Marketplace All-in-One

Money Horrors III: The Ghost of Purchases Past

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

BOO!! We’re back with even more financial tales from the crypt — from giving a hormonal teen a debit card to getting into business with a scammer. Plus, a Backstreet Boys obsession that goes awry.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

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Spooked investors sink Big Tech stocks

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Big Tech firms saw major stock market slides this week. Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Intel all dropped, following less-than-stellar earnings reports. Cracks are showing in the tech biz, and they aren’t all related to AI. Is this the beginning of an AI bubble burst? We’ll explain. Plus: How companies decide whether to offer buyouts or do traditional layoffs, what it’s like to go back to school in your 40s, and where new affordable EVs are available (hint: outside the U.S.)

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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.

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Haunting the Big Easy

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:22:00 +0000

Halloween is almost here, meaning plenty of people are on the hunt for a scare. And there is, in fact, an entire sector of the economy that revolves around providing spooks, frights, and horrors. For the latest installment of our "What's That Like?" series, we hear from Kalila Smith, owner of Haunted History Tours in New Orleans, Louisiana. Listen ... if you dare. But first, we examine what it costs to employ someone these days.

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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.

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The link between immigration raids and the housing shortage

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:50:00 +0000

Homebuilders constructed 19,000 fewer homes in 2024 because of the lack of skilled labor, according to a construction industry estimate from last year. A big factor in the labor shortage is the federal government's immigration crackdown, which has led to the arrest of many construction workers, often at job sites. This morning, we hear from some families and businesses impacted. Also: weighing jobs and tax revenue versus pollution concerns near proposed data centers.

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Political pressure could complicate Anthropic's IPO

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Anthropic formally filed to go public this week and about a third of its paperwork is dedicated to potential risks — including political ones. We'll get into it on today's “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Plus, it’s a big week for big tech earnings: Microsoft pleased investors with a more restrained approach to AI spending, but still announced it’s offering buyouts to 60,000 employees. Meanwhile, Google’s parent company Alphabet took a plunge on Wall Street.

Here to help us unpack this week’s tech news is Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios.

Check out our YouTube page to watch more episodes of “Tech Bytes.”

More on this:

Anthropic warns investors of AI’s ‘existential risk to humanity’ in IPO prospectus, reports say — from CNBC

Microsoft is offering buyouts to around 60,000 employees. Read the memo — from Business Insider

Meta eyes record $97.5 billion equity raise to fund AI expansion — from Reuters

Scoop: FTC demands Anthropic execs testify in probe — from Axios

Money Horrors II: The Sleep Shopper Strikes Again

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Surprise! We’ve got more creepy money stories to get you in the Halloween spirit. A while back, listener Hayden started getting these surprise gifts in the mail. Once he realized who sent them to him, he wondered just how far the gift giver would go. Plus, two more stories of spending regret.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

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GDP growth comes at expense of consumer savings

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Fresh data showed the economy grew faster than expected, at a 3.4% annual rate in the third quarter. Prices grew too, by 3.6%. Robust consumer spending tends to drive GDP, but the consumer savings rate — an important financial cushion — is falling. In this episode, when will strong topline economic figures catch up to a precarious consumer reality? Plus: Alphabet stock slides after a disappointing earnings report, apple orchards reap the devastating effects of unusual spring weather, and jobless stats misalign with labor market perceptions.

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Remembering labor activist Dolores Huerta

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:25:00 +0000

Dolores Huerta, an icon of labor rights, women's rights, and civil rights, died yesterday at 96. Huerta co-founded what became the United Farm Workers of America, and, for decades, she led strikes and protests pushing for better conditions for agricultural workers. Today, we have a remembrance. Also in this episode: why the Fed held off on raising interest rates and what a proposed hyperscale data center could mean for residents of a rural Alabama town.

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Taking on debt for holiday expenses

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:45:00 +0000

Households often take on additional debt as they up their spending over the holidays. Buy now, pay later is poised to be an increasingly popular method for making those holiday purchases, new research finds. We hear about the benefits and the risks. And later in the show, we look at key takeaways from Anthropic's IPO filing and talk about what to make of the vast amounts of money flowing through big tech right now.

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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 in this episode:

More consumers intend to use buy now, pay later services for holiday purchases

AI infrastructure is making smartphones pricier

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Consumer electronics and AI data centers need memory chips. But there are only a handful of companies in the world that make them. The surge in demand has caused memory shortages and price spikes for everything, including our all-important smartphones.

Gerrit Schneemann is principal analyst at Counterpoint Research, which recently reported global phone prices have jumped by an average of 15%, and even more in markets where consumers can least afford it.

Money Horrors

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

With Halloween around the corner, we revisit listeners’ spine-chilling money horror stories — you know, the financial choices that are still haunting them, or the spending secrets they hope to take to the grave.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

Fed holds rates, but a future hike is pretty inevitable

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Fed governors met this week and voted to keep interest rates steady at just below 4%. The central bank says it’s taking a “wait and see” approach to elevated inflation. But what does that mean for banks and businesses that want to borrow money? In this episode, economic forces make for a fraught lending environment. Plus: We take a trip to Costco to understand how toilet paper is an economic indicator, and spend the day out west with a Wyoming cattle brand inspector.

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A statewide Texas race that affects prices at the pump nationwide

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:20:00 +0000

One of the statewide offices Texas voters will decide on next week is railroad commissioner. It's a role that has nothing to do with trains and everything to do with the state’s oil and gas industry. The position has real power over an industry that produces more crude oil than most countries. This morning, we dig in. Plus, we'll talk about a consumer sentiment improvement and why financial markets are betting that the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady.

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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 from this episode:

Texans will be electing a new regulator of the state's huge oil and gas industry

Who gets the blame for ACA fraud claims?

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 11:50:00 +0000

In late September, the Trump administration removed 760,000 people from Affordable Care Act insurance plans, claiming the enrollees were likely in the program fraudulently. The administration blamed "health brokers." Some brokers have illegally signed people up for ACA plans without them knowing, so the brokers could collect commissions. Now, the administration has stopped issuing any licenses for new brokers, leaving the industry scrambling. But first, a look at how much stuff companies have been stocking up on lately.

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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 from this episode:

Lawsuit challenges freeze on new health insurance brokers ahead of open enrollment

The tech behind spooky season

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Halloween haunts have long relied on a little technical wizardry to bring their terrors to life —from lighting and animatronics to digital decorations.

But these days, the technology behind those scares is getting increasingly sophisticated, and the spectacles more elaborate.

We got a glimpse behind the scenes at the Hollywood Haunted Hayride, put on by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment in Los Angeles.

Listen for more … if you dare.

Lower those expectations

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

The housing market is a bit chilly right now — new home sales are down, and so are prices. But current homeowners watched their property values grow over the past several years. So when it comes to selling, they’ve got (as Olivia Rodrigo might say) real big expectations. In this episode, the disconnect between need-to-sell homeowners and price-sensitive buyers. Plus: Consumer confidence continues its bumpy journey, durable goods orders are picking up, and we visit Brownsville, Texas, where SpaceX launches are taking over the skies.

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:

Durable goods orders have been picking up. And it’s not just AI.
Selling your home? You may need to adjust expectations
Consumer confidence ticked up in October. Is it just a blip?
In South Texas, rocket launches are part of a bigger economic shift
Capitalism and democracy go hand in hand, according to new index
For this candy store, it's all about the customers

A merger of two food delivery giants

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:55:00 +0000

DoorDash is in advanced talks to buy the grocery delivery company Instacart, according to multiple media reports. The deal would value Instacart at about $17 billion. The two companies are facing growing competition from retailers. This morning, we parse details of the potential deal. Also on the program: upcoming changes to flight disruption reimbursement and the aspects of the economy most likely to affect the Fed’s rate decision this week.

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 in this podcast:

If your next flight gets delayed or canceled, compensation could look different

The Trump administration, H-1B visas, and U.S. innovation

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 11:50:00 +0000

The Trump administration has escalated its crackdown on legal immigration pathways that involve foreign workers and students. The most recent example is the suspension of eight major tech companies — including Microsoft and Adobe — from using the H-1B visa program to help workers obtain U.S. permanent residency. Trump officials have argued the program takes jobs from American-born workers. This morning, we’ll fact-check that claim. But first, we’ll hear why clean energy investments are on the rise.

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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.

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Only in San Francisco: A picnic about AI's potential risks

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Urgent concerns about losing control of AI have burst into the national conversation recently after the OpenAI hack of the open-source AI platform Hugging Face, the high-profile resignation of an Anthropic researcher, and other AI insiders sharing alarmingly high p(doom) figures — that is, the probability that AI kills us all.

An event listing for a picnic beckoned people in the AI scene to spend a Sunday afternoon talking about recent calls to slow down the technology.

Dony Christie, a community organizer in the AI safety scene, chose this spot not for the scenery but because it’s between the offices of Anthropic and OpenAI.

“The hope is, why can't people at the labs just meet at a park in between them and work out a deal?” he said. “I have been concerned about existential risks for a long time. Just like, what do I do to save the world?”

What's a recession?

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

To help celebrate spooky season we’re sharing an episode from our dusty haunted archives about two of the biggest economic frights of all. When Lulu wrote in asking about recessions and depressions Ryan and Bridget went to the experts at the Federal Reserve. While learning about how the Fed keeps an eye on the health of our economy, the pair accidentally unleash an economic disaster. They’ll need the help of the Fed’s Recession Crushers to get things back in line. Who ya gonna call? The Recession Crushers!

What's in AI's next chapter?

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 22:05:00 +0000

A few Big Tech firms are slated to explain their quarterly earnings later this week. AI will, of course, be the protagonist of these earnings calls. Investors are hoping for some positive character development, or at least a spoiler for any plot twists. In this episode, the next installment of the AI narrative. Plus: Central banks prepare for interest rate setting, Treasury rates rise with heightened risk, and the Energy Department adds helium to its critical materials list — again.

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.

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What to expect from this week's Fed meeting

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 14:46:00 +0000

The Federal Reserve begins a two-day meeting on interest rates tomorrow. Just last month, the Fed hiked rates by a quarter percentage point. Since then, oil prices have surged, and consumer inflation has intensified. This morning, we dig into analyst expectations for where interest rates go next. Also in this podcast: investor doubt creeps in when it comes to AI spending, and carmakers grapple with competition from China.

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 from this episode:

Volvo is limping out of a bruising quarter. The carmaker's CEO blames Chinese competition.

The latest on trade negotiations with Canada

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:45:00 +0000

Trump administration officials say they’re making progress in trade negotiations with Canada. Talks have been stalled since August, when President Donald Trump announced 50% tariffs on a range of imports from Canada. Now, with border states hurting and midterm elections around the corner, negotiations appear to be picking up. We hear where things stand. Then, RadioShack — still alive and kicking — is leaning into retro tech ahead of the holiday shopping season.

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 from this episode:

RadioShack leans into retro tech to revitalize the brand

When ChatGPT writes your obituary

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Donna Guthrie had obituaries on her mind after her brother passed away in May. She recently celebrated her 80th birthday and started wondering how she might be remembered. So, she asked ChatGPT to write her obituary. It's the topic of today's “Uncanny AI,” our regular segment about our sometimes unsettling experiences with this tech.

Plus, we asked Michelle Huang, a technologist and artist who explores the use of AI for wonder, if this is creepy or healthy.

More on this:

“How AI can connect you with your inner child” from Marketplace Tech

Your 401(k) is probably invested in AI

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Big Tech is kind of carrying the stock market right now, thanks to all that spendy artificial intelligence innovation. That means your retirement account is probably invested in at least some AI stocks. So we asked an expert: If the theoretical AI bubble pops, will those 401(k)s be OK? Also in this episode: New data shows healthy growth in the private sector, Kai goes over the week’s economic headlines ahead of another Fed rate decision, and we visit a cyber-scam compound in Cambodia.

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.

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The data center fight ahead of the midterms

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:11:00 +0000

This morning, as part of our Economic Pulse series, we continue our conversation with Robyn Vincent, host and producer of WDET’s “The Metro” in Detroit. We dig into how data centers have become a flashpoint for Michigan voters ahead of the midterm elections, as well as how rising utility bills are coming up on the campaign trail. But first, corporate earnings seem to be holding up despite all the economic uncertainty.

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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 from this podcast:

From tariffs to data centers, Michigan's big economic stories

Sticker shock during open enrollment season

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:50:00 +0000

If you are in the majority of people under 65 who get health insurance through an employer, you’ve probably noticed it’s getting more expensive. It’s not just monthly premiums that are rising; many employers are also raising co-pays and deductibles. This morning, we do the numbers on employer-sponsored healthcare coverage. Then, we hear from WDET's Robyn Vincent about how tariffs and trade policy are impacting Michigan's economy.

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.

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iPhone Duo's crease is put to the test

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Apple's long-awaited iPhone Duo launched this week, and everyone has the same question: can you see a crease? Joanna Stern, founder of media company New Things, has been putting it to the test for her newsletter. She's tried apps, phone calls, cameras. But, she really wanted to know if the much-hyped folding phone would stand the test of time. She hired a hardware designer to build a machine that opened and closed the iPhone Duo over and over while she slept — more than 32,000 times. Stern joins joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino on this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Plus, Elon Musk says there could be a merger between SpaceX and Tesla. And, recent court documents reveal internal warnings about child safety issues were ignored by TikTok executives.

More on this:

“iPhone Duo Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Buggy” from New Things

“Apple announces product launch event for Oct. 28. Analysts expect touchscreen laptop” from CNBC

“SpaceX and Tesla Are Already Joined at the Hip. What a Formal Merger Would Mean.” from The Wall Street Journal

“Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown That Blindsided Ukraine” from The Wall Street Journal

“TikTok staff raised child safety concerns, but executives reportedly failed to act” from TechCrunch

High risk, high rates — where's the reward?

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Everyday consumers aren’t the only ones contending with rising borrowing costs. Corporations are also subject to those fluctuations — but the rates don’t rise equally across the board. In this episode, why companies with the corporate equivalent of low credit scores are seeing extra-high borrowing costs right now. Also in this episode: Rising crude oil prices spell trouble for sustained inflation, P&G raises sales with “innovation-based pricing,” and independent mechanics struggle to repair newer tech-integrated cars.

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.

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Interest rates come for everyone — even tech

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:05:00 +0000

Meta reported earnings yesterday. Revenue was up 26% year over year, but costs rose 68%. This is the kind of thing that has some investors in the tech space a little nervous; while demand for AI and tech is doing just fine, the cost of investing in it has gone up. We discuss. Plus, as the weather turns colder, Northeast residents who use heating oil are facing much higher costs.

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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.

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Heating oil prices are up 70%, just as Northeast residents fill up for winter

The hot new crop is diesel

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:05:00 +0000

Farmers in the U.S. are looking for ways to save money and stay afloat. They have not been able to catch a break in the past few years — between tariff retaliation, still-climbing fertilizer prices, and record-high diesel prices. One option to boost revenue for struggling farmers: biofuel crops, which can be turned into diesel. But first, is your car underwater? If so, you're not alone.

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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.

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Behind the screens: What it’s like to interview an AI news agent

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

At Alaska News, you can find stories about the new summer sales tax rate in Juneau, a man ticketed for killing a bull moose out of season and about 20 other hyperlocal items a day.

Much of the coverage is generated by an AI agent called Walter, as in Cronkite, the famous newsman.

Nathaniel Herz, a human executive editor at the local alt weekly the Anchorage Press, wanted to learn more. So, he asked for an interview.

More on this:

This AI agent has written thousands of Alaska news articles. We interviewed it. — Anchorage Press

Entravision Introduces an AI Latina News Anchor—and Sparks Debate — HipLatina

KSAT's new afternoon show won’t have traditional anchors. What we know — My San Antonio

After 78 Years on Air, This Baltimore TV Station Cut Its Anchors. What Replaced Them Has Critics Worried — Inc

What do we owe our families?

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

For many adult children of immigrants, success comes with pressure to give back. This week, Reema asks, what do we owe our families, and how do we care for the people we love without losing ourselves in the process?

She talks with fellow first-gen kids — financial educator Gigi Gonzalez and financial therapist Sahaj Kaur Kohli — about reframing responsibility, setting healthy boundaries without guilt and navigating the line between generosity and obligation.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

Small town economics clash with Big Tech agendas

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

In Crook County, Oregon, just east of the Cascade mountains, data centers sprawl across the high desert landscape. The area fell into economic decline during the Great Recession and some residents welcomed investment by Meta and Apple in the form of massive data center complexes. But 15 years on, was it worth it? In this episode, what happens when data centers come to town. Plus, mergers and spinoffs: Abbott plans to turn its baby formula operation into a standalone company, and Elon Musk explores a plan to combine Tesla and SpaceX.

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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.

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Midterm spending is ballooning

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 15:11:00 +0000

Less than two weeks out from the midterm elections, many races are unexpectedly tighter than some analysts predicted earlier in the cycle. That has led to a flood of new spending. “2026 will almost undoubtedly be the most expensive political cycle in history," said Jesse Contario at MiQ's political team. In this podcast, we do the numbers on election spending. Also on the program: tech earnings are starting to roll in, and the nation's manufacturers are showing a mixed picture.

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 in this episode:

Midterm election spending could be the most expensive in history

Housing affordability, then and now

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:50:00 +0000

The housing industry got a heap of bad news on Tuesday. New construction was down, and pending home sales dropped to their lowest level since 2001. Higher mortgage interest rates are to blame. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan is just shy of 7.5%. Average mortgage rates in the '70s were higher, though, and didn't lead to a housing affordability crisis like today's. What gives? And later: lessons from a San Francisco Bay Area universal basic income program.

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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.

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Bumble didn't find its match on the stock market

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

When Bumble went public five years ago, the dating app known for being a friendlier place for women was valued at $14 billion. But the dating business, the tech industry and the stock market have changed a lot since then. And shares declined 90% from their peak.

Now, the company is going private again. It's being acquired by private equity firm Ithaca Holdings, with two new CEOs taking the helm. Sarah Kunst, managing director at the venture firm Cleo Capital and former senior advisor at Bumble, explains what this all means.

The loan demand balancing act

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

On Tuesday morning, lenders like KeyCorp, Mercantile Bank, and Atlantic Union Bank turned in their earnings reports. Those types of regional banks make plenty of loans, especially to midsize companies. In this episode, we look at how they might start getting pickier if rates increase. Also, we’ll look at retailers fighting to offer value to customers, how AI is being used in publishing, Magic: The Gathering driving growth at Hasbro, a wild game processing company, and the booming horror industry.

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.

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A green light for Boeing

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:02:00 +0000

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce today that it has certified a new Boeing jet, Reuters reports. Boeing was supposed to start delivering its 737 MAX 10 back in 2020, but years of technical problems have kept it from moving forward. With federal approval, the jet could be a big help to airlines facing rising fuel costs. Plus, we discuss the impact of wars, high inflation, and high borrowing costs on company earnings. And later, Americans increasingly fear AI.

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.

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AI is high on the list of what Americans fear most

Anthropic and SpaceX get charitable

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:55:00 +0000

On Sunday, Anthropic announced that 5% of its shares would go into a new “public benefit fund.” The company claimed it could use a new charitable LLC to give large donations to nonprofits or to “specific populations.” Later that day, Elon Musk said he’ll give shares of SpaceX to every kid in the U.S. next year. So how exactly would these philanthropic plans work? And who would benefit? Also: why corporate brands outside of the music industry are releasing their own albums.

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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.

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How easy is it to game AI search results?

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

More and more people are turning to chatbots to search the web.

But researchers are finding these systems can be gamed.

We wanted to understand more about how AI chatbot search results can be manipulated, so we called up someone who studies these things for a living: Xiyang Hu, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, where he leads the Generative Learning and Augmented Decision Lab.

More on this

``Someone Hid It!'': Query-Agnostic Black-Box Attacks on LLM-Based Retrieval — a study published for the International Conference on Machine Learning

Reddit comments are 'foundational' to training AI models, COO says — from Business Insider

Language Models Often Favor Their Own Text, Revealing a New Bias in AI — NYU Center for Data Science

What is rental arbitrage?

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Bridget and Ryan finally answer one of your most requested questions of all time: What is rental arbitrage? Dun. Dun. Dun! The answer involves a moldy fridge, rizz-less cupcakes and a milk convention. Plus, Ryan finds out he’s actually been a master rental arbitrager this whole time!

Consumer credit creep

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 22:27:00 +0000

Inflation is affecting all of us. But when costs go up, lower-income households are especially vulnerable to credit creep — that’s when consumers use credit for more and more transactions. One survey found 29% of buy now, pay later users took out the loans to pay for groceries, double the percentage from just a couple of years ago. Also in this episode: What might happen to the labor market if Fed raises interest rates, how immigration crackdowns are tied to a 14-year homebuilder confidence low, and why political candidates are competing for AI attention.

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Hollywood takes on Big Tech

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:02:00 +0000

On Friday, the documentary "You Can See Everything" about Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes opened in theaters across the U.S., grossing an estimated $15 million and selling out 2,000 shows. It joins a slate of fall films, including "Artificial," "Musk," and "The Social Reckoning," profiling major tech companies and their founders. We dig into why Hollywood is focusing on these stories right now. Also: what sanctions relief for Russia means for oil markets and why the French protests are also a bond market story.

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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 from this episode:

Hollywood is releasing a slew of tech films

Should voters let chatbots do their election homework?

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:50:00 +0000

Are you doing your homework ahead of the midterms or just planning to wing it at the ballot box? While you may have a good idea already about who you want for House, Senate, or governor, there’s still other studying to do before Election Day. But in 2026, the word “homework” often means “ask an AI-powered chatbot.” For voters, that’s both a resource and a risk. First though: why economic uncertainty is translating into a flood of imports.

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Using generative AI for election-related research

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

You might say the 2026 midterms are the first big AI election. The technology has become a key political issue, it’s a significant source of fundraising and it’s also helping power campaign ads.

Plus, generative AI is being looked to by voters as a tool for sorting through the deluge of information, especially in places like California where there are 14 ballot propositions to research.

Marketplace's senior correspondent for Future Effects, David Brancaccio, put three AI chatbots to the test.

More on this:

“Electoral Hallucinations: Safeguarding UK elections in the world of LLMs and AI chatbots” from Demos

“AI chatbots can effectively sway voters – in either direction” from Cornell Chronicle

A view of AI, from Mumbai

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 22:15:00 +0000

India’s economy, from one perspective, has a huge leg up on the U.S.: Its workforce is young and growing. “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal visited Mumbai to learn what that growth looks like on the ground. In this episode, Kai and ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson visit a Mumbai-based healthcare startup that’s using AI to detect disesases early. They also reflect on the trip as a whole. Plus: Farmers face down high fertilizer prices and we break down the week’s inflation data.

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Minnesota's data center debate

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Big hyperscaler data centers are just coming to Minnesota but have already become an issue in the midterm elections. To get a first-hand look at how battle lines are shaping up, Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer traveled to Minnesota’s second congressional district to learn about a lightning-rod data center development there. Also on the program: the kick-off of earnings season, the K-shaped economy, and gloomy consumer sentiment.

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Stories featured in this episode:

What's at stake in Minnesota's data center debate

What hospitals can do about healthcare costs

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:05:00 +0000

High healthcare costs continue to be a top concern for voters ahead of next month's midterm elections. A recent Urban Institute study found that more than one in four adults in the U.S. had medical debt in 2025. In some states, hospitals are experimenting with something called presumptive eligibility, which automatically screens patients for financial assistance needs. We hear more. But first, with rising inflation, consumers pull back where they can.

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AI borrowing slowdown raises questions about investor exposure

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

It's been a bit of a rocky week in tech markets, particularly for companies heavy on debt. We'll get into it on this week’s “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Plus, the king of streaming, Netflix, announces plans to cut around 6% of its staff. And on Wall Street, AI skills could be your ticket to a raise.

Here to discuss is Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital.

More on this:

AI borrowing slows as investors grow wary of debt binge — from the Financial Times

Netflix to lay off roughly 1,000 employees, or 6% of workforce — from CNBC

Wall Street firms tie bonuses, promotions to AI skills, survey finds — from Reuters

Check out our YouTube page to watch more episodes of “Tech Bytes.”

Where producer prices go, consumer prices are likely follow

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 22:02:00 +0000

On Thursday, we got to see the second act of our monthly inflation double feature: the producer price index. Producer prices rose 1.3% in September, which is the largest jump since 2022 — and a hint at the risk that more consumer inflation is coming down the pipeline. Also on today's show: inflation outliers and a holiday spending preview. And later, continuing The Age of Work series, we head to a Mumbai-based clothing company looking to expand to domestic sales.

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Tensions in the data center capital of the world

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:10:00 +0000

Loudoun County, Virginia, claims the highest concentration of data centers anywhere in the world. Thanks to those data centers, the county’s tax base has swelled. But data centers depreciate over time, meaning the older they are, the less tax revenue they generate. So, to keep the cash flowing, the county has needed to keep approving new ones. Cue the backlash. But first, higher energy prices are starting to really show up in producer inflation data.

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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 from this podcast:

"Data Center Alley" in suburban Virginia may be hitting a dead end

Where grocery prices are headed

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:50:00 +0000

Inflation ran 3.7% year over year in September. One kind of bright spot? Grocery prices are only rising at about half the overall rate. But there are signs that high diesel prices are starting to trickle into some of the prices we pay at the checkout. And later this morning: how skyrocketing borrowing costs are affecting developing nations and how CEOs are thinking about AI investment.

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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.

Regulating the tech sector in the AI era

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Europe may have weeks of paid vacation, quaint walkable cities and incredible, affordable local wines. But there's something the continent lacks (besides ice cubes and AC): shiny, new Big Tech products.

Take Apple's revamped Siri, Meta's Muse or OpenAI's competing AI assistant dots. They've all launched in the U.S., and in some cases other markets. But largely, not in the EU, which has a network of tech regulations targeting data protection, interoperability and AI.

Max von Thun, director of the antitrust think tank Open Markets Institute Europe, explains more on this.

More on this:

“A Continent Without A.I. Agents: Europe Has to Wait for Dots, Muse and Siri AI” — from Trending Topics EU

“Europe’s AI Blues: US Companies Slow Deployment” — from Center for European Policy Analysis

Trick yourself into better money habits

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Staying on top of your personal finances is hard enough as it is, but it can be especially challenging if you’re going through mental health challenges or your brain just works a little differently. So this week, Reema talks to Ellyce Fulmore, a neurodivergent financial educator who helps people create money systems their brains will actually use. Together, they answer your questions about impulse purchases, money anxiety, and budgets that never seem to stick.

Plus: another edition of “Alice Gets Her Life Together,” where producer Alice Wilder tackles a different personal finance challenge every month and invites us all along for the ride. This time, she’s learning how to master resale apps like Depop and Poshmark.

This Is Uncomfortable is nominated for a Signal Award! We’re up for Best Show in the Money & Finance category, and now we need your help to win. Vote by October 15: vote.signalaward.com

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

Support public media with a donation today: https://mktplc.org/support-thisisuncomfortable

Energyflation? More like everything-flation

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 22:25:00 +0000

Inflation worsened in September, to 3.7% annually, up from 3.4% in August. Energy prices are mostly to blame, but the other slices of the economy are starting to show price stress. It’s no help that the cost to ship crude oil is up exponentially. In this episode, the dumpster fire that is war-inflated energy prices. Plus: Host Kai Ryssdal and ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson visits a garment exporting business (with a familiar name) that provides job training for women in Mumbai.

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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.

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What keeps people gambling

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:20:00 +0000

Americans have wagered more than $600 billion on sports since the Supreme Court paved the way for states to legalize sports betting back in 2018. And something like 2.5 million adults have a problem with gambling. This morning, why people keep betting — even when the odds are against them — and what can be done about it. Also in this morning's podcast: a hotter-than-anticipated inflation reading and a continued squeeze on diesel.

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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 from this episode:

The behavioral economics behind problematic sports betting

Changes are coming to some seniors' healthcare plans

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:02:00 +0000

Open enrollment for Medicare starts tomorrow. Seniors will have until early December to review their health insurance options for next year and sign up for either a traditional Medicare plan through the federal government or a Medicare Advantage plan through a private insurance company. Thing is, some big insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield are dropping some Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. We have more. Then, are sports betting apps doing enough to help problem gamblers?

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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.

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Is AI solving the right problems for consumers?

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

New AI features are quickly rolling out in the apps we use every day — from Google’s AI-generated search summaries to Meta’s Muse agent.

But there's a big gap between what these tools can do and what most consumers find useful. The vast majority use free versions of chatbots, for searching the web, not running swarms of agents to manage their lives.

Kate Moran, a user experience researcher at Gibbons and Moran, joins us to unpack the AI adoption gap.

More on this

The Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps from Andreessen Horowitz

Not quite mAInstream: A consumer AI profile from Bank of America

Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact from Pew Research Center

Less coverage, more profit

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 22:05:00 +0000

UnitedHealth Group just reported Q3 earnings: Total revenue was down but profits were up. How’s it possible? A decline in Medicaid enrollment, AI-driven billing tools, and some good ol’ corporate diversification. We’ll get into it. Also in this episode, we continue our coverage of the labor force in Mumbai with trips to an Oscar-winning visual effects studio and an English-language night school.

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A small bump in Social Security checks

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Tomorrow, the Social Security Administration will announce their Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and seniors are expected to see a small increase in their monthly checks next year. It could be a meaningful change for struggling retirees: 74% of people on Social Security have reported making financial changes due to rising costs outpacing their benefits. Then, an update on the global bond market.

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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.

How a housing recession could impact the economy

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:02:00 +0000

Inflation, war, high borrowing costs, and of course, the Fed’s rate hikes: There’s a lot of reasons why mortgage rates have shot through the roof recently. Because of this, when we get the National Association of Realtors report on existing home sales for September, experts expect to see sales in decline — again. Usually that has a lot of spillover effects on the economy. Is that true today? Then: how much it costs to keep a data center cool.

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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.

Colleges are training the next generation of content creators

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

An increasing number of schools are offering classes and even majors and minors in the art of influencing.

Charlie Randall is a senior pursuing a double major in theater and content creation at Arkansas Tech University, which launched their digital content creation degree about three years ago.

He hopes to use the degrees to break into voice acting.

What is an IPO?

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hear ye, hear ye! Bridget and Ryan have received this question from listener Perry: “How do companies get on the stock market?” which the pair intend to answer while spending the day at the Renaissance Fair. With a wizard as their guide, they discover that taking a company public on the stock market is a lot like a Renaissance-Fair styled obstacle course with three paths to the finish line! Plus, get ready to meet the world’s boniest insult comic.

In India, a demographic golden age dawns

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 22:20:00 +0000

As the workforces of the U.S., U.K., and similar wealthy Western nations age, other countries with younger populations grow at a clip. Nowhere is this more true than India, where the median age is 29 (a decade younger than the U.S.) and GDP is growing at nearly 8% annually. As part of our ongoing “Age of Work” series, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal and ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson visited Mumbai to understand a workforce and economy that is very different from our own. In this episode, they visit a bustling bazaar where young jewelers are inheriting family businesses.

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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.

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Outlooks, bank earnings, and a Nobel win

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 15:05:00 +0000

To kick off this morning's show, a survey by the National Association for Business Economics shows that economic forecasters predict lingering inflation and higher interest rates. We'll dig into those outlooks. Then, big banks report their financial results this week, and they could give us a sense of how higher interest rates and higher long-term bond yields are working their way through the economy. Plus, we'll hear what this year's Nobel Prize in Economics win means for the field of macroeconomics.

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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 from this episode:

Bank earnings this week could offer clues to impact of Fed's rate hike

What it means to win the Nobel Prize in economics

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:02:00 +0000

Two Americans, Stanford's Robert E. Hall and Columbia's Michael Woodford, have won this year's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and will split the almost $2 million prize for models that help governments maintain stability while navigating big swings in the economy. To mark the occasion, we reached out to a couple of past prize winners to hear how things have been going since. Then, we hear why some schools are paying influencers to lure in new prospects.

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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 in this podcast:

Some colleges are paying current students to post on social media

Talking with AI ghosts of loved ones

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

There's a growing market for AI models that promise to recreate the experience of interacting with a lost loved one. They're sometimes called generative ghosts, and they're the topic for today's “Uncanny AI,” our series about sometimes-unsettling experiences with this technology.

Jack Manning, a Ph.D. candidate studying information science at the University of Colorado Boulder, has been looking into this. He recently published a study on how people experience talking to generative ghosts.

More on this:

“Designing Conversations with the Dead: How People Engage with Generative Ghosts” from Association for Computing Machinery

“When AI is used to immortalize the dead, what are the ethical implications?” from Marketplace Tech

Surprise, you've got medical bills!

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

A 2020 law aimed at eliminating surprise medical expenses has shifted some unpredictable costs away from patients. The law was supposed to incentivize jointly set reasonable prices between hospitals and insurers, but instead, there’s been a whole lot of finger pointing — and employers are left holding the bag. Also in this episode: The agriculture economy goes K-shaped, a sailor finds a support network in her solo circumnavigation, and we talk through the week’s economic headlines.

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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.

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A beach full of trash with nowhere to go

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:37:00 +0000

Two years ago, Congress approved millions of dollars in funding to clean some of the nation’s dirtiest beaches. Many of those beaches are also some of the hardest to access. But then, cuts by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency effectively killed the project. Now, there’s no clear future for all that trash. In this morning's podcast, we head to a remote Alaskan beach to hear where cleanup efforts stand now. Plus, economist Judy Shelton is joining the Treasury Department as a counselor to Secretary Scott Bessent.

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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 from this episode:

America’s dirtiest beaches are also the toughest to reach. Trump’s DOGE made them even harder to clean.

Trump's crackdown on foreign students and workers

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:46:00 +0000

The Trump administration announced yesterday that it will no longer allow Microsoft, Adobe, and a handful of other companies to sponsor foreign workers for green cards and accused nine universities of abusing the J-1 temporary student visa program. Earlier this week, it also proposed a rule raising the fee for international students who want to stay in the U.S. and work temporarily through the Optional Practical Training program from about $500 to $70,000. We have more. Then, will Minnesotan restaurants be willing to dish up invasive crayfish?

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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.

Trump names his new AI task force the "Super Intelligence Force"

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

President Donald Trump named a new superhero-sounding AI task force this week dubbed the “Super Intelligence Force.” It's led by Jay Clayton, the new AI Czar and also director of national intelligence.

Plus, Democrats in the Senate blocked a bill to address data center energy costs ahead of the midterm elections, and a new poll shows Americans are not feeling too great about how our leaders in government are dealing with the risks from AI. Cristiano Lima-Strong, senior AI and government reporter at Bloomberg Government, joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino to break down these stories on this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Don't move a muscle!

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

First-time unemployment claims (layoffs, basically) have come in below 200,000 for four weeks running — the longest stretch since 1969. At the same time, the economy only barely added jobs in September. Few layoffs, barely any new jobs, and it makes ya start to wonder, just how petrified can this labor market get? Also in this episode: AI doomers touch grass at a monthly Bay Area picnic, the personal savings rate ebbs to a 4-year low, and Kai explains central bankers’ balance sheet agita.

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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.

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What AI is doing to jobs in creative fields

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:50:00 +0000

There's been a lot of mixed data coming out about how AI is affecting the labor market. An analysis by writer and economist Joey Politano found that the U.S. has lost more than 200,000 creative sector jobs over the last four years. But just how much can we blame AI? Plus, we continue our conversation with WUSF reporter Jessica Meszaros about the high cost of energy bills in Florida.

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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.

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The cost of power in Florida

The cost of power in the Sunshine State

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:47:00 +0000

Energy bills in Florida have jumped by as much as 70% over the past 10 years, according to reporting by WUSF reporter Jessica Meszaros. This morning, we'll help explain why that is and discuss rate hikes by investor-owned utility companies, the role of government-appointed approval commissions, and whether there are any alternatives. But first, a snapshot of consumers' expectations for the future of the economy shows that it's a mixed bag.

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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.

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How a Meta AI prompt changed one mom’s approach to online privacy

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

It started when Kalie Robins posted an Instagram video with her kid. Meta's built in AI chatbot, Muse, started prompting her to ask questions about her daughters and personal life, which sent her down a social-media-privacy rabbit hole.

Robins took to her feed — at the time, with only a few hundred followers — to share her experience. “It starts pulling completely separate information for each of my kids: their names, birth information, pictures and videos of them. And then it says, ‘pinpointing Kalie Robbins' location,’” she said in her now viral video.

Meta responded to the incident saying it “missed the mark” and has fixed the issue that prompted those questions.

But Robins says she's now been catapulted into the AI privacy discourse. And it's pretty uncomfortable.

More on this:

Mother Horrified When Meta’s AI Scours Instagram and Facebook for Invasive Information About Her Young Daughters — from Futurism

Meta’s Muse AI Agent Is Building a Dossier On You — from Time

Why is every celebrity trying to sell me something?

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Are you more likely to buy some spicy mayo because it’s made by a blockbuster star? What about pet food or a mobile network? It used to be that you’d just buy a ticket to your favorite actor’s movie or your favorite singer’s concert, but as more celebrities cash in on their fame with product endorsements and brand extensions, what does that do to us and our relationship with celebrity culture? And how does that impact the way that we spend money on our favorite stars? Guest host Alice Wilder talks to Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger, hosts of the pop culture podcast “Who? Weekly,” about the changing relationship between celebrities and consumers. Plus, which nepo babies are worth the hype?

This Is Uncomfortable is nominated for a Signal Award! We’re up for Best Show in the Money & Finance category, and now we need your help to win. Vote by October 15: vote.signalaward.com

Support public media with a donation today: https://mktplc.org/support-thisisuncomfortable

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

How's the stock market doing, minus AI?

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 22:15:00 +0000

The S&P 500 has hit more than two dozen record highs this year, and it’s got AI firms to thank. In fact, it’s easy to forget that a lot of other public companies are in a tough spot. In this episode, why there’s a widening bifurcation of the stock market. Plus: Rising auto loan delinquencies could be a warning sign for broader consumer strife, financial institutions kick off Q3 earnings season, and Kai explains what the yield curve tells us about the bond market.

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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.

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A check-in on the hobby economy

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:20:00 +0000

Like so much else in the economy, the cost of hobbies — recreational activities, the ways we fill our free time — is on the rise. But according to recent analysis from the Bank of America Institute, consumers aren’t shying away from those higher prices. We hear more. Also in this episode, we have a preview of meeting minutes from the Federal Reserve, then examine mortgage rates and Treasury notes.

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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.

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Hobby spending is on the rise

Taxing the rich to pay for healthcare for the poor

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:42:00 +0000

An initiative on the California ballot would levy the nation’s first wealth tax on billionaires. Supporters say the proceeds would help offset President Donald Trump’s sweeping healthcare cuts and that it could be a blueprint for other states, but critics argue that the temporary infusion of cash is a giveaway to politicians. We dig into the arguments. But first, it’s been a bit of a rough year for toy maker giants Hasbro and Mattel. What gives?

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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 podcast:

AI spending takes center stage ahead of midterms

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife recently backed out of a planned $25 million donation to Leading the Future, an artificial intelligence-focused political action committee.

Brockman said the PAC had become a “distraction” at OpenAI. But only after the executive had already given an initial $25 million.

AI-focused PACs are spending big to shape competing visions for AI policy in the midterm elections.

Brendan Glavin, Director of Insights at OpenSecrets, explains how these PACS are looking to influence elections this year.

We're stocking up

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 22:25:00 +0000

We got fresh data showing imports and inventory levels are up. Is it a sign of a strong economy, or a sign businesses are bracing for impact? In this episode, AI remains a major driver of this strange economy. Plus: The U.S. is simultaneously importing and exporting a ton of semiconductors, the euro drops to a 17-month low, and monetary policy disproportionately impacts Black employment rates.

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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.

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Russian refineries and the price of diesel

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:50:00 +0000

Diesel is still hovering at around $6 a gallon. President Donald Trump says Ukrainian air strikes on Russian oil refineries are exacerbating a global shortage of diesel and pushing up prices, but Ukraine isn’t letting up. We have the latest this morning. Then, a recent proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency could make it harder for communities to find out about AI data centers — and their potential effects on air quality — before they're constructed.

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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 from this episode:

Proposed EPA rollbacks could nix public comment requirements for data centers

Is college even worth it these days?

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:40:00 +0000

More Americans than ever are questioning the value of higher education. A new survey from Gallup finds that just 31% of adults in the U.S. think a college education is “very important.” That’s the lowest since Gallup first asked that question nearly 50 years ago. Some of the big reasons? The cost of a college education and employment concerns in the AI age. And later, more than 2 million young people between 19 and 24 could lose Medicaid in the next few years. We hear why.

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What could slowing the AI frontier mean for the economy?

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The AI industry appears to be getting more serious about safety.

Leaders of top companies signed a non-binding agreement at the White House Sept. 30, laying out standards and best practices for responsible development of advanced AI. OpenAI delayed the release of its latest model due to safety concerns. And Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called on the sector to slow things down and "pace the frontier."

Wall Street initially wasn't too happy about that push and stocks related to the AI buildout took a momentary tumble.

But Jordan Nanos, at the chip research and consulting firm SemiAnalysis, argues that greater investment in AI security could actually drive more demand for computing power.

What is a credit score?

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Tula wants to know, "what is a credit score," which is perfect timing for Bridget, her board game crew, and Ryan to play Credit Score Quest: Path to 850. As the players roll the dice and pull cards, they navigate credit score myths, surprising score twists, and learn some valuable lessons about how to build an "exceptional" credit score.

A tale of two deficits

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Despite Trump’s best efforts (a flurry of loosely targeted tariffs), the U.S. trade deficit is widening. But why is it widening? And what does it all have to do with foreign investment in government debt and the strength of the U.S. dollar? We’ll explain. Plus: Electric truck sales rev up amid record-high diesel prices, a 19th-century novelist popularized economic theory for her broad audience, and investors prep for upcoming Treasury auctions.

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How do you feel about driverless cars?

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:43:00 +0000

More Americans are familiar with autonomous vehicles than they were a decade ago. But if a self-driving car is in their future, most still want the option of taking the wheel, a new survey finds. This morning, we explore consumers' thoughts on driverless cars. Also on this morning's program: we keep an eye on the bond market and the oil market. Plus, how one Brooklyn-based makerspace is helping people unplug and work with their hands.

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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.

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Let's get our hands dirty for just a bit

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:48:00 +0000

This year has been dominated by headlines about artificial intelligence. But as the AI buildout accelerates, some are looking for ways to slow down. This morning, "Marketplace Morning Report" host Kimberly Adams takes a trip to MakerSpace NYC, a community workshop where people were busy sewing, welding, drilling, and more. For some, it's just for fun; for others, it’s helping launch small businesses. Plus, promises from OPEC might not mean much.

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Stories highlighted in this episode:

Building something with your hands — and a career — at makerspaces

Inside the mindset of AI safety workers

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

We've been hearing a lot about the threat of out-of-control of AI in recent weeks; mostly, from the people making the technology. There was the Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon, who publicly quit and kicked off the whole discussion. Others, including that company’s CEO Dario Amodei, chimed in with alarming appraisals of AI's existential risk.

Making sense of all this as an outsider can sometimes feel like decoding an unfamiliar civilization. So, we called Spencer Kaplan, a Ph.D. candidate at Yale, who studies anthropology and researches AI workers.

Nike's not just doing it

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

In Nike’s earnings report this week, the brand said it may begin shrinking its operations and laying off workers. It’s been losing market share for a while now. We look at what went wrong in the last decade. Also in this episode: the government-funded EV discounts that still remain, the business of affiliate links, and a former business owner’s mini retirement during fatherhood.

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Understanding the new federal school choice program

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:30:00 +0000

This week, the Treasury Department released rules for a new nationwide school choice program that could end up providing billions of dollars to students attending private schools. Taxpayers will be able to opt in to the program by giving up to $1,700 to third-party groups that provide scholarships to students, and can later deduct that donation from their taxes. Many public school advocates, however, oppose the program. Also in this episode: weaker-than-expected jobs data and reimagined research parks.

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From layoff to relocation

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:55:00 +0000

After being laid off this summer, Montrose Fell felt the pressure to scramble and find a new position. But after a year of funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the biomedical industry was flooded with overqualified candidates. So, Fell decided to pursue permanent residency in Canada. “The current scientific climate in the United States was not one where I thought I would thrive in,” they said. We hear more as part of our "Clocked Out" series. But first, we have a preview of the September jobs report.

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When one door closes, maybe it's time to move countries

Trump and tech leaders agree to voluntary AI safety accord

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

While the White House hosted tech luminaries this week to sign a voluntary agreement on AI safety standards, the Federal Trade Commission opened a broad investigation into AI labs over potential safety risks their products may pose to consumers.

Plus, a nearly four-hour documentary on Elon Musk is stirring up controversy over whether social media platforms will run ads for it.

We’ll get into it on today’s “Bytes: Week in Review.”

Check out our YouTube page to watch more episodes of Tech Bytes.

Inflation held steady in August. Yay?

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:35:00 +0000

The PCE price index (that's the Fed's preferred measure of inflation) held steady year-over-year in the latest report. Economists expected it to move up. So, why didn't it budge -- and why aren't we all celebrating? Also in this episode: Seasonal work is hard to find so far this fall, Trump's immigration crackdown weakens construction productivity in South Texas, and Kai explains the long-term implications of rising borrowing costs.

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Mortgage rates climb, sidelining homebuyers

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:40:00 +0000

On Mortgage News Daily, the average rate for a 30-year fixed is now up to 7.6%. And as the cost of a mortgage has gone up, the demand for home loans has dipped to a two-year low, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Then, some lenders surveyed by the Federal Reserve reported that they’ve been noticing a pickup in delinquencies, as higher costs burden both families and businesses.

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A big change to SNAP kicks in today

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:35:00 +0000

Starting today, states are now responsible for a bigger share of the administrative costs that come with running the SNAP food assistance program. It used to be a 50-50 split with the federal government, but now states will take on 75% of the costs. We explore the impacts. We also discuss fresh inflation data and consumer spending figures. Plus, should Big Oil pay for some of the damage caused by burning fossil fuels?

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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 discussed in this episode:

A major big oil accountability case is on the Supreme Court's docket

AI-powered surveillance costs lives at the southern border

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Over the last 25 years, the U.S. government has spent billions of dollars to build a "virtual wall" of video surveillance at the southern border. The network can signal Border Patrol to respond when it detects suspicious activity. And officials have touted the benefit of providing aid to migrants in distress.

But a recent investigation by MIT Technology Review and the Times of San Diego found more than 1,000 migrants have died over the last decade within range of one of these cameras. Eileen Guo co-reported the series, “Dying on Camera.”

More on this:

“The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?” from MIT Technology Review

“A congressional representative just proposed killing America’s border tower program” from MIT Technology Review

Min Jin Lee asks, is college still a reliable investment?

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Does higher education still guarantee financial stability? How can parents set their kids up for success, without subjecting them to overbearing pressure? Reema talks to writer Min Jin Lee to talk about her new novel, “American Hagwon.” They discuss the precariousness of the middle class, and how love, fear, and money get tangled up in what parents want for their children … and what those kids can feel like they owe in return.

This Is Uncomfortable is nominated for a Signal Award! We’re up for Best Show in the Money & Finance category, and now we need your help to win. Vote by October 15: vote.signalaward.com

Support public media with a donation today: https://mktplc.org/support-thisisuncomfortable

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

Heads up: If you buy a book using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!

OpenAI is staying private (for now)

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:35:00 +0000

OpenAI just announced it will delay its IPO due to ongoing AI safety concerns. But when you’re a company as big as OpenAI, where does your funding come from? In this episode, venture capital doesn’t cut it. Plus: Second quarter GDP was revised up thanks to all that corporate AI investment, Kai breaks down why the labor market is kinda like a bathtub, and farmers turn to agritainment as crop revenue shrinks.

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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:

Even middle-income folks are struggling to pay rent

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:11:00 +0000

We’re almost at the start of a new month. For many, that means it’s time to pay rent. But meeting those monthly payments is becoming increasingly difficult. A new report from the Urban Institute found that one in five working-age renters struggled to pay rent last year, and the share of middle-income renters who are facing these challenges grew by the largest margin. We unpack, but first we discuss what's in the latest inflation reading.

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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 in this morning’s episode:

People are increasingly struggling to pay rent

What's old-school is new again

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:42:00 +0000

Corded headphones are so back. Bose announced new wired earbuds this week and is calling the renewed interest a “cultural renaissance.” It’s all part of a revival for older tech — things like analog alarm clocks and point-and-shoot cameras — especially among Gen Z consumers. We'll explore the trend this morning. Plus, we’ll head to South Texas, where skilled trades programs are preparing workers for major industrial projects.

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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.

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Can data centers ever be "good neighbors"?

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Further proof — in case you need it — that AI data centers aren't very popular: A new survey from the Pew Research Center shows 60% of Americans aren't comfortable welcoming one to the neighborhood.

And concerns have grown since the beginning of the year across every demographic group, making the backlash a key issue in the midterm elections. Scott Brennen, director of NYU's Center on Technology Policy, recently published a report on how data centers could better work with communities.

More on this:

“Americans’ views of data centers have turned more negative” from Pew Research Center

“Collective Goods but Local Harms: How Data Centers Can Earn Community Support” from Center on Technology Policy

“Residents voice concerns as Hobart City Council approves Amazon data center” from WGN9

“More Americans concerned about AI, even as it drives economy” from Marketplace

Consumer confidence slides to 12-year low

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:25:00 +0000

Consumer confidence fell to a 12-year low in September, according to The Conference Board. The index has been trending down for a couple years, but this latest decline was steep. One reason? Upper-middle class respondents are starting to feel the pressure, too. Also in this episode: The economic forces behind GDP growth might run out of steam soon, the low-hire low-fire labor market marches on, and high diesel prices keep some Gulf shrimpers on dry land.

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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:

A ban on Canadian booze

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:20:00 +0000

The Trump administration is ramping up its trade war against Canada. As of this morning, the U.S. has officially banned imports of Canadian wine, beer, and spirits, along with motorcycles, molasses, and whey protein. Is this escalation getting the two sides back to the negotiating table? Also: a preview of the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation and why one childcare worker left his job to get an advanced degree.

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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.

High school lessons in business and personal finance

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:05:00 +0000

One new course debuting this school year is AP Business with Personal Finance. It comes from the College Board, which is also behind the SAT, and is being taught in thousands of classrooms across the country. This morning, we head to one Baltimore school to learn about the impact of finance-oriented courses. But first, the pool of money for low-income energy assistance programs may be stretched thin this winter.

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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.

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Why one X user is microblogging history in real time

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Content creator Manny Marotta has gone viral in recent weeks for his X feed recounting the news of 25 years ago as if it's happening now.

His minute-by-minute account of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, attracted hundreds of thousands of new followers. And the 27-year old is posting day-by-day accounts from 50 and 100 years ago, as well.

Marotta says it's become a time-consuming hobby alongside his job as a law clerk for a non-profit.

What is shrinkflation?

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

It’s a new season of “Million Bazillion” and listener Noah wants to know, what is shrinkflation? When Ryan notices his favorite pita chip snack is shrinking, he, Bridget and a talking pita chip put on their detective hats and head to a food factory to get to the bottom of the shrinking snack mystery. That’s where they learn about the ways some businesses deal with rising prices and discover shrinking isn’t just for snacks!

Nvidia's record-breaking stock buyback

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Apple used to be the leader in buying back shares. Now, Nvidia has broken the tech company’s record, announcing Monday that it would add $150 billion to its stock buyback program, on top of $80 billion pledged a few months ago. The chipmaker’s profits have continued to surge, as tech companies pour money into data centers and AI infrastructure. Is this a smart way for Nvidia to spend its money? More on Nvidia today, plus how a volunteer firefighter shortage is affecting a rural Wyoming county, why spending is predicted to soar this holiday season despite the energy crisis, and what economists are watching for in the jobs numbers coming out this week.

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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:

Our trust in the federal government is dwindling

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:50:00 +0000

Only 27% of the public trusts the federal government, according to a new survey from the Partnership for Public Service. This morning, we continue our conversation with Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, about our perception of government institutions and the current crossroads we're at in terms of building a better — and more trustworthy — future. But first: hawkish Fed officials, this Friday's jobs report, and a trade deal with China.

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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:

Why only 27% of the public trusts the federal government

Prepping for a deluge of labor market data

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:40:00 +0000

On Tuesday, the Labor Department will report how many job openings were posted in August. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis will report how much personal income grew in August. And on Friday, the Labor Department will report how much hiring occurred this month. So what types of jobs are employers trying to fill? Also on this morning's episode: lowered tariffs with China and a look at public distrust in the federal government.

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.

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Amazon wants Alexa to finish your to-do list, not just research it

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The AI smart speaker market is getting crowded. This year, Amazon, which is a Marketplace underwriter, rolled out a large language model-powered version of its classic voice assistant.

You can still talk to Alexa+ using Amazon echo devices, but it also operates as a text chatbot, replacing the old Rufus AI. It's capable of conversational searches, managing to-do lists and even generating podcasts.

Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Echo, broke down what's new with Alexa+.

More on this:

“I’ve Been Testing Alexa for a Decade. Here’s My Take on How Alexa+ Compares.” from Wirecutter

“Amazon's Alexa+” from Amazon

High interest rates could balloon the national debt

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 22:35:00 +0000

What happens to government debt, the budget deficit, and the overall economy if interest rates stay elevated? For a new report, the Congressional Budget Office crunched the numbers. By 2056, public debt would grow to an eye-popping 222% of GDP. Plus: Trump administration cuts decimated soil conservation programs, a new report highlights the impact of private equity investments on climate risk, and an uneventful Trump-Xi summit ends with a promise of more talks to come.

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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:

Day 2 of the U.S.-China summit

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:48:00 +0000

Chinese President Xi Jinping is continuing his meetings with President Donald Trump today, and trade representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC this morning that the two sides have already come to agreements on a number of issues. Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced that the U.S. and China would be extending a trade truce initially struck in October 2025. This morning, we dig into the background and the big picture of U.S.-China trade. Then, we hear what hosting Formula 1 means for Madrid's economy.

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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.

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Madrid welcomed back Formula 1. Here’s what it meant for the city.

Happy 9/25!

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:50:00 +0000

Today, people across the country are celebrating Dolly Parton Day. They’re encouraged to wear rhinestones, listen to her music, and be generous. Sept. 25 was chosen because the date harkens back to the hit song “9 to 5.” It is perhaps the singular ode to the eight-hour American workday. So in Parton’s honor, we look into the origin of that schedule. But first, with world leaders gathering in New York, we check in on how the U.S. war with Iran is affecting African economies.

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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 covered in this episode:

Meta’s new Muse AI agent gives investors the warm-'n-fuzzies

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Meta's new Muse AI assistant is having a moment — and it's kind of adorable. Meta announced a slew of new integrations for its AI assistant at a company event this week, including a customizable furry lil’ avatar and a Tamogatchi-like wearable device for interacting with it.

Plus, Wall Street is betting billions on growing demand for cybersecurity in the age of AI and social media platform Discord enters its age-gating era.

Anita Ramaswamy at The Information is here to help us unpack the week in tech.

More on this:

I Gave My Life Over to Meta’s A.I. Agent and Was Blown Away — New York Times

Meta Tests Muse AI Agent Calls That Are Actually Made By Humans in a Call Center — 404 Media

CrowdStrike and Okta Trade at Big Premiums Despite Unproven AI Payoff — The Information

Discord’s age-verification era is upon us, despite community backlash — Tech Crunch

Fed officials speak up on inflation

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 22:35:00 +0000

As Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh attempts to limit forward guidance, analysts are zeroed in on other Fed officials’ public comments. Turns out, they’ve got plenty to say. In this episode, central bankers make their voices heard. Plus: Layoffs push workers to pivot careers entirely, catastrophe modelers warn a strong El Niño is brewing, and potato farmers struggle in the wake of an excellent growing season.

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:

Sin City tourism and data center discourse

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:52:00 +0000

This morning, we continue our conversation with Yvette Fernandez, a reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau and Nevada Public Radio, about some of the biggest economic news stories coming out of the state. In this episode, we hear how tariffs and immigration enforcement are hampering Las Vegas' tourism rebound and how Nevada is trying to establish guardrails for AI data centers. But first, what's behind this latest surge in bond yields?

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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 from this episode:

From immigration crackdowns to data centers, Nevada's big economic stories

Opting for riskier mortgages

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:52:00 +0000

The average rate on a traditional 30-year fixed mortgage just rose above 7.1% — the highest it’s been in more than two years. That’s pushing more people toward adjustable-rate mortgages, where the rate changes typically after five, seven, or 10 years. But these mortgages can be a riskier bet. We hear more. Then, we learn how changes to immigration policy are impacting hospitality workers and the Latin entertainment industry in Las Vegas.

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:

Finding common ground in the U.S.-China AI rivalry

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

AI is the big item on the agenda this week as Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President Trump in Washington, D.C.

The talks come after a firestorm of news that has brought AI safety front and center: the hack of Hugging Face by rogue OpenAI agents, the resignation of an Anthropic researcher, plus calls by AI leaders to pace the frontier always met with the rejoinder, “what about China?”

Samm Sacks, senior fellow at the think tank New America, tells us more about China's approach to these AI talks.

More on this:

“US and China Hail Talks as Positive Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit” from Bloomberg

“US proposes AI incident alert system in talks with China, Bessent says” from Associated Press

Is money ruining fan fiction?

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Before Ali Hazelwood’s “The Love Hypothesis” was a bestselling novel or movie, it was “Star Wars” fan fiction. And Hazelwood isn’t the only one making the leap from fan fiction to traditional publishing. Fan fiction has historically been a labor of love, and not all fans are happy about the shift to monetization, and what that means for the fandom community. Reema is joined by journalist Elizabeth Minkel and cultural commentator Josh Lora to unpack how money is changing fan fiction.

Support public media with a donation today: https://mktplc.org/support-thisisuncomfortable

ALSO!! This Is Uncomfortable is nominated for a Signal Award! We’re up for Best Show in the Money & Finance category, and now we need your help to win. Vote by October 15: vote.signalaward.com

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions,” see more info here.

Heads up: If you buy a book using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!

Tension grows in the housing market

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:05:00 +0000

Bad news first: Mortgage rates are topping 7% and, fittingly, mortgage applications are down. On the bright side, home prices aren’t completely frozen and listings are actually up. Question is, in this stuck housing market, when will things budge? Also in this episode: A running resurgence parallels popularity peaks in the aughts and ‘80s, Nashville-style hot chicken sees international success, and writer Robin Wigglesworth argues the bond market built the modern world in his new book, “A Fabulous Debt.”

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 Ukraine war is pushing up diesel prices

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:28:00 +0000

Attacks on Russian oil refineries have contributed to rising diesel prices in recent months. President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly yesterday to urge him to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy said his side is ready for an "energy ceasefire” — if Russia would do the same. Also on the show: Fed public comments, cuts to ACA coverage, home sales, and more.

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.

What counts as a small business?

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:32:00 +0000

Whether a business is considered “small” in the government’s eyes is pretty important. It determines whether the business is eligible for federal aid money and federal contracts. Now, the Small Business Administration is proposing some changes to how it defines “small business.” We'll explain. Then, we’ll dig into the state of AI protections and trade ahead of this week's meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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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:

The beauty industry is betting big on AI

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The global beauty market is expected to hit almost $600 billion by 2030, according to a report by McKinsey & Company. And just like pretty much every industry, it's being transformed by AI.

L’Oréal and OpenAI announced a partnership this summer to bring virtual makeup try-ons and product discovery to ChatGPT. An AI styling firm called Alta is integrating e.l.f. Beauty products into its virtual try on avatars. And consumers are increasingly looking to chatbots for skincare and makeup recommendations.

Apparently beauty inquiries account for almost half of generative AI retail referral traffic, according to market research firm EuroMonitor. For more we're joined by fashion-tech journalist and consultant Maghan McDowell, who's been following this trend.

Time for a diesel export ban?

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:25:00 +0000

Diesel costs have nearly doubled over the last year, breaking record highs. In fact, some lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to halt all diesel exports until they cool off. But experts say it's a recipe for price chaos that will leave us right back where we started. Also in this episode: A wide crude oil spread persists, butter and cheese become a bright spot on grocery receipts, and local bank consolidations leave customers frustrated.

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Clearing the way for a Paramount-Warner Bros. merger

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:40:00 +0000

Paramount Skydance reached a settlement yesterday, clearing the last major roadblock to its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The takeover will give Paramount and its CEO David Ellison control over both CBS and CNN, while also combining control over two major streaming services, Paramount+ and HBO Max. Today, we provide an explainer. Also, data center developers in Texas now face new hurdles for their projects.

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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.

For many, higher costs to stay warm this winter

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:48:00 +0000

The war in Iran and the ongoing war in Ukraine are keeping oil prices high, which we've already seen at the gas pump. But with winter coming, another type of fuel is also getting more expensive: heating oil, which is used mostly in the Northeast to heat homes. We'll hear more. Then, we're well into college football season, so let’s dig into the massive range of how much schools are paying their football roster.

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Stories included in this episode:

The cost of digitally disconnecting

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Sure, you can put down your phone and go touch grass for free. But for those looking for a little help committing to a more disconnected lifestyle, there's a growing market of products and services from retreats to apps to devices that promise to supercharge your ability to unplug — for a price. Paula Mejia has covered the booming digital detox industry for Mother Jones, and spoke with “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino about her reporting.

More on this:

“Adventures in Unplugging” from Mother Jones

“Meta to pay up to $18bn to settle claims its platforms harm children” from BBC9

"Million Bazillion" Season 11 is almost here!

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hello Million Bazillionaires, we’ve got a new season of “Million Bazillion” coming your way on September 29th!

Get ready to follow Bridget and Ryan as they meet new characters on their adventures to answer your questions about money. This season, our hosts will encounter an eerily chipper robot while figuring out how AI companies make money, a talking Pita Chip with a shrinkflation mystery, and a renaissance fair wizard who wizens them on how companies get on the stock market. Plus, Bridget and Ryan roll the dice at game night to illuminate just what on earth a credit score is, and how it works.

New episodes drop every Tuesday starting September 29th. Listen to a sneak peek above, get caught up on any episodes you may have missed and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Don’t forget to sign up for the “Million Bazillion” newsletter and tipsheet so you never miss an episode and get access to episode extras, including conversation starters for grownups and kids.

The state of U.S.-China trade

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 22:30:00 +0000

President Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, and AI safety is likely to define the agenda. But what about those pesky tariffs? In this episode, we lay out the fraught trade relationship between the U.S. and China. Plus: Airlines trim their flight schedules to combat high fuel prices, the price of copper may tell us less about global economic growth than it used to, and Ohio cities court recent grads looking for job opportunities and affordability.

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A potential U.S.-China AI agreement?

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:15:00 +0000

U.S. and Chinese officials met yesterday in New York to try to pave the way for some kind of agreement on AI, and President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet later this week in Washington. This morning, we have details on what to expect from the upcoming meeting and how likely any agreement might be. Then, we discuss oil market movements, as well as how Federal Reserve officials are feeling about interest rates.

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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.

What to know about Trump's new green card policy

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:05:00 +0000

Under a new public charge rule under the Trump administration, immigrants could be denied a green card if they — or their U.S.-born children — have received certain kinds of public assistance, like food or housing assistance, Medicaid, or free school lunch. More than 20 states and a separate group of cities are suing to try to block the changes, which went into effect on Friday. Then, can factory-built homes help fix the affordable housing crisis?

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Stories featured in this episode:

How attitudes toward AI differ across generations

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

At this point we've probably all been a part of heated dinner conversations about AI. Rana el Kaliouby has them almost nightly at home. She's an AI scientist and investor who hosts the podcast Pioneers of AI.

But her own daughter is an AI skeptic, her teenage son, on the other hand, is an AI super user — which makes for some pretty interesting conversations at home.

Caught in the Canada trade war crossfire

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 22:15:00 +0000

The Trump administration has doubled down on its trade war with our neighbors to the North — the U.S. is set to ban the import of several Canadian products, including beer and whey protein, in a few weeks. Small businesses on both sides of the border are caught in the middle. In this episode, we visit a few of them to understand how they’re coping. Plus: Banks stand to lose money as Treasury bond yields keep rising, Linkedin has changed the job hunt in this tight labor market, and we break down the week’s economic headlines.

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No relief for high oil prices

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:55:00 +0000

Nearly seven months after Israel and the United States attacked Iran, oil prices are holding at over $100 a barrel. How long will prices remain elevated, and how is oil getting through the region via alternative routes? Then, this year’s monsoon season in India has been drier and more uneven than usual. We'll discuss how that could hit the rural economy there particularly hard and push food prices up.

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Stories covered in this episode:

What a dry monsoon season means for the Indian economy

Health insurance doesn't always protect you from medical debt

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:52:00 +0000

You can still pile up medical debt even if you have insurance. In fact, a new Commonwealth Fund survey says almost one in three working-age adults with private insurance are paying off medical bills or debt. We unpack. Then, disruption to the Strait of Hormuz is a workplace story, too. Thousands of seafarers have been stuck aboard ships near the Strait since February. We learn what the conditions and dangers have been like.

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Stories featured in this episode:

Trump rejects AI's "effective altruism" movement

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Congress is looking to rein in Flock cameras; plus, Apple has a new way to prove your iPhone photos are real.

But first, it's been a wild week in AI. After the freakout over an Anthropic researcher quitting in protest last week, CEO Dario Amodei called for a slowdown in AI, and his counterpoints Sam Altman and Elon Musk agreed. President Donald Trump? Not so much. He called fears of rogue AI a hoax, and even went after a niche intellectual community that's deeply invested in AI safety: the Effective Altruist movement.

Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired, joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino to explain more about all this on this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Check out our YouTube page to watch more episodes of “Tech Bytes.”

Home improvement stores feel the pinch

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:18:00 +0000

Retail sales jumped 1.2% in August after falling in July. But building materials stores — think Home Depot or Lowe’s — still saw a dip. That’s because stretched consumers are putting off “nice-to-haves,” like home renovations. Also in this episode: The future of global energy demand will be driven by a mix of renewables and fossil fuels, high school students take a new AP class melding business and personal finance, and neighbors organize to cooperatively buy their mobile home park.

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The human costs of Medicaid cuts

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:20:00 +0000

The big Republican tax and spending law that President Donald Trump signed a little more than a year ago made significant cuts to Medicaid funding. States scrambling to make up for that deficit are now pulling back on some home health services. Today, we'll get into the promises codified by the Americans with Disabilities Act, how Medicaid cuts threaten those promises, and what it means for folks with disabilities and the elderly. Plus, what the Fed's rate hike means for everyday borrowing costs.

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Stories featured in this episode:

What Medicaid cuts mean for those who rely on home healthcare

Airfares have been taking off

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:47:00 +0000

One of the fastest-rising prices last month was airline fares. They were up 23% year over year in August, according to the latest reading of the consumer price index, and they’ve been climbing steadily all year. Thing is, demand hasn't slowed, though. We dig in. Also on the show: the higher prices driving the Fed's push for higher interest rates and how Medicaid cuts are starting to show up in state budgets and people's lives.

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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:

Insurers race to cover AI errors

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

More than 1 in 5 U.S. companies now use artificial intelligence in their daily operations, according to a recent analysis of federal data from Goldman Sachs. In theory AI offers the promise of greater productivity and profits, but even with advances in capabilities, these systems are still fundamentally unpredictable, creating new liabilities for firms that use them.

That’s where insurance typically comes in. But AI is disrupting that business, too. Deloitte projects insurance for AI will grow into a nearly $5 billion global business by 2032.

Should you leave the country for your next doctor’s appointment?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Millions of Americans leave the U.S. each year for medical care. But how do you reap the rewards of medical tourism while managing the risks? And why do some have to travel out of the country to get affordable healthcare in the first place? This week on the show, Reema is joined by Dr. Alok Patel and podcast host TK Dutes to discuss what it’s like to travel for medical care, and how to do so safely.

Plus: another edition of “Alice Gets Her Life Together,” in which producer Alice Wilder tries to get into the habit of expense tracking.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

Bond traders take a turn in the spotlight

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:10:00 +0000

The yield on 10-year T-notes climbed to its highest point since 2007 on Wednesday, as the Fed raised its key rate for the first time since July 2023. Swirling inflation and uncertainty have put all eyes on the bond market. So what’s it like to be a bond trader, suddenly at the center of attention? In this episode, we check in with a few of them. Plus: Higher borrowing costs will likely further stall the housing market, we explain “fiscal dominance,” and young people navigate “repayment avoidance.”

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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.

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Rising diesel prices will mean rising grocery prices

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:05:00 +0000

The average price of a gallon of diesel just passed $6 for the first time late last week. Since then, it’s kept climbing and hit $6.31 a gallon this morning. A year ago, it was well under $4. That, of course, has implications for all sorts of other prices across the economy, too — particularly at the grocery store. We explain. Plus, what will a "quieter" Federal Reserve do about persistent inflation?

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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 covered in this episode:

It's only a matter of time before rising diesel prices show up in the grocery aisle

Where interest rates go from here

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:50:00 +0000

Later today, we’ll learn whether Federal Reserve officials have decided to raise interest rates or leave them alone. Either way, economists and investors will be looking for an explanation from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and some hints about what comes next. Then, a sprawling copyright lawsuit over reggaeton's defining rhythm, which has targeted Bad Bunny, Karol G, Daddy Yankee, and hundreds of other artists, was hit with a major setback in court earlier this month.

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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.

AI safety requires action, not promises

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

AI leaders suddenly seem to agree on slowing down the AI race. Anthropic's Dario Amodei published an essay last weekend calling to "pace the frontier" — slow the development of advanced AI to allow safety measures to catch up. He said Anthropic will give access to independent safety evaluators, to which OpenAI's Sam Altman and XAI's Elon Musk concurred.

It's all giving déjà vu to Amy Webb, founder of the Future Today Strategy Group, who’s been pushing government leaders around the globe to adopt a similar framework for AI for almost a decade. She laid out her vision in her 2019 book “The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity.”

More on this:

“AI CEOs want to ‘pace’ the industry. That may not mean slowing down.” from NBC News

“AI's leaders just asked to slow down. I made that case nine years ago.” from Amy Webb

“We Must Pace the Frontier” from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei

Imports are way, way up

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 22:15:00 +0000

August marked the third-highest level of container imports to the U.S. on record. Sure, it’s usually a busy month for holiday shopping inventory, but there’s also that pesky looming inflation and ongoing tariff uncertainty. In this episode, why U.S. retailers are stocking way up. Plus: The stock market braces for a likely Fed rate hike, wildlife highway crossings save money and lives, and Carter’s undergoes a rebrand aimed at a new generation of parents.

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Why a 10-year bond at a 5% yield is a pretty big deal

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:15:00 +0000

The yield or interest rate on 10-year Treasury bonds has reached the critical threshold of 5%. This is a key rate because it’s tied to some major borrowing costs for consumers. This morning, we have more on why bond yields are rising and how they could affect you. Also on the show: how rate hikes actually work to bring inflation down, and we continue our earlier conversation about the rise of so-called "Main Street millionaires."

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Stories featured in this episode:

So much of America's wealth is really held by "Everywhere Millionaires"

Understanding the "stealthy wealthy"

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:46:00 +0000

Picture someone wealthy; your image may be of some tech billionaire. Now picture the wealthiest person you know. Odds are it's not a Silicon Valley tech mogul or Wall Street banker; it's probably a small business owner. Turns out, wealth from successful small business owners dwarfs the Forbes 400. A new book, "The Everywhere Millionaire," explores its scale. This morning, we have a conversation with its authors. But first: soybean biofuels and diesel prices.

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Stories covered in this episode:

Why AI models are obsessed with creatures

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The problem of AI alignment has become a hot topic. It’s raised questions, like how do we get AI to do what we want, and not what we don't want? For example, hacking another company. Or, in a less criminal vein, how do we get AI to stop talking about goblins?

After mounting user reports of this behavior earlier this year, OpenAI had to give its models — ChatGPT and Codex — explicit instructions to cut it out. It's the topic of today's “Uncanny AI,” those moments when it's clear AI doesn't think like us.

Janelle Shane, author of the blog "AI Weirdness,” says goblin mode emerged from a nerdy personality customization. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino asked her why.

What's an auction and how does it work?

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

A new season of “Million Bazillion” is almost here. But first, we’re resharing one of our favorite episodes. Today, Ryan and Bridget are answering Hezekiah’s questions about auctions. He wants to know everything about them — what are they, how do they work, and what’s up with those paddles and the fast talkin’? Ryan and Bridget head to their very first auction to find out. But the pair get caught up in the excitement and end up accidentally buying the very first “Million Bazillion” mascot. They’ll use the help and experience of their new friend, a real-life 16-year-old auctioneer, to navigate the auction and steer out of trouble.

A cast of hawkish central bankers

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:25:00 +0000

At this week’s FOMC meeting, it’s likely Fed governors will hike interest rates. They won’t be alone. The EU raised rates last week and Japan is expected to do the same at its upcoming meeting. These central bankers are all dealing with similar inflationary pressures, and hawkish rate-setters stick together. Also in this episode: The U.S. dollar rises in anticipation of a rate hike, diesel prices break records, the subscription-BNPL-rental economy reduces how much we really own.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

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More pain at the pump to come

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:45:00 +0000

Crude oil prices are up again this morning. For months, we've been hearing about the Strait of Hormuz, how the slowdown of oil tanker traffic there has affected prices, but the fighting is now affecting oil flows in other parts of the Middle East. Brent crude, the global benchmark, is trading above $108 a barrel — up about 10% over the past week. We have the latest and what it means for your wallet. Plus, the push for AI guardrails and what's next for interest rates.

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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 case for an AI slowdown

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:02:00 +0000

The push for guardrails for Artificial Intelligence took on new urgency over the weekend. The leaders of several AI companies called for a slowdown in AI research in the name of safety. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, issued an open letter on Saturday arguing that now is the time to "slow the pace of AI research." We'll unpack. Then, Cleveland pitches its job market to recent college grads.

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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 covered in this episode:

Cities want college grads to stay. Here's Cleveland's pitch.

What might our tax system look like in the age of AI?

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Our tax system was built around an economy where humans earn wages, companies employ workers, and both contribute to the public purse.

So what happens if AI starts changing that equation?

Marketplace’s Future Effects correspondent David Brancaccio has been exploring just that in his series, “Robots Ate My Taxes.”

When boomer "collectibles" become millennial "inheritance"

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

As a special bonus this weekend, we’re revisiting one of our favorite stories from 2024, which Reema and Alice mentioned in the latest episode.

While sorting through her father’s belongings after his death, Amanda Petteruti came across a collection of locked toolboxes. What she discovered inside made her rethink what she knew about her family’s finances and left her with unsettling questions about her dad: Why had he spent so much money on this secret hobby? Why was it now Amanda’s burden to handle? And how do you find closure with someone once they’re gone?

Inflation trumps wage gains

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:35:00 +0000

The latest BLS data put real hourly wage gains at -0.3% last month, compared to last year. That’s thanks to inflation running hotter than pay raises. To make up for it, some workers are putting in extra hours or dipping into their savings. In this episode, how much longer can Americans cope with what are effectively inflation-driven pay cuts? Plus: The gender wage gap slows economic productivity, housing starts grow in the Northeast as they fall elsewhere, and we weigh the possible outcomes of next week’s FOMC meeting.

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Inflation, energy, and bond market interventions

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:01:00 +0000

This morning, we got consumer price index data for August. Prices went up 0.4%, and annual inflation is running at 3.4% — in line with expectations, but still way above what the Fed would like to see. Today, we'll break down the fresh inflation data, as well as rising bond yields, global interest rates, energy price fluctuations, and more of this week's market news. Plus, a Canadian business owner reflects on how his government is handling the trade war.

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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.

Sometimes, a trade war is good for business

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:50:00 +0000

Haven Greens is a 5-acre indoor farm located in King City, Ontario, Canada. They grow cut baby leaf greens like lettuce. The majority of leafy greens consumed in Canada come from abroad. Since the trade war with the U.S. began, Haven Greens has grown and made big inroads with Canadian supermarkets. This morning, we check in with its CEO and founder. But first: what's ahead for oil prices (as best we can guess).

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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.

AI safety concerns grow as insiders issue urgent warnings

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

An Anthropic researcher publicly resigned this week, warning on social media that artificial intelligence companies are “gambling with our lives.”

It’s part of a growing chorus of insiders pleading to slow down the AI race. One said he believed there was a greater than 10% chance the tech will kill us all in the next decade.

The news comes after a fresh wave of troubling details about the OpenAI incident where agents escaped a testing environment and hacked into Hugging Face.

Plus, data center developers have their eye on Patagonia — the colder, the better. And Amazon is betting AI lip-syncing can make dubbed video content more watchable.

Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino to break down the busy week in tech news.

Everything we talked about:

Scoop: Sanders convenes senators for AI briefing amid mounting alarm — from Axios

Tech explores Argentina's Patagonia for mega data centers — from Reuters

Google to invest record $15 billion in AI infrastructure in the ‘Texas of Europe’ — from CNBC

Amazon Prime Video’s new AI tech matches lips to dubbed audio — from The Verge

What's the new normal for global oil?

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 22:05:00 +0000

Oil industry analysts were hopeful earlier this year that Trump’s war in the Middle East would be short-lived. But it’s become clear that an open flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz will require sustained cooperation between the U.S. and Iran. S&P Global now expects dampered production and choppy prices to continue into 2027. Also in this episode: Trucking costs are pushed up by record-breaking diesel prices and a shortage of English-speaking drivers. And, is it a good idea to use AI to develop pharmaceutical drugs?

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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:

How much is the AI data center buildout driving economic growth?

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:45:00 +0000

Today, the Census Bureau releases its wholesale trade report for July, which could give us some insight into one of the big drivers of economic activity in the U.S. right now: AI data centers. Sales of electrical equipment, computers, and machinery have been really strong as companies build out the infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence. We hear more. Then, could nixing parking spot requirements help spur new housing construction?

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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.

Cost of living is top of mind for midterm voters

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:55:00 +0000

Less than eight weeks until midterm elections, the economy remains the center of voters' attention. Ipsos and Reuters just released a poll that found 74% of voters think their own cost of living is heading down the wrong track. What’s more, 59% of Americans don’t think their family has a good chance of improving their standard of living. Also on the show: a preview of Friday's consumer price index and the economic impact of Germany's border checks.

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.

What's so concerning about the Hugging Face hack?

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Nate Soares has been worried about artificial intelligence longer than almost anyone.

He's the president of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute and co-author of the subtly named book, "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All."

He's watched with a sort of grim vindication, as increasingly alarming details emerge about the hack of the AI company Hugging Face by OpenAI models in development.

OpenAI and third-party investigators recently released reports outlining what went wrong. Soares worries it's not enough.

More on this:

The Hugging Face incident and the road ahead - From OpenAI

Brief independent investigation of agents’ behavior, reasoning and collaboration in the OpenAI / Hugging Face hacking incident - From METR and Redwood Research

Listeners weigh in: Wedding hacks, questionable investments, and a fix for doom spending

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Who doesn’t love getting mail? This week on the show, Reema and Alice open up the mailbag and respond to your messages about questionable investments, doomspending, and caring for aging loved ones. Plus, we hear your advice on keeping weddings affordable for your guests and wedding party.

Past stories referenced in this episode:

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

The case for healthcare price caps

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 22:25:00 +0000

Healthcare affordability is top-of-mind for many Americans right now. And for a long time, state legislators’ only avenue for easing that burden was through care subsidies. But what about looking at the problem from a whole new angle? In this episode, two states, unalike in their political leanings, try out healthcare price caps. Plus: Rising oil prices push up short-term bond yields, more homebuyers look into adjustable-rate mortgages, and we try to predict Fed Chair Warsh’s next move.

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Where housing and childcare eat up the most income

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:30:00 +0000

Paying for housing and childcare can eat up more than half of the median U.S. family’s income, a new report finds. The least affordable metro areas in the country for working families with kids are Los Angeles and New York City, where the median cost of childcare plus the notoriously high cost of housing devour 95% or more of the median income. We have more. Plus, who's funding the Republican midterm convention in Dallas?

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Inside the booming secondhand luxury market

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:05:00 +0000

Online reseller The RealReal says demand for vintage on the site is up more than 400% since 2020. Meanwhile, rival ThredUp projects the global resale market will hit $400 billion by 2030. On this morning's program: Why some of today's shoppers view secondhand designer goods as smart investments. But first, hours after Canada imposed new tariffs on American goods, President Donald Trump announced a ban on some imported Canadian products like beer, wine, and liquor.

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Stories covered in this episode:

Why the designer resale market is booming right now

Meta's youth safety settlement could change how people access the internet

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Meta agreed to a settlement last month with 52 attorneys general in a landmark case over teen social media addiction. The company promised a number of restrictions for under 18-year-old users, like time limits, overnight blackouts on some features and hidden likes. It also agreed to pay up to $17 billion, partly contingent on TikTok and YouTube adopting similar reforms.

Surveys show a strong majority of Americans support stricter limitations on social media for kids. But, this settlement could fundamentally change how everyone accesses the internet, according to Will Creeley, legal director at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

More on this:

“That $17B Meta settlement comes with a catch: Your online speech rights” from The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

“Majority of Americans support banning social media for kids under 16” from Pew Research Center

Canada taxes back

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Canada levied a range of tariffs on U.S. goods Tuesday, escalating an ongoing trade war launched by President Donald Trump. It isn’t the first time the two countries have tiffed over trade, but it is, by at least one historian’s estimation, unprecedented. In this episode, we trace the neighboring nations’ historic partnership, and weigh what’s next. Plus: Small business owners report mixed economic outlook, ChatGPT recommends a made-up deodorant brand, and Monterey Park, California, models community-led data center resistance.

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Canada strikes back in the trade war

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:25:00 +0000

Tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. imports to Canada are officially in effect today. The import duties are Canada’s response to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration last month and a sign that the renewed trade war with the United States’ second-largest trading partner is nowhere near an end. This morning, we explain Canada's tariffs, put them into context, and discuss their market impacts. Also: the long-term effects of financially supporting your parents.

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How providing financial support to your parents impacts wealth-building

What to expect from inflation expectations

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:40:00 +0000

Today, the New York Fed will release its monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations, which will provide data points the central bank’s Open Market Committee will use to decide whether to raise interest rates to tamp down inflation. We have a preview this morning. Then, we head to a Philadelphia farmers market to hear how customers and local lettuce growers have been responding to the cyclospora outbreak.

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The Silicon Valley hopefuls living in hacker houses

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Kenji Yamamoto got a gig working on Apple promotional videos a decade ago and went looking for temporary housing in the pricey Bay Area. What he found was an inside look at the world of hacker houses.

These are group residences for people who come to Silicon Valley to pursue their dreams — like a college dorm for startup hopefuls. Yamamoto takes viewers inside that world in his new documentary for PBS, “The Dreamers and I.”

More on this:

“The Dreamers and I” from PBS

“The New (And Slightly Smelly) Center of the AI Boom” from The Atlantic

As prices rise, so too does our credit reliance

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Prices are rising faster than average wages in this economy, and many Americans have turned to credit to keep up. They are paying it off for now, but what happens if the Fed raises interest rates later this month? Also in this episode: Artificial intelligence appears to be the cause of some job cuts in the finance sector, business owners along Spain’s Camino de Santiago report busier foot traffic — for better and worse — and the Mexican government rolls out a line of small electric cars.

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Global investors continue dumping bonds

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:10:00 +0000

U.S. bond markets are closed today for the Labor Day holiday, but we're continuing to track the global bond sell-off. However, is this a sell-off or more of a normalization? We'll set the scene for current movements in the bond market and try to paint a picture of what lies ahead. Then, as part of our “Clocked Out” series, we'll hear about one woman's transition from clinical research to med school.

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A day in the life of a 32-year-old medical student

Should Canada join the EU?

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:50:00 +0000

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to address the European Parliament later this month. Given the ongoing trade war with the U.S, Canada is looking to reduce its dependence on its not-so-neighborly neighbor to the South. But could the trade war push Canada to go so far as to join the European Union? Today, we dig into the likelihood — and consequences — of such a move. But first: trouble in the athleisure industry.

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What it's like to log off from a career in tech

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

More Americans are leaving the labor force for a variety of reasons. The labor force participation rate — which measures the share of working-age Americans who either have a job or are looking for a job — has fallen sharply this year, and it’s been on a steady decline for decades. We hear from Kris Bell, who recently retired early from a long career in the tech industry, about why he chose to make the leap.

Wage growth disappoints

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:30:00 +0000

This economy added twice the amount of jobs expected in August, which is good news for the labor market. Still, the latest jobs report showed average hourly earnings were up just 3.1% annually — the slowest growth in more than five years. In this episode, when we can expect wages to start keeping up with inflation. Plus: American tourism to Europe is up, some farmers rely on decades-old machinery as budgets tighten, and one mom goes back to school 15 years after she started.

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What wasn't counted in August's jobs report?

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0000

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.

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The minimum wage problem

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:02:00 +0000

This morning, we’re checking in on wages. A new report from the Cleveland Fed found that a record number of workers legally entitled to the minimum wage were paid below that last year in the 10 most populous U.S. states. We look at that growing problem, before another installment in our “Clocked Out” series follows an interior designer whose career plans were changed by caring for her aging mother.

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NYC public schools ban AI through middle school

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Google survives yet another antitrust case without having to break up its business. Plus, New York City public schools announced a new policy this week banning the use of AI among elementary and middle school students.

But first, John Ternus took over as CEO of Apple after a 15-year run by Tim Cook. Joanna Stern, founder of the media company New Things, joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino to explain more about what this means for the iPhone maker on this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Everything we talked about

“Apple Begins Its Next Balancing Act as New C.E.O. Takes Over” from The New York Times

“Why Apple’s folding iPhone will be ‘Ultra’ in name only” from Macworld

“In a Big Win, Google Avoids a Breakup of Its Ad Tech Business” from The New York Times

“Nation’s largest school district bans AI in the classroom through 8th grade” from CNN

“Three AI agents. One school shopping list.” from New Things

Chevron's big bet

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 22:25:00 +0000

American oil giant Chevron plans to funnel $7 billion into its Venezuela operations over the next five years, with a goal of more than doubling its production in the country. In this episode, we explain what Chevron has to gain from the deal and why other oil companies are hesitant to follow. After that: Can zero job growth be part of a healthy labor market? Are diesel prices affecting railroad freighting demand? And, will better-fitted windows turn into energy savings?

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Looking ahead to August's jobs numbers

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0000

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.

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The 'right-to-work' pay gap

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000

People living in “right-to-work” states make nearly 7% less, on average, than those living in states without them, according to the Economic Policy Institute. That gap has doubled in the past decade. This morning, we look at how state laws impact union membership and wages, more broadly. Also, the story of a veteran who turned to a federal program after losing his sight to glaucoma.

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Is there too much money in college sports?

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

College sports has become a multi-billion dollar industry, but until just a few years ago, the actual athletes never saw a penny. It wasn’t until 2021 that the NCAA decided that college athletes could make money off of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). Guest host Alice Wilder talks to Madeline Hill and Charlotte Wilder (no relation), hosts of The Sports Gossip Show, to understand how NIL is changing the game for student athletes, financially and emotionally.

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What if the AI boom never turns a profit?

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Even if artificial intelligence leads to a more prosperous future in the long run, most agree there will be a lot of disruption in the meantime. Marketplace’s senior correspondent for Future Effects, David Brancaccio, explores how that AI disruption will mean layoffs, underemployment and ultimately less income tax revenue for the government. Experts say now’s the time to revamp the tax system for the age of AI.

Even higher diesel prices are coming

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 22:30:00 +0000

The average cost of a gallon of diesel was $5.68 on Wednesday — just 13 cents shy of a record high. Tariffs and ongoing wars are both to blame. But so is a seasonal upswing that happens every fall. In this episode, why diesel prices are likely going to get even steeper before they cool off. Plus: A computer model helps make the case for fewer mandated parking spots in city construction projects, Uber wants to shrink its middle management, and Alaska families celebrate dipnetting season.

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Tea, tariffs, and tough decisions

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:10:00 +0000

On this morning's show, "Marketplace Morning Report" host Kimberly Adams is joined by Rachel Rozner, owner and founder of Elden Street Tea Shop in Reston, Virginia. Rozner reflects on how tariffs and inflation have challenged her business. But first, the Commerce Department releases July factory orders today. That data gives us a sense of how manufacturers see future demand. We dig into how manufacturing has been doing so far this year.

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For this tea shop, it's not just tariffs weighing on business

Climbing costs across the supply chain

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:49:00 +0000

Costs for companies to ship and store goods rose significantly earlier this year after the U.S. and Israel invaded Iran, and they’ve stayed high, according to the Logistics Managers’ Index finds. The index for the combined cost of inventory, warehousing, and transportation has risen 18% this year. What do those higher costs for manufacturers and retailers mean for consumer prices? Plus, a check-in with one small business owner on the tariff refund process.

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AI in banking: the good, the bad, and the efficient

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The banking sector is figuring out how to navigate AI.

And the stakes are high. The tech has raised red flags over potential bias, particularly when it comes to lending practices.

But it could also make some banking operations more efficient.

Which would be especially valuable for smaller banks — which tend to operate with fewer resources than their bigger competitors.

Marketplace’s Justin Ho spoke with bankers at some smaller institutions about how they’re approaching the technology — and their concerns about the future of AI in banking.

Borrowing costs go boom

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 21:55:00 +0000

Bond yields jumped to multi-decade highs in some countries this week, as market anxiety about inflation and the Iran war grows. The U.S. is not exempt from this turmoil. Borrowing rates could balloon, affecting the Fed and your wallet. We’ll explain. Also in this episode: The labor market barely budges in July job openings and labor turnover data, U.S. solar energy storage capacity nearly doubles under President Trump, and Reddit becomes valuable internet real estate in the age of AI.

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The economic power of BTS

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:41:00 +0000

South Korean boy band BTS is currently in the U.S. as part of their first world tour after a four-year hiatus. Their fans, known as ARMY, are extremely loyal, and the concerts are attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees. That includes Susan Schmidt, portfolio manager at Exchange Capital Resources and a regular "Marketplace Morning Report" contributor. Today, Schmidt joins the show to explain the economic impacts of BTS and its fans. Plus, what's with the global bond selloff?

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Stories featured in this program:

Understanding the economic impact of BTS — and its ARMY of fans

Shein makes its stock market debut

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:59:00 +0000

Ultra-fast fashion company Shein started trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange today. Once valued at about $100 billion, the company went public at closer to $27 billion. The Shein IPO has been years in the making. This morning, we'll delve into what took so long, where the brand stands within the fashion retail landscape, and what the IPO could mean for customers. But first: what a jump agriculture export prices means for farmers.

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Ring founder Jamie Siminoff on default encryption and AI privacy

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Amazon's popular brand of video-enabled smart home and security devices, Ring, is adding a new encryption system called TAKE — Throw Away the Key Encryption. It allows users to encrypt all video their home cameras capture while keeping advanced AI-enabled capabilities and security features active.

The company already offered traditional end-to-end encryption, but that disabled advanced security features processed on the cloud that required Ring servers to maintain access to the video. Ring’s founder, Jamie Siminoff, says TAKE works by changing — or "throwing away" — the encryption key so Amazon servers don't have permanent access.

More on this:

“Ring introduces TAKE, setting a new industry standard for default encryption and control” from Amazon

“Ring says its new encryption limits what it can give police” from The Verge

“Ring Superbowl Ad Shows Americans How Powerful Surveillance Systems Have Become, Freaks Them Out” from The American Civil Liberties Union

Oil markets brace for maintenance season

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:25:00 +0000

In Texas oil country, September usually marks the beginning of maintenance season. But with refineries running at near-100% capacity to meet increased demand, this fall might look a bit different. In this episode, can the global oil market weather an even tighter supply squeeze? Plus: Fed watchers expect an interest rate hike in September despite Trump’s opposition, U.S. consumers keep up spending in the face of mediocre jobs data, and ski resorts hoard snow for the warmish winter.

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Food assistance, 62 years on

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:01:00 +0000

Sixty-two years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act into law, making food stamps — now known as SNAP benefits — permanent. But Congress approved major funding cuts to SNAP last summer and introduced new work requirements. So what does the future of SNAP look like? Plus, what's on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's agenda for G20 and, from "Marketplace Tech," a look at ICE's massive DNA collection.

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Stories included in this episode:

More than six decades after it was signed into law, the program known as SNAP is at risk

What BookTok is doing for bookstores

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:40:00 +0000

More than 1,500 new independent bookstores have opened nationwide since 2020, according to the American Booksellers Association. And the pace is accelerating: the ABA recorded more than 600 new store openings in 2025 alone. Paradoxically, the big drivers of the boom are online retail and social media. We'll explain. Also on this morning's show: what Canadian tariffs mean for cars and housing, plus a preview of this week's G20 summit in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Stories featured in this episode:

How BookTok is powering a brick-and-mortar bookstore boom

ICE is collecting DNA from detainees for future policing

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Immigration and Customs Enforcement may be responsible for collecting the DNA of nearly a million people in 2025. The genetic material is then sent to the FBI, where it can be stored for future policing. That’s according to an updated report from Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Stevie Glaberson, a co-author of the report, about the DNA collection practice — and its legal implications.

More on this:

Raiding the Genome: How the United States Government Is Abusing Its Immigration Powers to Amass DNA for Future Policing | Center on Privacy and Technology | Georgetown Law from Georgetown Law

ICE Collected Nearly 1 Million People’s DNA Last Year—Including Young Children | WIRED from Wired

The ongoing cost of ICE raids on Latino entreprenuers

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 22:35:00 +0000

It’s been more than a year since the Trump administration intensified ICE raids in immigrant communities across the U.S. Latino entreprenuers say the toll on their businesses has been worse than the pandemic. In this episode, the ongoing economic harm caused by Trump’s relentless deportation agenda. Plus: Small businesses grapple with more tariff uncertainty, Canada posts strong GDP growth, and we break down Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s first Jackson Hole speech.

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The summer of the "very stretched consumer"

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 15:02:00 +0000

Consumer confidence is down in the dumps. We got lots of retail earnings reports this week, and they hinted at the continued K-shape of our economy, where wealthier consumers spend and buoy retailers while lower-income consumers scale back. What does this mean for retailers like Dollar General, Kohl's, Walmart, and Amazon? Then, we'll recap escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada and how they could hit the automotive industry particularly hard.

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Could tech startups rescue rural healthcare?

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:55:00 +0000

Late last year, the federal government announced the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion initiative looking to improve the health of rural residents and to offset more than $900 billion in reduced Medicaid spending over 10 years from Republicans’ sweeping 2025 tax and spending law. This morning, we hear how Louisiana is focusing some of that cash toward tech firms. Also on the show: spending on electronics and Kevin Warsh's inaugural Jackson Hole address.

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Meta's landmark social media settlement

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Meta announced this week that it has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle a landmark trial over social media addiction. It also agreed to add stronger child-safety measures on its platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Some of the changes could include new screen time limits, disabled notifications and restrictions during school hours.

Plus, Nvidia reported strong quarterly earnings earlier this week, again. And while investors have been wary of AI spending, Wall Street seemed pleased with the results this time. And the Environmental Protection Agency is planning to eliminate a requirement that forces states to publicize and seek public feedback for new air pollution permits. Anita Ramaswamy at The Information joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino for these stories.

Check out our YouTube page to watch more episodes of “Tech Bytes.”

Grass is always greener

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 22:35:00 +0000

The NFL is back in a couple weeks, and so is artificial turf. Several NFL stadiums rolled out the green carpet this summer for World Cup matches, which are mandated to be played on grass. For the 92% of NFL players who prefer the real stuff, it’s proof-of-concept — and could become a players union bargaining objective come 2030. Also in this episode: Nvidia announces eye-popping long-term revenue expectations, retail inventories tick up, and we weigh a tax on robot labor.

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Why inflation in this country is so sticky

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:08:00 +0000

Inflation in July remained stubbornly elevated, the personal consumption expenditures price index showed; it was up 3.7% overall. Consumers have faced massive increases in the costs of energy, insurance, electronics, and more over recent months. What does this "stubborn" and "sticky" inflation mean for the central bank as its leaders meet this week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming? Also on the program: lessons from Chicago on trying to raise money when tax revenue crashes.

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If AI really changes the economy, who pays for the disruption?

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:24:00 +0000

Artificial Intelligence is already shifting how many of us live and work. If the tech titans of our era have their way, we're just getting started on a path of massive economic transition. We’ve been hearing from experts all week about how America’s system of taxation may need an overhaul if AI takes over an increasing number of human jobs. If AI shrinks the workforce and tax base, a sovereign wealth fund could help make up the difference. But critics warn of unintended risks. We dig in. Then, what to look for in Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's remarks in Jackson Hole this week.

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Before chasing quick fixes for the AI tax problem, look at Chicago's parking meters

If only he hadn’t spent so much on those turntables!

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Ever look back and wish you could stop your past self from making a financial mistake? Yeah, us too. This week, Reema talks to researchers Abigail Sussman and Hal Hershfield about how to handle financial regrets, why our past choices look so much clearer in hindsight, and how our emotions and blind spots shape our financial lives. Plus, a new segment of “Alice Gets Her Life Together” on how to budget for a vacation.

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One historic LA theater's 70 mm movie makeover for "The Odyssey"

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Old school film technology is having a moment this summer. Moviegoers have traveled far and wide to see Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” in its intended IMAX 70 mm film format. But even theaters with non-IMAX 70 mm film projection are hard to come by. The Alex Theatre in Glendale, California was renovated to screen “The Odyssey” in 70 mm film.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Miles Williams, the theater’s artistic director, about the renovation and why old school film technology is attracting Gen Z film fans.

How much power does the Fed really have?

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:15:00 +0000

Another month, another PCE report that put annual core inflation meaningfully above the Fed’s 2% target. The central bank has been fighting high inflation for more than five years now. At a certain point, you might start to wonder, does the Fed even have the power to fix it? Also in this episode: Consumer confidence falls, transportation durable goods orders tick up, and Arizona’s Great Recession-era bid to save the state budget offers insight into how AI might change our tax structure.

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How much oil is really getting through the Strait of Hormuz?

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:10:00 +0000

The U.S. says our forces in the Middle East have been keeping oil traffic flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, but independent trackers can't account for all of it. The Wall Street Journal's Georgi Kantchev, who has looked into the discrepancy and what it means for everyday consumers, joins this morning’s show to discuss. Plus, we reflect on Dolly Parton as a role model for women in the workplace and talk about where stubborn pockets of inflation persist.

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A pullback in the sneaker market

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:58:00 +0000

Dick’s Sporting Goods says 2026 isn’t shaping up the way it expected and is revising its outlook for the year downward. That includes lowering its expectations for sales at Foot Locker, which Dick’s acquired last September. The company blamed “challenging conditions in the athletic footwear marketplace.” What's going on? Then, as part of our “Robots Ate My Taxes” series, what Akron's tire collapse can teach us about the AI economy.

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Meta’s push to make their smart glasses cool

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

When Meta Ray-Ban glasses were launched in 2021, they didn’t perform so well on the market. But in recent years, Meta has been partnering with fashion brands like Coperni and with pop culture figures like Kylie Jenner and Teyana Taylor, in order to expand their demographic reach.

Kylie Jenner recently launched her own model of Meta glasses, called Starfire. But the campaign didn’t go over especially well, says Carrie Battan, a contributing writer at New York Magazine. Putting a spotlight on the glasses has only increased scrutiny — with some calling them “pervert glasses”.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Battan about her recent piece in New York Magazine’s “The Cut”, where she tracks Meta’s push to make smart glasses cool.

More on this:

The Cursed Quest to Make Meta Glasses Cool from The Cut

Preparing for an AI tax crisis

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 22:05:00 +0000

If artificial intelligence really does replace human labor, the U.S. could be in for a tax revenue crisis. That’s because high unemployment shrinks the pool of taxable wages. In this episode, we visit Akron, Ohio — the former tire capital of the world — to learn what happens when lost jobs snowball into lost government funding. Plus: Economists hope for cake but will settle for crumbs in Fed Chair Warsh’s Jackson Hole Symposium speech, and a new plan for Colorado River drought management draws backlash.

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Read the stories in today’s episode:

Will Fed Chair Warsh actually say anything in his big Friday speech?
Two years after Hurricane Helene, Asheville Tea Company finds a new home
What Akron's rubber bust can teach us about a possible AI tax crisis
The new Colorado River plan is out, and it's already under fire

LIV Golf could now be in the rough

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:05:00 +0000

In 2022, LIV Golf pulled major golf stars away from the established PGA Tour with massive payouts. But this year, the Saudi Public Investment Fund pulled funding from the organization. This morning, we’re discussing how the upstart league struggled to attract fans and the broader impact of sports investment. But first, we talk Canada preparing to unveil retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. later today.

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Stories featured in this episode:

Saudi Arabia will no longer fund LIV Golf. What happened?

A reignited trade war

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Canada is expected to launch retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. today, after President Donald Trump’s administration launched 50% tariffs on an array of goods (and threatened even more). Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to match them dollar-for-dollar. This morning, we talk about what we’ve heard from both countries and how this came around. Also, how a small township in northeast Ohio hosts a detailed D-Day reenactment.

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Stories featured in this episode:

Here's what it takes to put on the country's biggest WWII reenactment

California's data and privacy laws aren't being followed

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

California promised consumers an easier way to protect their personal data. Since 2024, the Delete Act has required the state registration of data brokers — businesses that collect and sell personal data from our digital footprints — and it also mandates they give consumers a way to request their data be deleted and report how many requests they get.

But, a new Stanford report shows registered data brokers are largely ignoring the laws. Jennifer King, privacy and data policy fellow at Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered AI, says only 9% of data brokers are in compliance.

More on this:

“Regulating Data Brokers in the Age of AI: A California Case Study” from Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI

“About DROP and the Delete Act” from the California Privacy Protection Agency

Does Canada need new energy partners?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:02:00 +0000

Fuel hasn’t been touched in the trade clash between the U.S. and Canada (yet). It’s probably because the countries have an interdependent energy relationship — American refineries rely on Canadian crude; 90% of Canadian crude exports go to the U.S. But as tensions escalate, we started to wonder: Is Canada looking for alternative buyers? Also in this episode: Imported Mexican cattle could temporarily ease beef prices, Walmart bucks inflation trend by announcing grocery price cuts, and suburbia embraces factory-built homes.

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Tariffs with Canada, again

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:35:00 +0000

Negotiations between the United States and Canada fell apart over the weekend, failing to prevent the U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products that cover a wide array of goods. Julia Coronado, founder and president of MacroPolicy Perspectives, joins the show this morning for context on that and inflation, before we look at more long-term Treasury bonds being issued and insurance coverage problems for GLP-1 drugs.

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Fewer employers are covering GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Should they?

The next health insurance cost crunch

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Health insurance plans sponsored by employers could cost more than $19,000 per employee on average in 2027, according to insurance broker Aon — a rise of 9.5%. This morning, we’re talking about how workers could pay more as a result, even though companies typically shoulder about 80% of the cost. Also, we look at how more domestic travel spending is affecting one destination in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.

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Stories featured in this episode:

Health plans will cost more in 2027, for employers and workers

AI loves negative parallelism

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Anthropic recently announced it's adding watermarks to all text outputted by its chatbot Claude. But often, you don't need fancy detection software to know; you just need to look for language that gets repeated over and over by AI chatbots, like “it's not X, it's Y.”

That's a rhetorical structure referred to as negative parallelism. And it's the topic for today's “Uncanny AI,” those times when it becomes clear AI doesn't think like us. Will Oremus recently wrote about this AI tic for The Atlantic.

More on this

“The Most Famous AI Writing Tic Is Also the Most Mysterious” from The Atlantic

“Move Over Em-Dash, There’s a New AI Tell in Town” from Ai-Ai-OH

When unemployment becomes endless

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 22:15:00 +0000

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.

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The Girl Scout Cookie queens of America

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:35:00 +0000

Girl Scout Cookies represent a $800 million industry. A new documentary called “Cookie Queens” follows sellers across the country, and one of those featured, Olive, joins the show to discuss the economic lessons she’s learned. But first, Lauren Saidel-Baker, economist at ITR Economics, tells us what retail earnings can reveal about the U.S. consumer.

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Inflation comes for back-to-school

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Prices for some back-to-school supplies are up this year, alongside other essentials like groceries and gas. Shoppers aren’t just turning to cheaper brands — they’re buying less, and cutting out non-essentials. This morning, we look at how inflation could affect shopping extending into the holiday season. Then, we discuss the cost of our debt pushing up interest rates, and a North Carolina Girl Scout talks cookie selling.

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Stories featured in this episode:

“Back to school” on a budget

OpenAI to offer safety features for teens using ChatGPT

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

OpenAI is launching ChatGPT for Teens, which has new guardrails to steer conversations from sensitive topics like self-harm or sexual content. It’ll also include parental controls and features intended to support studying without the cognitive offloading that often happens.

Plus, the surge in construction of AI data centers has increased the value of basically any component that goes into them. Now, thieves are increasingly targeting cargo shipments of materials bound for data centers. And Amazon is expanding its drone deliveries. Paresh Dave at Wired joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino for these stories.

Everything we talked about:

“Introducing ChatGPT for Teens: Built for learning, backed by protections” from OpenAI

“OpenAI’s Second-Quarter Sales Show Tepid Growth Compared With Anthropic” from The Wall Street Journal

“States Seek $200 Billion From Meta Over Child Social Media Addiction Claims” from The New York Times

“‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Cargo Thefts Have Turned Violent in Pursuit of AI Hardware” from Wired

“Amazon Prime Air drone delivery is expanding to nearly 500 US cities and towns this year” from Amazon

Sec. Bessent's big plan to finance the national debt

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s buyback of long-term bonds was a bit of a letdown this week — the interest rates barely budged. The Treasury’s next move in its quest to rein in the national debt will be to issue a ton more short-term securities. But that might not be such a good idea, either. In this episode, we’ll catch you up on the bond market turmoil. Plus: Multifamily construction permits are a housing bright spot, the Fed’s favorite inflation measure is due for a methodology change, and two craft-focused small business owners share the view from their economy.

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Billionaires and British football

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:15:00 +0000

It's been a month now since the World Cup ended, but English football is back this week. The Premier League season kicks off Friday. And Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, is the latest American investor to buy a stake in a team — he’s now part of a group that purchased more than a third of Liverpool Football Club. Was it a smart investment? But first: Fewer homeowners are "equity-rich," and that concerns real estate analysts.

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Why you should care about the bond market right now

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:50:00 +0000

In case you missed it, investor jitters about borrowing, geopolitical conflict, and inflation drove the 30-year U.S. Treasury yield up to a nearly two-decade high. Then, the Treasury Department announced it would spend $4 billion on longer-term government bonds. There was some relief, and bond yields began to fall. We'll explain market reactions and why this is all about confidence in the long-term financial stability of the U.S. Plus, we'll learn about the current landscape for psychedelic therapy drugs.

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Why the Trump administration plans to boost funding for subsea cables

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Most of the world’s internet traffic flows through underwater cables on the ocean floor. The wires are also responsible for some $10 trillion worth of financial transactions every day.

And because those cables hold so much data and carry so much money, they’re also a potential security threat. That may explain why the U.S. and China are vying for control over the technology — and why the Trump administration is ramping up spending to replace cables in the Caribbean and Central America.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Erin Murphy, the managing director for Asia at Redpoint Advisors, about why these cables play a key role in geopolitics.

More on this:

US is considering big boost to anti-China spending globally from The Associated Press

Risk Beneath the Waves: Safeguarding Subsea Cables for a Secure Global Network from CSIS

How does anyone afford childcare?

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

How much should parents budget for daycare? Does it make more financial sense for both parents to work and pay for childcare, or for one parent to stay home and care for their child? And why is childcare so expensive if childcare workers aren’t paid enough? In this episode, Reema shares a big announcement… She also hears from listeners and new parents about how they’re making childcare work for their families, and public policy expert Taylor Morrissey explains why the childcare system in the United States feels so broken.

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Let's import some inflation

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:15:00 +0000

The price of imported goods, sans energy, was up 4.5% year-over-year in July. Data center buildout is driving that jump — imported computer prices were up 17%. In this episode, we explain why import price inflation is distinct from regular inflation and what that leap means for Fed rate-setting. Plus: U.S. oil firms ink deals with Venezuelan producers, the Treasury excecutes on major bond buybacks, and Kai meets a duo trying to turn Hollywood upside-down — or, at least, vertical.

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The government steps in to calm the bond market

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:30:00 +0000

The Treasury Department announced this morning that it'll double the amount it spends on its buyback operations for longer-term government bonds. It had planned to spend about $2 billion buying back government debt. Now, it will spend $4 billion. This comes after investor concerns over federal debt, global instability, and inflation drove the 30-year bond yield up to a nearly 20-year high. We explain. Then: why Mexico's government is launching a line of mini EVs.

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Stories covered in this episode:

Mexico launches its own electric car to show it can do more than build for other countries

Decisions and disagreements at the central bank

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:55:00 +0000

Later this afternoon, we'll get minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed kept interest rates steady in July, but there was some disagreement. A handful of Fed officials wanted to raise the cost of borrowing. This morning, we'll discuss the dissents, fresh economic data, and what to expect from today's report. Then, it's been five years since tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted to U.S. cities. We'll learn about their careers and lives.

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Stories featured in this episode:

Cyberattacks on U.S. water systems raise concerns about security

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Water systems across a dozen states were targeted by cyberattacks in recent weeks. So far, the water has remained safe to drink, but the incidents have raised concerns about the possibility of future attacks.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Nikita Shah, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about other vulnerable infrastructure and the steps that states can take to strengthen cybersecurity.

More on this:

How Tehran’s Use of Cyber Operations in the U.S.-Iran Conflict Has Evolved from CSIS

A Leaked Memo Ties Cyberattacks on Minnesota Water Utilities to Iran | WIRED from WIRED

New York awards $9M to protect water systems after cyberattacks in other states - Gothamist from Gothamist

Got beef?

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:15:00 +0000

Cattle herds are at a national low not seen since the 1950s. That’s driving up the price of beef for consumers, but it’s also affecting the companies that process cows into steaks and burgers. In this episode, why meatpacking plants are shuttering. Plus: Home Depot stays afloat despite a “frozen” housing market, retailers prepare to release quarterly earnings, and interior design is stuck in a “color recession.”

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"You can't learn on an empty stomach"

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:18:00 +0000

The school year is getting started across the country, but some families are sending their kids to school without access to a benefit many have relied on in previous years: free school meals. Significant changes to SNAP under last year's Republican tax and spending law have led to plummeting SNAP enrollment — which is often tied to free school meals. Also on the program: big retailers' quarterly results and a buyer's market (for wealthier homebuyers, that is).

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Stories in this episode:

A buyer's market? Yes. For those who can afford it.

Why it feels like you can't keep up

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:02:00 +0000

The average worker in the U.S. who stayed in their job between 2021 and 2024 saw their wages decline by 9% after inflation, a new paper finds. While the gap between wage growth and inflation is smaller now, that doesn’t undo the bad news of a few years ago. And this decline in real wages may be at the root of poor consumer sentiment. Plus, some Vermont businesses are offering steep discounts to lure back Canadian tourists.

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Stories covered in this episode:

As space launches increase, there aren't enough spaceports

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

More than 100 rockets took off into orbit from Florida’s Space Coast last year — a new record. And with more rockets taking flight each year, the availability of launch sites is becoming a bottleneck for the growing space industry.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to make it easier for space companies to build new spaceports to make way for the increasing number of rocket launches. The agency has proposed waiving some environmental requirements for space launch. Daniel Ackerman has been reporting on the space industry as part of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT.

How do claw machines work?

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Today, we’re resharing an episode that’s perfect for a summer listen. We’re answering Maddox’s question about what happens to your quarter when you put it inside a claw machine. It just zips away! Ryan and Bridget talk to an expert who lets them peek inside a claw machine to find out where that quarter goes. After getting some tips on how to win at the claw, Bridget gets a little too hung up on trying to win a stuffie, leaving it up to Ryan to bring her back to reality (shocking, we know).

Consumer sentiment takes a tumble

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Consumer spending fell in early August, according to preliminary results from the University of Michigan’s survey. July retail sales were down, and the average price of gas is nearing a record high for August. In today’s episode, we look at how consumers could be cutting discretionary spending as a result. Also, we’ll look at why China’s economy may be in trouble, the value of GDP as a statistic, fake business registrations in Colorado, Reddit joining the S&P 500, and the global plastics industry.

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A "Silk Road" in the Arctic?

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:56:00 +0000

China, the world's second-largest economy, sent several cargo ships through an Arctic route over the weekend, along waters hugging Russia's northern coast. The two countries are trying out a path that could become a new shipping lane from China's East Coast to the largest port in the U.K. — one that could avoid U.S.-controlled choke points for trade. But first, big retailers will report quarterly earnings this week. What could they tell us about the U.S. economy?

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Stories featured in this episode:

Could an Arctic shipping route transform global trade?

Oil prices up as ceasefire deal expires

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:44:00 +0000

Get used to paying higher gas prices — they’re the cost of curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions. That was the message from President Donald Trump at a rally on Friday. Today, the temporary ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran expires, and ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is now essentially halted. We'll have the latest. Plus, the $46 billion tribal gambling industry lacks a leader, and that could hamper business growth and investment.

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Stories featured in this episode:

What happens when a $46 billion industry doesn't have a leader?

Can an AI music company make nice with human artists?

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Suno, an AI music company, wants to partner with independent artists by launching an incubator program called Suno Spark. This program will provide grants, marketing support and, of course, Suno AI tools to unsigned musicians.

Tatiana Cirisano, vice president of music strategy at MIDiA Research, which consults in entertainment, discusses more on this.

Retail feels the squeeze

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:35:00 +0000

In the Commerce Department’s retail sales report for July, sales at stores of all kinds were down 0.6%, when a modest increase in sales had been expected. Though some discretionary purchases are up, consumers are certainly tightening their belts. Also in this episode, we look at the decline of Etsy, how businesses near the Canadian border are dealing with fewer visitors, and the staying power of Candy Crush.

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Retail sales fell unexpectedly in July

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:30:00 +0000

Forecasters predicted we’d see a slight increase in retail sales in July, but instead, Census Bureau data released this morning revealed a significant drop. As high energy prices persist and tax refunds run out, it appears that consumers have begun to pull back. Should we be worried? Plus: 200 Nebraskans have lost Medicaid coverage in the first wave of terminations under the government’s new “work requirements.” Many more Americans may soon follow.

Stories featured in today’s episode:

Roughly 200 people in Nebraska lost Medicaid on Aug. 1

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Why the U.S. is nearly $2 trillion in the red this year

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The federal budget picture for 2026 is not looking too hot. Just in July, the government borrowed $432 billion — that’s $14 billion a day. We explain what’s behind the record-breaking national debt, and what it would take to pay it back. Then, we explore how relentless heat waves in Italy are creating dire conditions for the country’s cheese banks — yes, literal banks, where wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are held as collateral.

Stories featured in today’s episode:

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States rush to police AI deepfakes ahead of midterm elections

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Anthropic announced it's adding invisible watermarks to all text generated by its chatbot Claude. The AI startup is rolling out the policy globally as part of efforts to comply with the European Union AI Act.

Plus, there's a patchwork of state laws that regulate AI-generated political messaging — they're being put to the test ahead of the midterm elections. And federal regulators ordered Kalshi to continue to operate in New York, despite a state lawsuit seeking to shut it down.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, about all this for this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Long-term bond yields hit a long-term high

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 22:35:00 +0000

The government is selling 30-year bonds with interest rates at a quarter-century high. We talk with Greg Ip at the Wall Street Journal about how that could be a warning from investors over stubborn inflation and mounting debt. Also in this episode, we look at how energy prices shape the Producer Price Index, rising prices for retailers, and coal slipping as an energy source, before diving into infrastructure with a look at Puerto Rico’s water crisis and solar panel installation in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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Demand for data centers is not slowing down

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Cloud computing providers, chip makers, server makers, and even construction companies like Caterpillar all boasted stellar quarterly earnings, sending the message that demand for the development and upkeep of AI is still surging. However, the question remains whether the tech giants pouring cash into data centers will see a return on these enormous investments. But first: Tomorrow we get July’s retail reports, and analysts predict that they’ll show they same thing we’ve been seeing for months: Even though consumers are stressed, they’re still spending.

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Which businesses should have to disclose foreign ownership?

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:20:00 +0000

The Treasury Department is changing the rules on which businesses have to report their ownership to the government. The Biden-era requirements were intended to prevent money laundering, but critics say they were too onerous. Will the changes make it easier for dirty money to get into the U.S.? Then: Even though the Trump administration says we’re in control of the Straight of Hormuz, barely any ships are getting through. But unlike at the start of the war, oil markets don’t seem spooked. We explain.

Stories featured in today’s episode:

Treasury changes rules for business reporting ownership

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Can Silicon Valley give AI good taste?

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Generative AI models can produce enormous volumes of text, images and video in seconds. But without expert human instruction, the output is often generic. (You might say slop.)

A number of startups in Silicon Valley are on a mission to change that by giving AI a more human sense of taste.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with critic and journalist Sophie Haigney about what taste is and whether artificial intelligence can truly replicate it.