Marketplace All-in-One

In a word: uncertainty. Retail chains like Target are pulling back on hiring temporary workers ahead of this year's holiday shopping season as tariffs take their toll, consumer sentiment slumps, and little government data leaves them with little guidance. We'll hear more. But first: there's a lot riding on Nvidia results, and investors are split on predictions for the Fed's next rate decision.

Some 24 million people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But subsidies and tax credits that have made these plans more affordable for the past few years are expiring, and the cost of health insurance is likely going to double, on average, for those losing subsidies. How do you plan for that? Plus, a Cloudflare outage took down sites yesterday, and tensions between China and Japan escalated.

From the BBC World Service: The chief executive of the South Korean firm Hyundai said that the White House phoned him personally to apologize for an immigration raid at a massive battery factory in Georgia in September. More than 300 South Korean workers were detained and later sent back to South Korea, stoking tensions between the two nations. Plus, China has imposed a ban on all imports of Japanese seafood amid a growing dispute between Asia's two biggest economies

China recently came out with its latest five-year plan for growth, which will guide the world's second largest economy through 2030. In it, top Communist Party leaders have pushed to boost the country's strength in manufacturing to the next level by upgrading older factories with advanced technologies for automation.The challenge, according to the Chinese ministry of education, is that the sector has tens of millions of open jobs because there aren't enough skilled workers in the labor force to fill them.One school is trying to bridge that gap. Marketplace China correspondent Jennifer Pak visited it in Nanjing city.

The White House's $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications is adding extra pressure to health care systems in rural and low-income areas. Historically, the visa has been a critical pipeline for skilled health workers in hard-to-staff settings. Affected hospitals are already feeling the added strain. Also in this episode: A bitcoin downturn won't just hurt crypto bros, Panera announces an overhaul amid floundering fast-casual sales, and the EV market soldiers on, despite sunsetted tax subsidies and emissions regulations.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.

For the Affordable Care Act, it's been one battle after another. The ongoing fight over the ACA subsidies at the center of the government shutdown are just the latest flash point in the law's 15-year history. KFF Health News' Julie Rovner joins Kimberly to break down where things stand with the ACA and whether we're on the cusp of another national healthcare debate. Plus, the other health policy changes coming under the Trump administration.Here's everything we talked about today:"The State of the Affordable Care Act" from KFF Health News"Oz: Trump administration weighing ACA subsidies extension" from The Hill "8 Things to Watch for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period" from KFF "Obamacare sticker shock is more shocking in some states than others" from Politico"GOP plans to replace Obamacare have failed. Here's what lawmakers propose now." from Washington Post  We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is starting a second round of aid — about $16 billion — for farmers affected by natural disasters. The aid is aimed at growers of fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts. As for aid from President Donald Trump's tariffs? The government's still busy crunching the numbers. Plus, we'll discuss what direction the U.S. economy is headed and hear how AI can help companies soften the blow from tariffs.

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani swept the election on a campaign all about affordability. One pillar of that platform was the idea of city-owned grocery stores. The thinking: Prices at these city-owned stores would be lower because they'd operate in city-owned spaces, so they wouldn't have to pay rent or property taxes. Other cities have tried this. How'd the experiment go? But first: the world's largest official creditor and rising utility costs.

From the BBC World Service: The artificial intelligence revolution is firmly underway, with tech giants investing billions in research and battling to secure key assets. It's led to a surging stock market, but also panic about the potential impact on jobs and society. Google is one of the companies investing heavily in the new technology. Today, we check in with CEO Sundar Pichai. Plus, the U.K. plans to ban the resale of event tickets for profit.

One thing almost everyone can agree on about Zohran Mamdani, mayor-elect of New York City: he's very good at vertical short-form video.Love it or hate it, the format has a stylistic language all its own. So, we asked Joshua Scacco, professor of communications and director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy at the University of South Florida, to help us dissect what exactly makes a political short form video effective.

A few big box retailers report earnings soon, including Target, Walmart and Lowe's. That could give some clarity on the state of the American consumer as we head into the holiday shopping season. Though of course Nvidia, the top-performing tech firm on Wall Street, will be the most exciting earnings call of the week. We'll explain what all the hype's about. Also in this episode: the NAR predicts homes sales will jump 14% next year and a former coal mining town pivots to nuclear.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.

After President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in South Korea late last month, some tariffs have been suspended or lowered, and China said it will restart purchases of U.S. soybeans and other agricultural goods. To hear about the mood among Chinese buyers and U.S. exporters, Marketplace's Jennifer Park recently attended a trade show in Shanghai. But first: an ethics violation by a former Fed and the impacts of delayed government data.

Tomorrow's when we're supposed to learn more about how imports and exports have been faring from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the 43-day government shutdown may still delay that data release. What might those numbers be able to tell us (whenever they do come out) about some of the impacts of the president's tariffs? Plus, China has a glut of EVs, and that oversupply is starting to spill over into the rest of the world.

From the BBC World Service: As COP30 in Brazil enters its second week, one of the key agreements protecting the Amazon rainforest is under threat from powerful Brazilian agri-business interests. Currently, a pact bans the sale of soy beans — Brazil's largest agricultural export — grown on Amazon land deforested after 2008. Then, shares in Japanese retail and travel-related companies fell after China urged citizens not to visit the country over remarks made by Japan's prime minister about Taiwan.

About a third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from our food systems, and livestock production is a big part of that. Experts largely agree that one of the biggest actions individuals can take to lower emissions is to eat less meat.But that's a hard sell for a lot of consumers. Americans have actually been eating more meat in recent years, and sales of plant-based meat alternatives have dropped.There are a lot of companies out there trying to innovate climate-friendly meat and alternatives for the future.For our podcast "How We Survive," Marketplace's Amy Scott visits a lab at Columbia University where researchers are figuring out how to make a more convincing and enjoyable fake meat.

The latest in President Donald Trump's trade war waffling? Tariff exemptions aimed at lowering Americans' grocery bills. Affected products could include supermarket staples, like coffee and bananas from Ecuador, Argentina, El Salvador and Guatemala. In this episode, how long it could take for shoppers and businesses to see lower prices. Plus: Work permit rollbacks fuel a janitorial workforce crunch in Texas, moviegoers shell out for IMAX screenings, and we check in with a Pennsylvania customs broker.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.

The Latin Grammys threw a party in Las Vegas last night. But this year, the Trump administration's immigration crackdown has had a chilling effect on the Latin entertainment industry. Mountain West News Bureau reporter Yvette Fernandez joins Kimberly from Las Vegas to share her reporting, including how the city is handling a lengthy tourism slump. Plus, we'll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!Here's everything we talked about today:"Latinx Files: Recapping the Latin Grammys" from The Los Angeles Times"Immigration crackdown, visa issues spark issues for Latin music festivals" from Marketplace "New Statistics Underscore Las Vegas' Prolonged Tourism Slump" from Travel Pulse"Healthcare costs continue to be at the heart of the government shut down as costs will still increase" from KNPR"He has a soulful voice, a No. 1 hit and he's not real. Meet AI star Breaking Rust" from USA Today"The death of the penny is leaving businesses stuck in the middle" from Marketplace"The growing business of disconnecting" Marketplace"Holiday catalogs are making a comeback" MarketplaceTest your news knowledge with Marketplace's new weekly quizWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Even though we haven't gotten recent economic data because of the government shutdown, there's still plenty of speculation that the next Fed meeting will be a contentious one. We hear from Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, about how the slowing job market and creeping inflation may force the guardians of interest rates into uncomfortable compromises. Plus, a look at why the Trump administration is lowering some tariffs on imported food items from Latin America. And, a chat with McKinsey's Michael Chui about how companies are utilizing AI and what that means for the workforce.

How optimistic are small business owners nowadays? According to a recent survey, the picture is downbeat — many owners have been dealing with tariffs and other stressors. We delve into the data. And, a chat with the co-founder of a non-profit restaurant in New York City that serves up economically inclusive meals priced with a sliding scale based on what diners can pay.

From the BBC World Service: Donald Trump is set to cut import taxes on products like coffee, bananas, and beef as part of trade agreements with four Latin American countries, aimed at easing food prices. A tariff of 10% will stay on most goods from Guatemala, Argentina, and El Salvador, as will a 15% tax on imports from Ecuador. But staples like coffee and bananas, which the U.S. can't produce enough of, will be exempt.

This week we learned the Japanese investment firm Softbank sold all of its stake in the juggernaut chipmaker Nvidia. We'll get into why on today's “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.” Plus, Apple is reportedly pushing back the release of its thinnest iPhone, the Air, and Wikipedia is asking AI companies, once again, to pay for scraping its data.But first, back to that big move by Softbank and its CEO, Masayoshi Son. It cashed out its stake in Nvidia in October, the same month that the chipmaker hit a $5 trillion valuation. The $5.8 billion it netted will be redirected to OpenAI, part of a promised $30 billion to be invested in the maker of ChatGPT.Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information, about what all this means.SoftBank Sells Its Nvidia Stake for $5.8 Billion to Fund OpenAI Bet - The Wall Street JournalSoftBank sells its entire stake in Nvidia for $5.83 billion - CNBCApple Delays Release of Next iPhone Air Amid Weak Sales - The InformationiPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version - MacRumorsWikipedia urges AI companies to use its paid API, and stop scraping - TechCrunchIn the AI era, Wikipedia has never been more valuable - the Wikimedia Foundation

With the government shutdown officially over, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is back at work after a 43-day hiatus. But all that missed data can't be recreated — and catching up while understaffed will be difficult. In this episode: What reports will BLS prioritize and what'll be left behind? Plus: Solar projects rush to finish before a tax credit deadline, Disney stops reporting its streaming subscriber numbers, and businesses strategize for a world without pennies.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.

Congress may have ended the shutdown (finally), but it's still entangled in a power struggle with the Executive Branch. Kai Ryssdal has thoughts. On the show today, Kai and Kimberly get into what comes next in the shutdown's wake, how the Trump administration's tariff arguments went over at the Supreme Court and what the sliding balance of power in the federal government has to do with the health of the U.S. economy.Here's everything we talked about today:"Court appears dubious of Trump's tariffs" from SCOTUSblog"Trump floats $2,000 tariff rebate checks: Here's what you need to know" from CNBC"Trump claims tariff loss would force $3 trillion ‘unwind'" from Axios"If SCOTUS strikes down President Trump's current tariffs, he has plenty of other options" from Marketplace"How Congress Gave Up Its Own Power" from Time"Senate sinks measure to block military action against Venezuela" from PoliticoJoin us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The longest government shutdown ever ended last night when President Donald Trump signed a stopgap bill to keep federal agencies going through Jan. 30. But the shutdown deal also included spending bills funding military construction, the legislative branch, the Agriculture Department, and the VA. We went through the lesser-known provisions so you don't have to. Also: the state of Canada's energy exports and potential limits to the power of proxy advisory firms.

By now, you know that the House passed legislation last night to reopen the government. But you might not know about a provision that would completely change the way hemp is regulated. It was tucked into the new farm bill, which was also approved last night, and funds the Agriculture Department through September. We'll hear more. Plus, are government institutions shifting resources away from the working class? Professor Clara Mattei argues that's the case.

From the BBC World Service: India's government has approved a $5 billion credit line to support its struggling exporters, as Indian workers across sectors like textiles, jewelry, and seafood face major potential job losses. Then, attendees of COP30 are hoping for a U.N.-backed deal to impose a levy on emissions for large ships. Research also presented at the climate summit warns that global carbon emissions from coal, oil, and gas are set to reach a record high in 2025.

Tech firms are racing to develop robot assistants that can take over our dreaded household chores. But teaching machines to perform these deceptively simple tasks is tedious. They need to observe the actions thousands, sometimes millions of times. And there's a cottage industry springing up to provide this training. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Ayanna Howard, roboticist and dean of Ohio State University's college of engineering, to learn more.

Consumers may have revved up their spending in October, but spending more doesn't mean getting more — prices are also up this holiday season. In this episode, why most shoppers feel like they're doing less with more. Plus: Auto loan delinquencies rise, mortgage applications heat up during an often-chilly season, and Kai explains the price-earnings ratio of the S&P 500, which is at a decades-high.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.

President Donald Trump and Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte have floated the idea of a 50-year mortgage as a potential way to make homebuying more affordable. The president has said that longer mortgages would lower borrowers' monthly payments, which is true — but at what cost? And later, 47 economists filed an amicus brief in Trump's tariffs case before the Supreme Court. We'll unpack what they said.

After 43 days, the government shutdown could end today. But there are still lingering questions: When will food stamps be distributed to beneficiaries? When will government workers receive paychecks? As for all of the economic data we missed while government agencies were closed? It won't be released immediately once the government reopens — far from it. Then, the shuttering of the IRS' Direct File program and climate talks in Brazil.

From the BBC World Service: Australia is increasingly vulnerable to "high-impact sabotage" from hackers backed by China, according to Australian intelligence official Mike Burgess. He told business leaders in Melbourne that there had been multiple attempts to hack into transportation, telecommunications, water, and energy networks. Plus, a multibillion-dollar natural gas platform off the coast of Senegal promised to bring economic prosperity, but fishermen there say the development has caused disruption and unemployment.

Throughout the season, we asked you all what questions you had about food, solutions and climate change, and you did not disappoint! In this episode, we find answers to your most pressing questions, like whether grass-fed beef is more nutritious than grain-fed, if cell-cultivated meat is considered an ultra-processed food, and we find out what's going on with insect protein (of course, a taste test is involved). Plus some tips for reducing food waste.

Combatting climate change will likely require a multi-pronged approach to renewable energy generation. After all, it's not sunny or windy everywhere all the time. Geothermal energy, which harnesses the natural heat generated by the earth, can significantly shrink the carbon footprint of heating and cooling buildings. Those systems are currently just a small part of the HVAC market. But the Department of Energy wants to accelerate production by 10% a year. Rae Solomon at KUNC in Northern Colorado reports on how one geothermal project in the municipality of Hayden is progressing.

Business owners aren't too optimistic about the labor market, according to an NFIB survey. About a third are struggling to fill an open position, and around a quarter said labor quality was their most pressing issue. In this episode, we scrape together a picture of today's labor market, sans government data. Plus: Cities issue bonds at a record pace, we explain the consequences of Trump's proposal to back 50-year mortgages and one report shows real wage growth has slowed to 2%.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.

It's Singles Day in China: a retail holiday that runs circles around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. By comparison, single Americans are an untapped market according to Peter McGraw, behavioral economist and host of the podcast “Solo: The Single Person's Guide to a Remarkable Life.” But as the single population grows in the United States, will that change? We'll get into it. Plus, the realities of the “singles tax.”Here's everything we talked about today:"Singles' Day is a $150B holiday in China. Here's why I think ‘11/11' will catch on in the US" from The Conversation "The rise of singlehood is reshaping the world" from The Economist"The rise of the ‘solo economy' is driving new consumption patterns" from Futures Platform "The ‘singles tax' means you often pay more for going it alone. Here's how it works" from The Conversation We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The Trump administration is moving to levy tariffs of over 90% on popular Italian pasta brands on “anti-dumping” grounds. We look at how the move could impact grocery prices for the pantry staple. Plus, even though we don't have a government jobs report this month due to the shutdown, private sector numbers give us an idea of the state of the labor market. And, as New Mexico moves to provide free childcare, a look at how daycare benefits businesses.

From the BBC World Service: A Chinese woman will be sentenced in London later for her role in a Bitcoin scam worth billions of dollars. Qian Zhimin was convicted of trying to launder more than sixty thousand bitcoins, now worth around six-and-a-half billion dollars, following Britain's largest ever seizure of cryptocurrency. We hear from some of the investors who were scammed as part of the fraud.

The Senate passed a deal last night to end the record-setting government shutdown. But that hasn't yet translated into relief for the beleaguered air travel industry, which has seen thousands of canceled flights in response to air traffic controller shortages. Plus, we talk with economist Peter Atwater, one of the economic researchers who first helped popularize the “K-Shaped” economy concept, about inequality in post-pandemic America.

Some AI companies are turning to nuclear power to meet demand for electricity. But traditional nuclear plants can take decades to bring online. Now some tech companies are partnering with startups trying to build small, modular nuclear reactors, designed with speed in mind. One such company, Kairos, has a deal with Google to build a fleet of modular reactors. To do so, it's relying on a technique first developed in the mid-20th century: molten-salt cooling.

It's karaoke night for Bridget and Ryan, but something stops them from belting their favorite tunes on their podcast: the law. It's the perfect setup to answer a question from Garrett, who wants to know about copyright, trademarks, and royalties. We all know people deserve to be paid for their creative ideas. But how does it actually work? Together, we'll find out how creators protect their ideas and make money from them. Plus, will Ryan be able to turn what he's learned into a lucrative musical career?If your family is interested in learning even more about today's question, check out our website. We've got conversation starters and a tip sheet!This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

Despite expectations surrounding President Donald Trump's tariffs, inflation doesn't seem to be speeding up — though it's hard to say for sure without all that reliable federal data. You can thank cooling services inflation (where most consumer spending goes) and a softer labor market, which has reduced some companies' ability to raise prices. Also in this episode: Corporate earnings look bright and sunny, Visa and Mastercard reach an agreement with merchants over credit card fees, and retailers revive physical holiday catalogs.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.

Commercial real estate has been struggling in the years since the pandemic. Office attendance has risen, though not as much in smaller cities. And while big banks might not be voicing concerns over this, lending for commercial real estate is a major deal for regional and community banks. We discuss. Also on today's program: markets react to a potential end in sight for the shutdown, and big movies around the holidays could drive ticket sales.