Podcasts about labor statistics

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Chief Economist and Platypus Economics founder Justin Wolfers discuss Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's efforts to politicize the government's economic data as the latest economic numbers paint an increasingly troubling picture. Meiselas and Wolfers break down the attacks on data produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other government agencies, why the independence and reliability of economic statistics matter, and what happens when political pressure is brought to bear on the institutions responsible for producing them. Subscribe to Meidas+ at https://meidasplus.com Get Meidas Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af Sidebar with Katie Phang: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sidebar-with-katie-phang/id1886801652 The Parnas Perspective: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-parnas-perspective/id1869165949 The Intersection with Michael Popok: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-intersection-with-michael-popok/id1818863274 Scott MacFarlane Reports: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scott-macfarlane-reports/id6807138300 MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Five Minute News: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/five-minute-news/id1471715443 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The episode outlines a structural shift in managed services and IT operations: the automation and unbundling of junior technical work due to the integration of automated tools and AI-driven solutions. This change is absorbing the traditional entry-level, apprenticeship-oriented roles within MSPs and IT organizations, fundamentally altering career development pathways. The trend is illustrated by specific product launches and research findings from entities such as TeamViewer, RDE Technologies, the Center for an Urban Future, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and SignalFire.Primary evidence centers on quantitative labor data. According to the Center for an Urban Future, entry-level tech job postings in New York City declined 49% since 2022, while Bureau of Labor Statistics projections show a 3% decline in employment for computer support specialists by 2035, amounting to a reduction of 24,300 roles. At the same time, new graduate hiring at large technology firms and startups has dropped by 65% and 76%, respectively, according to SignalFire. In contrast, higher-skilled technology roles—including data scientists and security analysts—are forecasted to add over 310,000 positions over the same timeframe.Secondary developments reinforce the trend. TeamViewer released a support agent that automates fixes with senior technician approval, while RDE Technologies adopted a tool (Vight) automating ticket notes, time entries, and coaching data from support calls. These tools reduce learning opportunities for junior staff. On the hiring side, research highlights that junior hires are arriving at pay rates equal to or above existing staff, creating training, motivation, and retention challenges. At the senior end, a noticeable increase in exits from AI-exposed professions among older workers represents a further supply squeeze.The operational implication for MSPs and IT leaders is a direct challenge to traditional hiring and talent development strategies. Automation is reducing the volume of teachable, ticket-based tasks necessary for hands-on training, while elevating compensation for new and senior staff. MSPs face a choice: deliberately reserve real client work for skill development—accepting lower margins to “manufacture” future engineers—or compete for costly senior talent amid a shrinking candidate pool. Budgeting for training must become an explicit, defended line item, and pricing should reflect the operational burden of nurturing internal talent versus buying it on the open market.00:00 The Job That Stopped Existing 03:48 Built Out Of Easy Tickets06:54 The Engineer Isn't For Sale11:03 Why Do We Care?Supported by: WebPros(CometBackup) USecure

Data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that in 2023, shows that 740 fatalities were caused by violent acts in the workplace across multiple industries. Rancho Mesa's Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby sit down with Client Technology Coordinator, Chad Winder to discuss important information about workplace prevention.Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Colby⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest: Chad WinderEditor: Jadyn BrandtMusic: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production© Copyright 2026. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance attended ceremonies on Friday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001. The events honor the 2,977 people killed after al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, while one plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field.Consumer inflation was stable in August despite the war in Iran upending global energy markets and reviving price pressures across the economy. August's annual inflation rate was unchanged at 3.4 percent, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics—a government agency tracking jobs, inflation, and wages—released on Friday.

Kevin covers and discusses the following stories: the 50th anniversary of the Western & Southern/WEBN fireworks; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the August Jobs Report, the unemployment rate and average hourly earnings - month over month and year over year; oil prices react to an escalation in the conflict and increased threats from both sides; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm Connor with Honor - message me here!Read the full breakdown: https://santaclaritaopenhouses.com/blog/the-cut-tax-santa-clarita-sellers-who-cut-lose-40500/Watch: https://youtu.be/i9Exlf0GBQwSomewhere in this valley this morning a seller is going to open a market report, see the median went up $10,000, and feel good about themselves. That seller is about to leave $40,500 on the table, and the number that proves it is two columns over on the same page.Connor pulled every closing in the Santa Clarita Valley over the last 12 months. 1,322 sales with a full price history. 461 of those sellers cut their price at least once, about 1 in 3, with a median cut of $30,000.The sellers who never cut sold in a median of 13 days at 100 percent of asking. The sellers who cut sold in 63 days at 95 percent of their original number. That is 50 extra days of keeping a house show-ready for strangers, and about $40,500 on an $810,000 ask.He calls it the cut tax. It is not a market condition, it is a pricing decision, and it gets assessed in the first two weeks before a single buyer walks in.Also in this episode: the phantom raise, where the median rose $10,000 while the price per square foot fell $17, because the houses that closed were simply bigger. The three separate markets hiding inside one 4.4-month supply number, with condos at 7.9 months while single family sits at 3.5. Why the VA buyer beat the cash buyer on both speed and price, 26 days at full asking against 33 days at 98.7 percent. Why Castaic is quietly the strongest seller's market in the valley and Stevenson Ranch is the weakest despite the highest prices. And 98 price drops in seven days that took $2,634,517 off the valley's asking prices.Every figure came off the CRMLS feed at 6:02 AM Pacific on Monday, September 7, 2026, with rates from Freddie Mac and Mortgage News Daily and jobs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Connor T. MacIvor. 20 Yrs LAPD, Big City Motor Cop. Selling Santa Clarita real estate since 1998. Seller's Only Agent.https://santaclaritaopenhouses.comhttps://bookwithhonor.com(661) 400-1720Youtube Channels:Conner with Honor - real estateHome Muscle - fat torchingFrom first responder to real estate expert, Connor with Honor brings honesty and integrity to your Santa Clarita home buying or selling journey. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for valuable tips, local market trends, and a glimpse into the Santa Clarita lifestyle.Dive into Real Estate with Connor with Honor:Santa Clarita's Trusted Realtor & Fitness EnthusiastReal Estate:Buying or selling in Santa Clarita? Connor with Honor, your local expert with over 2 decades of experience, guides you seamlessly through the process. Subscribe to his YouTube channel for insider market updates, expert advice, and a peek into the vibrant Santa Clarita lifestyle.Fitness:Ready to unlock your fitness potential? Join Connor's YouTube journey for inspiring workouts, healthy recipes, and motivational tips. Remember, a strong body fuels a strong mind and a successful life!Podcast:Dig deeper with Connor's podcast! Hear insightful interviews with industry experts, inspiring success stories, and targeted real estate advice specific to Santa Clarita.

With AI disrupting the workplace, is your job going to exist in ten years? The Bureau of Labor Statistics has just the handbook for that. Today on the show, we flip through the Occupational Outlook Handbook and answer your questions about the future of work.This episode originally aired on May 8th, 2026Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.Your Next Listen — How AI is shrinking the job market for teensConnect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator's weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book— Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Where does the labor market stand this Labor Day? U.S. job growth rebounded in August, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 162,000 jobs added—blowing past expectations of a 56,000 gain. Following summer slowdowns, Executive Vice President for Market Strategy at Prairie Operating Company and FOX Business Contributor Lou Basenese joins Lydia Hu to break down the surprise report. They examine what these numbers mean for the workforce, wage growth, and upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the Consumer Price Index accurately measuring the inflation Americans actually experience? Lance Roberts talks with Oliver Rust of Truflation about how real-time inflation data can differ from traditional CPI measurements. They examine housing and rent concessions, regional price differences, consumer substitution, the K-shaped economy, housing affordability, and the continuing resilience of consumer spending. Oliver also explains how Truflation builds its inflation index, where its methodology differs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, its work with the Federal Reserve, and what its data says about inflation now. Plus, they discuss what could come next as Truflation expands into employment and other economic indicators. For investors watching inflation, interest rates, housing, and the Federal Reserve, the question is increasingly important: Which inflation data best reflects the economy consumers are actually living in? 0:00 - INTRO 0:55 - What is Wrong with current Inflation/CPI Measurement? 2:46 - The Data Truflation Uses 5:36 - Solving for Interstate Price Variables 6:46 - How is Housing Weighted in Truflation Metric vs BLS & CPI 10:24 - The Concessions in Rental Agreements are not accounted for 15:00 - What is Inflation Doing Now? 16:42 - The Bifurcation in Housing - New Homes vs Existing Home Sales 18:23 - Housing Affordability & K-Shaped Economy 21:17 - Who's Right: CPI or Truflation? (Working with the Fed) 25:51 - The Boskin Commission & Hedonics - What Truflation Does Not Measure 28:40 - Factoring in Substitution by Consumers 30:46 - Effects of FIFA World Cup in U.S. 33:01 - Truflation Expectations for the Future 36:20 - The Resilience of the Consumer - how long will they spend? 38:22 - What if Truflation Had Been Around Back Then... 40:14 - Truflation Plans for Expansion: Employment & Economic Indicators 41:49 - Cross Correlation of data sets is worth reviewing Hosted by RIA Advisors' Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Oliver Rust, TruFlation Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/603EdhToXq8 ------- Watch our previous show, " " ------- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/insights/real-investment-daily/ ------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN --- Subscribe to SimpleVisor : https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new --- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #Inflation #CPI #FederalReserve #Economy #Investing

Is the Consumer Price Index accurately measuring the inflation Americans actually experience? Lance Roberts talks with Oliver Rust of Truflation about how real-time inflation data can differ from traditional CPI measurements. They examine housing and rent concessions, regional price differences, consumer substitution, the K-shaped economy, housing affordability, and the continuing resilience of consumer spending. Oliver also explains how Truflation builds its inflation index, where its methodology differs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, its work with the Federal Reserve, and what its data says about inflation now. Plus, they discuss what could come next as Truflation expands into employment and other economic indicators. For investors watching inflation, interest rates, housing, and the Federal Reserve, the question is increasingly important: Which inflation data best reflects the economy consumers are actually living in? 0:00 - INTRO 0:55 - What is Wrong with current Inflation/CPI Measurement? 2:46 - The Data Truflation Uses 5:36 - Solving for Interstate Price Variables 6:46 - How is Housing Weighted in Truflation Metric vs BLS & CPI 10:24 - The Concessions in Rental Agreements are not accounted for 15:00 - What is Inflation Doing Now? 16:42 - The Bifurcation in Housing - New Homes vs Existing Home Sales 18:23 - Housing Affordability & K-Shaped Economy 21:17 - Who's Right: CPI or Truflation? (Working with the Fed) 25:51 - The Boskin Commission & Hedonics - What Truflation Does Not Measure 28:40 - Factoring in Substitution by Consumers 30:46 - Effects of FIFA World Cup in U.S. 33:01 - Truflation Expectations for the Future 36:20 - The Resilience of the Consumer - how long will they spend? 38:22 - What if Truflation Had Been Around Back Then... 40:14 - Truflation Plans for Expansion: Employment & Economic Indicators 41:49 - Cross Correlation of data sets is worth reviewing Hosted by RIA Advisors' Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Oliver Rust, TruFlation Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/603EdhToXq8 ------- Watch our previous show, " " ------- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/insights/real-investment-daily/ ------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN --- Subscribe to SimpleVisor : https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new --- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #Inflation #CPI #FederalReserve #Economy #Investing

Where does the labor market stand this Labor Day? U.S. job growth rebounded in August, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 162,000 jobs added—blowing past expectations of a 56,000 gain. Following summer slowdowns, Executive Vice President for Market Strategy at Prairie Operating Company and FOX Business Contributor Lou Basenese joins Lydia Hu to break down the surprise report. They examine what these numbers mean for the workforce, wage growth, and upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where does the labor market stand this Labor Day? U.S. job growth rebounded in August, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 162,000 jobs added—blowing past expectations of a 56,000 gain. Following summer slowdowns, Executive Vice President for Market Strategy at Prairie Operating Company and FOX Business Contributor Lou Basenese joins Lydia Hu to break down the surprise report. They examine what these numbers mean for the workforce, wage growth, and upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cybersecurity is not an entry-level field. It's a specialization — and that single distinction changes how an experienced IT professional should approach the move.This is a mapping exercise: five defensive security roles that take a lateral pivot from an IT background instead of a restart, what each one actually does day to day, which IT experience feeds it, and the honest gap you'd still have to close for each.No guaranteed timelines, no salary fantasies. Including the part where the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics just revised its growth projection down.CHAPTERS00:00 The advice that costs IT pros years00:36 Why cybersecurity is a specialization, not an entry-level field02:56 The three-question pivot test: overlap, adjacency, proof04:13 1. Security Engineer (Infrastructure / Cloud)06:14 2. Identity and Access Management Engineer08:20 3. Network Security Engineer10:33 4. Vulnerability Management Specialist13:00 5. Tier 2 SOC & Incident Response Analyst15:18 What the job market actually says (BLS, August 2026 update)17:06 Make your resume say what your work already was18:44 How to choose: Inventory, Threats, Controls, Scale20:00 Where to go nextTHE WRITTEN VERSIONAll five roles, plus the resume translation table:https://blueteam-academy.com/blog/blue-team-jobs-it-professionals/KEEP IT SAFE — OUR NEWSLETTEROne breakdown a week for IT professionals making this exact move:https://www2.blueteam-academy.com/keep-it-safe-signupFROM IT TO CYBERSECURITYThe program where we teach the Threat & Control Method — Inventory, Threats, Controls, Scale — as a repeatable decision process rather than a tool list: https://www2.blueteam-academy.com/from-it-to-cybersecurity/SOURCESU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, InformationSecurity Analysts (last modified 27 August 2026): 21% projected growth 2025–35,~14,100 annual openings, $129,180 median annual wage (May 2025), 192,900 jobs (2025).https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htmBlue Team Academy is a program for IT professionals moving into defensive cybersecurity. Konnio Technology LLC.#BlueTeam #CybersecurityCareers #ITCareers

September 5, 2026, 8 AM; The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the U.S. added 162,000 jobs in August - far more than expected - while the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1%. But with midterm elections less than two months away, Americans continue to sour on what President Donald Trump calls a "roaring" economy, as his tariffs and the ongoing war with Iran threaten to increase costs even more. Courtenay Brown and Dan Koh join The Weekend to discuss the latest on the U.S. economy.For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnowTikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is releasing its August jobs report today. But what the numbers might not show are tens of thousands of people who stopped working last month after losing their work authorization. Many of those who immigrated to the U.S. had their Temporary Protected Status expire at the end of July. We look at why that won't be reflected in the data this morning before discussing how the NIL landscape is changing the game for college athletes.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is releasing its August jobs report today. But what the numbers might not show are tens of thousands of people who stopped working last month after losing their work authorization. Many of those who immigrated to the U.S. had their Temporary Protected Status expire at the end of July. We look at why that won't be reflected in the data this morning before discussing how the NIL landscape is changing the game for college athletes.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

U.S. payrolls accelerated in August as the economy unexpectedly created 162,000 new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This marks the best monthly employment gain since March. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent for the second straight month.Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday that the United States has the tools to increase pressure on Iran to stop it from firing ships in the Middle East. He said that “everything that could happen is on the table.”“Economic pressure, military pressure, diplomatic pressure, covert pressure ... these are tools in the president's toolkit,” he said.

This Week in Review | US-Iran War, Employment Data, G20 Finance Ministers' Meeting (Sept. 4, 2026) The economy and markets can feel dizzying and ever changing. That's where we can help. Fisher Investments' “This Week in Review” is a weekly segment designed to highlight a few things you may have missed this week, what they could mean for financial markets and why they matter to investors like you. This week, Fisher Investments reviews: • US-Iran war escalation • US employment data for August • The G20 finance ministers' meeting Below are the sources for all data cited in today's show: 1. Source: WSJ, as of 9/3/2026. “U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes in Latest Fight for Control of Hormuz” 2. Source: MarketWatch, as of 9/4/2026. Brent Crude continuous contract, 9/3/2026. 3. Source: FactSet, as of 9/4/2026. MSCI World Total Return Index, 8/31/2026 – 9/3/2026. 4. Source: MarketWatch, as of 9/4/2026. Brent Crude continuous contract, 1/1/2022 – 9/3/2026. 5. Source: MarketWatch, as of 9/4/2026. Brent Crude continuous contract, 9/3/2026. 6. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 9/4/2026. United States Non-Farm Payrolls and Unemployment Rate, July 2026 – August 2026. 7. Source: CNBC, as of 8/31/2026. “Bessent, Warsh kick off G20 finance meeting with growth-focused remarks.” Want to dig deeper? • More on how investors can parse through the recent Iran flare up: https://www.fisherinvestments.com/en-us/insights/market-commentary/on-the-iran-flare-up Have feedback for this Fisher Investments video? Share your thoughts on this episode in just 1 minute by filling out this survey: https://fi.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Vw1ezlogR044S2?VideoCode=WeekInReview7Sept2026 Connect with Fisher Investments on: • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FisherInvestments • X - https://twitter.com/fisherinvest • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fisher-investments • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fisher.investments/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@fisher_investments You can also follow Ken Fisher here: • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KenFisher.FisherInvestments • X - https://twitter.com/KennethLFisher • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-fisher/ • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kenfisher_fisherinvestments/ Investing in securities involves a risk of loss. Past performance is never a guarantee of future returns. Investing in foreign stock markets involves additional risks, such as the risk of currency fluctuations. The foregoing constitutes the general views of Fisher Investments and should not be regarded as personalized investment advice. Nothing herein is intended to be a recommendation. The opinions expressed are subject to change without notice.

Tomorrow, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will report how many jobs the U.S. economy added or lost in August. Forecasters expect a slight increase. But this morning, we talk about why that might be an incomplete picture if companies don't report on time or other events skew the data. Then, KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk joins the show to discuss how those numbers can still reflect the state of the labor market.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Tomorrow, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will report how many jobs the U.S. economy added or lost in August. Forecasters expect a slight increase. But this morning, we talk about why that might be an incomplete picture if companies don't report on time or other events skew the data. Then, KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk joins the show to discuss how those numbers can still reflect the state of the labor market.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Special guest and familiar face, Charles Oswald joins the Suite Spot in his return to the TMG Hospitality Trailblazers series. As CEO & President of Aperture Hotels, Charles shares his insights on AI & technology in hospitality, capital investment challenges, and his vision for the Aperture Hotels brand.  Tune in now to the full conversation. Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in and we check out what’s trending in hotel marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of The Suite Spot. This is your host, Ryan Embree, here for another edition of our TMG Hospitality Trailblazers. Technically, a look back on a few years back when we visited with this particular individual and company trailblazing and paving the way forward in hospitality. That is Charles Oswald, president and CEO of Aperture Hotels. Charles, thank you so much for being back here on The Suite Spot. Charles Oswald: Oh, it’s good to be back. Thank you. Ryan Embree: Yeah. You’ve been busy. It’s been a long time. I had to look back and see the last time we visited here on The Suite Spot. We did our original hospitality trailblazers, really in the infancy of Aperture Hotels back in December 2023. A lot’s changed on that since then, right? So catch us up a little bit. What have you been working on? There’s been some incredible growth that we’ve seen with your company. Congratulations on that. But catch us up since we last visited. Charles Oswald: First off, so at that time when we had launched Aperture Hotels, we were coming out in the, in the wake of the pandemic. So if you kind of think back where we were three and four years ago versus today, there were a lot of properties that had gone through this economic shock, and there were owners who were reeling from that experience, especially those that had corporate business travel hotels as opposed to those leisure destinations that benefited from the pandemic. And so during that time, Aperture actually went on and took on almost 30 different properties that we added to the portfolio, that were, driven by those owners who needed a new management company to come and take a look at their, their with fresh eyes and take a look at their top line strategies, their expense controls. And so we had a lot of properties, and they were 100% of those properties were not through acquisitions, but were actually just performance turnaround assignments where they were switching management companies, to somebody to take a fresh look. So, with all that said, we found ourselves, walking into properties that were on, like, the sixth or seventh year of a five-year hold strategy for private equity firms or high net worth individuals and so on. And that quickly turned into turnarounds, which the story from us lately has actually been sales, a lot of sales, 20 plus sales over the course of this last year. And so today, as we stand here, I’m actually more rebuilding the pipeline with a mix of more management change assignments, plus a few pipeline of new developments. And those new developments are mostly, like, 100 or 300 room soft brand properties across the country. So yeah a lot’s changed for sure. Really rapid growth, really rapid sales, and now more sort of measured one at a time growth. Ryan Embree: Yeah, and I wanna talk about that, because I’ve had the privilege to talk to some management company owners and leaders, and they’ve kind of echoed that same sentiment of not just growth, but strategic growth. And that seems to be where you are right now, too. So when you kind of take a look at. I know you mentioned that particular segment, but when you take a look at the hospitality landscape right now, what makes the right strategic partner for Aperture Hotels right now as you kind of enter this cycle where you’re trying to build back up a little bit? Charles Oswald: You’re right. The right partner, it’s about fit. And when you look at the experience of our leadership team, we’re really engineered towards compact, full service hotels, lifestyle, premium select service brands. They can be brand or independent. We’d like to partner with owners that have some portfolio stable scalability. Preferably they own by that, I mean, they own more than one hotel, and there might be more than one opportunity there. You know, we wanna work with those owners that know what they’re doing, right? They’ve got some, some governance, sophistication, some decision speed. Hopefully, they’ve not just made bad investments when they’re turning over these properties, but really, they’re looking for some performance turnaround in a good investment. And preferably those are longer term holds. As you can tell, we did a lot of hard work for some turnarounds and watched them sell. And they sold largely to owners who had their own management. So that’s tricky for us, right? That leads us looking for more opportunities. So in terms of us in aperture and how we see ourselves in competitive points of difference is we’ve got a group that has hundreds of hotels of experiments. Myself, I’ve managed about 300 hotels now over the years, and they’ve ranged from little 60-room properties up to a thousand plus room convention hotels and resorts. And so what we bring is, we’ve got big experience in our leadership team, but we’re in a small package, right? A boutique-sized company that can give more corporate support to property ratio. And we’re very data-driven in how we use our decision-making tools to uncover those hidden business opportunities and the potential to drive market share and outperform GOP. Big experience, I’d say that corporate support, the data-driven decision-making process and tools, I think is really what sets us aside. And by the way, I’ll just mention that our average RGI that we’ve achieved in the first 18 months when you put us in place after another management company, the average RGI growth or repar index gains is actually just over 10%. So we’ve had, like, incredible turnarounds at the top line, which leads them to great bottom line improvements as well. Ryan Embree: Which makes it so much more impressive, too, with the climate right now. And these events that we go to would talk about operating and margins right now, and trying to be just efficient as possible, because costs are, are rising right now. It is certainly difficult to navigate, and I’m sure that experience that you’ve had has certainly lended itself to some great stories that you can then share to help grow that portfolio. And the other part of the experience that you were talking about is you have the data and the insights. And one of the places you find that data and insights is obviously hospitality events that are going on. I’ve had the pleasure of running into you at quite a number of these. If I’m not running into you, Charles, I’m seeing you up on stage conducting interviews or, or sharing some of your takeaways on LinkedIn after the event. You got a busy second half of the year. I wanna talk about these events, though, and how you kind of leverage them, right? So, why do you think these events, especially now, are so important? And then, how do you measure success of an event once it’s completed, whether that be a lodging conference, an investment conference, or whether it be, just an educational data event? Charles Oswald: Look, that’s a really good question. When you consider the time, travel budget, and the opportunity costs on an executive’s busy calendar to get out to these conferences and spend three, four days between the travel and the time out there, we’ve gotta be, we’ve gotta be very intentional, right, about how we approach it. So, I see value in going to these conferences because of deal sourcing and the relationship capital that we pick up. Also, I think there’s that market intelligence and the pricing signals that we get from those from this conference. There’s the access to capital markets. That was particularly important for me here recently as I was looking to as I’m in the process of acquiring a property right now in Phoenix, and when we needed to raise LP capital and we had those relationships these are people, again, we met at conferences. I think talent reputation, right, it’s important to get out there and continue to manage that. So those, those are a number of the reasons why we wanna get out to these conferences and why we think they’re important. But the measure of success, you’re right, for a data-driven guy, I wish I could put a specific number to it. Like, here’s the ROI from each of these conferences. It’s really difficult to. It’s really difficult to do, but I can tell you that, I do look back and, and aggregate those. I look at the management contracts we picked up, and I think of, “Okay, well, where did I meet these folks? And so what’s the average return?” And I can put a number to that. And I would tell you that in terms of the immediate return, what I’m looking for is if I can have three to five specific follow-up conversations, a result of that conference, then the trip was worth the cost. Ryan Embree: That’s great advice for young hospitality professionals out there. I mean, we have a great industry, and one of the coolest parts of it is you get to rub shoulders sometimes with those executives. So even those younger hospitality professionals that might be tuning in here, it’s a great piece of advice to when you can, obviously, try to get that exposure of networking and get out there because hospitality is certainly a big world, but it’s also a very small world, and you run into a lot of the same people. And again, this, just like you said, Charles, a lot of the stories, success stories, whether it be business relationships, some of those transactions could stem from sitting next to somebody at breakfast – Absolutely. On day two of a conference. Love to hear that advice, love to hear that those stay beneficial, because we love those. We’re hospitality people, right? We’re in that industry. Now, another thing you become kinda famous for your takeaways articles on LinkedIn. My advice would be to encourage anyone, definitely give Charles if you’re not already a follow, because you have some great insights and takeaways from some of the events that he goes to. So I’m gonna kind of put you on the spot here. If you had to do a takeaways article for the first half of 2026, maybe give us a couple points, and then if you could, maybe share some predictions. We’re hospitality people. We love to kind of predict, try to predict the future a little bit, so. Charles Oswald: Yeah. Well, maybe, maybe the biggest takeaway from the first half is that we’re not great in hospitality about predicting future. Ryan Embree: That’s a good one. Charles Oswald: So, as we rolled into 2026, there were a lot of folks that were saying it was gonna be, like, Groundhog Day, that we’re looking at flat, very modest, RevPar growth and expenses that, outpace, the top line. And I think what nobody saw coming was US demand growth in the first half of the year. Now part of this, I will tell you, if we look back in some panels, a year ago, I called part of this, which is I asked why is no one talking about the impact of the $30 billion increase in tax refunds that we’ll see, plus the real wage growth that’s happening, and what impact that could have on our industry? And, and a lot of people kind of poo-pooed and they said, “Well, you know, we don’t really know that the tax refunds are gonna be there. We don’t really know how those are gonna hit.” Okay. But we do. There was some, some mirroring it kinda like during the pandemic when you put money in people’s pockets, there were a lot of people that just went out and spent it. And so I did, I think that had a real impact on the, on the first half of the year. And then the other part that none of us saw coming, and I didn’t, was certainly there’d be a war in Iran and how the general global conflict can would affect the outbound travel case for the American traveler. So, that outbound travel, international outbound decelerated, right, while domestic leisure demand, stayed strong. So, that helped prop up the first half of the year. So there are some trends from the first half that I think will carry out to the second half. So for not getting in looking forward, I’d say that second half of the year, there’ll be more bifurcation. You know, we’re gonna see a continuing challenge to new supply growth, and we’re gonna continue to see labor costs rising, but at a bit of a decelerating rate. So if I were to expand a little bit on that, on the bifurcation, we’ve heard a lot of talk about the K-shaped economy. And really in that bifurcation, there’s some people talking about this hollowing in the middle class, and, and, and I think that’s actually very, very misrepresented. What’s actually happened is we’ve seen a growth generational wealth, over the course of the last 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years. And this is a long-term macro trend, okay? The fact is that there are fewer poor today, about a third less than there were, you know, 40, 50 years ago. There are few, fewer lower middle class, and no longer is the core middle class the largest classification of income in America. But according to the BLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is actually now the upper middle class is the largest class, right? So people are moving up on this continuum, and they’re more wealthy. So when you start thinking about that, what does that affect on our industry? That’s why we’re seeing this interest in, towards experiential travel, towards the soft brands, towards luxury, and why upper upscale and luxury tiers have been outperforming. So I think we’ll continue to see that as we go through the end of the year. And the other story I think we’ll continue to see is that new supply, right? Man, the plan, I mean, there’s, like, you know, 10% supply growth planned. But what actually happens, is just a, you know, a fraction of a percent. And so, in there, the challenge, you know, debt isn’t the problem anymore. It’s more about equity and construction cost relative to the commercial real estate valuations,in interest rate market environment that we’re in today. Ryan Embree: Yeah, so you have a little bit tampered demand, or tampered, building construction because of those construction costs. And do not underestimate, again, the willingness and ability for people and wanting to travel and have experiences. I still think they even the younger generation, they’re getting some more money in their pockets, and the first thing that they’re wanting to do is plan a nice trip, right, before they go out and, and buy those expensive things that, which was, was typically would happen. Charles Oswald: Yeah, and I wanna just comment one thing though is we’ve talked a lot about economic resilience, and that resiliency definitely exists in the US, and it’s more resilient than a lot of folks probably though it was when you look back in time. However, some of that does seem to be breaking here, right? You know, you are seeing rise of credit card debt. You are seeing some increases in folks, particularly at the mid-scale and, and, and lower income classes defaulting on car payments and things like that. And so if you start to make a decision about, you know, do I travel or do I pay my, my car, that is going to affect the industry, you know, as we go forward. And, and that’s gonna play a little bit in that bifurcation that we were talking about. Those who are on the upper end have watched unreal growth for the last few years in their stock market portfolios. You know, they, they feel a little bit more free and, and open travel. Ryan Embree: Yeah, it’s interesting. You’re right. You know, we always talk about still prioritizing travel, but travel over things. But when tho- those things become, like you said, payments or car payments, then all of a sudden the priorities start to shift a little bit. So it’d be interesting to see how that continues in the second half of this year. Now, another topic we that you’re gonna hear at every single hospitality show, it’s a bingo card, is AI and technology. And you, and you actually speak a lot. I’ve seen you on panels speak a lot to it in, in your interviews. Where do you think the hospitality industry, which we’ve said typically is one to slowly adopt technology? Where do you think we are in this cycle of AI adoption? And then maybe you could zoom in a little bit into your organization and, and where you’ve prioritized that, or maybe stayed away from it. Charles Oswald: Maybe we kind of break that down into sounds like three or four areas, right? I think, yeah, it’s what’s the biggest impact today? What’s kinda happening now? And maybe where’s it going? Sure. And, uh, and how do we play into that as a management company, right? Yeah. So I guess there’s four ways. In terms of the biggest impact today, it’s for sure it’s been, it, it, it’s been in distribution, right? Uh, GEO and AEO are the new SEO. And so, um, uh, maybe what’s accelerated hospitality is entrance into AI because the customer was using it to search for hospitality, and then all of a sudden we woke up and said what – Ryan Embree: Great point. Charles Oswald: It’s not just about keywords, but how, how do we become the answer to the question they’re asking? And so that’s, uh, that’s certainly the biggest impact today is on the distribution side. I think what’s happening in progress, we’re starting to see more in the areas of revenue optimization and design, right? Like on, you know, when it comes to new hotel renovations and they and developments. And then the future, where’s it going? I think we’re gonna see AI more in our, more closely integrated into our business analytics, like and that’s gonna extend into labor scheduling and productivity. I think we’ll see it help us in energy management and procurement. Things like F&B menu engineering both from the creative standpoint and kinda marrying that with the math, right? Like, what the cost of plate is and what the customer’s actually buying. And and that’s really important. IAnd by the way, that’s a weak spot, I think in the industry. There are an awful lot of management companies that are not very good on food and beverage side. So at Aperture, what are we doing? First off, I would say we lean really heavily on our tech partners to adapt, adopt AI for their analytics or reporting insights. And today insights has become the real opportunity, right? I mean, if you ask your BI system, you know, it’s one thing for them to be able to pull a report or show you some side-by-side comparisons, but the insights, like, why is this happening? You know, you can tell me, me what my flow-through is, it’s great, but, like, what should it be if we had run according to all the budget metrics that, like, that we put out there? They’re, they’re weak on that side, at least to date. So I think that’s gonna be the next step is that is conveying those analytics and reports to insights. And so, we’re keenly working with technology solutions that they can implement in those ways, and digital marketing efforts that help us improve the distribution that we were talking about earlier, GEO and AEO. And from a practical day-to-day standpoint, you know, we’ve incorporated, cloud enterprise solutions in our daily work and our applications, like, you know, Excel and SharePoint, et cetera, like a lot of other companies have. But we got plenty of room, plenty of runway there when it comes to AI. Ryan Embree: Absolutely. Yeah, 100%. So, uh, every day, yeah. every hour, it feels like sometimes with these announcements. Um, but yeah, you, you mentioned something really, really fascinating at the top of that, the answer of, you know, I think the adoption cycle sometimes with technology and hospitality has been slow because we’ve tried to, sometime, “Hey, download our app,” right? We’re, we’re trying to get the customer to move with the technology that we want them to move into, and the ecosystem that, that, “Hey, you know, do this.” And now, what’s happening is we’re seeing the consumer move into these LLMs and, and AI search, and now hospitality’s kind of been like, “We have to catch up because this is where our customer is,” right? So maybe that does cause a little bit of, uh, acceleration. So, because that is the biggest thing that we’ve been hearing as well, is just AI visibility. There is just this, this fear of a couple years ago, it was the fear of doing anything and being like, “I’m not doing anything with AI and technology. Now it’s like, now I have. My biggest fear is keeping me up, is I’m not being found on AI, uh, search engines and LLMs.” Charles Oswald: Yeah, let me tell you, like, just a great example, I was traveling not long ago, to Chicago, and I had a trip to Nashville, and I was just curious. I just, I went to Google – Yeah. And said, “Hey, what are the, what’s the best hotel in Chicago?” And it gave me a list of sponsored results. So it was like, I don’t know, half a dozen or so hotels there. And it gave me a list of, like, you know, here’s what says, and there’s like 20 properties there, and there is, AAA and Forbes, and there was the map and so all this stuff, and I’m like, “Wow, there, there’s, like, you know, 60 best hotels in Chicago.” And so then I moved over, just out of curiosity, I asked, uh, Claude, “What’s the best hotel in Chicago?” Gave me one answer, named one hotel, this is the best. And it gave me a little honorable mention list of three properties underneath it. I thought, oh, my gosh. And then I did the same thing with Nashville. I get one answer – Yeah. And it’s honorable mentions. And it really started making me think, oh my gosh, like, like, if, if only one hotel is gonna come up with that, how do I make that money? And, uh, and who is this, who is this, um, generative AI trusting? And so, so, so we began to dive really deeply in that conversation about, like, when, where are these trusted resort returns coming from, and how do we influence that, right? How do we make sure we appear there? Ryan Embree: 100%. Yeah, that’s the, the next race right now is to try to figure that out. And that’s difficult. Charles Oswald: Kind of back up and just elaborate, just one more comment – Yeah. Is just that, that, like, in Google, I mean, it’s, sure, it’s trusted. I don’t think anybody says that you don’t, you don’t trust Google on those returns and the 60 properties that it’s sent, but – Right. It’s returning the results that it wants you to see, the search engine. Whereas Claude, ChatGPT, Grock, others, they’re returning the results that, as the consumer, I wanted to see. Ryan Embree: And that’s, and that’s the, I think that’s the difficult because it almost changes into a little bit 40 chess, because I might ask the same question, and based on my search experience, it could look at a different best hotel in Chicago than could be your best hotel in Chicago. Once you go down that. Yeah. Charles Oswald: Are you Going there for business, or is it a wedding, or is the soccer team? Yeah, right. And it, it might know the purpose. It might know lis – a little something about you. You’re exactly right. Ryan Embree: Well, uh, uh, listen, I’m gonna take us back before we get to, into that to rabbit hole and, and lose everybody there, because one of my, uh, one of the favorite parts of the conversation, and we’ve done, you know, now this, I think we’re, we’re over 200 episodes here, but one of the, one of my favorite parts, uh, places of our conversation, Charles, back when we first spoke, was hearing the origin story of aperture hotels and, and the name for it. And so, uh, I wanted just to revisit that for those who may have missed that episode. Can you share that story again and why this whole shift your perspective, which you can find on your LinkedIn, your website, everywhere, that mindset has really resonated, uh, with, so well with, um, hotel owners, investors, and has, has been an important part of your s – your company’s success. Charles Oswald: Oh, wow. Um, you know, thank you for, uh, for asking that question, uh, and, uh, and it’s a reminder and the flashback. You know, so, uh, so what is an aperture, first off, right? It’s, it, it’s, it’s in that, you know, that, that, that camera lens that allows light, right, to, to, to pass through, right? So, so it creates a clear, well-composed image. And so I think from a hospitality brand, um, that maps into some of our values. Um, you know, we talk about transparency and accountability. We talk about clarity and vision, right? Like, an owner sees a, a hotel’s position, um, uh, potential, and we can help capture it, right? We help focus, bring focus. Precision and control, you know, I, I think that helps, uh, convey into our views on process orientation across the enterprise and, you know, and consistent execution. One of our core values is about being actively curious, right? Like, how do you scratch beneath the, the surface and shine a light on, on what that is, right? And, you know, what can we do to, to make, you know, to reveal those, those, the, the hidden business potential? We think about, you know, when we’re walking into the hotel and, and, and we’re touring our, our properties and, and, and looking for those, um, those guest experience improvements, it’s like, how do we make this, uh, picture perfect for the customer who arrives, right? What that arrival experience, what are the first moments of truth? And so I think all of those things, that, that transparency of clarity, vision, precision control, uh, you know, picture perfect, uh, all these things, um, sort of play into that aperture name. But I’ll be honest, there was another part of this, uh, which is that, you know, there’s, like, 400 hotel management companies out there, uh, and there’s hundreds more that used to be. Finding an original name is admittedly difficult. Every name you can think of has been, uh, used. Sure. Uh, we, we were fortunate, uh, to be able to find something that was original that didn’t, you know, pigeonhole us into something like, you know, calling ourselves, uh, Sunbelt Management or something like that. So, so, so that did work out well for us. Ryan Embree: Yeah. Well, I love it because, you know, you, you mentioned at the top that this was, you know, Aperture Hotels was really their origin story started during and during that COVID time, right? During and after that COVID time. And I think it was in those conversations, the companies and organizations that I spoke to that had a very clear North Star, a very clear direction of who they are and their culture during that time, because it was such a difficult time. So to have such a strong kind of name and you have all of those things, I’m sure that is, has been so beneficial for you as you continue to grow and scale, because you need that, right? You need something to kind of lean back onto and be kind of your Compass North, your North Star, however you wanna to phrase it. But I love to hear that. And like I said, it, it stuck with me all these years afterwards, so I wanted to touch on it again. And, um, I saw recently on LinkedIn that, uh, you and your team wrapped up a leadership conference in, uh, New Orleans. Tell us a little bit about that event and how, how instrumental the team has been, and also your, your success over at Aperture Hotels. Charles Oswald: Oh, that is. Well, yeah, that, that, that was a fun time. Uh, first off, getting together, getting our team together – Yeah. For that annual conference is my favorite part of the year really energizes me. Um, you know, I’m so grateful for, for, for, for the team that’s doing this work on the ground and, and the leadersh – uh, we have out there in the field. You know, I think often we talk about performance. We send around our balanced scorecard. We measure and we rank people and, and, uh, you know, we talk about process and so on. And that, and that’s, that’s an important part of the, uh, uh, of what we cover in the, uh, in, in our annual leadership co – uh, conference as well. But, um, but I think when you’re rubbing elbows, uh, you know, you’re in the same room with everybody. Uh, there’s, there’s a different level of, you know, preparation, focus, and curiosity, you know, team member bonding and relationship that happens. And, you know, and I love how in the aftermath of these conferences, we, you know, we hear about how, you know, the general manager, you know, in, you know, in the US West, it’s called the general manager in the US East, and they’re – Sure. They’re getting together and collaborating now on, on, on best practices and, and how they dealt with certain challenges maybe that are shared experiences that they’re having. So that’s where it happens, right? I mean, you get out there in a conference together like this where I think i- ideas get sharpened, uh, perspectives broadened. People learn, you know, here’s some insights, and they, uh, you know, share in their experiences. They challenge each other. And, uh, we, and, and we come out of it just, uh, winning together. And by the way, I should mention also, there’s some really great food, uh, so – Oh, I know. Yeah, yeah. Sorry. New Orleans. Uh, I’m a big eater. Ryan Embree: Yeah, that, that helps too. Uh, Charles Oswald: A few extra, but I’ve never missed one. And, uh, New Orleans is a great place for someone to like me, that’s for sure. Ryan Embree: Yeah. We, well, we talked about how quickly things are moving right now in hospitality, and it’s so important to kinda get everybody together in one place. And we’ve seen how you prioritize, obviously, the, the bigger hospitality events across hospitality. So sometimes to get that dialed in with your team, just so important. And great to hear that that continues to be. ‘Cause if you remember back in the day, we were hearing that that was gonna be the end of this, by the way. Everybody was gonna have these leadership conferences on Zoom, and everyone was gonna love it, and nobody was going anywhere. So, uh, love to see that that, that prediction didn’t come to pass. Now, you’re – Charles Oswald: Yeah, you know, the funny thing about that, Ryan, is – Sure. Is that we’re out there in hospitality on the sales front. We were telling our companies, our clients, why they all need to get together. And hospitality companies are like, “Well, but, but we’re gonna do it on Zoom.” Ryan Embree: Right. Right, exactly. Right? We gotta practice what we preach a little bit Charles Oswald: Both Sides of our mouth, right? Yeah. Yeah. And, and enjoying some of the hospitality, uh, that we provide every single day, right? So, so you’re headquartered in Atlanta, Charles, you’ve got. But the portfolio spans across the country, you mentioned it. Are there any particular markets that you’re seeing strong opportunities and maybe some that you’re cautiously maybe staying away from for a bit right now? Charles Oswald: Well, uh, first off, the Atlanta part. Um, right? I mean, we’re, we’re the transportation hub of the Southeast, but, uh, arguably the country and the world with the world’s biggest and busiest airport. So when we talk about, like, w- where we’re willing to go, we’ve got a competitive advantage from here in the, uh, in that we have more direct flights to more cities across the country and the globe than any other, an- anybody. Else, right? Uh, coming out of, uh, the world’s biggest and busiest airport. So, so that’s, uh, that’s, that’s really nice and not to mention there’s a, there’s certainly a lot of drive markets, uh, that are within four, four hours of, uh, of Atlanta. So, um, so yeah, that makes us pretty opportunistic when it comes to, uh, uh, hotel management assignments. You know, ideally, uh, you know, we’re looking, ideally we’re, we’re looking at, you know, those top 100 or so cities. Ideally, you know, we, we, we certainly have better presence in the eastern half of the US, but we do span from Florida beaches to coastal California. In terms of the type of markets that are, that are more ideal and better fit for us, you know, generally speaking, they’re, you know, a lot of the, the southern markets are, uh, you know, certainly performing well. They’re business friendly. We avoid union hostility, uh, where, whenever possible, right? Sure. And, um, you know, th- those are the type of markets where we’d wanna go. And in terms of, of the type of hotels, you know, again, I think leaning towards the bifurcation that we know exists in, uh, in the industry that kinda says, you know, you gotta be great at, uh, soft branding experiential properties, right? And some lifestyle assets. And, and so that we’re, we’re, we’re leaning that direction. And you see it in our pipeline. You know, so, so our pipeline includes, you know, includes today, uh, multiple Marriott, Hilton, soft branded assets, like, like Tribute and, you know, and Tapestry Autographs. We also have, uh, some brands like Compass by Margaritaville sitting in the pipeline, right? And, and independent. Um, so, so really cool, exciting places where we get to create our own brand, really, our own store – Yeah. Based off of the building that’s there. And all of those new development projects that we’re talking about have, um, they have a lot of credit. I mean, that’s the only way you can pull these off today is if you’re, if you’ve got historic tax credits, you know, so we’ve got that in multiple places and hundred plus year old buildings. It’s, you know, great stories to tell. Uh, we’ve got, uh, you know, tax increment financing, PIDs, we’ve got enterprise zone, we got the CIPLA, you know, many other different factors that have played into making a capital stat that actually works. Uh, and that’s the way to, you know, that’s, that’s the way we’re getting it done and, uh, on the new development side. Ryan Embree: Well, those are fun projects, let me tell you. Um, I, I, I’m sure to work on, because it’s like you said, I mean, you get to tell a story there. Um, sometimes there’s a story already ingrained with these historic buildings that then become a, a key foundational component of, uh, you know, what you’re building on, um, so to speak, and, you know, uh, literally and figuratively when, when it comes to your maybe digital story. So, yeah, very, very cool to see. We’ll, we’ll, we’ll be excited to watch, watch those come to, to life. I want to. We’re, we’re wrapping up here, Charles, but I always feel like it’s always my duty, you know, having the privilege to talk to leaders like you, try to just get as much inside advice as I can out of you during this time. Obviously, as a business owner, you know, starting a business never easy, so much vision, resilience, incredible amount of commitment, especially doing one where you started it during a historic time and around COVID, right? But looking back on your journey building Aperture, you know, what advice would you give maybe to the next generation of hospitality leaders? It doesn’t necessarily have to be about if someone’s wanting to build their own, uh, management company, but e- even just a hospitality professional just now today in 2026? Charles Oswald: That’s a good question. You know, some things that come to mind is, uh, it’s a one in whatever business you’re, you’re doing, if, if you’re trying to be entrepreneurial and you wanna be an owner, I’d say, you know, choose your partners carefully, right? If you’re coming up in the business, I’d say, um, master the numbers, you know, not just your gut. If you’re, you know, you’re, you’re, you’re in the hiring seat, uh, uh, as a, as a team leader, I would tell them to, um, make sure they treat people decisions as serious as the capital decisions, right? Very, very important. I think from a business development standpoint, uh, I say those guys that are trying to, you know, build a, a portfolio need to y – learn to, to read the deal and not just as an operation. I think young or old, we should embrace the tech shift. I couldn’t believe I, I have some college professor friends, I do some advisory work at several universities, and I listen to, uh, college professors and some students out there, uh, who are very, being very resilient, r- resistant to AI, talking bad about it, they view it as a threat. And, uh, I’m like, “Hey, guys, y’all need to know that we do employ people, employers are looking for those young folks to come out with some experience and exposure and learning, uh, you know, and, and, and to have some insights in how to, how, you know, we cannot adopt AI at our companies.” And, and, uh, you know, you’re doing an injustice if, uh, if you’re resisting tech shift. Uh, so, and lastly, I would say think about your reputation management, right? Like, like, protect your credibility with your owners, with your franchisors, like it’s capital, because it is. Ryan Embree: Great advice. Sound, sound about. We got. That was comprehensive. Thank you for, thank you for sharing that. No, really appreciate it. Like I said, you know, uh, try to glean as much as I can out of these conversations and share it. Um, all great advice. Um, you know, hopefully we don’t have to wait three years next time to have you back on the podcast. Would, would love to catch up with you then, but who knows where, where you’ll be and, and the growth, uh, of Aperture Hotels. But what’s next? Like, as we wrap up today’s final question, kinda what’s your vision for the future as you look into the, this latter part of the half of the 2020s, right, for Aperture Hotels? Charles Oswald: Yeah, I think, um, being involved in a few developments is, is, you know, the one side. I’d say there’s just ongoing organic growth of, uh, taking on, on, uh, new management contracts, and they’ll probably mostly still be through, management company transitions as opposed to actual ownership transitions. And then, look, M&A is on the table, right? We, we’ve studied, uh, a few other small management companies that we can maybe, uh, acquire or merge in with. And I think that’s, yeah, I, I’m continuing to be open to that, uh, that conversation and, and, uh, uh, I hope to probably do just one. Uh, I don’t think multiple, but, but, but probably just one that’s really the right fit and the right strategic play. Ryan Embree: Awesome. Well, we’re excited. It’s been cool to watch your journey and aperture hotels from when we first spoke with you to here we are now and wish you nothing but success. So thank you so much, um, for taking the time to, to spend some time with my, myself as well as our sweet spot listeners, Charles. Charles Oswald: Yeah. Thank you. It’s great chatting. I appreciate it, Ryan. Ryan Embree: alright. Thanks, everyone. We’ll talk to you next time on The SuiteSpot. To join our loyalty program, be sure to subscribe and give us a five-star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with cover art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host, Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay.  

Just when Wall Street thought the trade war was fading into the rearview mirror... TARIFFS ARE BACK! The latest escalation between the United States and Canada has suddenly injected another major dose of uncertainty into the financial markets. After trade negotiations broke down, the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods, while Canada announced plans for dollar-for-dollar retaliation beginning September 8. And now the stakes may be getting even higher. President Trump has threatened 50% tariffs on Canadian-made cars, trucks and auto parts beginning January 1, 2027 if the dispute isn't resolved. That announcement immediately put pressure on automakers and raised new concerns about deeply integrated North American supply chains. So the big question for investors is: Are tariffs simply another negotiating tactic—or are we entering a new phase of the trade war that could actually change the outlook for inflation and interest rates? That's what we're breaking down on today's show. We'll discuss: What happened with Canada? How negotiations went from seemingly close to a deal to a major tariff escalation in a matter of days. Why 50% tariffs matter – Which products and industries could feel the greatest impact? Canada's retaliation – What happens when tariffs turn into a tit-for-tat trade war? The auto industry – Why Ford, GM, Stellantis and their suppliers could become ground zero for this fight. Inflation – Do tariffs ultimately get absorbed by companies, or passed along to consumers through higher prices? Bond yields – Could renewed inflation pressure push Treasury yields higher? The stock market – Which sectors stand to win—and which could get crushed—if the trade dispute continues? The U.S. dollar – Currency markets are already reacting, with the Canadian dollar falling sharply following the latest escalation. But there's another person suddenly thrown right into the middle of this... Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh Warsh already has to navigate inflation, employment, economic growth, oil prices and a complicated interest-rate environment. Now add tariffs. Tariffs can create an especially difficult situation for the Federal Reserve because they potentially push prices higher while simultaneously slowing economic activity. That creates the scenario central bankers hate: Slower growth + higher prices. So we'll ask: Did the trade war just make Kevin Warsh's job a LOT more difficult? Warsh has previously indicated that the Fed should distinguish temporary price shocks caused by things such as tariffs, energy and supply disruptions from persistent underlying inflation. Now that philosophy could be put to the test. And the timing couldn't be much better. Warsh heads to Jackson Hole later this week, where investors will be looking for clues about inflation, economic growth and the future direction of interest rates. Suddenly, tariffs may become another major piece of that conversation. For additional research, follow U.S. Trade Representative for official U.S. trade policy, Federal Reserve for monetary policy and inflation information, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for CPI and other economic data. Listen now:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 1.8 million Americans have been actively looking for a fulltime job for more than 27 weeks. That's over six months. In this episode, two people tell us what it's like to navigate a never-ending job search. Plus: A surge in lone star ticks threatens the cattle industry, McDonald's keeps huge amounts of data on frequent customers, and the national debt passes that $40 trillion threshold.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Read the stories in today's episode:The national debt hits $40 trillionTicks increasingly threaten the health and livelihood of ranchersAn Alabama cattle farm with a bird-tourism side hustle“Put me in, coach”: Navigating long-term unemployment in the low-hire economyHow the McDonald's mobile app compiled 515-page dossier on one reporter

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 1.8 million Americans have been actively looking for a fulltime job for more than 27 weeks. That's over six months. In this episode, two people tell us what it's like to navigate a never-ending job search. Plus: A surge in lone star ticks threatens the cattle industry, McDonald's keeps huge amounts of data on frequent customers, and the national debt passes that $40 trillion threshold.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Read the stories in today's episode:The national debt hits $40 trillionTicks increasingly threaten the health and livelihood of ranchersAn Alabama cattle farm with a bird-tourism side hustle“Put me in, coach”: Navigating long-term unemployment in the low-hire economyHow the McDonald's mobile app compiled 515-page dossier on one reporter

Has AI actually helped you make more placements this year, or has it just been noise? Before you dive in, this is your last call for The Recruiting Agents Workshop with Seb Sharp, August 25 and 26. Two live build-along sessions where you will create an autonomous lead agent, a placement agent, and connect your entire tech stack, plus recordings, templates, and a week of Slack access to Seb after the sessions end. Grab your seat now: https://the-recruiting-agents-workshop.heysummit.com/ In this episode Benjamin Mena sits down with Dan McCarthy, Senior Talent Engineer at Zapier and one of the founding members of the a16z Talent Engineer Fellowship, to break down recruiting's newest role and how you can step into it before the rest of the industry catches on. Dan's path into this seat is anything but typical. He was a jazz musician, a New York bartender, a wine educator, and a CrossFit gym owner in Brooklyn before Shopify hired him into tech recruiting at 40 years old. He had never heard of an org chart. By his own telling, he led the entire engineering recruiting team in hires his very first quarter. Two layoffs later he landed at Zapier, where he was handed a blank canvas: build our talent intelligence function. What he built instead of dashboards is the heart of this conversation. Dan walks through the talent intelligence MCP he assembled in about a month using completely free APIs, including Indeed Hiring Lab, the Department of Labor, O*NET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and WARN Act data, so recruiters walk into every intake call armed with real compensation numbers, competitor hiring activity, and talent pool data. Then he gets specific about the agency version: what a solo recruiter or a two person shop can stand up over a single weekend to change their next client pitch. Benjamin and Dan also get into the ego build problem on LinkedIn and why screenshots of tools built yesterday are making everyone feel further behind than they actually are, the difference between building to learn and building to ship, who is reviewing your code and updating your API keys, whether a three person agency could really bill five to ten million dollars with a builder in one of the seats (Dan's honest answer: possible, but probably not in the next six to twelve months), the sales engineer ratio that may be coming to recruiting teams, and why Dan completely changed his mind about AI interview screens. If you have ever felt too far behind to start building, this episode is your permission slip. As Dan puts it, nobody is behind. This is day one. ⚡ The Recruiting Agents Workshop with Seb Sharp (August 25-26): https://the-recruiting-agents-workshop.heysummit.com/

Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 8-13-2026: Dr. Dawn opens by reading an anatomy student's elegy to a body donor, reflecting on how modern medical education has moved away from full cadaver dissection toward pre-dissected specimens and models—and what she believes has been lost in that transition. Dr. Dawn dissects how hospital consolidation has become the primary driver of runaway U.S. healthcare costs. She contrasts a $16,000 knee replacement at Catawba Valley Medical Center with a $40,000 procedure for the same Blue Cross Blue Shield plan an hour away at Asheville's Mission Hospital—a facility formed by the 1998 merger of the town's two acute-care hospitals and later acquired by HCA in 2018. Mission now charges 333% of Medicare rates (versus a 280% benchmark), and state inspectors have issued three "immediate jeopardy" findings since HCA's takeover, consistent with academic findings that hospital care quality drops when competition disappears. She notes that CMS-required price disclosures since 2021 finally make this transparent, and calls for regulatory prevention of hospital mergers—especially not-for-profit to for-profit conversions—in single or two-hospital markets. Dr. Dawn analyzes the 3.1% year-over-year drop in prescription drug prices reported through July—the sharpest decline since 1963. She attributes most of it to Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which partially rescinded George W. Bush-era Medicare Part D restrictions that had statutorily prohibited price negotiation, saving taxpayers roughly $6 billion in the first six months of implementation. Additional contributors include GLP-1 compounding competition, blockbuster drugs losing exclusivity, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology that swaps generics into the price index six months after brand patent expiration. She calls for consumer-facing apps that help patients shop hospital prices the same way they shop cars. Dr. Dawn covers the emerging science of dormant tumor cells—cancer cells that shed from primary tumors even before diagnosis, hide in bone marrow and lymph nodes, and enter a hibernation state (feeding off cellular residue via autophagy) that shields them from chemotherapy targeting rapidly dividing cells. New York researchers have identified proteins by which lung macrophages actively reinforce dormancy, but immune disruption from COVID-19, influenza, aging, and chronic stress can trigger reactivation. She emphasizes lifestyle protection for cancer survivors: minimal alcohol, Mediterranean diet, and five daily cups of green tea for the EGCG dormancy-maintaining effect seen in cell culture. A caller argues for single-payer healthcare and questions whether Medigap insurance is worth $287 monthly. Dr. Dawn explains the math: for a $100,000 hospital bill, 20% coinsurance is $20,000, making the $2,400 annual premium reasonable catastrophic-risk protection—though skipping it is a defensible bet for very low-utilization patients. She notes those whose income drops to Medi-Cal eligibility often end up with better coverage than middle-class seniors. The same caller then presents a differential diagnosis of himself as likely multiple sclerosis based on ChatGPT consultation, describing balance loss requiring hallway wall-guidance, dramatic vision changes, and fasciculations. Dr. Dawn walks through prompt engineering for medical AI: request differential lists ordered by probability of frequency in the population rather than symptom-fit alone. She notes symmetric symptoms argue against MS, suggests checking electrolytes (particularly calcium), and emphasizes that a physical examination should precede imaging to avoid incidentalomas that trigger cascading invasive workups—cautioning that without a primary care doctor, he lacks an advocate within the system.

A top House democrat is demanding a hearing to examine the effects of the Trump administration's actions at federal statistical agencies. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking member of the Education and Workforce Committee, said committee members should understand how recent challenges of understaffing and underfunding at these agencies are impacting their work. Scott pointed to a recent report from the American Statistical Association that highlights problems like halted projects and reports, low response rates, decreased data production and smaller staff across agencies including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Economic Research Service and the National Center for Education Statistics. Scott requested a September hearing on how lower quality, less frequent data reports will impact the American public.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A candidate aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America has been defeated in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary, marking a major upset in a race the candidate had been expected to win.At 3:34 a.m. ET on Aug. 12, the Associated Press called the race for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who beat state Rep. Francesca Hong by the thinnest of margins, 39.8 percent to Hong's 39.4 percent.Falling energy prices helped inflation pressures ease last month, new government data released on August 12 show. July's U.S. annual inflation rate slowed to 3.4 percent, from 3.5 percent in the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Any jobs report, by necessity, is going to be vague and subject to revision, but the latest from the Bureau of Labor Statistics paints a pretty clear picture: America hasn't added as many jobs as hoped or expected this summer, and the labor market is looking rough.Guest: Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan and “deputy platypus” at Platypus Economics.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Any jobs report, by necessity, is going to be vague and subject to revision, but the latest from the Bureau of Labor Statistics paints a pretty clear picture: America hasn't added as many jobs as hoped or expected this summer, and the labor market is looking rough.Guest: Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan and “deputy platypus” at Platypus Economics.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Any jobs report, by necessity, is going to be vague and subject to revision, but the latest from the Bureau of Labor Statistics paints a pretty clear picture: America hasn't added as many jobs as hoped or expected this summer, and the labor market is looking rough.Guest: Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan and “deputy platypus” at Platypus Economics.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin discusses and covers the following stories: following 3 "Disturbances" in the Atlantic; the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at the end of last week, reported July Nonfarm Payrolls; do private sector jobs boost the economy more than government jobs?; Transport Merger & Acquisition news; oil reacts to the latest events in the war with Iran, Houthis' threatens Saudi Arabia, increased attacks in the Ukraine-Rusia War and U.S. crude oil inventories; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and yes, some opinions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bull markets don't last forever. The problem is... nobody rings a bell at the top. With the major indexes pushing near record territory, optimism remains high and investors continue pouring money into stocks. But a great viewer question got me thinking: What could actually cause this bull market to end? There isn't one simple answer. In today's episode, we'll break down the biggest threats facing the market and identify the warning signs traders and investors should be watching before sentiment changes. We'll discuss: Inflation – Could another acceleration in prices force the Federal Reserve to become more aggressive? Interest rates – At what point do higher rates become too much for stocks to handle? Bond yields – Could rising Treasury yields finally pull money away from equities? Unemployment – How much deterioration in the labor market would signal genuine economic trouble? Corporate earnings – Ultimately, stock prices need profits. What happens if earnings growth begins to stall? Valuations – How expensive is too expensive, especially in AI and technology? Geopolitics – Could an unexpected global event become the catalyst that finally changes investor sentiment? Market psychology – When everyone becomes bullish, complacency itself can become a risk. The key is understanding that none of these indicators exists in isolation. Inflation impacts interest rates. Interest rates impact bond yields. Higher borrowing costs impact businesses and consumers. Economic weakness impacts employment. And eventually, all of it flows through to corporate earnings. That's why calling the end of a bull market based on one indicator can be a huge mistake. Bull markets rarely die because of one headline. They end when the underlying conditions supporting higher prices begin to change. So what are those conditions telling us right now? That's what we'll break down on today's show. Listen now:

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific. Oil extended its recent gains as Iran rejected talks with the US and a deal to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz remained elusive. Treasuries declined. Meanwhile, a gauge of Asian stocks rose 0.4%, with gains for South Korean and Japanese chipmakers. The Kospi Index climbed as much as 2% before trimming its advance, with SK Hynix Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. among the winners. The move followed Friday's Wall Street rally after soft US jobs data lifted equities, sending the S&P 500 Index to a record high. Bloomberg's Haidi Stroud-Watts spoke to Jasmine Duan, Senior Investment Strategist at RBC Wealth Management Asia. And prices paid by US consumers probably inched up marginally last month after falling for the first time in six years, a welcome tempering in recent war-driven inflationary pressures. The closely watched consumer price index is seen rising 0.1% in July following a 0.4% decline in the prior month, based on the median projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists ahead of Wednesday's Bureau of Labor Statistics release. In the wake of Friday's weak July jobs report, the moderation in price growth may help alleviate some of the inflation anxiety at the Federal Reserve after three officials dissented on July 29 in favor of raising interest rates. Bloomberg's Haidi Stroud-Watts spoke to Illiana Jain, International Economist at Westpac.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Casual Friday on The Majority Report On today's program: The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases July jobs report and for a third-straight month the numbers are bleak. The U.S. lost 23,000 jobs last month. Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett makes the media rounds offering a variety of excuses and justifications for the weak jobs report. David Weigel, journalist covering politics at Semafor, joins to recap the week's news. In the Fun Half: CNN fact checks RFK, Jr.'s claims that ICUs across the country were empty at the height of COVID. Sen. John Husted takes to X to call for Max Miller's resignation. Donald Trump suggests that any possibility of munition depletion is Joe Biden's fault. Stephen Crowder thinks that Abdul El-Sayed is an Islamist who wants to implement Sharia Law. Crowder than implies El-Sayed is a pervert for admitting his For You page on IG recommends him OnlyFans models. Crowder brags that his For You page is all karate guy videos. all that and more. To connect and organize with your local ICE rapid response team visit ICERRT.com The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AM Quickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: ROCKET MONEY: Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster: RocketMoney.com/MAJORITY SUNSET LAKE CBD: Head to SunsetLakeCBD.com and use code BIRTHDAY26 at checkout to save 25% on everything sitewide. Spend over $100 and get a bonus gift on top of it all. Sale ends August 17th at Midnight.  @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's YouTube channel: https://ww.youtube.com/Th3Discourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here: https:/www.youtube.com/avaraiza

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Aug. 7 she will not support Todd Blanche for attorney general, putting Blanche's nomination in jeopardy. Murkowski said in a post on X that she believes the country needs an attorney general “who will check the worst impulses of this administration” and that she's not confident that person is Blanche.Murkowski also said she is concerned that if Blanche is confirmed, the government will proceed with a fund of nearly $2 billion to award people who bring forth claims they were targeted unfairly by the government.The U.S. labor market stalled last month as the economy unexpectedly lost jobs, new government data shows. Payrolls fell by 23,000 in July, from a downwardly revised 20,000 in the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This fell short of the average monthly gain of 34,000 over the last 12 months.

The economy and markets can feel dizzying and ever changing. That's where we can help. Fisher Investments' “This Week in Review” is a weekly segment designed to highlight a few things you may have missed this week, what they could mean for financial markets and why they matter to investors like you. This week, Fisher Investments reviews: • US and global markets all-time highs • US nonfarm payroll and unemployment data • Yen intervention Below are the sources for all data cited in today's show: 1. Source: FactSet, as of 8/7/2026. S&P 500 Total Returns Index and MSCI World Total Returns Index, daily, 6/1/2026 – 8/7/2026. 2. Source: FactSet, as of 8/6/2026. MSCI World Total Return Index, monthly, 1/1/1970 – 7/31/2026. All-time high is calculated according to month-end numbers. 3. Source: Trading Economics, as of 8/7/2026. United States Non Farm Payrolls and Unemployment Rate, June 2026 – July 2026. 4. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 8/7/2026. Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate, July 2026. 5. Source: CME Group, as of 8/7/2026. Target Rate Probability for Federal Reserve Meeting in September 2026. 8/6/2026. 6. Source: International Monetary Fund via FRED, as of 8/4/2026. Global price of Energy index, January 2026 – June 2026. 7. Source: US Treasury Department, Bureau of the Public Debt, as of 8/6/2026. Debt held from foreign and US government, the Federal Reserve, and US Investors as of 11/30/2025. 8. Source: The Wall Street Journal, as of 8/6/2026. “The Worries that Drove Uncle Sam to Buy Yen”, 8/3/2026. Want to dig deeper? • Ken on how you should view jobs data: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojJfQdPvizs&t=13s • Why a weak yen doesn't spell doom for Japanese stocks: https://www.fisherinvestments.com/en-us/insights/market-commentary/pumping-up-the-yen Have feedback for this Fisher Investments video? Share your thoughts on this episode in just 1 minute by filling out this survey: https://fi.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Vw1ezlogR044S2?VideoCode=WeekInReview7Aug2026 Connect with Fisher Investments on: • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FisherInvestments • X - https://twitter.com/fisherinvest • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fisher-investments • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fisher.investments/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@fisher_investments You can also follow Ken Fisher here: • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KenFisher.FisherInvestments • X - https://twitter.com/KennethLFisher • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-fisher/ • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kenfisher_fisherinvestments/ Investing in securities involves a risk of loss. Past performance is never a guarantee of future returns. Investing in foreign stock markets involves additional risks, such as the risk of currency fluctuations. The foregoing constitutes the general views of Fisher Investments and should not be regarded as personalized investment advice. Nothing herein is intended to be a recommendation. The opinions expressed are subject to change without notice.

Kevin covers and discusses the following stories: the U.S. Labor Department reported Initial Jobless Claims, additionally, their Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the 2nd Quarter U.S. Nonfarm Productivity Report: Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released the Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey; the U.S. Senate introduced the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act and a couple of States have enacted or will be enacting their own similar measures and hiring investigators; oil prices react to developments in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and Yemen's Houthis attacking "Saudi deployments"; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US employers unexpectedly cut jobs in July and hiring in the prior two months was revised lower, suggesting the labor market is weaker than previously thought after surprising strength earlier this year.Nonfarm payrolls decreased 23,000 last month following a combined 103,000 downward revision to the May and June figures, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 4.1% as labor force participation continued to slide, and wage growth slowed. Bloomberg's Tom Keene and Damian Sassower break down the numbers with: Claudia Sahm, Chief Economist at New Century Advisors Constance Hunter, Chief Economist at EIU Kristina Campmany, Senior Portfolio Manager at Invesco Andrew Hollenhorst, Chief US Economist at CitiStephanie Roth, Wolfe Research Chief Economist See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin discusses and covers the following stories: enjoying show on the deck and summer memories; U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released their June Jobs Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) Report; the latest estimate for the 2027 Social Security Cost of Living Allowance (COLA); the U.S. Commerce Department released data on the June U.S. Trade Deficit; payroll processor ADP released their July National Employment Report; oil prices react to increased expectations of an end to the Iran War, reports of an attack on a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea; Kevin has the details, digs into the details, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insight and opinions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evan Taylor, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona, joined Arizona's Morning News to talk about new state employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a department for wonks, by wonks. But under the dual pressures of the changing nature of work—like the growing gig economy—and an administration that doesn't accept bad news, should next week's jobs report be taken with a grain of salt? Guest: Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a department for wonks, by wonks. But under the dual pressures of the changing nature of work—like the growing gig economy—and an administration that doesn't accept bad news, should next week's jobs report be taken with a grain of salt? Guest: Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a department for wonks, by wonks. But under the dual pressures of the changing nature of work—like the growing gig economy—and an administration that doesn't accept bad news, should next week's jobs report be taken with a grain of salt? Guest: Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a department for wonks, by wonks. But under the dual pressures of the changing nature of work—like the growing gig economy—and an administration that doesn't accept bad news, should next week's jobs report be taken with a grain of salt? Guest: Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The economy and markets can feel dizzying and ever changing. That's where we can help. Fisher Investments' “This Week in Review” is a weekly segment designed to highlight a few things you may have missed this week, what they could mean for financial markets and why they matter to investors like you. This week, Fisher Investments reviews: • The Fed's recent interest rate decision • US first estimate for Q2 2026 GDP growth • The eurozone's first estimate for Q2 2026 GDP growth Below are the sources for all data cited in today's show: 1. Source: Trading Economics, as of 7/30/2026. United States Fed Funds interest rate, 7/29/2026. 2. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, as of 7/31/2026. US GDP growth, annualized, Q1 2026 – Q2 2026. 3. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 7/31/2026. Y/y US Headline and Core CPI Inflation, January 2026 – June 2026. 4. Source: FactSet, Finaeon, Inc., as of 7/31/2026. S&P 500 Total Return Index annual returns categorized by US real GDP annual percent changes of the following year, yearly, 1970 – 2025. 5. Source: Eurostat, as of 7/31/2026. Euro area GDP growth, annualized, Q1 2026 – Q2 2026. 6. Source: Eurostat, as of 7/31/2026. Euro area y/y GDP growth, by country, Q1 2026 – Q2 2026. 7. Source: Trading Economics, as of 7/30/2026. Eurozone Headline HICP Inflation, January 2026 – June 2026. 8. Source: FactSet, Macrobond, as of 7/30/2026. GDP-weighted developed markets excluding US government bond yield spreads (10Y – 3M), daily, 1/1/2025 – 7/16/2026, eurozone y/y loan growth, monthly, 6/30/2023 – 5/31/2026. Want to dig deeper? • Ken on why the Fed shouldn't rush to hike rates: https://tinyurl.com/ykdedvcz • What you need to know about GDP and why it's important: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm4iOcLX62M Have feedback for this Fisher Investments video? Share your thoughts on this episode in just 1 minute by filling out this survey: https://fi.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Vw1ezlogR044S2?VideoCode=WeekInReview31July2026 Connect with Fisher Investments on: • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FisherInvestments • X - https://twitter.com/fisherinvest • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fisher-investments • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fisher.investments/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@fisher_investments You can also follow Ken Fisher here: • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KenFisher.FisherInvestments • X - https://twitter.com/KennethLFisher • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-fisher/ • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kenfisher_fisherinvestments/ Investing in securities involves a risk of loss. Past performance is never a guarantee of future returns. Investing in foreign stock markets involves additional risks, such as the risk of currency fluctuations. The foregoing constitutes the general views of Fisher Investments and should not be regarded as personalized investment advice. Nothing herein is intended to be a recommendation. The opinions expressed are subject to change without notice.

 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 18,500 professional tailors, dressmakers and seamstresses in 2024. That’s a 30% drop from a decade before. The median age for the profession is 54, and unlike other skilled labor industries, not enough young people are filling in for those who are retiring.   What are the challenges of this work and why don’t more young people want to do it? To answer these questions and more we are joined by two professional sewists in Oregon. Stephanie Mendes is the owner of Love Stephanie Apparel and is an instructor at the Portland Fashion Institute. Mackinley James is known as the Fibrarian and is based in Portland.  

Rosa Goldensohn, contributing writer at The City Reporter, discusses her story on the large number of New Yorkers scammed out of SNAP benefits and the state's failure to address the issue. Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 13: A grocery store stands along a street in Brooklyn on July 13, 2026 in New York City. The Urban Institute released new data that found more Americans using credit cards and other means to cover their grocery bills as food prices continue to rise, along with other necessities. The study found that a cumulative 32% increase in food costs over the last five years has forced more than one in four working-age Americans into credit card debt to cover their grocery bills. According to the the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for "food at home" - the cost of groceries - increased by 2.7% between May, 2025 and May, 2026. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released fresh consumer price index numbers, which showed that consumer prices actually fell 0.4% month over month in June. The year-over-year inflation rate, meanwhile, clocked in at 3.5% — down from 4.2% in May but still higher than the Federal Reserve's target. We'll discuss, then learn what's behind raising hay costs and how new U.S. foreign aid contracts are shaping healthcare on the African continent.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Stories featured in this episode:Higher hay costs for farmers could spell higher beef and dairy prices for consumersThe new currency of global health aid: data

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released fresh consumer price index numbers, which showed that consumer prices actually fell 0.4% month over month in June. The year-over-year inflation rate, meanwhile, clocked in at 3.5% — down from 4.2% in May but still higher than the Federal Reserve's target. We'll discuss, then learn what's behind raising hay costs and how new U.S. foreign aid contracts are shaping healthcare on the African continent.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Stories featured in this episode:Higher hay costs for farmers could spell higher beef and dairy prices for consumersThe new currency of global health aid: data