Marketplace All-in-One
Episodes
The political cloud hanging over the Fed
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hey Smarties! We recorded today’s episode before the House passed a spending package that will end the partial government shutdown. We’re monitori...
WWKD?
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Of course, we mean "What would Kevin do?" — Kevin Warsh, that is, President Donald Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve chair. And it's a question ...
What's behind all the layoffs?
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Layoff announcements have been coming fast and furious: 16,000 at Amazon; up to 30,000 at UPS; more at Dow Chemical, Pinterest, T-Mobile, and more. Th...
The devil's in the details of the U.S.-India trade deal
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: President Donald Trump announced tariff cuts on goods imported from India and said that, in return, India promised not to ...
Making AI work — for work
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In his new book, Wall Street Journal tech columnist Christopher Mims offers a guide for getting the most out of the technology. He's compiled two doze...
Why higher productivity doesn't equal wage growth
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Productivity — the rate at which companies make what they make, or do what they do — has been a reliably bright spot in this economy. But wage gro...
A commodities correction
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The precious metals market has been on a tear, but experienced a severe correction last week. Part of it has to do with the nomination of Kevin Warsh ...
The impact of restricting SNAP benefits
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In January, five states enacted laws restricting people who receive food aid from buying sugary beverages and snacks. About a dozen more will follow s...
What's behind gold's plunge?
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: After a historic rally, gold has seen its biggest drop in more than a decade. Silver is also down after sharp swings in As...
Japan's prime minister promises to pump up the economy
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: In her first major speech since being reelected as Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi promised to make Japan "stronger...
Making the most of AI, without the hype
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With all the fanfare surrounding AI these days — the utopian dreams and dystopian nightmares — it can be hard to see the technology as simply a to...
How small businesses navigated the ICE strike
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Activists called for a nationwide shutdown of economic activity Friday, Jan. 30, following another killing by immigration officials. But in this unfor...
Make Me Smart about Olympic figure skating
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Winter Olympics kick off next week in Milan, Italy. On today’s show, Kimberly is joined by Jackie Wong, self-described skate nerd and host of “...
Who is Trump's Fed chair pick?
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This morning, President Donald Trump revealed his choice to lead the Federal Reserve: It's Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and more recent Fed crit...
How schools teach about capitalism is changing
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An increasing number of states in the U.S. not only require high schools to teach financial literacy but also require them to incorporate the fundamen...
The fight over the Panama Canal rages on
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: Panama’s Supreme Court has annulled a contract allowing for a Hong Kong company to operate two ports on the major shippi...
Bytes: Week in Review – Are we in an AI bubble?
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is AI a bubble? It's the trillion-dollar question in the economy. So Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino decided to look to history for some answers...
Energy bill burdens grow
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Electricity prices have increased by approximately 40% since 2021, far outpacing inflation. Despite AI data centers making headlines as energy-sucker...
What does the end of TPS mean for Haitian workers in the U.S.?
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In line with President Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration, the administration has moved to end the Temporary Protected Status program for cert...
What you need to know about those 'Trump Accounts'
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration held a summit yesterday, all about Trump Accounts — those are investment accounts for babies born during his term. The gove...
The costs of banning gender-affirming care
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at ending gender-affirming care for transgender children and teenagers under 19. Sin...
Trade talks underway between the U.K. and China
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is the latest political leader to visit China for trade talks. Chinese President Xi Jinpi...
A recycling startup joins the AI boom
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino takes a tour of Redwood Material’s new R&D Lab with CTO Colin Campbell. Redwood, an EV battery recycling s...
What it costs to pass down a language
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Author and journalist Aymann Ismail wants his kids to grow up with a real connection to their Egyptian roots, including speaking Arabic. For his famil...
Does the EU even want a strong euro?
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We keep hearing how the U.S. dollar has been “weakening.” Put another way, the euro is getting stronger: It hit $1.20 earlier this week. But the l...
The messy, tricky, hairy task of economic forecasting
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been deluged with the annual economic and market forecasts that traditionally mark the turn of a new year. Is it worth paying attention to the...
Could a shutdown over ICE be in the cards?
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There's a chance that the federal government will shut down late this week over reform and funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which also...
Beware the AI boom, says Cisco boss
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: One of the world’s leading technology bosses has warned there could be “carnage" if a bubble in AI share prices bursts...
Infrastructure lessons from the dot-com bubble
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Paul Vixie, vice president at AWS Security and an early internet innovator, about the rapid buildout...
Let's tour the growing AI economy
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence companies raised enormous amounts of money in 2025, and made major investments in development and infrastructure. What’s nex...
Trump’s rift with Europe
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The European Union is still reeling after President Trump’s Davos appearance, even after he walked back some of his Greenland threats. A big questio...
Will Trump's proposals improve housing affordability?
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump is rolling out plans to make housing more affordable. He's ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortg...
Farmers feel the big freeze
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Freezing temperatures and ice over the past weekend have impacted agricultural industries across the U.S. This morning, we'll learn about its effects ...
Unpacking the "mother of all deals"
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: India and the European Union have agreed to a major trade deal after nearly two decades of on-and-off negotiations. The wi...
A historic home tour of the virtual world
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
529 Bryant St. in Palo Alto, California, is home to a key landmark in tech history. Now owned and operated as a data center by Equinix, the building h...
As AI expands, Americans have doubts
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence is one of a handful of industries propelling this economy forward. But as the sector explodes, not everyone is on board. Ameri...
Digging in to defense spending
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The second deadly shooting in Minnesota by immigration agents has some Democrats in Washington renewing calls for reform to the Department of Homeland...
ICE's presence hits small businesses in Minnesota
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Following yet another deadly shooting by ICE agents in Minnesota, more than 60 CEOs there have now signed a letter calling on federal, state, and loca...
Europe bets big on wind
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: A group of European countries has signed a clean energy pact, committing to build an offshore wind power grid in the North...
Raising the “speed limit” on AI’s “information highway”
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Billions of dollars has been poured into the AI economy in recent years. As part of a new series about what the AI economy means for you, Marketplace ...
Your car company also wants to be your bank
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The FDIC has approved proposals by GM and Ford to launch their own banking units. That means the automakers will be able to provide their own auto loa...
The infrastructure side of the AI boom
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tech companies are pouring billions into developing the infrastructure necessary to meet the demand for artificial intelligence. But what does that in...
TikTok is here to stay
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok says it has formed a joint venture for U.S. operations with majority American ownership. The deal is intended to address national security conc...
Economic power as a cudgel
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Usually a relatively quiet affair, this year’s World Economic Forum made headlines as President Donald Trump walked in with threatening language ove...
The oil sanctions leaving sailors adrift
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: Sanctions on the export of Russian oil have left many ships stuck at sea, unable to unload their cargoes. Today, we speak ...
Bytes: Week in Review - SpaceX eyes an IPO, community members want legal commitments from Micron, and YouTube to ditch AI slop
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A Micron memory chip factory in upstate New York is wrangling with local groups who want legal assurances the project will benefit the local community...
Here's what kept GDP climbing this summer
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Revised GDP data for this past summer shows the U.S. economy grew faster than we initially thought. A few key parts of the private services sector pro...
What is media capture?
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has routinely sought to influence the business dealings of U.S. media companies, including Netflix and Paramount’s fight over the fu...
How would a credit card interest rate cap even work?
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump acknowledged yesterday that he'll need help from Congress to cap credit card interest at 10%. He also talked about this at the ...
What's next for Cuba after Venezuela?
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Following the president's intervention in Venezuela, the Trump administration is escalating threats against several sovereign nations. Now, Cuba is se...
Stocks rally in Europe as relations thaw in Davos
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: The world has been reacting to President Donald Trump's announcement of a vague framework agreement over the future of Gre...
Unraveling the complex knot of an AI-generated hoax
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In the era of AI, sometimes a story is really just too good to be true, even if the initial evidence suggests otherwise.And as artificially engineered...
Help! My coworker wants a copy of my house key!
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wrestled with an unusual work problem and didn’t know where to turn? In our recurring advice column, “Work Drama,” we try to find answers t...
The EU owns $8 trillion in Treasurys
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The EU owns $8 trillion in Treasurys. Sure, Eurozone governments probably won’t use ‘em as leverage in the Trump-Greenland situation — and even ...
Trump, Davos, and markets
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump spoke in front of international leaders in Davos, Switzerland. There, he touted his use of tariffs to disrupt the...
Worlds apart on generative AI use
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
People around the world are using AI more than Americans, a new poll finds. About 40% of adults in the U.S. told pollsters that they used generative A...
Will Elon Musk buy Europe's biggest budget airline?
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has picked a fight with Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair; after O'Leary said Rya...
Welcome to the 'infocalypse'
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Information Apocalypse Now.AI content is flooding social feeds and its getting increasingly hard to determine what is real versus what is fake. Aviv O...
The global trade status quo is shifting. Will the U.S. be left out?
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After decades of globalization, the U.S. may be paying a political price: International leaders are forging new trade agreements independent of Americ...
The changes coming to federal student loans in 2026
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For student loan borrowers, the past few years have felt like whiplash. From the fallout of the Biden-era SAVE plan to policies in the Trump administ...
Trump is ready for Davos. Is Davos ready for Trump?
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today is the second day of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. It's a meeting that attracts some of the world's most powerful peop...
Fed independence goes before the Supreme Court
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments tomorrow in the case around President Donald Trump's bid to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over mo...
Trump's Greenland ambitions dominate Davos
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: It's day two of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where President Donald Trump's goal of acquiring Gr...
How "surveillance pricing" charges one online customer more than another for the same item
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers have heard of “dynamic pricing,” when the prices are based on demand within a single moment. But whether they know it or not, they’re ...
U.S.-EU relationship status: It's complicated
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has announced new tariffs on European Union countries, aimed at forcing a deal for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. But the EU could res...
Sometimes a little lipstick goes a long way
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's called the "lipstick effect." Consumers sometimes splurge on small luxuries — like cosmetics, accessories, and more — as a sort of rebellio...
The economic fight over Greenland
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump has made it very clear that he wants to purchase Greenland, although he hasn't ruled out the use of military force. Now, he's t...
Putting China's economic figures in context
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: New data shows that China's economy grew by 5% last year. While positive, it’s not anywhere near the stellar growth figu...
The 'biohacking' trend that has tech workers experimenting on themselves
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In an industry known for pushing the bounds of human innovation, tech elites are now trying to push the bounds of their own bodies. The hot new biohac...
Skilled labor scarcity
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An AI-driven construction boom is coming, some hope. But to build all that infrastructure, the U.S. is going to need a lot more construction workers, ...
On the ground in Minnesota
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s show, Dana Ferguson, political correspondent for MPR News, joins Kimberly to share how her community has been affected by a recent surge ...
Paying more at national parks
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
International visitors to 11 U.S. national parks, including Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, and Sequoia, now have to pay more to get in — as in, up to...
Corporate leaders in Minnesota stay silent amid ICE raids. Why?
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Minnesota is home to more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies, including 3M, Target, Best Buy, and General Mills. But in a wave of wake immigration arr...
Can Canada and China repair their relationship?
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have announced a "new strategic partnership" at a meetin...
Bytes: Week in Review – New chip exports for China, Microsoft to pay electricity for AI data centers, and Gemini will power Apple’s AI
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Those massive AI data centers going in across the country can use as much energy as an entire city. President Trump said this week he wants tech compa...
Trump's latest plan to lower mortgage rates
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump recently ordered government-backed mortgage companies (that’s Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) to buy up $200 billion in mortgage-backed ...
It's brutal out here (in the job market)
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marketplace’s “This Is Uncomfortable” is back with new episodes about life and how money messes with it. Today, host Reema Khrais joins Kimberly...
Potential signs of a friendlier housing market
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
2025 was a tough year for homebuyers. Two things happened over the last three months of the year that helped people trying to buy a home: Housing pric...
What happened to Saks?
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Saks Global — the luxury retail conglomerate that owns brands like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman — filed for Chapter 11 b...
Will the focus on Greenland attract international investors?
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: Despite Wednesday’s inconclusive talks between the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland, investors are starting to examine how G...
Surviving job hunting hell
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Job hunting has a way of testing your limits. It can be hard not to question yourself (or spiral) when the process stretches on far longer than you im...
Teaching students to 'be better than a robot'
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to AI, educators biggest worry: cheating.With the click of a button, students can form papers, generate test answers or even finish thei...
How much money is "enough"?
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to have “enough” money? Reema Khrais explores the feeling behind this question — the fear, comparison and the way “not enoug...
Finding work as a young person? In this economy?
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The unemployment rate in December among people aged 20 to 24 was 8.2%. That’s up nearly a full percentage point from 2024, and much higher than t...
Fact-checking Trump's economic record
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump traveled to Michigan yesterday to tout the economy's performance during his second administration. He spoke at the Detroit Econ...
Microsoft agrees to foot AI data center costs
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The data centers needed to power AI are controversial in many communities. People worry about that extra demand driving up their electricity bills, wh...
In the face of a trade war, China defies the odds
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: China has announced record export numbers and the largest trade surplus in global history: $1.2 trillion. Despite the impa...
This Swiss city wants to become the bitcoin capital of Europe
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The pretty Swiss lakeside town of Lugano has set out to become Europe’s bitcoin capital, with the aim of attracting bitcoin companies and the crypto...
It's not just you — food prices rose 2.4% last year
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The cost of food consumed at home was up 0.7% month-over-month in December, and 2.4% year-over-year. Go back five years, and grocery prices are up 25%...
Trump vs. the courts
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Seemingly infinite battles over President Donald Trump’s agenda have been playing out in the courts over the past year. But when all’s said and do...
Inflation is stubbornly steady
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the final consumer price index reading for 2025 this morning. Spoiler alert: Inflation is still too high. Pric...
2026 has its first new tariff threat
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump said on social media that he is imposing a 25% tariff on goods from countries “doing business” with Iran in response to Ira...
AI deepfakes could lead to fines and country-wide bans
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: There's mounting pressure on Grok — the AI chatbot that's part of Elon Musk's social media platform, X — over the gen...
AI is eating up the world's computing memory
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Much like graphics processing units, high bandwidth memory is essential for training and running AI. It's paired with all those NVIDIA chips that have...
The Fed under attack
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell, a move Powell has since called "an unprecedent...
The politicization of monetary policy
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump’s growing frustration with the Federal Reserve’s commitment to political independence reached fever pitch over the weekend when Fe...
Fed investigation is politically motivated, Powell says
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Officially, the Federal Reserve is being investigated by the Justice Department over office building renovations. But in a video statement Sunday, Fed...
AI and the entry-level job market
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From the BBC World Service: Recent college graduates say they’re struggling to find entry-level positions. How much of the job market squeeze can be...
Building a home with future fires in mind
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On Jan. 7, 2025, the Eaton and Palisades Fires began, killing 31 people and destroying around 13,00 homes in the Los Angeles area. A year later, resid...
The weak spot in this job market
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The rate of jobless Americans who’ve been out of work for over 27 weeks — also known as “long-term unemployed” — hit 26% in December, accord...