Episodes

  • Food banks and resilience amid SNAP cuts
    Jul 8 2025

    Among the spending cuts in the big tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump last week: $186 billion over the next decade to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. Community food banks are already strained. Now, many worry whether they'll be able to keep up. Also on the program: Delta tries to crack the "last mile" in parcel delivery, and new tariffs could hit in three and a half weeks.

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    7 mins
  • The Eaton Fire, six months on
    Jul 8 2025

    Today marks six months since the Eaton Fire ravaged the town of Altadena, about a half hour northeast of downtown LA. More than 9,000 structures burned — most of them homes. We'll check in with Lucie Russo of Southern California Radio/LAist about the loss of her home and where rebuild efforts stand. But first: Tariffs and other inflationary pressures are on the minds of shoppers during Amazon Prime Day.

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    7 mins
  • World reacts to President Trump’s new tariffs deadline
    Jul 8 2025

    From the BBC World Service: 14 countries received a letter from the White House saying a pause on tariffs due to expire Wednesday will now be extended to Aug. 1. Japan and South Korea are among the countries facing a renewed threat of 25% tax on U.S. exports, with other import duties ranging from 30% for South Africa to 40% for Myanmar and Laos. We hear reactions. Plus, a move to ban employer misconduct NDAs in the U.K.

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    7 mins
  • Trade deals and tariff deadline looms large
    Jul 7 2025

    Nations the world over have until Wednesday to strike trade agreements with the U.S., or face the return of astronomically high tariffs that were announced — and later paused — in April. But the White House has signaled some wiggle room, saying tariffs might not actually come back until August 1, should countries not make a deal. Plus, in the final installment of our "Buy Now, Pay Later" series, we look into why more people 65 and older are finding themselves in bankruptcy court.

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    7 mins
  • T-minus two days until Trump's tariff deadline
    Jul 7 2025

    Wednesday marks the deadline for countries around the world to strike new trade deals with the U.S. The steep reciprocal tariffs President Trump announced, and then delayed, back in April could come roaring back. Or maybe not. Mixed messages from President Trump and his advisors have left the outcome uncertain. But as the Wednesday deadline approaches, there are a number of new developments. Also on the show: consumer inflation expectations and knockoff clothing designs.

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    7 mins
  • Trump takes aim at BRICs countries
    Jul 7 2025

    From the BBC World Service: An alliance of emerging countries — which includes Brazil, South Africa, China and Russia — has criticized the Trump administration’s tariffs, causing the president to threaten them with an extra 10% tariff on trade. And as trade tensions rise, we take a look at how the art of negotiations are being transformed by the U.S. approach to trade deals.

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    7 mins
  • 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