Episodes
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Back in 2018 — the last time President Donald Trump led a trade war — some businesses got tariff exemptions if they imported goods that couldn’t be sourced in the U.S. Was the process to apply smooth and transparent? Well … no. Will today’s businesses have the same opportunity? That remains to be seen. Also in this episode: Home improvement stores launch AI helper bots, corporate forecasts aim low, and small businesses hesitate to hire.
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Terri Bromberg lost her home of 20 years in the Los Angeles fires. Rather than rebuild, the artist and professor chose to sell and move elsewhere. Prospective buyers put in bids without being able to see the plot of land in person. In this episode, Bromberg and her real estate agent tell us about the process of selling in the Pacific Palisades since the wildfires. Plus: China announces retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. agricultural products, Americans lose confidence in their financial futures, and why Tesla’s stock price has slumped.
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Overall employment dropped last month, according to the monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, employers added jobs to the economy. Weird, right? Well, two surveys make up the monthly report — one of households and one of employers. And they can disagree. Plus, more part-time workers want full-time jobs, Gap is on a roll, and professional basketball has become a game regulations.
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The Federal Reserve may be steering the economy through another trade war. But this time, the inflation of the last few years complicates its task. Also in this episode: Unemployed Americans struggle to snag new positions, banks’ unrealized losses jump, and an aerospace tech startup sets up shop in Cumberland County, Tennessee.
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Ask an economist what’s driving decision-making right now, and the answer may well be “uncertainty.” In this episode, the unpredictable environment fuels a range of change: The labor market softens, surveys of the service sector point in opposite directions and Treasury yields sink. Plus, the Commerce Department just dissolved two expert advisory groups, putting the trustworthiness of future federal data into question.
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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.
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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 calculations.
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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.
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Capital goods orders picked up in January — that’s stuff businesses buy that’ll last a while, like tools and equipment. Is it a sign business owners have money to spend? Or, have tariffs fears and economic uncertainty spooked them into buying things before it’s too late? Also in this episode: Unemployment claims tick up (and that’s not even counting laid-off federal workers), architects stress fire resilience in rebuilding and used car prices rise.
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The second Trump administration has made spending cuts a priority — already, the president has enacted a funding freeze and laid off thousands of federal workers. Reduced government spending will have major ripple effects, though, like shrinking the nation’s GDP. Also in this episode: Trump’s move toward Russia threatens longstanding relationships with European allies and Instacart forecasts a growth slowdown.
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Home Depot, which makes most of its money from renovations, said small projects are driving its sales. That suggests homeowners are staying put — maybe improving the home they have while waiting for a clearer picture of the economy. Meanwhile, home prices just keep rising, although market volatility has cooled off. Also in this episode: When Canadian energy tariffs take effect, New Englanders will pay up and consumer confidence drops amid inflation anxiety.
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The top 10% of earners account for half of all consumer spending in the U.S., a new study shows. In other words, if the goods and services Americans buy in a year were a pie, those with the highest incomes have been shelling out for a massive slice. Where does that leave everyone else? Also in this episode: Investors and the AI industry await Nvidia’s earnings report this week and tariffs threaten a complex auto manufacturing supply chain.
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American consumers agree: High prices aren’t going anywhere. All that stress about inflation, and throw in the impact of tariffs, heightens uncertainty, which translates into negative economic sentiment. But the severity of concern varies between Republicans and Democrats — a lot. Also in this episode: Private data can’t replace government data, oil tankers “go dark” and though the travel industry enjoyed healthy growth last year, new Trump policies could affect the upward trend.
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Last month, key federal data sets were removed from government websites following actions by the Donald Trump administration, and researchers rushed to preserve the information. David Van Riper of IPUMS, an organization dedicated to improving public access to government data, talked to “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal about the importance of these statistics. Plus, Walmart expands and diversifies, ChatGPT has lots of rivals as well as a huge user base, and the U.S. solar industry adapts without Biden-era tax credits.
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Nearly half of consumers say they’ve taken action to align their spending with their moral views since the November election, a new Harris Poll shows. That includes boycotting brands based on campaign contributions, or even looking for ways to opt out of consumerism altogether. In this episode, could politically driven shopping habits make an impact on corporations? Plus, Etsy flounders, homebuilders lose confidence and Amazon Alexa and Apple’s Siri play virtual assistant catch-up.
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At the national level, 2.5% is the lowest the unemployment rate has ever been … and that was for just two months in 1953. We’re at 4% right now, but the labor market is pretty tight. In this episode, we ask: How low can unemployment go? Plus, Samsung buys back stock and retires shares, the Fed is thinking about tariffs and a program that teaches refugees to drive runs out of gas, thanks to President Trump’s immigration policy.
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Tons of sellers listed their homes in January, after months of waiting in vain for mortgage rates to fall. But many would-be buyers are facing economic uncertainty and aren’t ready to make an offer. Plus: A FEMA rule forces residents of flood-prone areas to make a difficult decision, developing countries will drive global energy demand in the next few years and when colleges close, local communities suffer.
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Retail sales were down in January, but the Census Bureau report — with its mish-mosh of data — can obscure nuances in consumer spending. In this episode, we talk to economists and other experts about how they cut through the noise. Plus: An American city and Canadian city with interlaced economies brace for tariffs, Americans love their meat sticks and the women behind a wine shop-restaurant-bookstore tell us about their business.
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Homeowners have been clinging to low mortgage rates for the past few years, stifling the housing market. But new data from Zillow shows once-patient sellers are finally pulling the trigger, despite high rates. Why now? Also in this episode: Supply logistics costs rise, businesses brace for tariff fallout and produce prices fall for suppliers — but that doesn’t mean grocery bills are shrinking.
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After a rough 2024, energy giant BP is expected to announce a “fundamental reset” of its business strategy this month. We don’t know for sure what that means, but industry experts expect the firm, formerly known as British Petroleum, to move away from renewables and double down on oil and natural gas. Also in this episode: A trade consultant tells us how her clients are reacting to President Trump’s trade policies, Zelle hit a record $1 trillion in payments last year and Americans are turning to “fin-fluencers” for financial advice.
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