Oil keeps the gears of the American economy running, from transportation to manufacturing. But the cost is creeping up — crude may well reach $100 a barrel soon. In this episode, we’ll trace how high oil prices ripple through our lives. Plus, college cost transparency, aircraft order volatility and federal firefighter pay cuts.

Feeling the oil-flation?

The July Case-Shiller home price index came out today, and it hit an all-time high. But mortgage rates, at 7%, are also high. We’ll demonstrate what this unusual pairing means for the housing market with some buyer-seller role play. Also in this episode: Staving off climate change will cost trillions, the pumpkin spice latte turns 20 and gas prices fuel consumer sentiment.

Housing market role play

How do I make non-Zoom eye contact? What should I share about my personal life? Is my lunch stinky? Work etiquette experts are helping companies ease the back-to-office transition. Also in this episode: UAW strike strategies, the economics of recycling plastic, a hops farm check-in and domestic worker contracts.

The business of getting offices back in business

Diners are digging in earlier than ever across the U.S. It’s an adjustment for the restaurant industry, but it might be better for workers and eaters alike. Plus, a flood of new apartment buildings should ease rent inflation, but it won’t solve the housing crisis. We’ll also analyze the week’s economic happenings with The New York Times’ Jeanna Smialek and Politico’s Sudeep Reddy.

The early bird gets the worm

The idea of energy “conservation” was new to Americans in 1973. Experiencing a first-of-its-kind gasoline shortage, the U.S. began to encourage fuel efficiency in cars and homes. If President Ronald Reagan hadn’t reversed such commitments, would renewable energy be ubiquitous today? Plus, doing without: manufacturing without temp workers, the Fed without government economic data and NYC without Airbnb.

50 years after the oil embargo, the U.S. is playing catch-up

About three-quarters of Latinos in the U.S. speak at least some Spanish. Marketing experts have caught on. We’ll talk to a few about how they strike an English-Spanish balance in ads geared toward the growing demographic. Plus, Amazon is already aggressively hiring for the holidays, Japan might prop up the yen again, and the Federal Reserve didn’t raise rates — this time.

Do you advertise en Español?

Clearview AI, widely used by U.S. law enforcement, can find a face anywhere on the internet thanks to a database of billions of scraped photos. Journalist Kashmir Hill, who recently published a book about Clearview, will tell us what it was like to investigate a company that’s always watching. Plus, the viability of a four-day workweek for blue-collar jobs and an electrical transformer shortage.

The facial recognition software cops are raving about

With government shutdowns becoming more frequent — we could have another one at the end of the month — taking a government job isn’t all that appealing. Why worry about the uncertainty of a furlough when plenty of other companies are hiring? We’ll also tackle the environmental impacts of barge shipping, hard-to-find auto parts in the U.S. and members-only shopping in China.

Would you take a job that might make you work for free?

Consumer spending is key to this economy, but Americans are running through their cash just as student loan repayments are coming due. Could that be the straw that breaks the consumer’s back? We’ll discuss it on the Weekly Wrap. Plus, how car dealers are reacting to the UAW strike, why immigration is important to the AI race and why gross domestic product and gross domestic income often don’t match up, even though they should.

Is it time to question the economic vibe?

Shares of chip designer Arm Holdings surged 25% above their initial public offering price of $51 in the company’s stock market debut today. A lot went into deciding on that price. Today, we dig into what it takes to make an IPO “pop.” Later, the United Auto Workers plans to target its work stoppages as a strike looms. And will Social Security’s cost-of-living increase be enough to help older Americans keep up with inflation next year?

How to price an IPO so it “pops”

Though inflation ticked up a bit in August, it looks like price increases are losing steam. Today, we ask what inflation could look like next year and what wild cards might be in play. We also investigate where all the G-rated movies went and why fish tacos are still about a buck at a San Diego restaurant chain.

What will inflation look like in 6 months?

New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that median income fell last year while poverty spiked, as pandemic-era government benefits ended. Today, we do the numbers and discuss who’s been most affected. We also explore the impact of tech regulation in the European Union and look at why businesses are so glum. Plus: You’ve probably infringed several patents today.

Poverty rose last year. Inflation’s only part of the story.

Members of the United Auto Workers union could go on strike this week if contracts aren’t signed with Ford, GM and Stellantis. If no deal is struck, the Upper Midwest in particular could suffer major losses. Today, we’ll chart the potential impacts. We’ll also look at consumer expectations, fear of automation and the panic over retail theft.

When a 10-day strike could cost $5 billion

Corporate bankruptcies have been on the rise for more than a year now, and the trend can have wide-ranging ripple effects. We dig into it. We also unpack the cooling labor market in the Weekly Wrap and look at the future of sustainable energy from the American home of oil and gas.

What rising corporate bankruptcies tell us about the economy

The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee meets in two weeks to determine if interest rates should change. Today, we hear from Chicago Fed CEO Austan Goolsbee on the odds of a soft landing for the economy and the data used to guide rate decisions. Plus, the inverted yield curve is an indicator of a coming recession. Could it be wrong this time? And later: Speed-dating makes a comeback.

The Chicago Fed president on the path forward for interest rates

Ever since the Federal Reserve began hiking interest rates, the value of the U.S. dollar has surged. For many other countries, that means debt has become costlier and it can be harder to prevent capital flight. So what are the options for central banks abroad? We also take the pulse of community banking six months after SVB’s failure and examine the fan fiction economy.

A strong dollar spells trouble for other economies

Saudi Arabia and Russia said they’ll stick with oil production cuts through the end of the year. The two countries are trying to prop up prices for their lucrative resource, and those prices surged after the announcement. We dig into the decision. Plus: More than 800,000 people are benefiting from student loan forgiveness. Then, the rise of “girl math” and other ways people justify their enthusiastic spending.

Why oil prices jumped today

This has been a hot summer for labor organizing, and strikes — along with narrowly averted ones — have made headlines. This Labor Day, we chart the holiday’s history and examine the parallels between worker activism of more than a century ago and worker activism today. We’ll also do the numbers on labor, including women’s workforce participation and how hotels are hiring in a tight market. Later: the big business of wacky holidays.

Tracing the roots of Labor Day

Gross domestic product has been a global standard for measuring economic growth since 1944. But there’s a new push to measure economic welfare and well-being. Today, we’ll explore the history of GDP, all the things it can measure and all the things it can’t. We’ll also take a closer look at rebounding labor force participation and hear how small businesses are grappling with hiring hurdles.

GDP doesn’t care how you feel

The pandemic accelerated baby boomer retirement, and multiple sectors are struggling to find enough workers. Those challenges may persist for years to come. Today, we take a closer look at what some are calling an economywide labor shortage and what can be done to remedy it. We also hear from a White House economist who wants businesses to “step up and make investments” in the United States.

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