This Is Uncomfortable

From restricted access mail-in ballots to poll taxes, voting rights have always been tied to power and money.

Money messes up everything. This pandemic is widening the wealth gap, pushing thousands of people into debt, and shifting family and relationship dynamics. Why do so many of us let our careers define who we are? Who can afford to vote this November? Can business and friendship mix? Will you ever get over that one money fight with your partner? We’ll sit with this discomfort all season, and it all starts this Thursday, Sept. 17. Here’s a preview.

There are a lot of couples stuck at home right now. Some of them are out of work or dealing with canceled plans. Today, we’ll hear from two couples trying to figure out what their future will look like.This is a rerun of one of our favorite stories from last season. We’re back with new episodes on September 17, and we’re still doing weekly newsletters. Subscribe at marketplace.org/comfort.

When WeWork acquired her company, she got executive training, fancy corporate retreats and a dope Patagonia jacket. It was almost enough to make her forget everything she lost. This week: Why we’re so obsessed with our jobs, even though they’ll never love us back.This is a rerun of one of our favorite stories from last season. We’re back with new episodes on September 17 and we’re still doing weekly newsletters between now and then. Subscribe at marketplace.org/comfort.

To get a new bike, this 11-year-old signs a contract to do the thing he hates most: math. How one family is using a tactic borrowed from the business world to settle arguments (and help them get through the pandemic).

Meet the professional auditor who can’t stand to look at his own bank account. Our team goes on an adventure to help a man who’s anxious about his spending get more comfortable checking his finances.

One woman’s fight against Silicon Valley’s racial pay gap. Plus, why it’s so hard for Black workers in tech to get ahead  

Years ago, one woman put college on hold because she couldn’t afford it. Now she faces a hard choice to keep history from repeating itself. Plus: What will college even look like this fall?

A teenager protesting police brutality is arrested, leading to a discussion about the expensive and complicated world of bail. The podcast explores the experiences of arrest and protest, the reliance on bail funds, and the need for criminal justice reform.

Millions of Americans who are out of work don’t receive unemployment benefits. That’s by design. An episode from “The Uncertain Hour’s” pop-up season “A History of Now.”If you liked this epsiode, you can hear more at uncertainhour.org.