Sep 6, 2022

Electric slide: How the energy crisis in Europe could affect everything

A view shows the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery. Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

Plus, power grid worries in California and sports gambling fears ahead of the NFL season.

Segments From this episode

High energy prices could threaten European utilities' ability to keep doing business

by Samantha Fields

Sep 6, 2022

A reported $1.5 trillion is tied up as collateral on energy markets. That's making it hard for energy companies to operate.

Natural gas prices in Europe rose swiftly over the weekend following the announcement that Russia's state energy company Gazprom will not resume pumping natural gas through the Nord Stream pipeline. Above, a natural gas storage facility in Austria.

Alexandra Beier/Getty Images

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Hybrid work adds strain to power grids during heat wave

by Matt Levin

Sep 6, 2022

The lights and the AC are on in offices and living rooms, challenging energy systems amid record temperatures.

California's electric grid operator has asked residents to save power by shutting off their air conditioning in the late afternoon and evening during the ongoing heat wave.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

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A Warmer World

Will the electric grid be able to power EVs — and everything else?

by Meghan McCarty Carino

Sep 6, 2022

As California accelerates EV adoption, the heat wave is a reminder that the grid powers air conditioning and other ways to deal with climate change.

If all cars in California were electric, the state would need to produce around 50% more electricity, according to one estimate. Above, a driver charges his vehicle in Monterey Park.

Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

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How a tax credit to boost minority hiring became a gift to temp agencies

by Kai Ryssdal and Anais Amin

Sep 6, 2022

Workers may not be the biggest beneficiaries of the work opportunity tax credit, says ProPublica investigative reporter Emily Corwin.

A woman waits for a job at a temporary employment agency in North Dakota. ProPublica's Emily Corwin discusses the work opportunity tax credit's benefits for temp agencies and the persistent lack of solutions for workers.

Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

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Should Russians be allowed to vacation in Europe while the Kremlin wages war on Ukraine?

by Stephen Beard

Sep 6, 2022

The EU is to make it tougher for Russians to holiday in Europe as a sanction against the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. But why not a total ban?

Finland is among the five European Union member countries pushing for a blanket ban on travel visas for Russian citizens. Above, travelers at Finland's Helsinki Airport in August.

Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP via Getty Images

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Tax revenue vs. temptation: Legalized online sports betting creates a dilemma for problem gamblers

by Andy Uhler

Sep 6, 2022

Where mobile betting is legal, it accounts for 90% of all wagers, one expert says. Do the pros outweigh the cons?

“Americans have always bet on sports," says John Holden of Oklahoma State University.

Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

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Music from the episode

Pa Pa Power Dead Man's Bones

Reality chromonicci

Flight to the Jungle (Landing) Monster Rally

Real and the Ideal Shoji Meguro, Atlas V1

Intro (Legacy of Blood) Jedi Mind Tricks

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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