Marketplace Morning Report

From the BBC World Service: Venice, Italy, has become the first city in the world to charge day trippers. But is $5.30 enough to keep a lid on tourist numbers? And, we’ll take a look at the $300 billion ‘modest fashion’ industry as thousands of models, designers and buyers arrive in Istanbul for Modest Fashion Week.

Call it a manufacturing resurrection: Orders for durable goods — big-ticket items from washing machines to airplanes — rose 2.6% in March. It’s a sign that manufacturing is coming back online and the economy is getting get back to where the Fed wants it to be. Plus, it’s earnings season. How are companies doing so far? Then, we head to the Spanish city of Algeciras, where one out of four people is unemployed.

The Joe Biden administration has announced a pair of new measures to strengthen worker protections. It’s widening eligibility for overtime, bringing in millions of more employees, and is looking to largely ban on noncompete agreements, which bar workers from joining competing companies. We’ll hear more. We’ll also hear more about what all is included in the $95 billion foreign aid package and how internet providers have been lobbying against lower broadband prices.

From the BBC World Service: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in China with a long list of global issues on his agenda: There’s conflict in the Middle East, America’s support for Taiwan and the way China supplies crucial technology to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Also: key issues for women voting in India’s general election and southern Spain’s struggle with the highest unemployment rate in Europe.

EV maker Tesla will release quarterly results after markets close on Tuesday, but the company has been struggling so far this year. Beset by stiff global competition, Tesla has been cutting prices and laying off workers. We’ll set the stage for the big financial release. Plus, high mortgage rates bring about a real estate quandary. And as part of this month’s Econ Extra Credit, we examine how baseball’s Negro Leagues navigated the Great Depression.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments today on whether the National Labor Relations Board has to meet a higher burden of proof when intervening on behalf of workers trying to unionize. Starbucks is challenging some of the agency’s powers. We’ll hear more about the case in question. Plus, El Salvador’s unsafe reputation is transforming, but the country is heavily in debt. What are the economic realities. everyday Salvadorans?

From the BBC World Service: The British government’s policy of sending migrants to the African nation of Rwanda is set to become law, but the United Nations and Europe’s highest court have urged the U.K. to drop the proposals. Then, two years since a state of emergency was introduced in El Salvador to try to reduce crime, the Central American country is safer but its economy is still struggling.

On Monday, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a case that could determine whether cities can fine or arrest people in homeless encampments. The case comes at a time when higher interest rates and rising insurance costs are making it more expensive to build low-income housing — especially in California. Also: the macroeconomic vibe for the week ahead and Ireland’s big bet on high-tech media production.

For the first time, autoworkers at a foreign-owned plant in a Southern state have voted to unionize. The United Auto Workers union recently saw a landslide victory at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee — a win that comes years of failed unionization efforts in the South. We’ll discuss what comes next. Then, we’ll hear the role janitors from El Salvador have played in local labor movements in Houston.

From the BBC World Service: We hear from Ukrainians after a military aid package gets approval in the U.S. House of Representatives. Then, Ecuadorians vote to tighten security in its fight against gang violence, as the government fears that recent violence could damage the country’s tourism. Plus, the hit TV series “Game of Thrones” was filmed in Northern Ireland. We’ll explore the big bet on film, TV and gaming there.

The message from several officials at the Federal Reserve this week? Don’t expect an interest rate cut anytime soon. And we’ll discuss why there’s a chance that “higher for longer” may not be the end of it. Plus, hospitality businesses in New York City say they’re struggling to fill open jobs. New migrants arriving in the city could help solve that problem — if they get authorized to work.

Bitcoin is trading well above where it did in 2023. Friday or Saturday, something called the “bitcoin halving” is supposed to happen — an event that occurs roughly every four years where the number of new bitcoins that come into circulation drops in half. And it’s a big deal for the whole philosophical premise of bitcoin. We’ll unpack. Also on the show: explaining a big filing day for PACs and understanding China’s “Great Firewall.”

From the BBC World Service: Hospitality businesses in New York City have said quicker work permits for arriving migrants could be key to filling vacancies in the sector – but city authorities are struggling to cope with the number of people arriving. Also: Palau was praised for its marine sanctuary that banned commercial fishing. Now, the government wants to allow more maritime industry to boost the economy.

This week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finalized regulations to ensure that most employees around the country are entitled to unpaid time off and other accommodations for a range of pregnancy-related medical needs, from nausea and gestational diabetes to abortion care. We’ll learn more. Also on today’s show: a drumbeat of “higher for longer” from Fed officials, the Biden administration’s show of support for American steel, and gaming furniture that’s all grown up.

When the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was built in the ’70s, it was a chance for workers to prove themselves on a massive construction project. Following its collapse, those workers look back on what many considered to be a monument to their work — and what happens when that monument is gone. Also: foreign aid could be bundled with a forced sale of TikTok, and European Union leaders agree to tighten sanctions on Iran.