The House is set to vote on a $1.2 trillion spending package Friday ahead of a partial government shutdown deadline. The proposed appropriations bill includes a significant bump in border security funding, including cash intended to more or less double the number of Border Patrol agents. We’ll also break down the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Apple and hear how the need for insurance is influencing major life decisions.
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From the BBC World Service: Nike is replacing Adidas as the sponsor of Germany’s national soccer team. Then, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pleading for more ammunition for Ukraine’s war efforts; German chancellor Olaf Scholz says he’ll back a plan to use money from frozen Russian assets to buy more weapons. And a Swedish pharmacy chain says it won’t sell anti-aging skincare products to kids under the age of 15.
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The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at its meeting this week, though it’s penciling in three rate cuts at some point this year. But what does the Fed need to see before it’ll actually lower rates? We’ll discuss. Then, Hermès faces a class-action lawsuit over Birkin bag sales. And the mining of metals beneath our feet is vital to the green energy transition but is often complicated.
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From the BBC World Service: The Balkan state Kosovo, which broke away from Serbia in 2008 after a bitter civil war in the late 1990s, currently doesn’t accept transactions in the Serbian dinar. But some Serb-majority areas are still reliant on the currency. We’ll hear more. But first, a Chinese-funded port in Pakistan was attacked by militants. We’ll detail what exactly happened.
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Word of the Day
: March 21, 2024
\SKUR-uh-lus\ adjective
What It Means
Scurrilous is a formal adjective that most often describes language that contains obscenities, abuse, or, especially, slander—that is, a false statement that damages a person’s reputation. Scurrilous can also describe someone who uses or tends to use scurrilous language, or it can describe a person or thing as evil or vulgar.
// The press secretary made a point at the briefing not to address the scurrilous rumors surrounding the senator.
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scurrilous in Context
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The ice cream business is pretty chilly these days. Consumer goods giant Unilever announced this week that it’s going to spin off its ice cream business, which includes familiar names like Ben & Jerry’s, Popsicle and Klondike. The industry is dealing with declining demand, so how does it plan to defrost? Plus, the secret to using AI well at work may involve “more chat and less bot.”
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Today, we’re bringing you a very ESG-focused podcast. First, Texas is pulling $8.5 billion from the country’s biggest asset manager, BlackRock, which the state’s school fund says is hostile to the fossil fuel industry. It’s a pushback against ESG investing, in which environmental, social and corporate governance issues factor into decision-making. Then, a new paper says climate resilience is an investment opportunity for big-time institutional investors. We delve in.
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From the BBC World Service: China’s foreign minister is making his first trip to Australia in seven years. Will the talks bring a bitter three-year trade war to an end? Plus, the Red Sea is used by 30% of the world’s container ships using the Suez Canal, but the journey is being made perilous by drone attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen. We hear from one of the U.S. warships now patrolling the waters.
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Word of the Day
: March 20, 2024
\FLOR-uh\ noun
What It Means
Flora refers to all the plants that live in a particular area, time, period, or environment. It can also be used broadly to refer to plant, bacterial, or fungal life.
// Lisa admired the aquatic flora in the pond as she gazed out at the horizon.
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flora in Context
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Sports Illustrated has a new publisher, which says it will keep producing the magazine’s print editions. We’ll look into the value of a print product in the digital age. But first, Congress still needs to vote on a deal to keep the government funded until September. How likely is it to pass? And later, streaming platform Showmax is ramping up production and boosting a roster of African-made programs.
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Nvidia is about as close to a rockstar as you can get in Silicon Valley currently. At a conference hosted in a sports arena, the company’s CEO introduced a new advanced chip that promises to be 30 times faster at some tasks than NVIDIA’s previously most advanced chip. We’ll also hear more about the Bank of Japan’s rate hike decision and discover how a housing justice video game was adapted for stage.
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Word of the Day
: March 19, 2024
\uh-LEJ\ verb
What It Means
To allege something is to assert it without proof or before proving it.
// Consumer advocates allege that the company knew about the faulty switches but sold the product anyway.
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allege in Context
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Made in Detroit, the interactive video game Dot’s Home takes users through a generations-long cycle of housing descrimination. Plus, Apple is in talks with Google for a potential AI integration.
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From the BBC World Service: As Western nations condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s election win, what does a fifth term of his leadership mean for the country’s economy? Also: Tesla Germany faces eco-protests.
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Word of the Day
: March 17, 2024
\BLAR-nee\ noun
What It Means
Blarney refers to false but charming talk that often flatters the listener.
// The bartender laughingly asked her gregarious patron if anyone ever believed his blarney.
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blarney in Context
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Word of the Day
: March 16, 2024
\KWAIR-yuh-lus\ adjective
What It Means
Someone described as querulous is constantly or habitually complaining. Querulous can also be used synonymously with fretful or whining when describing something, such as a person's tone of voice.
// She shows an impressive amount of patience when dealing with querulous customers.
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querulous in Context
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There’s news this morning that the National Association of Realtors, a powerful group that sets home sale standards nationally, reached a settlement following nationwide lawsuits alleging its rules and behaviors were keeping real estate commissions artificially high. The proposed agreement includes a payout and elimination of its rules around commissions. We’ll unpack. Then, we’ll discuss a trickier job for the Federal Reserve and hear reflections from a cabaret co-owner and performer.
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The campaign to shrink the federal government is working — in Washington, D.C., at least. Data released by the Labor Department shows that D.C. ranked dead last when it comes to growth in federal government jobs last year. Most federal workers have always been based outside the nation’s capital, but the pandemic turbocharged that, hitting the city’s bottom line. Plus, why is it getting more expensive to do your taxes?
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Americans have long been known for pulling up stakes and moving for economic opportunity. But rather than chasing higher-paying jobs, more Americans are reluctant to move — and housing costs have something to do with it. Plus, there’s plenty of economic data on the table to discuss: Wholesale inflation came in warm but not hot, retail sales rebounded, and unemployment has stayed under 4% for 25 months now.
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