Now, buyers who were biding their time are finally making moves. And if rates continue to drop, demand is likely to rise. All this is good news to homebuilders. Plus, the latest on the Boeing debacle and an analysis of last quarter’s economic growth.

On Thursday, House lawmakers will unveil a bipartisan bill that will fund safe places to park for people who are living in their vehicles. New Beginnings, a California nonprofit that pioneered the program, says in addition to an influx of families with young children, senior citizens make up half of their safe parking enrollees. We’ll also hear about researchers using satellite radar data to assess the scale of damage done by Israeli forces in Gaza.

From the BBC World Service: Major shipping companies including Maersk and DP World are having to re-route vessels and are predicting extended delays in shipments ? the European market and the East Coast are worst affected. Plus, millions of people around the world will be celebrating the birthday today of one of Scotland?s most iconic cultural icons: the poet Robert Burns. This year, the Scottish government aims to use the celebrations to open up economic opportunities.

The World Court is expected to rule Friday on whether to grant emergency measures to stop the war in Gaza. South Africa has accused Israel of carrying out genocide in the Palestinian enclave. Israel says it’s targeting Hamas militants ? not civilians ? in response to the deadly Hamas attack of Oct. 7. But more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, and according to Corey Scher of the City University of New York and Oregon State University’s Jamon Van Den Hoek, nearly half the buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Marketplace?s Lily Jamali spoke to Scher and Van Den Hoek about their work mapping the destruction with satellite radar technology.

When FDR’s administration created the New Deal, the relationship between the government and the economy changed forever. In some ways, Biden is trying to make a similar impact with more than $1 trillion authorized by legislation like the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. In our new series, “Breaking Ground,” we’ll be visiting communities across the country to see how the infusion of cash might change the economy. Today, we dive into what was accomplished with the New Deal and how it changed American society.

Stocks close mixed; new manufacturing orders pick up; business optimism increases; mortgage applications rise

The federal deficit is growing, and a former U.S. Treasury secretary is offering a solution: raising taxes! We’ll get into why talking tax hikes is a big no-no in Congress and why spending cuts may not cut it this time either. And, foreign nationals aren’t allowed to contribute to U.S. elections. But a loophole is seemingly allowing some foreign-influenced companies to do just that. Plus, the story of an astronaut and a dangerous ultimatum.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Boeing will pause work tomorrow on its 737 production line; business activity picked up this month; a password crackdown delivered an upsurge of subscribers to Netflix; eBay, TikTok announce job cuts.

Japan’s Nikkei index has hit a 34-year high. Meanwhile, China’s markets have hit 5-year lows; the Hang Seng Index lost more than half its value since the end of 2020. Capital is moving in Asia, but what exactly is going on? Then, later in the program, we’ll hear how artificial intelligence is increasingly being used is to commit identity fraud.

The current farm bill, which funds everything from crop insurance to nutrition programs, was set to expire in September. Congress gave itself a yearlong extension to negotiate an update, but it could take longer than that. What issues are likely to get attention in the next bill? Plus, Boeing pauses one factory’s production for a day to focus on quality training, and rail workers in Germany begin a strike.

From the BBC World Service: It’s only been a month since Argentina’s president Javier Milei took office, but already big protests are set to take place over his plans to shake up the country’s economy. Then, as businesses turn to online verification tools, fraudsters are using artificial intelligence to create sophisticated disguises and hack into other people’s accounts. What can be done to stop it?

It?s hard to disappear these days. Everything from renting property and using a credit card to working a job leaves a digital footprint. But just because it?s hard to vanish from the virtual world doesn?t mean people aren?t trying. Some do it out of necessity, to escape violence or persecution. Others do it out of curiosity, pursuing total anonymity just to see how far they can take things. Marketplace?s Lily Jamali spoke with Hal Triedman, a privacy engineer who recently wrote about the ?extreme privacy? community for the online magazine Reboot.

The long-term care industry has been plagued by unaffordable prices and staffing shortages, squeezed by growing demand as the country ages. But public health officials have been voicing concerns about another, more hidden issue: the rise of private-equity-owned nursing homes. On the show today, Mark Unruh, professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College, breaks down the long-term care industry, how nursing homes are impacted by private equity ownership, and what high, convoluted costs and staffing shortages mean for aging Americans seeking nursing home care.

Then, we’ll dig into a niche economic indicator and how work is weighing on us. Plus, how one listener used their pandemic stimulus cash.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The next big thing in streaming is undoubtedly live sports. The NFL’s first streaming-only game smashed records recently. The next big thing in sports, though? Gambling, which is becoming more accessible and more addictive. In this episode, fans spend on streaming and spend bigger on gambling platforms. Plus, New York City retail rents stay soft, organic certification comes at a price and middle managers have the worst time at work.

Stocks close mixed; streaming companies focusing more on live sports; Procter and Gamble sales rise; GE engines help push up revenue.

United CEO Kirby considering alternatives after Max 9 grounding; Johnson & Johnson agrees to pay $700 million to resolve multi-state investigation into talc product marketing; 3M signals challenging year ahead.

Just in time for tax season, the Federal Trade Commission has issued a final ruling against Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, over what it claims is deceptive marketing for TurboTax’s free online tax filing software. We’ll dig in to that decision. Then: a look at what’s expected to lose United Airlines money in Q1 and an examination of how luxury development is dividing the island of Barbuda.

After a natural disaster, getting individual aid from FEMA can be a notoriously slow and cumbersome process. But the Biden administration is looking to improve it. We’ll hear how new rules are meant to cut through all the red tape. Plus, some trace Boeing’s problems back to the ’90s. We’ll unpack more of the company’s history. Also on the program: What’s behind global stock rallies?

From the BBC World Service: The U.S. and U.K. conducted additional air strikes against the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, as the group continues to attack Red Sea cargo ships. Then, as Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD looks to expand its line-up with luxury models, we’ll hear why the company was right to start at the affordable end. We’ll also see why locals are concerned about plans to boost Barbuda’s tourism sector.

AI can be used for unsavory things, like any technology. But researchers at the nonprofit Global Fishing Watch have revealed a promising use case ? enlisting AI to accurately track human activity on the oceans, according to its new study published in the journal Nature. There’s a lot out there that has long floated under the radar of monitoring systems, including the so-called dark fleets involved in illegal and unregulated fishing. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with David Kroodsma, director of research and innovation at Global Fishing Watch, about the group’s work.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has ended his 2024 presidential bid. One feature of his campaign that caught our attention: the tight-knit relationship between himself and the Ron DeSantis super PAC, two things that should be very separate. We’ll get into how DeSantis’ team pushed the boundaries of campaign-finance law and what it says about how we govern campaign cash in the U.S. And, we’ll peel back the layers of DeSantis’ recent misattributed Winston Churchill quote. Plus, a record morning for manatees in a Florida state park!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Sleep aids and supplements, sleep tech and regular old mattresses make up a $100 billion global market combined. Which makes sense, since two-thirds of Americans don’t regularly get deep z’s. In this episode: How much would you pay for a good night’s sleep? Plus, Nordstrom’s challenge to straddle two retail worlds, AI might not take your job after all, and activist shareholders cause a stir at Exxon.

Stocks close higher; index declines at slower pace; fourth quarter GDP expected to decline from prior quarter; PCE data due on Friday.

On Monday, we got the latest survey of business conditions from the National Association for Business Economics, and businesses are feeling pretty good these days. More businesses reported positive profit margins, and fewer are anticipating a recession in the coming year. We’ll discuss. Then, we’ll hear about Exxon’s lawsuit to block activist investors’ climate proposals and learn about some of the challenges facing Brazil nut producers in Bolivia.

FAA calls for inspections of Boeing 737-900ER models; ADM investigating its accounting practices; Exxon Mobil sues to stop shareholder proposal on emissions reductions; Macy?s rejects takeover bid.

Scrutiny of Boeing planes have grown beyond the 737 Max 9, the aircraft that was thrust into the spotlight following the Alaska Airlines accident earlier this month. The Federal Aviation Administration has urged airlines to inspect some older 737 model with the same door plug designs as the Max 9. We’ll explore what’s at stake. Plus, higher interest rates and the troubled commercial real estate are piling pressure onto regional banks.

Designed to attract foreign business, Australia’s visa scheme was cut in an immigration overhaul after the government found it was “delivering poor economic outcomes.” Also on the program: A month-long fishing ban comes into force off the French Atlantic coast today. Then we’ll head to Bolivia, the world’s biggest exporter of Brazil nuts. But nut producers there are grappling with volatile prices.

It?s been almost two weeks since several investment products tied to bitcoin started trading on old-school financial markets. These bitcoin ETFs have made it easier for everyday investors to place bets on the crypto market, and in the days since federal regulators gave the green light, investors have poured nearly $2 billion into the new bitcoin funds. But probably not the crypto purists, says Joel Khalili, who reports on the industry for Wired. Marketplace?s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Khalili about crypto early adopters, who, he says, are quite happy to stay on the fringes of the financial system.

A drop in preowned home sales in December was the cherry on top of the worst year for the U.S. housing market since 1995. We’ll get into the causes of the slump and what it would take for the housing market to get back on track. And, a tax deal that would expand the child tax credit is gaining momentum. Then, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Congress narrowly avoided yet another government shutdown today, keeping thousands of federal employees in their jobs by basically extending last year’s budget for the short term. But being buzzer beaters comes at a price: Pushing back the budget deadline can cost federal departments precious time and representatives the trust of their constituents. Also in this episode, the New Deal history of Los Angeles freeways and the North American fruit you won’t find at most grocery stores.

Stocks close higher; people more optimistic about inflation, incomes; existing home sales fall in December; sales likely to pick up in early 2024.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is changing rules to simplify and speed up assistance; last year, existing home sales were at their lowest since 1995; Apple to grant third-party digital wallet providers access to its one-tap mobile payment system, E.U. says; Congress narrowly averts partial shutdown with stopgap funding bill.

Today, the World Economic Forum is wrapping up in Davos, Switzerland. There, meetings have been held between company heads and global leaders. Key themes include artificial intelligence, increasingly complicated relationships between world powers and prospects of another potential Donald Trump administration. We’ll outline the results of some of these meetings. But first, how are consumers feeling? A lot of it has to do with how they’re doing relative to inflation.

With much of the country frozen right now, some EV owners are going through their first frigid winter and finding that their cars don’t like the cold either. Turns out, EVs tend to lose range and take longer to charge when it’s colder outside. We’ll examine. Plus, Congress approves their third stopgap funding measure in four months, and we look at the factors that could keep a lid on home prices.

From the BBC World Service: In northern India, thousands are lining up for jobs in Israel due to a labor shortage caused by the war with Hamas. Plus, Spanish streaming star David Cánovas, known as TheGrefg, is embroiled in a legal battle with an 80-year-old woman he is trying to evict. And then Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits who?s selling most of his collection at auction later this month.

On the show today, the Food and Drug Administration expanded its approval for CRISPR gene-editing therapies. We look at the affordability of these treatments, which can cost well into the millions of dollars. Plus, is bad marketing stunting health tech companies? More on how startups can up their game. But first, at this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, there were 32 scheduled events devoted to AI. When they weren’t comparing private jets, business executives were busy asking, ?How do you make money off AI?? Marketplaces? Lily Jamali is joined by Christina Farr, a health tech investor at OMERS Ventures, for her take on these stories.

Though the IRS doesn’t collect racial data, it is significantly more likely to audit Black earned income tax credit filers than those of any other race. Dorothy Brown, a scholar of tax law and race, is part of a Treasury advisory committee on racial equity, and so far, she said, Secretary Janet Yellen hasn’t embraced the group’s recommendations as a priority. In this episode, the slow-going fight to fix racial disparities caused by the tax system. Plus, what hiring managers mean when they label candidates “overqualified.”

The head of the International Monetary Fund said artificial intelligence could impact over half of jobs in advanced economies. But is AI already displacing workers? We’ll get into the latest layoffs sweeping the tech industry. And, the forecast on Capitol Hill: snowy with a chance of negotiations on border security and spending bills. Plus, NASA’s return to the moon is facing some setbacks.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We?ll have news, drinks, a game and more.

Hey Smarties! We recorded today’s episode before the news broke that Congress voted to pass a short-term spending bill, averting a partial government shutdown. We’re monitoring the story as it develops.

Stocks rise; new unemployment claims lowest level since September 2022; mortgage rates expected to fall further; housing starts tick down.

Banks are paying more to keep deposit accounts; Humana reports higher costs, plans premium increases; unemployment claims for to 16-month low; single-family home construction declined in December.

Globally, the total value of mergers and acquisitions last year was the lowest since in a decade, held back by interest rates, a volatile stock market and a strict regulatory environment. The corporate dealmaking could rebound this year, though. We’ll also paint a picture of our economic moment with a slew of recent data. Plus, could passwords be a thing of the past?

Breakfast ? and its more formal cousin, brunch ? is “in” for 2024. Consumers like that they’re able to spend less money than they would on a dinner out while still feeling like they’re treating themselves. Meanwhile, restaurants love the profit margins. Also on this morning’s show: flipping through the pages of the Beige Book and analyzing the average workweek in China.

From the BBC World Service: Singapore?s transport minister has resigned after facing multiple charges of corruption; it’s alleged he took kickbacks worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, something he denies. Also, passwords could soon be a thing of the past as companies like Google introduce “passkeys” as a default login for online users. But with the rise of deepfake technology, is any method of verifying our identities completely secure?

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent approval of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds means that for the first time, people can invest in funds that include bitcoin with no crypto wallet required. Demand for the original cryptocurrency is only expected to grow, and bitcoin mining operators are in position to satisfy it. Two years ago, Marketplace’s Lily Jamali visited one in upstate New York. Stacks of computers burned through tons of power to generate new bitcoins, she reported. Texas is now a preferred hub, and Ben Hertz-Shargel of the consultancy Wood Mackenzie says the SEC’s move will be felt there.