The Supreme Court today ruled to limit the ability of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions blocking President Trump’s executive orders. The decision will have major implications for how businesses push back against federal policy in the United States. We’ll get into it. And, American consumers aren’t feeling too hot about the economy. How much do those feelings matter? Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: "Supreme Court sides with T...
Jun 27, 2025•22 min
It's been a big week for economic data, with key reports on GDP, PCE, retail sales and consumer sentiment numbers. Bloomberg's Kate Davidson and the Wall Street Journal's Greg Ip join “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal to discuss the data, what's happening with inflation and how much tariffs are feeding into prices. Also on the show: Disposable income dipped in May. What does this slowdown in income growth mean for the broader economy? Plus, a conversation with Tim Cadogan, CEO of GoFundMe, about th...
Jun 27, 2025•26 min
If doctors can catch breast cancer early enough, the chances of survival are about 90%. In order to catch it early enough, women over the age of 40 usually get annual mammograms, paid for by their health insurance. Roughly half of those women have dense breast tissue that requires additional screenings, however, which aren’t always covered by insurance. Also: a record-high stock market and the state of the economy surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Jun 27, 2025•9 min
Romance apps are struggling to get dates right now. Bumble says it’s laying off nearly a third of its employees. Since the company’s launch of its stock in 2021, stock prices have fallen about 90%. We'll hear how changing habits and economic uncertainty are factoring in. Plus: where the Senate version of the big tax and spending bill stands and a trip to Georgia, where farmland and solar panels are coexisting.
Jun 27, 2025•7 min
From the BBC World Service: A White House official said the talks lay the groundwork for expediting rare earth shipments from China to the U.S. Then, the 12-day war between Iran and Israel brought intense focus on a key waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. How has the conflict affected a region so dependent on the Strait? And, European leaders have been gathering in Brussels to decide on a common negotiating position toward the Trump administration.
Jun 27, 2025•7 min
On this week’s Bytes: Week in Review: Apple irked customers with movie ads, the Mideast conflict reminded us of the lack of security in smart surveillance cameras, and a federal judge handed down a landmark ruling on AI’s use of copyrighted works, citing a legal doctrine known as fair use.
Jun 27, 2025•8 min
June marks the start of hurricane season but thanks to the climate crisis we’re dealing with extreme weather year-round. Just in the past month, deadly storms have devastated Kentucky and a brutal heat-wave is surging across the country. With the recent cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service, weather stations are understaffed and weather forecasting might be impacted. In this episode of Burning Questions, host Amy Scott talks with former National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellinni ...
Jun 27, 2025•17 min
Continuing unemployment claims just hit nearly two million — the highest number since November 2021. There’s not much hiring right now and workers with jobs aren’t going anywhere. In this static labor market, what’s an unemployed person to do? Also in this episode: Car sales slow after a pre-tariff boom, a new report shows Americans are socializing less, and a town in Oregon is still rebuilding five years after a major fire. Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe t...
Jun 26, 2025•25 min
The ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding for now. But as this conflict has played out, along with other ongoing wars around the world, it got us thinking: What does war even look like in 2025? In Ukraine, it looks like drone and missile attacks side-by-side with everyday life. On the show today, longtime international correspondent Deborah Amos joins us from Kyiv, Ukraine to talk about how modern warfare has changed. Here’s everything we talked about today: "Bank hacks, intern...
Jun 26, 2025•20 min
A federal judge has stopped the Labor Department from halting operations at the federal Job Corps program, which gives teenagers and young adults training in trades like construction and car repair. We'll hear about the costs of the program — and the potential costs of cutting it. Plus, economic growth has been revised downward, and a new report finds that home ownership costs are uncomfortably high in nearly 80% of U.S. counties.
Jun 26, 2025•7 min
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that President Donald Trump is thinking about announcing his pick to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as soon as this fall, months before Powell’s term is over. Plus, the national price tag for health care is expected to reach more than 20% of GDP by 2033, even as Congress considers significant cuts to what taxpayers spend on health care for vulnerable Americans. And later, what is a "shadow fleet"?
Jun 26, 2025•7 min
From the BBC World Service: In good news for Japanese consumers, rice prices have fallen to their lowest level in two months. That's after a shortage of the country’s staple food, caused by a poor harvest and increased tourist demand. Then, Zimbabwe has moved forward with compensation payments to white farmers whose land was seized during a controversial land reform program more than 20 years ago. And, business leaders are in China for the country's annual economic forum.
Jun 26, 2025•7 min
Demand for data centers continues to grow everywhere, but their environmental impacts are causing some to consider a different option: build them in space, where there's lots of room, solar power and a cold environment. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Evan Robinson-Johnson, business reporter at The Information, to learn more.
Jun 26, 2025•11 min
Just two weeks out from the Trump administration’s tariff pause deadline, no one is quite sure what to expect. In this episode, experts weigh in on what sort of deals the U.S. is likely to make and how businesses are preparing in the meantime. Plus: “Value seeking” consumers want the most bang for their buck, economic uncertainty puts the brakes on RV sales, and Indigenous jewelry makers struggle as silver prices rise. Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our ...
Jun 25, 2025•25 min
Many Americans are enduring a brutal heatwave this week. For those who work outside, the heat can be deadly. On today’s show, we’ll check in on a proposed heat safety law that would require employers to offer more breaks when the temperature rises above a certain threshold. Under the Trump administration, the law’s future is uncertain. And, the housing market can’t seem to break out of its slump. Plus, the lengths some Americans will go to score some Indian mangoes. Here’s everything we talked a...
Jun 25, 2025•16 min
This week marks three years since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which struck down Roe v. Wade and paved the way for tighter abortion restrictions across the country. Now, grassroots abortion funds that help people travel to states where the procedure is legal are facing difficult financial times. We'll hear more. But first: Home-building costs and mortgage rates are still high, and China encourages more international trade during the World Economic Forum's annual conference.
Jun 25, 2025•7 min
Two sounds across much of the country this morning: the AC grinding away and the ticking up of your electric bill. With hotter temperatures and AI-driven data centers drawing so much power, investors are putting money into the power industry. Global investments in electricity could reach 50% more than what’s spent on bringing coal, natural gas, and oil to market. Plus, Fed Chair Jerome Powell testified before the House yesterday, and FIFA’s Club World Cup isn’t generating as much hype as hoped f...
Jun 25, 2025•7 min
From the BBC World Service: We start today's show in the Netherlands, where President Donald Trump is for the NATO Summit. Most European countries have agreed to up their defense spending to 5% of GDP, though Spain has been less forthcoming. Then, India's dark stores deliver to online shoppers in just 10 minutes. What's the impact on retailers? And, demonstrators protest the lavish wedding of Jeff Bezos in Venice by throwing inflatable alligators into some of the city's iconic canals....
Jun 25, 2025•8 min
Over the last several days, you may have seen the latest examples of a growing phenomenon: satellite images of a conflict zone. This time, they were of Iranian nuclear sites, before and after American bombs struck. Images like these come from commercial satellite companies, a change from our past reliance on government-provided photographs. The shift toward commercial satellites gained steam amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to Mariel Borowitz, an associate professor at the Georgia Institu...
Jun 25, 2025•8 min
The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index dropped in June. That’s after a brief reprive in May from a monthslong downward slide. Uncertainty surrounding the job market, tariffs, that GOP tax bill, trouble in the Middle East — what’s not to be glum about? In this episode, we explain what could shift the mood. Plus: Soon-to-be college grads in China prepare for an unwelcoming job market, oil shipping prices grow even as oil prices fall, and Congress considers a new way to regulate crypto. E...
Jun 24, 2025•26 min
The United States’ entanglement in Iran and Israel’s current conflict has a long, complicated history. Today we’re looking back at how it led up to the U.S. strikes on Iran over the weekend. Two major factors: Iran’s nuclear capabilities and economic sanctions, which the U.S. used to deter Iran’s nuclear program and to incentivize Iran to sign on to the 2015 nuclear deal. Rose Kelanic, director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities, explains some of the history behind tensions between...
Jun 24, 2025•24 min
Bridget and Ryan hit rewind and break out an old-school cassette tape to answer your money questions. You wanted to know: how ATMs work, why the penny’s called the penny and how airlines set ticket prices? So we’re on the case to bring you the answers with an analog twist! If your family is interested in learning more about the questions we answered in this episode, check out our website . We’ve got discussion questions and tips! This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight to...
Jun 24, 2025•27 min
Currently, if you or your kids get into college and don’t have the money to pay for it, you can borrow however much you need from the federal government to cover tuition and living expenses. If the tax cuts and budget bill working its way through Congress passes, that won’t be the case anymore. Plus, some oil experts aren't worried about the Strait of Hormuz and Fed Chair Jerome Powell heads to Capitol Hill.
Jun 24, 2025•7 min
The situation in the Israel-Iran war is fluid, with Israel accusing Iran of violating a ceasefire that President Donald Trump had announced late yesterday. Israel is vowing firm retaliation. Players in financial markets continue to take a wait-and-see position. We'll discuss the state of play. Also on the program: a preview of consumer confidence and a look at why defense is front and center at this week's NATO summit.
Jun 24, 2025•7 min
From the BBC World Service: The price of Brent crude oil has fallen to $69 a barrel, despite a statement from Israel saying that it has identified missiles launched from Iran earlier this morning, something Iran has denied. Israel had announced it had agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Iran earlier today, causing the oil price to drop 15% from a high of $81 a barrel yesterday. Plus, Google comes under pressure and a tariff deadline looms.
Jun 24, 2025•7 min
Iran's government knocked out internet and mobile networks after Israel began bombing the country. That’s left the population with little to no access to critical information. One person who watched this played out is Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director at Holistic Resilience, an organization that helps Iranians circumvent government censorship. He says Iran's government often restricts internet during critical times.
Jun 24, 2025•7 min
After launching air strikes on Iranian unclear facilities over the weekend, President Trump posted to Truth Social, demanding that U.S. oil firms “drill, baby, drill.” Although ongoing conflict in the Middle East could balloon oil prices, it’s unlikely that domestic producers are racing to ramp up production just yet. Also in this episode: Renting may be more appealing than buying right now, Treasury auctions see stability, and tariffs threaten the success of a Wyoming trona mine. Every story ha...
Jun 23, 2025•26 min
Oil markets went into a state of panic after the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, stoking fears that Iran could retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran’s control over the key oil trade route may not be the economic weapon many think it is. We’ll explain. And, several provisions in the Republicans’ reconciliation bill haven’t made it through the so-called “Byrd Bath” and risk being axed from the legislation. Plus, did you know killer whale...
Jun 23, 2025•12 min
Last week, a listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat meals sold at Walmart and Kroger led to hospitalizations and three deaths. Major DOGE cuts targeted administrative and communications staff at food safety agencies, and some experts worry there could be further weakening of America's food safety systems. We'll hear more. But first: We'll give an update on oil markets and the Middle East, and learn about the work left to do on the big tax and spending bill.
Jun 23, 2025•7 min
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities and the continuation of missile exchanges between Iran and Israel, stock, bond, and oil markets are in a holding pattern. This morning, we'll unpack how financial markets are responding to war headlines. Plus, the big tax and spending legislation includes a ban on state AI regulation and would override more than 100 local laws already on the books.
Jun 23, 2025•7 min
