This episode covers a range of economic issues, starting with President Trump's challenge to the Fed's independence and the implications for the global economy. It also addresses the housing market's current state, the rise in SNAP benefit theft, the impact of climate change on Maine's shrimp industry, and stories from first-time homebuyers. The episode concludes with a discussion of recent executive orders affecting the fishing industry.
Undocumented workers aren’t the only immigrants being targeted by the Donald Trump administration. Green card holders are facing deportation threats as well. We’ll discuss the far-reaching implications of Trump’s immigration crackdown, from the labor market to higher education in the United States. Plus, what Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation case could mean for due process. And, we’ll weigh in on crunchy foods and living underwater during a round of Half Full/Half Empty. Here’s everything we t...
Hey Million Bazillionaires! Ryan and Bridget are working hard on brand-new episodes for our next season. In the meantime, we're doing something special today. We're sharing an episode from our friends at Marketplace’s podcast for young people, “Financially Inclined.” It's all about negotiation. That means learning how to speak up for yourself, make fair deals and solve problems in smart ways. It's a skill grown-ups use all the time. But negotiation isn't just for adults. Kids...
It's the law that insurance companies have to cover the costs of certain screenings for cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases and more. Patients could soon have to pick up more of the tab, however, if the Supreme Court sides with two Texas businesses. And later: Ukraine says it's signed a memorandum of intent to sell minerals to the U.S., and sportswear brands are cashing in on running's growing popularity.
The American Revolutionary War began 250 years ago Saturday. You probably know the political reasons behind the American colonists' fight for independence, but there were major economic grievances, as well. Today, we're taking a look back. Plus, the Trump administration has moved to fire most staffers at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And despite attempts at a revival from the Trump administration, the future of coal will likely continue to look bleak.
From the BBC World Service: Ukraine says it has signed a memorandum of intent on a minerals deal with the United States after negotiations in Washington. Plus, following the tariffs back and forth between the U.S. and Canada, Stellantis — owner of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep — announced it would close its assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario for two weeks. On Monday, production will start back up again, but for how long?
NVIDIA gets caught up in the trade war, the titans of Twitter/X debate intellectual property law — and the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust case against Meta kicks off in court. We're digging into all of it on today's Tech Bytes: Week in Review. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information, about what we learned in week one of Meta's monopoly trial.
How do you get what you want and the pay you deserve? Host Yanely Espinal talks with career coach and personal finance writer Mandi Woodruff-Santos about the ins and outs of negotiation and how to start building these skills long before your first job offer. Think you’re financially inclined? Dig deeper into negotiation: Some helpful questions you might consider before going into a negotiation Additional negotiation tips from psychologist Ruchi Sinha’s TED Talk Specific advice for negotiating a ...
First-time jobless claims have been pretty stable since the start of March — unlike many other parts of the economy. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and immigration restrictions may not be ideal for businesses, but they could give companies a reason to hold on to workers. Also in this episode: The European Central Bank cuts its key interest rate, get that EV tax credit while you can, and a martial arts master stays in Altadena, California, after losing her studio in the wildfires....
In over a hundred years, no president has ever fired the chair of the Federal Reserve … yet! President Donald Trump says he could show Jerome Powell the door, even though Powell says he’s not going anywhere. We’ll explain why it might all come down to the Supreme Court. Plus: the economic conditions that led to the American Revolution. And, a smile-worthy photo reminds us it's never too late to try new things! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump: If I ask Powell to leave, ‘he’ll ...
Yesterday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell took a wait-and-see posture on interest rates amid market disruptions and increased talk of recession linked to President Donald Trump's tariffs. This morning, the president went after the Fed boss on social media, saying Powell's "termination can’t come soon enough.” We'll unpack. Also: a leveling off of men's retirement age in the U.S. and the costs of sending astronauts to the moon (and beyond).
California, the union's largest state for manufacturing, says the executive branch lacks the constitutional authority to enact tariffs. The lawsuit is the most significant legal challenge to the Trump tariffs. We'll hear more. Then, when Marketplace's David Brancaccio lost his Altadena home to wildfires earlier this year, he found his charred router among the rubble. We'll learn what he had to go through to avoid a fee from his internet provider.
From the BBC World Service: Another meeting is planned between the U.S. and Japan, as Japan seeks exemptions from certain American tariffs. The talks will be closely monitored by other countries to see what sort of trade deal can be struck. Plus, Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Cambodia for the last leg of what's being called a "charm-offensive" tour. And, cargo ships are clogging ports as tariff concerns impact the bookings of freight vessels.
Flying cars have been a staple of science-fiction visions of the future for ages. Perhaps most famously in “Back to the Future II.” The film may have overshot the mark a bit with Doc and Marty McFly navigating full-on air highways in 2015. But Utah is pushing for the technology to take off by 2034, when the state hosts the Olympic and paralympic winter games. We're not exactly talking about flying Delorians or vehicles you'd recognize as a car, but rather small, lightweight aircraft for ...
We’ve heard about people rushing to replace big-ticket essentials ahead of trade war-related price hikes, but what about stuff that’s more of a want than a need? In this episode: Tariff anxieties shape discretionary spending, giving consumers a way to feel some control in this chaotic economy. Plus: mixed signals from a manufacturing report, bitcoin’s chance at “digital gold,” and one of Altadena’s largest employers wants to rebuild and rehire longtime staff after the California wildfires....
Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has ignored court rulings on a range of issues from press access to deportations . Now, a federal judge might hold him in criminal contempt of court. We’ll unpack the Zeno’s paradox of constitutional crises. Plus, where luxury goods actually come from and why you may want to think twice before buying one. And if you’re looking to zone out, turn on the “Great Moose Migration.” Here’s everything we talked about today: @kyledcheney.bsky.s...
Usually, when consumer sentiment is low, people pull back on spending. Not this time. Fresh data out this morning showed surprisingly strong retail sales last month. The reason? More folks are stocking up to beat price increases resulting from President Donald Trump's tariffs. Also: Tariffs may shrink the price gap between organic and standard produce, and the U.S. African Development Foundation is fighting against cuts from the Trump administration.
From wildfires in California to more recent flooding in the Midwest and South, the toll of recovering from natural disasters can be staggering. Sen. Tim Sheehy, a Republican from Montana, and Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, have an idea: a tax credit to harden homes against natural disasters. We'll hear more. But first: why chipmaker stock prices are down and how Beijing is preparing for tougher trade relations with the U.S.
From the BBC World Service: China says its economy grew by 5.4% in the first three months of this year, but analysts warn the economy will slow in the second quarter as the effects of President Donald Trump's 145% tariffs on Chinese goods are felt. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers are taking to TikTok to urge American consumers to bypass intermediary retailers like Shein, Temu or Amazon and buy directly from them.
China is responsible for most of the world’s processing of rare earth metals and minerals, but its new export restrictions have raised the stakes for U.S. efforts to build its own supply chain and processing industry. Barbara Arnold, a professor of mining engineering at Penn State, says there are options, but they require time, development and investment.
In recent years, ESG investing moved from a mainstream strategy promoted by the biggest asset managers in the world, to a polarizing topic. Financial firms scrubbed the acronym from their websites, dropped out of net-zero initiatives, and stopped advertising their climate efforts. Some have proclaimed ESG dead and buried. But if so, who killed it and why? In this episode – our ESG whodunit – we take out our magnifying glasses to take a closer look at the legislation that would spark dozens of ot...
For the first few years of the pandemic, businesses navigated a backed-up global supply chain that left some with excess inventory and others with no inventory at all. Tariffs may cause similar issues: Companies are stocking up on imports, and prices will likely rise. In this episode, business owners compare this economic moment to early-COVID supply snarls. Plus: Trade tensions are causing a drop in oil prices and stoking confusion in the steel industry. Also: The first installment of our serie...
Happy Tax Day, folks. While you’re hitting “Submit” on your returns, lawmakers in Washington are negotiating over what next year’s Tax Day could look like. Congress is aiming to pack President Donald Trump’s promised tax cuts into one behemoth reconciliation bill. But Caitlin Reilly, tax and economics reporter at CQ Roll Call, said there’s a long way to go before making these promises a reality. On the show today, Reilly explains why Congress is pursuing “reconciliation,” the accounting magic la...
So far, it's been a calm morning for stocks. But statements will soon trickle in for brokerage accounts for January to March — a quarter where the S&P fell 4.6%, the Nadsaq fell 10%, and the Dow fell 9%. (That's before recent tariff tumult.) Today: the importance of portfolio diversification and how to think about financial planning during market turbulence. Also: inklings of tariff exemptions for the auto industry.
It's Tax Day today! While your taxes may be due, you can file for an extension — and the extension is automatic for some this year. We'll discuss more with Nina Olson of the Center for Taxpayer Rights and learn how taxpayers might run into the effects of IRS budget cuts and hiring freezes. But first: Water bills keep going up, and the Trump administration is signaling tariffs ahead for imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductor chips.
From the BBC World Service: Chinese President Xi Jinping is continuing his weeklong tour of Southeast Asia. He arrives in Malaysia tonight — a country that has been hit by a 24% American tariff. And, as countries wait to hear what's next on tariffs, South Korea has agreed to pump an extra $5 billion into its semiconductor industry. Plus, we take a closer look at Japan's aging society and declining birthrate.
Surveillance technology like automated license plate readers has become commonplace in policing. They've made it easier to locate stolen vehicles and track suspects, but they've also raised concerns about civil liberties. Cardinal News Executive Editor Jeff Schwaner took a 300-mile drive through the state to see how often his car would be recorded. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Schwaner about his experience and issues related to privacy and who has access to the data....
Fear of unemployment jumped 4.6 percentage points to 44% in March, according to a New York Fed survey. That’s the highest it’s been since April 2020. Expect the commercial real estate market to feel that same vibe. Companies concerned about a tariff-induced recession may make cuts or stick with Zoom instead of leasing new office space, experts told us. Also: Uncertainty is driving up junk bond yields, foreign investors may be pulling back on U.S. markets, and we talk to a small-business executiv...
Nearly a decade after Brexit, the British economy is still feeling the fallout. Now, President Donald Trump seems to be pulling from a similar playbook — with tariffs that could reshape the U.S. economy in eerily familiar ways. (Shocker, we know!) But first: Trump threatens to send Americans to prisons in El Salvador. The constitutional crisis alarm bells are ringing. Plus, poop in space is a bigger problem than you might think. Here’s everything we talked about today: "Trump again threaten...
It’s corporate earnings season once again, but market watchers may be looking for different indicators this time around as companies adjust to current and expected U.S. tariffs. We check in with economist Julia Coronado on what hints we may get about how firms are thinking about today’s economy. Plus, a look at how decades of changes to the U.S. social safety net have affected the economic well-being of older Americans.
