From the BBC World Service: President Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, has squeaked through Congress. It boosts military and border spending and extends Trump-era tax cuts, but makes deep cuts to healthcare and food aid. Saturday marks a year in office for the Labour Party in the UK, so what’s the economic verdict of the past 52 weeks? And it's been 10 years since Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote, and same-sex couples are contributing significantly to the wedding industry when, overall, marriage numbers are falling.
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The government reported today that 147,000 more people were on payrolls in June compared to May — a stronger outcome than initially forecasted. This data comes despite all the tariff-related uncertainty that many business execs have been speaking about lately. We’ll discuss. Plus, AI scraping could fundamentally break the business model of the internet, and an oasis of merch and pop-up stores is appearing ahead of the Oasis reunion tour kick-off.
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Word of the Day
: July 3, 2025
\DEH-sul-tor-ee\ adjective
What It Means
Desultory is a formal word used to describe something that lacks a plan or purpose, or that occurs without regularity. It can also describe something unconnected to a main subject, or something that is disappointing in progress, performance, or quality.
// After graduation, I moved from job to job in a more or less desultory manner before finding work I liked.
// The team failed to cohere over the course of the season, stumbling to a desultory fifth place finish.
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desultory in Context
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The House of Representatives could vote as soon as today on President Donald Trump’s big tax and spending bill. Trump says the legislation gets rid of taxes on Social Security benefits, but it’s not quite that simple. We'll unpack. Then, we’ll discuss this morning’s surprisingly weak private payroll data. And, we'll travel to London ahead of the city's Pride festival, which has been hit by declining corporate sponsorship.
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An ADP report providing a reading on the strength of the job market comes out today. Meanwhile, another measure shows the labor market treading water: job churn. Do we have the confidence to leave and take a different job? Amid continued economic uncertainty, many workers seem to be staying put, and employers seem hesitant to let workers go. Also on the show: the financial burden of deployment for military families.
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From the BBC World Service: Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. have launched a new push to secure supplies of critical minerals, especially the "rare earths" used in many tech products. Pride events in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom have been hit by falling corporate sponsorship. What effect will this have on events? Plus, the Australian airline Qantas says it's investigating a data breach, although it insists flights won’t be impacted.
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Word of the Day
: July 2, 2025
\guh-LUMF\ verb
What It Means
To galumph is to move in a loud and clumsy way.
// I could hear them galumphing around in the attic in search of old family photo albums.
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galumph in Context
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Surveys consistently show people want to age in their current home. Yet homeownership is costly for older adults of modest means, especially those still paying off their mortgage and living on fixed incomes. That hardship can be exacerbated, too, by additional medical or disability needs. We'll hear more as part of our Buy Now Pay Later project, produced in partnership with Next Avenue, a nonprofit news platform for older adults produced by Twin Cities PBS. But first: The Senate is coming off an all-nighter, and stocks rebounded remarkably this past quarter.
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As part of the rules of reconciliation — which is what's letting the GOP pass its bill without Democratic votes — Senators can offer unlimited amendments. But the debate on each one is around 10 minutes. This gives senators a chance to change components of the bill, but it's also being used as a messaging tool to highlight policies some Senators feel are harmful. Also: a down dollar and a breakthrough in EV batteries.
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From the BBC World Service: Political turmoil is brewing in Thailand after the country's prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was suspended by the Constitutional Court. Her party, the Pheu Thai Party, has struggled to launch key economic policies since taking office. We'll hear more. Plus, a dispatch from Robinhood's international crypto event in Cannes and a trek to the Øresund Bridge, which has linked Denmark and Sweden — and impacted businesses there — for 25 years.
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Word of the Day
: July 1, 2025
\ver-BOHSS\ adjective
What It Means
Someone described as verbose tends to use many words to convey their point. Verbose can also describe something, such as a speech, that contains more words than necessary.
// The article documenting their meeting presented an odd exchange between a verbose questioner and a laconic interviewee.
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verbose in Context
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The GOP bill in Congress could make sweeping changes to Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for 70 million low-income people and people with disabilities. North Carolina recently expanded coverage for an additional 660,000 people. There, it's been a "lifeline" for some rural areas and injected federal dollars into the state’s economy. We’ll hear what’s at stake with federal cuts. But first: the disconnect between "an economy that's slowing down and a stock market that's heating up."
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One of the Supreme Court decisions released Friday limits the circumstances under which courts can issue nationwide injunctions. While the case was about the executive order related to birthright citizenship, it has consequences for consumers and businesses alike. We'll unpack how the decision may reshape things like class-action lawsuits. But first: The Supreme Court weighs in on Obamacare (again), and travelers opt for more cost-effective "destination dupes."
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From the BBC World Service: Canada has scrapped its planned digital services tax hours before it was due to take effect after President Donald Trump threatened to end trade talks over the issue. The planned tax would have hit major U.S tech companies, including Amazon, Meta and Apple. We'll also hear how a British car manufacturer is responding to U.S. reduced tariffs, and a new sandal design has stirred controversy for Prada
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Word of the Day
: June 30, 2025
\ik-SPUNJ\ verb
What It Means
To expunge something is to remove it completely, whether by obliterating it, striking it out, or marking it for deletion. Expunge is most commonly applied in cases in which documentation of something is removed from an official record.
// Due to an error, the charges were expunged from their record.
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expunge in Context
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Word of the Day
: June 28, 2025
\RES-tiv\ adjective
What It Means
Restive can describe a person or group feeling impatience or uneasiness, or it can describe someone who is stubbornly resistant to control.
// The audience grew increasingly restive as the speaker droned on and on.
// The school's focus on artistic expression helps restive youths stay engaged in their learning.
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restive in Context
Assignment:
If doctors can catch breast cancer early enough, the chances of survival are about 90%. In order to catch it early enough, women over the age of 40 usually get annual mammograms, paid for by their health insurance. Roughly half of those women have dense breast tissue that requires additional screenings, however, which aren’t always covered by insurance. Also: a record-high stock market and the state of the economy surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
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Romance apps are struggling to get dates right now. Bumble says it’s laying off nearly a third of its employees. Since the company’s launch of its stock in 2021, stock prices have fallen about 90%. We'll hear how changing habits and economic uncertainty are factoring in. Plus: where the Senate version of the big tax and spending bill stands and a trip to Georgia, where farmland and solar panels are coexisting.
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From the BBC World Service: A White House official said the talks lay the groundwork for expediting rare earth shipments from China to the U.S. Then, the 12-day war between Iran and Israel brought intense focus on a key waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. How has the conflict affected a region so dependent on the Strait? And, European leaders have been gathering in Brussels to decide on a common negotiating position toward the Trump administration.
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Word of the Day
: June 27, 2025
\uh-BLYJE\ verb
What It Means
To oblige a person or entity to do something is to require or force them to do it, either because of a law or rule, or because it is necessary. To simply oblige someone is to do them a favor.
// The law obliges the government to release certain documents to the public.
// When my friend said he needed someone to taste test his new recipe for the cooking competition, I was happy to oblige.
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oblige in Context
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