Marketplace

Some good news out of today’s personal consumption expenditures report, which tracked consumer spending in November. Disposable personal income rose, as did the personal savings rate. And some prices fell for the first time since spring 2020. Will consumer sentiment finally catch up to the improving inflation situation? Also in this episode: the wild ride NFTs have taken over the past few years and a debate between affordable housing and wetland restoration in one San Francisco Bay Area

With Christmas Day falling on a Monday, online shoppers are cutting it close if they haven’t ordered all their gifts yet. As consumers grow accustomed to same-day or next-day shipping from Amazon, Target and Walmart are trying to catch up. But a nationwide network of fulfillment centers isn’t built in a day. Also in this episode, the state of hunger in the U.S., the rise and fall of rentable e-scooters, and Buc-ee’s: an embodiment of American excess and efficiency.