The largest fast-food company in the world -- with about 24,000 stores -- was once known for its rapid expansion mindset. Now, Subway is closing stores faster than ever and pushing out franchise owners in the process. In a recent report by the New York Times , franchisees across the country said that seemingly tiny violations, like cucumbers cut too thick and smudges on glass doors, have cost them their businesses. And when they try appeal to Subway's corporate leadership? They rarely get a resp...
Jul 19, 2019•7 min•Ep 417•Transcript available on Metacast Next week marks fifty years since Neil Armstrong took “one small step” on the moon’s surface. The Apollo 11 mission was an historic voyage, fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s. More than half a billion people watched the astronauts live on television. But in the years that followed, America’s interest and commitment to space exploration largely disappeared. Yet the country’s ambitions in space are far from over. In March of this year, Vice Pre...
Jul 12, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the birth of the modern gay rights movement in this country. Over the intervening years as attitudes towards LGBTQ people have changed, corporate America has taken note. Whether it's McDonald's selling special-edition “ Pride Fries ” or Walmart’s (online) Pride Shop , companies have very publicly been displaying support for the community over the last few years. It’s a dramatic shift from the days of Anita Bryant and Florida oran...
Jun 28, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast How a little known group of business leaders is influencing the administration's policies on trade, business and the economy.
Jun 21, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Since its opening in 1907, the story of the hotel has been the story of New York: a history littered with colorful guests, financial uncertainty, and a controversial transformation.
Jun 14, 2019•8 min•Ep 413•Transcript available on Metacast With just a few weeks left in the New York State legislative session, the future of rent regulations is still uncertain.
Jun 07, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast The president has effectively banned U.S. companies from doing business with the Chinese telecom giant. What it means for national security, trade, our phones, and more.
May 31, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast A three-foot tall, stainless steel rabbit by Jeff Koons set the art world abuzz after selling for a record $91.1 million at auction. What d oes it tell us about the economy?
May 24, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Donald Trump has stymied hopes of a trade deal by raising tariffs on Chinese goods. In retaliation, China put additional tariffs on U.S. goods, causing the stock market to plunge that day. The Trump administration responded to that by taking steps to implement tariffs on even more Chinese products. So, who’s winning the trade war? Trump’s approach could signal a historic shift in U.S. policy which has largely encouraged free trade around the globe. The casualties of this fight could in...
May 17, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Recent financial reports filed by the 2020 presidential candidates show vastly different amounts of money raised in varying amounts from many different sources. Some candidates are focusing on small donors, others are turning to high-dollar bundlers and some are dipping into their own bank accounts. For example, Senator Elizabeth Warren raised raised $6 million in three months for her campaign, while Joe Biden and Beto O’Rourke each raised that much in just a day. Yet with more than a year to go...
May 10, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast After months and months of speculation, former Vice President Joe Biden announced he’d be running for president in 2020. Already an early frontrunner, Biden joins a crowded field of potential Democratic nominees. There are now more than 20 candidates running, from policy wonk Elizabeth Warren to newcomer Pete Buttigieg to 2016 veteran Bernie Sanders. The Iowa caucuses are nine months away and if everyone stays in the race, it could challenging for voters to keep track of where the candidates sta...
May 03, 2019•7 min•Ep 407•Transcript available on Metacast "Avengers: Endgame" is officially opened at movie theaters across the country. It’s the most highly-anticipated movie event of the year and is expected to set a new box office record. Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, and the whole Avengers crew are back to do battle with super villain Thanos after he wiped away half of the universe’s population with a single snap of his fingers in last year’s "Avengers: Infinity War." The movie is the culmination of a groundbreaking superhero movie franch...
Apr 26, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Uber has taken its first steps to becoming a publicly traded company, following rival Lyft’s debut on the stock market last month. The initial filing from Uber reveals even more extensive details about the company's revenue, ridership and potential roadblocks. The good? Ridership is up and Uber is expanding its food delivery service. The bad? The rid-hailing company is losing huge sums of money and faces steep competition. This week on WNYC’s Money Talking, Charlie Herman talks to Aaron Elstein ...
Apr 19, 2019•8 min•Ep 405•Transcript available on Metacast Much of the way influential consulting firm McKinsey & Co. operates is shrouded in secrecy. But recent reporting by the New York Times has revealed some of the company’s secrets, including its involvement with controversial companies like Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, as well as foreign leaders and governments in Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Additional stories have focused on the firm’s hedge fund MIO and alleged failures to make required financial disclosures. McKinsey has defended i...
Apr 12, 2019•8 min•Ep 404•Transcript available on Metacast New York City just became the first city in the country to implement congestion pricing. As part of the effort to ease traffic and raise money to fix public transportation, drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street could pay between $10 and $15 per day for cars and possibly double for trucks. But how the system will work technologically, who might be exempted from paying the fees and how much they will actually raise are details that have yet to be decided. Cities like London and Stockholm ha...
Apr 05, 2019•8 min•Ep 403•Transcript available on Metacast Advertising has become a big business for Big Tech—and it keeps getting bigger. Google now controls a whopping 91 percent of the search advertising market. The tech giant’s monopoly means it’s almost impossible for businesses not to advertise with Google. That’s especially true if you’re a company that exists entirely online, like the ride-sharing app Lyft, or mattress brand Tuft & Needle. Lyft, for example, spent 92 million dollars on ads placed with Google last year. As a recent article in Blo...
Mar 29, 2019•8 min•Ep 402•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been nearly three years since a majority of people in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. One of the arguments made by many Brexit supporters was to “take back control.” Lately, however, the opposite has been true as the process spirals out of control. Britain was on track to leave the E.U. one week from today, but a last minute reprieve has given British Prime Minister Theresa May a new deadline of April 12, to come up with deal. No matter when or exactly how Brexit occur...
Mar 22, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hudson Yards is officially open to the public. What was once the site of warehouses, tenements, and rail yards is now home to the largest development in New York City since Rockefeller Center. From the initial idea to the opening this week, it’s taken nearly 20 years— and $25 billion — to create the sprawling 28-acre megaproject on the west side of Manhattan. The new neighborhood features supertall glass towers, luxury apartments, a high-end retail and restaurant hub, and a climbable honeycomb-l...
Mar 15, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been about eight months since President Trump launched a trade war with China, and it looks like we might be approaching an agreement between the two nations. Trump says that trade relationship with China has been unfair to the U.S. To force a change, he’s put in place punishing tariffs on Chinese goods to gain leverage. But that’s also punishing some in the U.S., like farmers, automakers manufacturers and even some consumers. If the deal is made, the big question will be, was it all worth ...
Mar 08, 2019•8 min•Ep 399•Transcript available on Metacast If you're depending on a tax refund this year to pay loans, make a down payment on a car or take a vacation, you might be out of luck. According to the IRS, average refunds have been lower compared last year. If the trend continues, many Americans will end up with a smaller refund or worse — they may owe the government. Residents in high-tax states, like New York and New Jersey could see a bigger swing because President Trump's tax code overhaul capped deductions for state and local taxes. But i...
Mar 01, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, a report from the House Oversight Committee revealed that officials in the Trump administration pursued a plan to export nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in order to build nuclear power plants. The report from House Democrats says the deal gained momentum during President Trump’s first days in office with help from then-national security adviser Michael Flynn. The efforts continued, despite warnings from ethics officials and staff at the National Security Council. Behind the proposa...
Feb 22, 2019•8 min•Ep 397•Transcript available on Metacast 5G is coming to a wireless network near you. But what exactly is it? And what has to happen before it completely replaces 4G?
Feb 08, 2019•8 min•Ep 396•Transcript available on Metacast The rise and fall of a retail giant.
Feb 01, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast WeWork has big ambitions, but does anyone really know what it is?
Jan 25, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast The battle over Brexit is getting more dire. What's holding everything up, and what are the implications?
Jan 18, 2019•8 min•Ep 393•Transcript available on Metacast SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has a bold vision for the future. Are we ready for it?
Jan 11, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can automated trading be blamed for Wall Street's wild swings?
Jan 04, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast The New York bank has been criminally charged by Malaysian prosecutors for its involvement in the disappearance of billions of dollars from an investment fund.
Dec 21, 2018•8 min•Ep 390•Transcript available on Metacast In his new book, technology law expert Tim Wu argues the biggest companies, like Facebook and Google, are dangerously large, and that's bad for business and democracy.
Dec 14, 2018•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast A board member at the Whitney Museum and his ties to the recent clash at the U.S.-Mexico border raise questions about the role of money, donors and funding for the arts.
Dec 07, 2018•7 min•Ep 388•Transcript available on Metacast 
