Marketplace All-in-One

From "How We Survive": How to Dim the Sun

29 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Could dimming the sun be the key to cooling things down before the climate crisis worsens? Some scientists say yes, that we can cool the earth by laun...

Cheaper EVs are on the way

29 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Jeff Bezos-backed Slate is a super bare-bones EV that can be configured as an SUV or pickup with starting costs in the mid-$20,000s. Chevrolet, Ni...

"Just me, myself, and I with the same bills"

29 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

More than a third of all Americans think they’ll lack enough savings to retire, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. For some, one ...

The great AI race to Wall Street

29 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, rideshare drivers in Massachusetts unionize; plus, Robinhood lets AI agents trade on behalf its customers.But first, there’ve been hints ...

"Running out of that buffer"

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The personal savings rate fell to just 2.6% in April — a low not seen since June 2022, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That means Amer...

Inflation's heading in the wrong direction

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation's heating up and is well above the Federal Reserve's goal. The central bank's preferred reading on inflation came out this morning for April...

A harsh economic reality for famers

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Before war in the Middle East, roughly one-third of the world’s fertilizer shipped by sea moved through the Strait of Hormuz. In the last three mont...

Plug-in solar is gaining traction in the U.S.

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Like the name suggests, plug-in solar panels can be plugged into an electrical outlet just like you would your toaster. But instead of using electrici...

What if there was only one currency in the whole world?

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve talked a lot about how money works and why countries have their own currencies here on “Million Bazillion.” But listener Alessio wants to ...

Money can make or break your relationship, from NPR’s "It’s Been a Minute"

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we’re featuring an episode of NPR’s “It’s Been A Minute.” Reema Khrais joins host Brittany Luse and Wailin Wong, host of NPR’s “T...

Inflation manifestation

27 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Forget hard inflation data. Where do everyday Americans think our economy is headed? Well, one survey says consumers expect prices to rise 4.8% over t...

Should federal workers be bound by NDAs?

27 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Office of Personnel Management is proposing a strict new non-disclosure agreement for federal workers, which would bar them from disclosing “non...

Younger consumers are stressed — but resilient

27 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Consumers have grown increasingly worried about inflation, and many are delaying major purchases, according to J.D. Power. That's especially true for ...

Amid AI backlash, brands are emphasizing the human side of marketing

27 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Public backlash to content generated by artificial intelligence has pushed brands to reconsider how AI is used in their marketing.Some companies are s...

How to Dim the Sun

27 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Could dimming the sun be the key to cooling things down before the climate crisis worsens? Some scientists say yes, that we can cool the earth by laun...

Why gas costs more in California than Texas

26 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As President Trump’s war in the Middle East continues, Americans continue to face higher fuel prices. But some have it worse than others. In this ep...

Disillusioned and doomspending

26 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Heard of "doomspending"? It refers to a feeling of hopelessness about your financial future and spending more freely now than you maybe should. From M...

So maybe no AI-induced job apocalypse?

26 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

At a recent conference, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman toned down his talk of mass worker displacement caused by AI. He said he thought AI would have had more ...

Startups are betting on a legalized peptide market

26 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Peptides are short chains of amino acids. GLP-1 weight loss drugs are peptides. Insulin is one, too. And there are thousands of others. Now, people ar...

How does a company buy another company?

26 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

“Million Bazillion” listener Cora wants to know: How does a company buy another company? But before Bridget and Ryan can answer, Borpo, host of “...

The cost of SNAP restrictions

25 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Convenience stores face new barriers to accepting SNAP dollars this year. A USDA rule aimed at providing healthier options mean some stores must choos...

A different type of college counselor

25 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Last month, four high school seniors participated in an experiment. A Stanford economist was given a list of colleges they were accepted to, what they...

Worries about water out West

25 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new U.S. Department of the Interior report confirms what many already feared: The Colorado River system, which pumps out water to 40 million people ...

How one company is using AI for improved wildfire risk mitigation

25 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The wildfire risk mitigation company Technosylva helps utilities, insurers and government agencies predict where and when a fire could spark. It uses ...

Services stall as manufacturing booms

22 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

S&P Global’s flash Purchasing Managers’ Index for May reflects “a tale of two economies.” Input costs increased across industries this mon...

When an algorithm tells you how to do your job

22 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

HotSOS Housekeeping is an app that uses real-time data to help hotel housekeepers speed up room turnover. But the constant monitoring means the tracki...

The cost of that Memorial Day travel

22 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Memorial Day weekend is here, kicking off the summer travel season. More Americans are expected to hit the roads this year, but it comes at a time whe...

Google search gets an AI makeover

22 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review, we take a look at how college graduates do not wanna hear about AI. Plus, what we all learned...

Why do some companies wait to IPO?

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk’s SpaceX just filed to go public, and OpenAI is expected to file in the fall. Both businesses have been around for over a decade — what ...

Big Tech's big IPOs

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the biggest names in tech are making moves to go public this week. SpaceX — Elon Musk’s rocket, social media, and AI company — filed for...

Call it the "Great Flattening"

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

About 8,000 Meta employees lost their jobs this week. The company is looking to offset its massive AI spending and “operate with a flatter structure...

AI's double-edged (cyber) sword

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Anthropic’s newest AI model, Mythos, is so good, the company says, at uncovering security vulnerabilities that it's too dangerous to release to the ...

Everything's on fire, might as well get my nails done?

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Do you ever look at the world and think: everything is so uncertain, who knows if I’ll ever be able to retire … so I might as well get those conce...

Rising ACA premiums, falling enrollment: It's a vicious cycle

20 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Affordable Care Act premiums are higher this year, after Congress declined to renew subsidies for the health insurance program. As a result, about a m...

Why you should care about the global bond sell-off

20 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Investors have been souring on bonds. To entice them back, bond yields have been rising. The yield on the 30-year bond yesterday hit 5.2%, the highest...

A longer — and more expensive — fire season

20 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The number of hot, dry, windy days is increasing, setting the stage for fires. Wildfire season is off to an awful start. In March, Nebraska had its la...

What we learned from the Canvas hack

20 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month, a group called ShinyHunters took responsibility for a hack on the education platform Canvas, which is used for coursework at colle...

"How We Survive" returns May 27

20 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The climate crisis is escalating. We have to decarbonize our economy, but we’re moving too slowly. So, what’s the backup plan?This season of “Ho...

What happens if the Fed goes mum

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The era of frequent public speeches given by Federal Reserve officials on monetary policy may be over. Incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has expressed a ...

Should home insurance companies be making this much money?

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re a homeowner — this is no surprise to you — property insurance can be expensive. It seems to get more and more pricey each year. Some m...

Understanding Trump's new "Anti-Weaponization Fund"

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump has dropped his lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns in exchange for the creation of a new $1.8 billion “...

Study finds AI is making the internet more artificially happy

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As of mid-2025, about a third of newly published websites were generated by artificial intelligence. That’s a massive increase from just three years...

What is the gold standard?

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Bridget and Ryan travel through the history of money in front of a live audience of kids and families (for real!) to answer Sofia’s...

AI chips away at cybersecurity job opportunities

18 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Cybersecurity was once the focus of a huge workforce development push. Job opportunities and training programs were abundant. But as artificial intell...

The spillover of higher energy prices

18 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. and Iran remain far apart on a ceasefire, as President Donald Trump warns on social media that "the clock is ticking." The standoff is rattli...

What war in the Middle East is costing you

18 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The War in Iran has cost Americans more than $40 billion in additional fuel costs, according to an analysis from Brown University’s Watson School of...

Canada to share its hydropower with Northeast U.S.

18 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hydropower is one of the oldest forms of energy creation, and uses the flow of rushing water to create electricity. The province of Québec, Canada, h...

Giving up beer to pay for gas?

15 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

New consumer data shows alcohol sales were down over 5% in April. And, as you’ve probably noticed, gas prices were up. Is there any correlation? In ...

Why you won't find horse racing bets on prediction markets

15 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow is the Preakness Stakes, the second event in the Triple Crown. Betting on horse racing in the U.S. has declined by more than 50% over the las...

A surge in natural gas exports

15 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"LNG is the next growth story of the next decade," says Kent Britton, CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi. Liquefied natural gas exports are expected to...

Meta wants AI chats to be private

15 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, WhatsApp is offering private chats with its AI. Plus, Princeton will now hold supervised exams after a rise in AI-fueled cheating.But first...

Trump & Co. take a trip to China

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump arrived for trade talks in China this week with a gaggle of corporate CEOs in tow. One expert tells us Trump’s body language, tone, ...

The TikTok-ification of music marketing

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Recent controversy surrounding the rock band Geese and a digital marketing firm Chaotic Good Projects has sparked debate over the tactics firms use to...

The U.S. spending spree continues

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Retail sales in April were up 0.5% compared to the month before and are up 4.9% from a year ago, according to the Census Bureau. So are retail sales h...

The Federal Reserve under Kevin Warsh

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin Warsh is officially the next chair of the Federal Reserve. The Senate voted to confirm him to a four-year term on Wednesday. He’ll replace Cha...

Why audio deepfakes are so hard to spot

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Voice cloning is the use of artificial intelligence to generate a clone of a real person’s voice, imitating the sound, when they pause and what word...

How far would you go for a boycott?

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How far would you go to participate in a boycott? Cancel your concert tickets? Spend 25% more on groceries? What about refusing to visit your family? ...

Another inflation alarm bell

13 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The cost of goods for the producers of this economy was up a whopping 6% in April, according to the latest PPI. That means consumers can expect more i...

The Carbon Gold Rush (bonus episode from "Drilled")

13 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re sharing an episode of another podcast we like — from another journalist named Amy.Award-winning climate journalist Amy Westervelt...

What does the federal gas tax go toward?

13 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

To address pain at the pump, President Donald Trump and some Congressional Republicans are floating the idea of temporarily pausing the federal gas ta...

Debt is on the rise

13 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Household debt ticked up slightly in the first three months of this year, increasing by $18 billion, according to the New York Fed. Credit card debt i...

Raising kids in an AI-driven world

13 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In order to write her new book “I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI To Do ‘Almost’ Everything," journalist Joanna Stern decided to invite artific...

When is inflation no longer "transitory?"

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation was up 3.8% in April, according to the latest CPI. Economists say the war with Iran has caused “transitory” inflation — that’s short...

The highs and lows of the global art market

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After a pandemic-era boom, the fine art market is going through something of a bust. Many galleries have closed due to climbing overhead costs and sal...

Consumer prices were up a lot in April

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Prices in the U.S. were up 3.8% year over year in April. That's a faster rate of annual inflation than we saw in March. A main driver was higher energ...

What's behind sluggish home sales?

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In late February, mortgage rates dipped below 6%, and affordability was beginning to improve. In April, people bought and sold more homes than they di...

Why is there so much gold at Fort Knox?

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we’re resharing an important episode from our archive! We’re answering Sadie’s question about why there is so much gold at Fort Knox. (An...

What AI can and can't do for you (for now)

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine if you invited robots - smart ones or “smart-ish,” at least - into every aspect of your life. Your emails and texts are all composed by an...

The other shoe

11 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation and employment are the dual pillars of this economy’s health, which the Federal Reserve is mandated to evenly manage. Last week saw sunny ...

Amid Silicon Valley scramble for AI agent productivity, "token anxiety" takes hold

11 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There's a new flex in Silicon Valley: how big is your AI agent swarm? They can work on your behalf, autonomously, 24/7, on whatever goal you give them...

Young workers aren't feeling optimistic about the job market

11 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Younger workers typically feel more optimistic about the job market than older ones, but a new Gallup poll found that only 43% of Americans aged 15 to...

How clicking "I am not a robot" could be training AI

11 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An announcement from Meta that information about employees’ keystroke and mouse movement would be collected and used to train its artificial intelli...

Who's getting those tariff refunds?

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun processing applications for tariff refunds after the Supreme Court ruled against swaths of President Trum...

Kimberly's final cheers on "Economics on Tap"

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As Kimberly gets ready to step into her new role as the host of “Marketplace Morning Report,” her predecessor David Brancaccio joins her to talk a...

Care to invest in the U.S. during a trade war?

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump has tried to pressure foreign countries to invest in the U.S. by threatening tariffs. But for decades, the federal government h...

The context behind 115,000 new jobs

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released fresh jobs data for April. Unemployment remained unchanged at 4.3%, and the overall economy adde...

Anthropic’s new, powerful allies: Elon Musk and SpaceX

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” we’ll discuss why Apple is paying a $250 million settlement over its Apple Intelligen...

The erosion of the American tax base

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reduced taxes for 85% of households, disproportionately benefiting high-income earners, all eyes are on the GOP’...

How the new WNBA CBA transforms player pay

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The WNBA’s 30th season tips off tomorrow. This year, things look a lot different for players after the league and players union recently signed a la...

Productivity is on the upswing

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Labor productivity has been on a growth streak for the past year and a half. It increased 0.8% in the first quarter of this year, according to the Bur...

Will healthcare costs sway how you vote?

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you ask people what they’re most worried about affording these days, healthcare tops the list (now tied with gas). And that concern may translate...

Elon Musk is in court arguing that OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit model

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Back in 2015, Elon Musk and Sam Altman got the idea to start a nonprofit AI lab to develop artificial general intelligence that benefits all humanity....

Help! My work crush just became my boss!

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Got a tricky situation at work and not sure what to do? In our recurring advice column, “Work Drama,” we try to find answers to your sticky work q...

What to expect in the April jobs report

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The private sector added twice as many jobs in March as it did in April — it’s a promising sign in an otherwise perplexing labor market. Private s...

Markets mull an end to war in Iran

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. and Iran are reportedly back to working on an end to the war, and sources say a deal is close. Axios reports that the deal would involve a mo...

Insurers ease up on prior authorization

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

United Healthcare, the nation’s biggest insurer, announced that it’s cutting back on its requirements for prior authorization by 30%. Prior author...

Does AI save time in police work?

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Technology has been transformative for how police officers do their jobs. Body cameras, speed detection technology and surveillance drones are some pr...

Let's check in on the U.S. trade deficit

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In case you forgot, President Trump's tariffs had one goal: narrow the U.S. trade deficit. Compare March ‘25 to March ‘26, and the deficit has shr...

The new fight for states' rights under Trump

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The power struggle between the states and federal government is as old as the U.S. itself. But under the second Trump administration, that struggle ha...

How ICE skirts public input on detention centers

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Immigrant detention facilities are being bought and retrofitted seemingly overnight without public input across the U.S., and there's little to no not...

The rise of the side hustle

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Roughly one in every 20 U.S. workers is holding down multiple jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's fallen a fraction of a percent...

Can AI improve your odds of finding good childcare?

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The startup Winnie is a marketplace for childcare. It works like this: Parents type in the age of their kid and their zip code, then different childca...

What are checks?

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The episode you’ve been waiting for is finally here. This is part 2 of the San Fran Fin Lit Pod Con cliffhanger episode from last season. Bridget an...

Consumers might see some tariff refunds — in 2036

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve said from the get-go that consumers paid the bulk of President Trump’s tariffs. Now that most were ruled illegal, individual businesses will...

Will students be shut out of pricier grad programs?

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Starting July 1, a cap on federal student loan borrowing limits kicks in. Graduate students will soon only be able to take out $20,500 a year, and up ...

Fewer Americans are earning a living wage

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new report from Dayforce and the Living Wage Institute found that just over half of full-time workers earn enough to provide for themselves and thei...

A bill that bans kids from using AI chatbots is gaining momentum

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The GUARD Act is a bipartisan bill that would prohibit companies from letting kids under 18 interact with what the legislation calls "AI companions,”...

Consumer electronics can't keep up with AI

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Bad news for your next smartphone purchase: An extended memory chip crunch is upon us, warns Apple CEO Tim Cook. New artificial intelligence projects ...

From "This Is Uncomfortable": Wait...where did my retirement money go?

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hey Smarties! There won’t be a livestream for “Economics on Tap” today. But don’t worry! We’ll be back next week. For now, we’re sharing a...

How student loan caps shaped one family's college decision

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When college-bound high school seniors commit to a school, it's always a complicated calculus, especially for families who need financial aid. But for...