Powell holds off on rate cuts

A stretch of the U.S. is under a heat advisory this week — but summer starts Thursday. When we talk about a “hot” economy, it’s usually a good thing, but in real life, extreme heat sends economic productivity downhill. We’ll get into why. Also in this episode: Retailers launch copycat sales to compete with Amazon Prime Day, Baltimore longshoremen are finally back to work and the bond market is booming.

Housing affordability is on everyone’s mind — a new survey shows it’s a “somewhat to very important issue” for the majority of voters, especially younger ones. We’ll discuss whether housing has historically determined elections and get realistic about what a president can do about housing prices. We’ll also look at how the government measures housing costs for homeowners, even if their mortgages are paid off. Plus: The history of all-you-can-eat deals.

The job market is weakening, according to recent data. Higher unemployment is a good sign — if you’re the Federal Reserve and want to cut interest rates. It’s bad, of course, if you’re a job seeker. We tackle this paradox in today’s episode. Plus: Cities adjust their tech-hub dreams, improved hurricane forecasting saves billions in damage, and Black workers pay a high price in the clean energy transition.

Well, the Federal Reserve decided to stand pat on interest rates for now — and said it may make just one cut this year. In this episode, we break down the Fed’s latest move and look at which sectors are feeling the “lag effect” of rate hikes. Plus: Daycares are likely to raise prices as federal pandemic funding runs dry, and Fannie Mae’s chief climate officer says we should prepare for climate risk to become a bigger factor in the housing market.

Remember in “Austin Powers” when Dr. Evil conspires to hold the world hostage for $1 million? Not much cash, right? Well, it was a lot back in the 1960s — the last time Dr. Evil was conscious. In this episode, Dr. Evil teaches us how to adjust for inflation. Plus: Grocery stores want to be community meeting places, AI-fueled ad spending rockets up, and small-business owners aren’t sure what the future holds.

As the Southwest prepares for 100-plus-degree days this week, we’ll look at where energy grids are prepared for a hot summer. A key factor? Whether grids have new electricity generators, like wind or solar plants. We’ll visit eastern Colorado, where clean energy jobs have been a boon for rural residents. Plus: More first-time homeowners enlist their parents as mortgage cosigners, and brands back away from trans representation, instead angling to keep both LGBTQ and transphobic customers.

May brought a surge of 272,000 new jobs, exceeding forecasts. Of those, 42,000 were in leisure and hospitality, benefitting from the summer travel season and increased wages. Also in this episode: a thousand options and nothing to watch. Netflix is getting a makeover for the first time in a decade, all with the goal of keeping subscribers hooked for longer.

The European Central Bank delivered on its promise of June interest rate cuts, its first since 2019. The U.S. Federal Reserve is still deciding whether to do the same this year. But what the ECB does won’t affect the Fed’s decision, since European interest rates don’t impact U.S. job growth or prices. Also in this episode, the history of the federal jobs report, the cost of congestion pricing and the future of tourism on the Rio Grande.

A Texas group is planning to open a Dallas-based stock exchange, it announced today. In an era when most stock trading is online, why does it matter that the exchange will be in Texas instead of New York? Also in this episode: Economists disagree on the power of the “wealth effect,” the co-working space industry tries to reinvent itself, and nanobubbles fight toxic algae in a Southern California lake.

An April labor report released today shows that hiring, quitting and layoffs didn’t change much from the month before. In this episode, why no news is a sign we’re headed toward a pretty strong (as opposed to a once-in-a-lifetime) labor market. Plus, a traffic report of sorts: “supercommuter” rates rise, e-cargo bikes race ahead in popularity, and air travel isn’t luxurious anymore.