Latest from Kelly Silvera

• Apr 19, 2023

  Um … what’s a DVD again?

  

  Do you still own a DVD player? If so, and you’re relying on Netflix to watch those DVDs, it might be time to think of a new plan. Netflix is finally shutting down that part of its business. But why now? Plus, the European Union’s answers to the United States’ CHIPS Act. And, Indiana is one of 10 states that specifically prohibits undocumented college students from paying in-state tuition. That means an undocumented student in that state could pay nearly $17,000 more per year in tuition than their peers.

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• Apr 19, 2023

  The sustained entrepreneurship boom

  

  Starting a business was a trend during peak pandemic, and it looks to be continuing. That’s even though the country has opened back up and unemployment has gone way down. Last month, business applications increased again. Plus, with summer not too far away, many companies are getting ready to welcome new interns aboard. Employers expect to increase summer intern numbers by almost 10% this time around. That might have something to do with the tight labor market we’re still seeing in certain sectors. And, a deep dive into the private, for-profit industry that has grown up around enforcing work requirements for welfare.

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• Apr 19, 2023

  Prices remain stubbornly high in the UK

  

  From the BBC World Service: The rate of price rises slowed in the eurozone last month to about 7%, but inflation in the U.K. is still more than 10%. That’s despite continued expectations it will fall. We examine the U.K’s “sticky” price problem. Meanwhile, the European Union is boosting its semiconductor industry. And, why South Korea is cracking down on nepotism in the workplace.

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• Apr 18, 2023

  Hollywood could be headed for a strike

  

  Hollywood film and TV writers have voted almost unanimously to give their union the authority to call a strike. This would happen if negotiators fail to reach a new contract by May 1. We take a look at the sticking points. Plus, it’s worth taking stock on how far we’ve come in the fight against inflation. Believe it or not things are looking up. But wages still lag behind and it’s going to take some time before price rises slow to a more “normal” rate. And, many so-called affordable cities are not so affordable anymore. Take Houston, for example. It’s getting harder and harder for residents there to make ends meet.

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• Apr 18, 2023

  Americans are “revenge dining”

  

  Going out to eat is in right now. Spending at restaurants and bars was up 13% in March, compared to a year ago, according to the Census Department. That’s even as prices for meals outside the home kept rising and groceries got cheaper. Plus, there’s optimism that things are starting to turn in the housing market. We might see more buyers in the market going forward, but maybe not first-time buyers. And, the number of people in the U.S. choosing cremation over a casket burial is on the rise. How funeral homes are adapting.

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• Apr 18, 2023

  China’s economy shakes off COVID curbs

  

  From the BBC World Service: China’s economy rebounded by more than expected in the first three months of the year after the country dropped its strict COVID restrictions. What’s been driving the growth? And what does a recovery mean for the rest of the world? Plus, Apple opens its first retail store in India in a move which reflects its growing presence in the country. And, what would you pay for a T. rex skeleton? One’s up at auction in Switzerland for at least $5 million.

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• Apr 17, 2023

  Keep an eye on those company results starting to trickle in

  

  We got results from some of the bigger banks on Friday last week. This week we’ll hear from more banks like Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. This will give us a better picture of how interest rate increases are hitting bottom lines, but also the abilities of consumers and businesses to repay loans. Also today on the show: how government subsidies for more manufacturing production in the U.S. can backfire. We hear from one economist who says there are better ways to build resilient supply chains, decrease inequality and prepare for the clean energy transition.

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• Apr 17, 2023

  Debt ceiling fight resumes with House back in session

  

  Today House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will give a speech at the New York Stock Exchange outlining his case for cutting spending in return for raising the debt limit. Plus, negotiations in Europe over Poland’s ban on imports of grain and other agriculture products. It’s yet another economic consequence of Russia’s war on Ukraine. And, the case for keeping a more globalized economy intact from Adam Posen of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He says that shoring up supply chains, addressing concerns about China and fighting inequality are all worthy causes, but that more protectionist economic policy is not the answer.

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• Apr 17, 2023

  China counts the cost of construction as it writes off billions of dollars

  

  From the BBC World Service: China has written off or renegotiated $76 billion worth of borrowing in the last 18 months that had been issued as part of its huge infrastructure project. Louise Loo, senior economist at Oxford Economics, tell us what this means for China moving forward. Plus, the BBC’s Adam Easton explains why Poland has placed a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain exports. And, can you buy happiness? One gaming giant hopes so as they launch a takeover for the company that makes Angry Birds.

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• Apr 14, 2023

  It’s been a weird week of conflicting economic signals

  

  It’s been a weird week for economy watchers. Amid seemingly contradictory signals, including a recession prediction from the Fed that came amid positive inflation data, we consult Christopher Low, chief economist at FHN Financial, about what to make of the bevy of economic information we got in the last few days. And, the BBC’s Leanna Byrne reports from Northern Ireland about the area’s economic ties with the United States in the wake of President Biden’s visit there. 

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