Marketplace Morning Report

An AI-fueled Amazon Prime Day

23 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon Prime Day starts today and runs through Friday. Consumers are expected to spend $26 billion over those four days, and they’ll have plenty of ...

Why the affordable housing supply has dried up

23 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Last night, the Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bill aimed at making it easier to build housing and bring down the cost of both ...

A remembrance of Alan Greenspan

22 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Former Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan died today. He was 100. Greenspan served under four presidents in his five terms as central bank chair. Th...

Institutional investors versus average homebuyers

22 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Congress is working on a bipartisan bill to address housing affordability by, among other things, making it easier to construct homes. One provision w...

The Rural Healthcare Crisis

21 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With midterm elections just months away, the top economic concern for voters is the cost of healthcare. That's according to a recent poll from the hea...

A rough start to the new U.S.-Iran deal

19 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A planned summit in Switzerland between the U.S. and Iran was postponed due to a fresh round of Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Though Israel and Hezbolla...

What changing policies mean for higher education

19 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This Juneteenth, we're checking in on the state of higher education among Black Americans. In 2024, the percentage of Black adults in the U.S. over th...

Is AI the answer to inflation?

18 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

While the Federal Reserve voted to keep interest rates steady yesterday, the path ahead for rates is far from certain. One big factor is artificial in...

How to market EVs to rural America

18 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The company behind the new electric Slate vehicle — which has a somewhat rudimentary, Tonka-truck-like frame — is highlighting its simplicity and ...

The changing definition of the American Dream

17 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does the American Dream look like to you? Getting ahead? What about homeownership, raising a family, or financial security? This morning, we'll f...

Let's talk about that Social Security cliff

17 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A recent report from the Social Security Board of Trustees finds that the fund that helps pay for retirement benefits will run out of money earlier th...

The G7, war in the Middle East, and African economies

16 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

World leaders are meeting at the G7 in France, and one of the major topics is the diverse economic needs of Africa. The U.S. and Iran are also slated ...

Health insurance companies adapt to people dropping coverage

16 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

More than a million people dropped their Affordable Care Act coverage this year after Congress let enhanced pandemic-era subsidies expire. That number...

Lessons for financial success — from outside of Wall Street

15 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In a time of economic uncertainty and with so much information at your fingertips, where you get your financial advice matters more than ever. In a ne...

What comes next for the Strait of Hormuz?

15 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A tentative deal has been reached to end the war in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan, which has served as a mediator, says th...

How inflation is changing the way we shop

12 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, “Marketplace Morning Report” Kimberly Adams is joined by economist Lauren Saidel-Baker with ITR Economics to break down the results. The fo...

The biggest IPO ever is here

12 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This morning, “Marketplace Morning Report” host Kimberly Adams joins Marketplace’s Nova Safo to discuss the unknowns with which the stock will d...

What will the World Cup's impact look like for host cities?

11 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, “Marketplace Morning Report” host Kimberly Adams talks with Marketplace’s Henry Epp about his reporting on the tournament. High ticket pr...

The screwworm's return is affecting more than just cattle

11 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This morning, we’re taking a look at screwworms — little flies that’ll essentially eat an animal alive if untreated. When cases started spreadin...

How the war in the Middle East is impacting inflation

10 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the consumer price index for May this morning, with some bad news for consumers. Headline inflation soared ove...

Medicare reimbursements are a hurdle for Alabama hospitals

10 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, “Marketplace Morning Report” host Kimberly Adams has been in Thomasville, Alabama as part of our series examining the economic challeng...

A hospital saved her son. What happens now that it's closed?

09 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We heard earlier about the closure of a hospital in Thomasville, Alabama, as part of our series chronicling the economic crisis that rural hospitals a...

When the only hospital in town closes

09 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, as part of our series examining the economic challenges facing rural health care, "Marketplace Morning Report" host Kimberly Adams visited ...

Oil markets scramble after new strikes in the Middle East

08 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Oil prices are still heading up this morning, but a bit more slowly after tensions in the Middle East appear to be easing. Earlier today, Israel and I...

What the rural healthcare crisis looks like in Alabama

08 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There are about 700 hospitals at risk of closure across rural communities in the U.S. Financial headwinds are mounting, with disappearing federal subs...

A blockbuster jobs report

05 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its May jobs report earlier this morning. The economy created 172,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate s...

Should you buy SpaceX, Open AI, or Anthropic stock at IPO?

05 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

SpaceX is expected to go public next week in what could be the biggest initial public offering ever. Anthropic has also filed for an IPO, likely later...

A different kind of launch for SpaceX

04 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

SpaceX is set to go public next Friday. If all goes according to plan, the company is seeking a valuation of nearly $2 trillion. That would be the big...

Wanting full-time, only finding part-time

04 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The jobs report comes out tomorrow. One of the stats in the report that's been rising is the number of people working “part-time for economic reason...

Let's do the (trimmed) numbers

03 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve has long relied on the PCE as its preferred measure of inflation. But there's another inflation yardstick known as the trimmed mea...

More tariff whiplash

03 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A day after lowering tariffs on some agricultural and manufacturing machinery, the Trump administration is proposing new tariffs on 60 countries, incl...

Inside a massive 24-hour braiding salon

02 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

At Nadine’s Hair Braiding, located in suburban Maryland, customers can walk in at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m. and find a stylist. The 10,000-square-foot salon ...

What it's like on the ground in Cuba right now

02 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been about four months since President Donald Trump threatened sanctions against countries supplying much-needed oil to Cuba. The country's eco...

The Fed's credibility is a "priceless asset"

01 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell accepted the Profile in Courage award last night. Today, we'll delve into the role of the central bank, its...

The state of the dollar store

01 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dollar General reports earnings tomorrow. The company already saw its stock jump last week after one of its rivals, Dollar Tree, reported a great firs...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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 “...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The U.S. economy with fewer immigrants

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, more people left the U.S. than moved in — it’s the first time that’s happened in at least half a century. And 2026 is expected to see...

Big Tech knocked it out of the park

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, we got quarterly results for some of the biggest companies in the economy, including Google parent company Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and...

Chipping away at Nvidia's chip dominance

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Big Tech week on Wall Street. Quarterly results from Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon all beat expectations. And shocker: They’re all st...

Will the Magnificent Seven have magnificent earnings?

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Five of the Magnificent Seven — Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Apple — are reporting earnings this week. These tech titans have kind of be...

It's farm bill time

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every five years or so, Congress considers and passes a new version of the farm bill. It is a massive law covering not just agriculture, but also food...

Would a government bailout of Spirit Airlines be worth it?

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration has reportedly been in talks to bail out Spirit Airlines, either with a big loan or by buying it. The budget airline had alre...

When tariff uncertainty means nixed retirement plans

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We've talked a lot about the rollercoaster of tariffs. But behind every economic story is a human one, too. This morning, we check in with Joann Carti...

How about a roadtrip instead?

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As people look to plan their summer vacations, they're being price-conscious. While 60% of Americans plan on traveling, more people will drive instead...

A Forest Service reorg ahead of fire season

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. Forest Service is heading for a major restructure. Its headquarters are moving from D.C. to Utah, all regional offices are being eliminated, ...

Kevin Warsh and the Fed's balance sheet

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve has two jobs: promote job growth and control inflation. To do that, it sets interest rates. It also buys bonds and securities to i...

Let's understand the informal economy

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When we talk about who makes up the economy, we're often talking about workers a company formally employs. But a lot of people find themselves working...

Clearing the path to homeownership for renters

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration announced a big change in how people's credit is assessed when applying for mortgages. Instead of only using FICO scores to p...

The haves and the have nots of energy

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Maybe it’s hoarding, or protectionist, or human nature. Whatever you want to call it, some countries have plenty of oil right now — especially wea...

Fearing the "black hole" of graduating without a job

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We're less than a month away from graduation ceremonies at college campuses across the country. But the job market college grads are entering is an un...

Will you have enough to comfortably retire?

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

New research shows more than a third of workers and retirees don’t think they will have enough money for their retirement years — that’s the hig...

Why markets are high despite war in the Middle East

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

JD Vance is expected to travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Tuesday for potential negotiations with representatives from Iran, but peace talks are still...

Trump's pick for Fed chair heads to Capitol Hill

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Reserve, former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, will testify on Tuesday for his nomination hearing. Warsh is...

How economists are making sense of our geopolitical climate

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Markets were hopeful on Friday after Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened to commercial vessels. Now, escalating tensions are br...

Waiting for gas prices to drop? Don't hold your breath

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely closed, with only three sanctioned tankers making it through the waterway according to Reuters. When asked a...

Markets optimistic after Iran announces Strait of Hormuz has reopened

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran declared on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz has reopened for all commercial vessels. While the news caused stocks to rally and oil prices to dro...

Soaring jet fuel costs could leave European planes grounded

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The head of the International Energy Agency warned on Thursday that Europe could run out of jet fuel in few as six weeks. The continent is the biggest...

What a time to be a central bank

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve is meeting at the end of this month to figure out what to do with interest rates. They have a tough task ahead of them: weighing t...

The cost of keeping the lights on

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Power utilities plan to spend $1.4 trillion over the next five years on capital projects. A lot of that boils down to grid maintenance and projects to...

So many different flavors of oil

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We talk a lot about the price of oil on this show, but there are actually dozens of types of oil. On today's program, we're learning about where they ...