May 23, 2022

Economists are predicting slower economic growth. That may be a good thing.

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May 18, 2022 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Slower growth could help ease inflationary but risk recession. Plus, there are few plans to build oil refineries despite high profit margins.

Segments From this episode

Would a slower rate of economic growth stop rising inflation?

by Kai Ryssdal and Richard Cunningham

May 23, 2022

Economists downgrading their economic forecasts may help "vanquish this inflation monster," argues Axios correspondent Neil Irwin.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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While trade policy could tame inflation, it's no silver bullet

by Nancy Marshall-Genzer

May 23, 2022

Tariffs won't go away altogether. Some reduction could impact prices, but not immediately.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai explains why addressing economic coercion from China is a challenge.

cbarnesphotography/Getty Images

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U.S. oil refiners' margins smash records, but few plan to build more plants

by Andy Uhler

May 23, 2022

"Crack spreads" are higher than ever. But investors aren't interested in dumping money into fossil fuel expansion.

A "COVID hangover" is keeping the price of gas high, one expert says.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

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COVID-19

Cities in China not under lockdown still feel the pain

by Jennifer Pak

May 23, 2022

Dozens of cities are under lockdown or COVID-19 restrictions, and that is affecting businesses across China.

COVID-19 restrictions in China make it hard to attract new overseas investment and foreign talent, a member of the European Union chamber of commerce in China says.

Hu Chengwei/Getty Images

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European Central Bank likely to end its negative interest rate experiment

by Lily Jamali

May 23, 2022

Until the ECB became the first major central bank to try it, making interest rates negative seemed like defying economic gravity.

When the European Central Bank first pushed negative interest rates in 2014, it helped push the value of the euro lower and make European goods more attractive to foreign buyers.

Daniel Roland/AFP via Getty Images

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TikTok classes might be the next big thing in education

by Kai Ryssdal and Anais Amin

May 23, 2022

"One of the students in the class was making, you know, up to $6,000 to $7,000 a month from her TikTok videos," says Bloomberg report Claire Ballentine.

Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images

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Music from the episode

That's Love Oddisee

Loving You Jennifer Lopez

The Death of Us Theo Katzman

Abstract Poetic DAO, Strehlow, Seb Zillner

Simmer Hayley Williams

Savage Megan Thee Stallion

Cataracts Freddie Gibbs, Madlib

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer II

Andie Corban Producer I

Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II

Richard Cunningham Associate Producer I

Dylan Miettinen Associate Digital Producer

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