Marketplace Morning Report

It's not a merger, but the two airlines are teaming up. JetBlue and United announced the partnership, called BlueSky, on Thursday to sell each others' flights and link up their loyalty programs and more. Plus: Do soccer fans want pre-match entertainment and halftime shows?

Wednesday began with President Trump's sweeping April 2nd tariffs on track. Later that day, those import taxes were ruled illegal. Here on this Friday, that ruling is on hold, with tariffs still in place. Also on the show: Why more parents are struggling financially than just a few years ago, and how consumer spending is shaping this year's summer travel.

From the BBC World Service: China has agreed to start lifting its ban on Japanese fish, almost two years after it blocked imports over the release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Russia made more than $25 billion last year exporting fossil fuels to the European Union; that's $4.5 billion more than the E.U. gave Kyiv in aid. The Super Bowl halftime show is iconic, but in soccer, it's a different picture. European leagues and FIFA are spending big on pre-match entertainment, with halftime shows planned for the next World Cup. But do fans even want it?

Now that a federal trade court has struck down the big package of Trump tariffs — announced in early April on what the president had called "Liberation Day" — the White House promises to appeal. And presidents have other tariff powers, using legal strategies with stronger track records. Plus: hurricane-resilient homes are paying off in Alabama, and a growing number of women are opting for single motherhood over the challenges of dating.

A federal trade court has struck down President Trump's large tariffs package announced in early April. This ruling blocks many – but not all – of the tariffs Trump has imposed in the last few months. But for businesses and consumers, the uncertainty continues. Also in this episode: Elon Musk steps down from DOGE, and the Social Security Administration reduces its workforce.

From the BBC World Service: Shares have risen on Asian and European stock markets after a Federal court ruled that President Trump had overstepped his authority by imposing global tariffs. Also, why Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be involved in a labor union.

After more than a year of negotiations, the sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese firm Nippon Steel appears close. And it's expected to give an unusual role to the U.S. government. But first: how offshore wind developers are feeling, and why investors shouldn't tune out the markets this summer.

Bitcoin 2025 — billed as the world's largest event dedicated to the digital currency — kicked off this week in Las Vegas. Among the speakers: Vice President JD Vance and the White House's AI and Crypto Czar, David Sacks. their attendance marks another clear signal of the administration's growing embrace of cryptocurrency. Plus: What happened to corporate pledges made five years ago to help historically Black colleges and universities? We look into how some of those communities have fared since.

From the BBC World Service: The Panamanian government has declared a state of emergency in one province. It comes after U.S. banana giant Chiquita Brands laid off about 5,000 workers following a strike that had stopped production. Prosecutors in Brazil are suing the Chinese EV giant BYD, accusing it and two contractors of human trafficking and slave-like conditions at a factory site. And we take a look at Europe's biggest plant for processing the rare earth minerals a lot of modern technology relies on.

Over the past 40 years, more people have been delaying retirement and working longer. Keeping a job is one thing, but changing jobs becomes harder as you get older. And nearly a quarter of workers aged 50 and over plan to look for a new job this year. Later, our BBC colleagues gain rare access to the facility of a company said to make the world's most advanced microchips.

The delay of President Trump's 50% tax on European imports gives both sides more time to negotiate a trade deal. But what that agreement will look like remains unclear. And later on the show: foreign aid. We take a look at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, why it was spared by the Trump administration and its proposed $3 billion funding boost.

From the BBC World Service: The EU Commission has accused Chinese fashion retailer Shein of using illegal commercial practices to mislead customers. Plus, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is expanding its presence in the U.S., as President Trump looks to boost the economy with more tech manufacturing.

RSV, a common respiratory virus, can be especially harmful for infants. But this past winter brought promising news: two new preventive measures became widely available — a vaccine given in pregnancy and antibodies given to newborns. Together, they led to a major drop in RSV hospitalizations among infants. Which is good for both families and taxpayers. And in the next installment of our "Buy Now Pay Later" series, we look at tackling credit card debt before retirement.

As the Trump administration moves to cut federal funding for public broadcasting, small stations serving rural communities stand to lose the most. We visit a public radio station in southwest Colorado to see what's at stake when and if CPB funding runs dry. And later in the program, we turn to Broadway for a look at two new, Latino-centered musicals.

From the BBC World Service: EU president Ursula von der Leyen, has secured a delay on President Trump's proposed 50% tariffs on the European Union until 9 July. Plus, Southeast Asian leaders are gathering in Kuala Lumpur for their first meeting since the introduction of President Trump's tariffs.

Should it be the federal government or the states? The GOP tax bill, now headed to the Senate, would have states pick up more of the tab — meaning states would likely have to raise taxes or cut spending. We'll hear more. But first: Tariff drama is back. Then, after the murder of George Floyd, corporate America pledged billions of dollars to help fight racial inequality. How much has actually been spent?

Sales of existing homes fell in April to about 4 million a year. For comparison, almost 7 million existing homes were sold each year from 2020 to 2022. The reasons? Home prices are high, mortgage rates are high, and there's lots of economic uncertainty. And later in the program: A proposed law could help people who lost homes in this year's Los Angeles wildfires avoid "vulture capitalists."

From the BBC World Service: Japan's inflation rate is heating up, hitting its fastest pace in more than two years: 3.5% in April. That could mean higher interest rates for the first time in years. It's a big shift for a country used to falling prices and a major challenge for the government and central bank. Plus: flooding in Australia, a raised retirement age in Denmark and cash use in Sweden.

In the wake of protests following the murder of George Floyd, corporations made big promises on diversity, equity and inclusion. Now, five years later, some are backing away from DEI commitments. Others are not — including Costco, which is doubling down on diversity. But first: The GOP tax and spending bill passed the House this morning by one vote. It extends the 2017 tax cuts and would also start forcing most adults enrolled in Medicaid to work.

After a white police officer murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, big banks announced plans to invest millions of dollars in smaller, Black-owned banks across the country to help those banks make more loans to small businesses in underserved communities. We'll hear from one South Carolina bank about how loan efforts are going. Also on the show: OpenAI is investing in hardware, and unions are receiving higher approval ratings.

From the BBC World Service: China might not be the first country you think of when it comes to the Arctic, but it's staking a claim, calling itself a near-Arctic state. We'll hear how the Arctic has become a battleground for territory, trade and power. Plus, new research shows tropical forests are being lost at an alarming rate, but there's currently no economic model that incentivizes farming communities to preserve them.

The Port of Los Angeles says 20% of container shipments this month were canceled in the wake of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Even though those tariffs were temporarily lowered, June is also looking to be a light month for shipping into that port. We'll hear what could be ahead, as well as how U.S. companies are responding to all the tariff back-and-forth. Also: What will the GOP's tax bill mean for taxpayers' bottom line?

Government employment has long been a reliable pathway to Black middle-class prosperity. More than 18% of the federal workforce is Black versus about 12% of the civilian workforce overall. That means that the estimated 260,000 federal jobs eliminated this year by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency will be particularly felt by Black federal workers. But first: The House Committee working on the Republican tax bill could be in for a long day.

From the BBC World Service: Some U.K. retailers are dealing with a curious cyberattack. One of them is Marks and Spencer, also known as M&S. The attack has resulted in empty shelves, an inability to take online orders and roughly $400 million in lost earnings. Plus, if you're into moisturizers, you've probably encountered shea butter. But the nut tree — a major source of income for millions of women in Africa — is threatened by climate change.

Higher tariffs are not working out so well for automakers. Subaru is raising prices, while GM is reportedly freezing shipments to China. Meanwhile, trade talks between the U.S. and Japan — home to Toyota, Honda and others — look to be moving slowly, at best. And later: One set of economic indicators points to a future economic slowdown, and a startup envisions a slow-moving sleeper train between Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

In yesterday's podcast, we brought you the history of how a white mob devastated Tulsa's Greenwood District during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Afterward, Black residents rebuilt and flourished, but what would come next would largely destroy the neighborhood — and much of its wealth — for good: the construction of the I-244 highway. But first, President Donald Trump is headed to Capitol Hill to get the GOP tax bill over the finish line.

From the BBC World Service: Chinese EV battery maker CATL, which supplies batteries for Tesla and Toyota, has just gone public on Hong Kong's stock exchange, raising more than $4.5 billion. That makes it the biggest listing in the world this year. We have the details. Also on the program, we learn about an Australian government plan to improve the lives and economic realities of people with autism.

As part of our "Buy Now, Pay Later" series — produced in partnership with Next Avenue, a nonprofit news platform for older adults produced by Twin Cities PBS — we'll hear firsthand from 70-year-old Loreli Taylor, a Social Security beneficiary who took out student loans decades ago and still has debt to pay down. She's not alone; the number of student loan borrowers 62 and older is up sharply. Also, borrowing rates are rising.

Today, to start a three-part series examining America's persistent racial wealth gap, we head to Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, in 1921, a violent white mob destroyed the thriving Greenwood neighborhood — then known as America's "Black Wall Street.” The event wiped out much of the prosperity experienced by the area's Black residents and, along with it, the opportunity for intergenerational wealth-building. We'll learn about the history and attempts at restitution. But first: a downgrade of the nation's credit rating.

From the BBC World Service: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to unveil the results of a reset in post-Brexit relations with the EU on defense, trade and fishing rights. We'll hear more. Then, Canada is home to 2 million Indigenous people, roughly half of whom say they struggle to afford basics, including food. Historically, Indigenous Canadians were limited from profiting from food production by law, but the government has now pledged to increase food security.

The Eurovision Song Contest was started in 1956 as an effort by a consortium of European broadcasters to use culture to unite the disparate countries of the emerging EU. Approaching 70 years of performances, 160 million could watch this year's Eurovision, even in this age of streaming digital distractions. What's behind the staying power? But first, the WNBA season starts tonight after a breakout 2024, where attendance, viewership, and ad and merch sales all skyrocketed.

Online bookings for travel are down. Major airlines are reducing flight schedules as leisure travelers pull back. And now there's more bad news for the tourism sector: High-spending business travelers are cutting back, as well. Later in the program: why Bank of America is investing in physical branches and how a technical program near the Texas-Louisiana coast is training young people for "gold-collar" chemical and petrochemical production jobs.

From the BBC World Service: Japanese carmaker Nissan recently unveiled sweeping cost-cutting plans. Now, it says it could share its U.K. factory with a Chinese state-owned company, manufacturing vehicles on their behalf. Plus, Malawi has lost a much-needed International Monetary Fund program worth $175 million. And, the Eurovision Song Contest is back this week. How has Eurovision managed to stay relevant after nearly 70 years?

Walmart officials are saying the retail giant will raise prices within weeks due to higher import taxes imposed by the Trump administration. The largest retailer in the country released Q1 results today — revenue was up, but the company declined to give profit guidance for the current quarter. Also on the show: busy times for Chinese exporters, proposed changes to Medicaid and a look at the future of interest rates.

Amid the uncertainty triggered by President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcements, many investors started looking for places outside the U.S. to park their capital. One beneficiary? Japan. More foreign money flowed into Japanese stocks and bonds than ever before — about $50 billion worth. Also on this morning's show: a conversation about the value of the U.S. dollar and what happens if it loses its status as the reserve currency.

From the BBC World Service: Beijing has announced a 90-day pause of its tariff measures, which had banned dozens of American companies from trading with Chinese firms. Now, companies are rushing to ship products before that 90-day window closes. Plus, the Eurovision Song Contest is the world's biggest TV show. The annual event is taking place this week in Switzerland, with hundreds of thousands of fans already massing in the host city of Basel. We'll learn about the economic impact.

The House's proposed tax plan includes a 5% tax on remittances. These are electronic transfers of money sent by people in the U.S. — often immigrants — to friends and family abroad. There are some exceptions to the tax, including most transfers made by U.S. citizens. We'll learn how this might play out. Also: a (sorta) stock market milestone, a crypto company in the S&P and a bill that could hurt renewables in Texas.

California regulators are allowing State Farm insurance to charge 17% more following this year's LA wildfires. State Farm says it needs the rate increase — on top of the 20% it got last year — because it's in financial distress following the fires. But the issue of higher premiums goes well beyond California. We'll hear more, then learn why there are concerns about the U.S. dollar remaining the world's reserve currency.

From the BBC World Service: It's the second day of U.S. President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East. So far, there's been the red carpet treatment in Riyadh, culminating in billions of dollars in Saudi investment. Later in the tour, Trump is expected to meet Syria's interim leader to lift sanctions against the country. Plus, in France, the shop-on-a-truck idea has branched out into new areas such as beauty and cosmetics.

The consumer price index hit an annual rate of 2.3% last month. Consumer inflation clocked in at 0.2% from March to April — less than expected. While folks feel uncertain about the future, some data could reveal a more encouraging picture. Also on the program: how higher tariffs translate to revenue for the federal government and how an energy efficiency program that could get axed helps households and businesses save billions.

The stock market mess many connect to President Donald Trump's intense tariff policy is, as of this morning, largely corrected. We'll unpack the recent market rollercoaster ride and discuss what to make of it all. Plus, a sweeping tax bill could extend many tax cuts from Trump's first term — but plenty of twists are expected ahead. And Trump is in Saudi Arabia for a four-day trip to the Gulf. What's on the agenda?

From the BBC World Service: Japanese carmaker Nissan will cut 20,000 jobs globally as it struggles with falling sales in China and heavy price discounts in the U.S. We'll hear more. And later in the program, leaders and economists in Africa gather in Togo to discuss the continent's debt challenges. Plus: slashed duties on parcels from China and Hong Kong to the U.S. and calls for unity from Chinese President Xi Jinping.