Bad news: This morning, a private payroll service said U-S companies unexpectedly decreased their workforces last month by 39,000 people. Good news: MasterCard says consumers spent a little more last month on back-to-school clothes and electronics. Bad news again: They spent less on “luxuries.” (Apparently, electronics are no longer luxuries?)
Microsoft is trying to challenge Apple’s superiority at store-retailing. MSFT is about to open its fifth and biggest retail store — directly across from the Apple store at the Mall of America.
Budgetary pressures may lead New Jersey’s Governor to pull the plug on an $8.7 billion commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River. Unfortunately, this is a taste of what’s to come for states around the country.
And, after a night of dramatic negotiations, Boston Red Sox owner John Henry is about to also own the Liverpool football team in England. How do Liverpool fans feel about that move?
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.