Latest from Kelly Silvera

• May 24, 2023

  France is cutting flights, but will the move cut carbon?

  

  From the BBC World Service: A few years ago, France came up with an idea to cut carbon emissions — reduce some short domestic flights and that’s now been signed into law. It affects flights where there’s an option to take a train in less than two-and-a-half hours instead. But how comprehensive and impactful will it really be? And, another industry under scrutiny is steelmaking which is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. We hear from a project in northern Sweden where they’re trying to do away with old carbon-intensive coal-fired blast furnaces.

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• May 23, 2023

  Which dominoes fall first if the debt ceiling is breached?

  

  As negotiators try to avert a U.S. government debt default, there are questions about what spending would be first on the chopping block in a doomsday scenario. We look at how a potential debt limit breach could play out, starting with benefit checks and public sector salaries. Plus, a check-in with Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist at JPMorgan Funds, about how investors think the Fed should act at its next interest-rate-setting meeting. And finally, This is Uncomfortable host Reema Khrais tells us about the podcast’s most recent season delving into the business of women selling their eggs. 

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• May 23, 2023

  Let the TikTok legal battles begin

  

  TikTok has filed the first legal challenge against Montana’s near-total ban on the social media platform since the law was enacted earlier this month. We look at what both sides are likely to argue in the upcoming court battle. Plus, electric-vehicle makers are looking to shore up their supplies of lithium, a key ingredient in batteries, as competition for the resource intensifies. And finally, work requirements for social benefit programs like SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, are on the table as the White House and Congress race toward a deal to raise the debt ceiling. 

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• May 23, 2023

  How China became a global auto giant

  

  From the BBC World Service: China is now the world’s biggest exporter of cars, helped by a massive growth in electric vehicle production. We look at how it caught up to more established brands. Plus, Thailand’s radical decriminalization of cannabis last year has led to a boom in marijuana-related businesses. But a recent election could lead to a U-turn in the way the country treats the drug.

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• May 22, 2023

  EU levies biggest-ever data privacy fine against Meta

  

  European regulators announced today that Meta, Facebook’s parent company, would have to pay a $1.3 billion fine for violating EU rules around internet users’ data privacy. We delve into what went into the decision, as well as what it means for the company going forward. Plus, we check in with Julia Coronado, president of the National Association of Business Economics, about what the group’s latest survey of economists says about the likelihood of a recession on the horizon. And, there’s a move toward “green steel” that’s seeking to de-carbonize the heavily-polluting steelmaking industry. 

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• May 22, 2023

  Inside the discriminatory origins of welfare work requirements

  

  The scramble to raise the nation’s debt ceiling has featured prominent calls by Republicans to impose stricter work requirements for recipients of welfare. But today’s debate on Capitol Hill stems from a much older fight over how the poor qualify for benefits. We spoke with Krissy Clark, host of Marketplace’s investigative podcast The Uncertain Hour, about how racial bias played into the formation and early implementation of the rules we know today. And, this summer travel season may be record-setting, according to experts, as the pandemic emergency officially comes to an end worldwide. 

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• May 22, 2023

  China strikes back with its own chip ban

  

  From the BBC World Service: Microchips power everything from cars to smartphones, and they’re now at the center of a global power struggle. The U.S. has been restricting China’s access to high-end chips in recent months, all in the name of national security. Now China has hit back, banning some of the chips made by U.S. firm Micron. We look at the method behind the move. Plus, there’s been an election in Greece where the economy was a key issue. So how is the country faring years after the debt crisis? And, we hear from pop star Jason Derulo on the investments he’s made away from music.

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• May 19, 2023

  What’s it going to take to get a debt ceiling deal?

  

  There’s optimism from congressional leaders and the White House that we could see a vote on some sort of legislation to raise or suspend the debt limit as early as next week. But the clock is still ticking. We’re getting closer to June 1, the date that the Treasury Department has said could be when the U.S. runs out of money to pay its bills. Ian Bremmer, president of the risk consultancy Eurasia Group, breaks down the political standoff. And, the repercussions of a Supreme Court ruling yesterday that pop artist Andy Warhol violated copyright law in his creation of a silkscreen portrait of the musician Prince. Will it stifle creativity for artists going forward?

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• May 19, 2023

  The internet as we know it is still intact

  

  That’s because internet platforms are hanging on to a key legal shield that protects them from being liable for what users post. That shield is called Section 230, and the Supreme Court sidestepped directly addressing it in a pair of rulings that came out Thursday. We have more on the two cases that sought to make social media sites liable for terrorist content. Also, congressional leaders and the White House say there’s at least some progress on negotiations to raise or suspend the debt limit. And, the latest stop on Taylor Swift’s tour, which is selling out venues across the country. The tour’s economic impact is one few other artists can replicate.

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• May 19, 2023

  Russian diamonds added to sanctions

  

  From the BBC World Service: Russian diamonds are being added to the latest round of sanctions as the leaders of the G-7 nations meet in Hiroshima, Japan. The BBC’s Nick Marsh reports from there. Plus, the cost of the floods in northwest Italy will be in the billions of dollars. We hear from two people affected. And, finally, what’s the environmental cost of surfing? The BBC’s Clare Marshall has been finding out.

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