Rob Schmitz

Marketplace’s China correspondent, based in Shanghai

Rob Schmitz appears in the following:

Labor Department reports employers added 209,000 jobs in June

Friday, July 07, 2023

The report marks another solid month of job growth. But the growth was slower than in previous months — an indication that a hot labor market could be cooling.

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Morning news brief

Friday, July 07, 2023

The Biden administration is set to announce plans to give cluster munitions to Ukraine. A drug shown to slow Alzheimer's gets approval. Progressive Democrats urge President Biden to move faster.

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Meta has unveiled an app called Threads to rival Twitter

Thursday, July 06, 2023

Meta hopes to become the go-to platform for public discourse. Its app comes as Elon Musk's chaotic rule at Twitter has many looking for a new place to go.

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In Beijing, Yellen set to meet with China's premier and economic officials

Thursday, July 06, 2023

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen opens a visit to China Thursday. Will her trip help thaw a frosty bilateral relationship?

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Major sticking point to buying an electric vehicle is the lack of public chargers

Thursday, July 06, 2023

The No. 1 concern of prospective electric vehicle owners is the availability of charging stations.

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Morning news brief

Thursday, July 06, 2023

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits China to try to ease tensions and open communications. On-the-go charging is a barrier to EV sales. Facebook's parent launches Threads to compete with Twitter.

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Secret Service probes how a small bag of cocaine got into the White House

Thursday, July 06, 2023

Someone dropped a small bag of cocaine in the West Wing. The incident, which happened when the president and his family were away, has Washington talking.

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A new documentary on the band Wham! shows the 'temporal nature of youth'

Wednesday, July 05, 2023

The pop duo Wham! was only around for four years, but its songs have lasted decades. Chris Smith's Netflix documentary tells its history from the viewpoints of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.

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Morning news brief

Wednesday, July 05, 2023

Profound effects of gun violence extends to entire communities. President Biden meets Sweden's leader to talk about NATO. A judge rules in a GOP lawsuit to limit government contact with tech firms.

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Israel's operation against militants in a refugee camp is in its 2nd day

Tuesday, July 04, 2023

At least eight Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank. What does Israel hope to accomplish as its military targets a refugee camp?

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Russia says it has repelled a drone attack on a Moscow airport

Tuesday, July 04, 2023

Ukraine's big offensive against entrenched Russian forces is nearly a month old and is moving slowly. Ukraine says it's too early to reach any conclusions about how it will end.

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Morning news brief

Tuesday, July 04, 2023

Israel presses its offensive in the occupied West Bank. Russia says it repelled a drone attack on a Moscow airport. A Chicago suburb remembers victims of a mass shooting at a July Fourth parade.

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Morning news brief

Monday, July 03, 2023

How will candidates use Supreme Court rulings to attract voters? French authorities say they're calming protests that began after the police killing of a 17-year-old. Twitter is limiting tweet views.

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Germany's far-right mounts a comeback

Saturday, July 01, 2023

The victory of a far-right candidate in a local election in Germany is a sign of shifting political winds.

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Germany's Green Party wants people to use heat pumps to save energy. Some are balking

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Some German homeowners are worried they'll have to foot the bill for their country's climate targets by replacing their gas boilers with cleaner — but more expensive — heat pumps.

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German homeowners worry about the cost of meeting the country's climate targets

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Germany plans to ban gas and oil boilers in all new buildings starting next year to reduce its carbon footprint. Homeowners are concerned that the new rules will bankrupt them.

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Poland's new Russian influence law gets flak as an attack on democracy

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Critics of the law, including in Washington and the European Union, warn that Poland's right-wing populist leaders could use the law to block candidates ahead of elections later this year.

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Many in Poland fear their country is moving toward autocracy

Saturday, June 10, 2023

Hundreds of thousands of Poles took to the streets to vent their anger and concern over what they say is an erosion of democratic norms. Many are concerned their country is headed toward autocracy.

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The Spanish tennis pipeline that's produced Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

One of the greatest tennis players, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, isn't at this year's French Open. But world #1 Carlos Alcaraz, also of Spain, is dominating. What is it about the Spanish tennis pipeline?

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A beluga whale — a suspected Russian spy — has reappeared after four years

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

A Beluga whale, allegedly a Russian spy, has reappeared in Sweden after a four year absence.

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