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In the U.S., the Federal Reserve has decided to keep rates elevated for a year now. The Fed’s goal is to hit a 2% inflation target, but that last mile has been difficult. And part of it has to do with how we are able to lock in debt at times of lower rates in the U.S. We’ll discuss. We’ll also hear about RV sales, then the Europe and China’s tit-for-tat trade battle.

Cannabis is now legal — for medical or recreational use — in 38 states, plus D.C. But marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, meaning there are stringent rules governing the transportation of cannabis. That can leave some parts of the industry stranded, sometimes on literal islands. Today, we travel to Martha’s Vineyard to hear how those hurdles have impacted one dispensary. Plus, a look at fossil fuel use and the effort to reopen a criminal case against Boeing.

From the BBC World Service: Chinese carmakers are urging Beijing to slap import taxes of up to 25% on some European cars, following the European Union’s confirmation that it will place tariffs of up to 38% on electric vehicle imports from China. Then, global fossil fuel use and carbon emissions hit record highs last year, despite growing energy production from wind and solar. And charities are worried about the impact of some G7 governments’ slashing foreign aid budgets.

One effort in trying to narrow the racial wealth gap is by supporting Black-owned businesses. That effort grew in 2020 amid racial justice protests after the murder of George Floyd, but where do things stand now? We check in. Plus, Brooklyn’s Long Time Tattoo is a queer Asian American Pacific Islander run tattoo collective that’s helping create an inclusive space for clients, other tattoo artists and the wider community.

Part of the of the racial wealth gap is a gap in business ownership. Today, we’re joined by Kezia Williams, CEO of the Black upStart, a national initiative and curriculum for Black entrepreneurs, for a conversation about some of the hurdles Black business owners face and efforts to close the gap. Also on the program: A new study finds that expanding early childhood education could be well worth the investment.

From the BBC World Service: Amazon could be forced to recognize a trade union for the first time in the United Kingdom, as staff at its warehouse in Coventry, England, begin consulting with the GMB general trade union union ahead of a July vote. Also: An Afrobeats track has become the first of the genre to break one billion streams. We’ll explore the genre’s rapid growth.