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Stocks close mixed; UAW’s unionization efforts have been mixed; Conference Board points to weak consumer outlooks, factory orders; index of current economy improved in April.

The Conference Board’s forward-looking index falls; Reddit reaches a deal with OpenAI; China puts out a housing market rescue plan; Chevy Bolt owners are in line for settlement money.

This week, media giants have been gathering in New York City for the upfronts, where networks and streaming platforms try to court ad buyers by previewing shows for the seasons ahead. We’ll take the pulse of ad spending as streaming continues to outshine traditional broadcast television. And we’ll also hear about China’s property sector prop-up and priorities for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau now that its future is no longer in jeopardy.

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Pro-Palestinian protests have disrupted campus life at colleges and universities in the United States in response to Israel’s intense bombardments on Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Similar demonstrations have taken place in Europe too, where protesters are demanding their schools divest from Israeli-linked companies. Plus, Americans are going into debt to pay for groceries, and results from an United Auto Workers’ union vote at an Alabama plant are expected today.

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From the BBC World Service: The Chinese government says it will buy up millions of unsold homes across the country in a major intervention in the property market. The move come as the sector’s continuing slump threatens the whole economy. Also on today’s program: Students across Europe are demanding their universities cut financial and institutional ties with Israel, and Sir Paul McCartney becomes the first billionaire British musician.

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On this week’s Tech Bytes: Week in Review, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling for a heap of new spending on artificial intelligence research. We’ll look at where the proposed $32 billion annually is likely to go. And some of the biggest players in AI tried to outdo one another this week. OpenAI said it’s giving ChatGPT an upgrade and a personality while Google is trying to remake search with its AI model, Gemini. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Anita Ramaswamy, financial analysis columnist at The Information, for her take on these stories.

Marketplace is currently tracking behind target for this budget year — that means listeners like you can make a critical difference by investing in our journalism today.