Mortgage rates usually move in tandem with the interest rate set by the Federal Reserve. But mortgage rates have dipped recently while the rate set by the Fed has been climbing. Why? The answer lies in the market for mortgage bonds. Plus, the state of the oil economy, the job gains workers with disabilities are making, and the growing need to crowdfund for basic necessities.

The military, just like everyone else, has to deal with supply chain disruptions and inventory balancing acts. In today’s show, we check in with the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer about the war in Ukraine, a defense bill of nearly $850 billion and what the just-in-time economy means for the Department of Defense. Plus, normalizing retail inventory, confusion in streaming services and tensions between airlines and airports.

The U.S. dollar has given up about half its 2022 gains in the past month or so. That’s good news for exporters, but not so great for American companies that import pricier items. Today, a look at what’s going on with the greenback. Plus, inflation and other problems create a “perfect storm” for food banks, an Oregon bar serves up women’s sports and studios debate whether fans will flock back to movie theaters.

The word of the day today is “jobs.” The job market remains surprisingly strong, wages are rising, and job churn is high but settling. In this episode, a dive into the November jobs report and how it could influence the Federal Reserve’s next moves. Plus, day care staffing woes continue, Russia takes aim at Ukraine’s power grid, and Indigenous nations make progress in their push to co-manage public lands.

There’s no one economic figure that paints a perfect picture of where inflation is going. On today’s episode, we’ll do the numbers for fresh economic data and hear what economists are looking at to predict inflation’s next move. Plus, who gets the blame when layoffs come, what lessons new teachers are learning on the job and why consumer spending is on the rise while savings dwindle.

Protests have broken out in several Chinese cities since the weekend over the country’s strict zero-tolerance for COVID policy. On today’s show, “Marketplace” correspondent Jennifer Pak talks to demonstrators to hear about their exhaustion, anxieties and demands after nearly three years of stringent restrictions. Plus, demystifying the “wait, what?” economy, rethinking a career in the crypto industry and learning how to scam scammers.

With federal funding for COVID vaccines running out, doctors and clinics will soon have to pay for doses. Today, we’ll take a closer look at what this means for pediatricians and how the costs may cut into the care they provide. Also on the program: the state of the housing market, a growing list of Apple App Store critics and the stakes of the University of California strike.

New York City employers will be barred from using artificial intelligence in hiring starting next year, unless the program passes an audit. AI can narrow down candidate pools but often excludes otherwise qualified applicants who lack a college degree. In this episode, we’ll look at the push to address bias in hiring technology. Plus, the looming rail strike, “buy now, pay later” for groceries and why Frontier Airlines won’t answer the phone.

Despite inflation and rising interest rates, consumers are still spending as if they were awash in cash. But now they’re using credit cards, spending more on necessities and less on luxuries. Want more economic data? Plenty will come out next week. Plus, what melting ice means for Greenland, a day care center that saved itself by temporarily closing, and the Weekly Wrap.

As central banks around the world raise interest rates to fight inflation, it’s taking a toll on real estate markets far and wide. Today, we’ll map out where housing markets are stalling and where they’re finding buyers. Plus, retailers cautiously mark down goods, a classic chair gets an eco-friendly redesign and a novelist charts how humans would respond to an environmental catastrophe.