The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point Wednesday. And this decision comes as President Donald Trump continues to put pressure on the supposedly independent agency to move the economy the way he wants. Plus, the president is reportedly beginning final interviews for Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s potential successor.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Fed lowers interest rates again amid debate over inflation, jobs” from The Washington Post
• “Trump to start final Fed chair interviews beginning with Kevin Warsh” from CNBC
• “What a Fed rate cut means for your home, car and credit card loans” from The Washington Post
• “Watch out for these refinancing red flags” from Marketplace Morning Report

Rare-earth elements help power our everyday electrical devices, and that’s because most batteries are made with minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite. As of now, China has the largest reserve of these minerals. But some mining companies are eyeing the deep sea’s floor, says Marketplace contributor Dan Ackerman, because such rare earths form organically way down there. Plus, the ethical concerns that come with this deep-sea mining.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Companies are betting on deep sea mining for critical minerals” from Marketplace Tech
• “New policies may part the waters for ocean mining” from Marketplace Morning Report
• “In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the US and China emerges” from The Guardian
• “Trump’s New Executive Order Promotes Deep Sea Mining in US and International Waters While Bypassing International Law” from Inside Climate News

As another holiday season kicked off on Black Friday, finding the perfect gift is top of mind for many. But how much will weary American consumers be willing to spend this year? Based on early data … it’s a lot! Marketplace’s Kristin Schwab joins Kimberly to explain why the K-shaped economy may explain the contradiction and why AI is making its way into Americans’ shopping habits. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s what we talked about on the show today:

• ”September retail sales fail to impress” from Marketplace
• ”Black Friday, Cyber Monday spending expected to top records” from Marketplace
• ”Black Friday Sales Spike Despite Economic Uncertainty, Study Shows—Here’s Why” from Forbes
• “‘Tis the season for credit card debt” from Marketplace
• ”How are retailers benefiting from the "buy now, pay later" boom?” from Marketplace
• ”What is your Spotify listening age?” from Marketplace
• ”More than 8 in 10 Americans are more likely to purchase secondhand gifts this year” from Retail Brew
• ”Target Launches New AI-Powered Features to Make Holiday Shopping Easier, Smarter and More Fun” from PR Newswire

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