On our new series “The Infinite Scroll,” we’re looking at the rules and risks of kids using social media. Artificial intelligence is showing up on these platforms in the form of chatbots, digital characters you can text or talk with. Today we explore what can happen to youngsters who interact with them. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes discussed the subject with Meetali Jain, founder and director at the Tech Justice Law Project. Her organization is involved in a lawsuit against Charact...
Mar 05, 2025•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast The National Women’s Soccer League’s regular season kicks off next week. And thanks in part to a record-breaking media rights agreement and the growth of women’s professional sports across the board, the league is gaining more attention — and investment — than ever. Angel City Football Club became the highest-valued women’s sports team in the world last year when Willow Bay and Bob Iger acquired a controlling stake in the franchise for $250 million. Julie Uhrman, the team...
Mar 05, 2025•25 min•Ep 1342•Transcript available on Metacast They’re here: President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico begin today, as well as an additional 10% tax on goods from China. In this episode, we hear from business owners who are caught in the middle of trade policy chaos and explain why Texas is likely to suffer in particular. Plus, Forest Service layoffs devastate rural western mountain towns, and small warehouses are in demand but hard to come by.
Mar 05, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tariffs are in place this morning against the United States’ three biggest trading partners: Canada, Mexico and China. First, we’ll unpack the industries likely to get hit hardest and pass those higher costs on to consumers. Then, we’ll hear how targeted countries are responding to Trump’s tariffs. And later: a look at how some colleges are preparing students to enter the workforce by teaching them to have civil political conversations.
Mar 04, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Donald Trump has implemented a 25% import tax on almost everything we buy from Canada and Mexico, and new tariffs on China doubled to 20%. This is forcing trading partners to adapt. On this morning’s program, we’ll hear from some Chinese manufacturers at an import and export trade show in Shanghai about how they’ll grapple. Then, DOGE’s cuts to the federal workforce bring the culture of a startup to government agencies.
Mar 04, 2025•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast From the BBC World Service: Fears of a trade war ramp up as tariffs go into effect on Chinese, Mexican and Canadian imports to the U.S., with more planned for Donald Trump’s second term. The increased duties on Chinese imports will affect a huge range of products from agricultural goods to toys – and are likely to raise consumer prices. Plus, an unexpected alliance could be forming in the electric car world.
Mar 04, 2025•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we are looking at how kids use social media and the risks and rules around it. It’s part of our new series “The Infinite Scroll.” Monday, we talked about how habitually checking social media can change adolescents’ brains, making them more sensitive to feedback from their peers. Today, we’re going to look at what it’s like to be a parent monitoring their kids’ social media. One thing’s clear: It can be a lot of work.
Mar 04, 2025•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we’re talking about one of Kai’s favorite topics: bonds! The yield on the 10-year Treasury note (the benchmark for mortgages and car loans) is down sharply, which is great for consumers. But it’s happening for not necessarily great reasons. We’ll explain. Plus, why Kimberly is keeping a close eye on one of her go-to government websites. And, she’ll share tales from her trip to Venice’s famed carnival. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Key Interest Rat...
Mar 04, 2025•16 min•Ep 1341•Transcript available on Metacast As bird flu proliferates across U.S. farms, infecting chickens, cows and even humans, some public health experts worry that that funding to deal with it has been inadequate. Above all, they say we need stronger incentives for farmers and farmworkers to test for and report cases of the virus. Plus, the manufacturing sector’s outlook remains mixed, two-thirds of Americans say they have been victims of a financial scam and what could happen if we removed government spending from GDP calculati...
Mar 03, 2025•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the mother of all economic numbers: GDP, or gross domestic product. But U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says he wants to take government spending out of that number in official statistics. That could have serious implications for our understanding of the economy. Also on the show: how President Donald Trump’s tariffs could hit the auto industry and why adults are keeping the toy industry going.
Mar 03, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hundreds of billions of dollars have flowed into cryptocurrency markets in the past 24 hours or so after President Donald Trump named five digital tokens to be included in a national reserve. Trump has pledged to be a crypto-friendly president before. We’ll unpack the decision. Plus, mortgage rate volatility may be here to stay, and natural gas is having a moment — even in the middle of the green energy transition.
Mar 03, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast From the BBC World Service: When new U.S. import duties take effect on Tuesday, China says it’ll be ready to hit back with its own. The escalation raises fears of an all-out trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Then, Britain’s data protection watchdog is investigating how TikTok handles children’s data. And more adults are entertaining themselves with products typically marketed at children, which is helping to keep the global toy market alive.
Mar 03, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Social media takes up a huge chunk of kids’ lives. A 2024 study from Pew found that about half of U.S. teenagers are online “almost constantly.” It’s a big source of stress for parents too, and policing their kids’ actions on these platforms can take up a lot of time and energy. Also, there’s AI, and it’s showing up on social media as bots that are always available to talk. We’re going to get to all of that this week in our new series about what it’...
Mar 03, 2025•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump today dissolved into a heated argument in the Oval Office, flipping the switch of the global economic order. Kai Ryssdal and guest host Nova Safo discuss what they took away from the contentious meeting and what it might mean for American-style capitalism. Plus, we’ll shift gears and play a lively round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump, Vance castiga...
Mar 01, 2025•28 min•Ep 1340•Transcript available on Metacast In the past decade, filming outside of Los Angeles has become a cost-effective option for many major studios. And lower housing costs are driving many lighting techs, grips and gaffers to follow. With roughly 13,000 homes lost in January’s wildfires, staying in LA will be even harder for those workers. Also on the show, the rising cost of utilities and a second act for frozen foods.
Mar 01, 2025•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Some student loan borrowers are in limbo after the Department of Education removed online applications for consolidations and income-based repayment plans. The StudentAid.gov website says the removals are temporary to comply with an appeals court injunction. But first: We got lots of data this morning painting a picture of the economy before major changes were implemented by the Trump administration. And later: Is the U.S. at risk of losing lithium exports from China?
Feb 28, 2025•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Current and former U.S. Agency for International Development workers are being allowed into USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C. for a second day today to pack up their belongings. But federal government layoffs are being felt across the country. Today, we’ll hear from a USAID contractor in Oklahoma about what’s happening there. Plus, we’ll look at why tech firms are spending so much on quantum computing and unpack the impacts of a 24-hour “economic blackout.”
Feb 28, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast From the BBC World Service: Fears are growing among bitcoin investors after the cryptocurrency’s price fell below the $80,000 threshold Friday. It comes after U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats triggered a fresh flight from risk. Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hopes that talks with President Trump at the White House have averted a trade war. Plus, we look at why Hungary has become a hot destination for movie-makers.
Feb 28, 2025•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” chip powerhouse Nvidia saw its revenue soar last quarter, showing that the AI boom is still booming. Plus, it was a bumpy week for bitcoin after the crypto exchange Bybit lost almost $1.5 billion of digital assets in a hack. But first, Apple announced it’s spending $500 billion to expand manufacturing and create jobs in the U.S. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information, about...
Feb 28, 2025•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Host and financial literacy advocate Yanely Espinal is back for Season 4 to get the answers to your money questions and set you up to succeed . This season, we’ll be discussing everything from launching your own business to paying for college. We dig into negotiation techniques and teach you how to navigate tricky money conversations with friends and family. You don’t want to miss it! This podcast is presented in partnership with Greenlight: the money app for teens — with investing. For a limite...
Feb 28, 2025•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
