Marketplace All-in-One

In Nike’s earnings report this week, the brand said it may begin shrinking its operations and laying off workers. It’s been losing market share for a while now. We look at what went wrong in the last decade. Also in this episode: the government-funded EV discounts that still remain, the business of affiliate links, and a former business owner’s mini retirement during fatherhood.

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Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• An unsettling economic picture
• Can Nike get its mojo back?
• A year after federal EV tax credits ended, a patchwork of state EV incentives remains
• Here, take my link! The rise of affiliate links
• How becoming a dad brought this outdoorsman full-circle

This week, the Treasury Department released rules for a new nationwide school choice program that could end up providing billions of dollars to students attending private schools. Taxpayers will be able to opt in to the program by giving up to $1,700 to third-party groups that provide scholarships to students, and can later deduct that donation from their taxes. Many public school advocates, however, oppose the program. Also in this episode: weaker-than-expected jobs data and reimagined research parks.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories from this episode:

• Private schools are likely to be the beneficiaries of new federal school voucher program
• Research parks were designed for working. That's starting to change.

After being laid off this summer, Montrose Fell felt the pressure to scramble and find a new position. But after a year of funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the biomedical industry was flooded with overqualified candidates. So, Fell decided to pursue permanent residency in Canada. “The current scientific climate in the United States was not one where I thought I would thrive in,” they said. We hear more as part of our "Clocked Out" series. But first, we have a preview of the September jobs report.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories in this episode:

• When one door closes, maybe it's time to move countries

While the White House hosted tech luminaries this week to sign a voluntary agreement on AI safety standards, the Federal Trade Commission opened a broad investigation into AI labs over potential safety risks their products may pose to consumers.

Plus, a nearly four-hour documentary on Elon Musk is stirring up controversy over whether social media platforms will run ads for it.

We’ll get into it on today’s “Bytes: Week in Review.”

Check out our YouTube page to watch more episodes of Tech Bytes.

The PCE price index (that's the Fed's preferred measure of inflation) held steady year-over-year in the latest report. Economists expected it to move up. So, why didn't it budge -- and why aren't we all celebrating? Also in this episode: Seasonal work is hard to find so far this fall, Trump's immigration crackdown weakens construction productivity in South Texas, and Kai explains the long-term implications of rising borrowing costs.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• The Fed's preferred inflation measure was lower than expected in August. Is that a good thing?
• Can the U.S. just grow its way out of debt?
• Immigration crackdown adds delays, costs to South Texas construction
• More people are looking for seasonal work this year. So far, it's hard to find
• There are more private security guards than police. How much are they paid?

On Mortgage News Daily, the average rate for a 30-year fixed is now up to 7.6%. And as the cost of a mortgage has gone up, the demand for home loans has dipped to a two-year low, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Then, some lenders surveyed by the Federal Reserve reported that they’ve been noticing a pickup in delinquencies, as higher costs burden both families and businesses.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories from this episode:

• Higher interest rates have cratered demand for mortgages
• As inflation stretches paychecks, some lenders report "late payment creep"

Starting today, states are now responsible for a bigger share of the administrative costs that come with running the SNAP food assistance program. It used to be a 50-50 split with the federal government, but now states will take on 75% of the costs. We explore the impacts. We also discuss fresh inflation data and consumer spending figures. Plus, should Big Oil pay for some of the damage caused by burning fossil fuels?

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories discussed in this episode:

• A major big oil accountability case is on the Supreme Court's docket

Over the last 25 years, the U.S. government has spent billions of dollars to build a "virtual wall" of video surveillance at the southern border. The network can signal Border Patrol to respond when it detects suspicious activity. And officials have touted the benefit of providing aid to migrants in distress.

But a recent investigation by MIT Technology Review and the Times of San Diego found more than 1,000 migrants have died over the last decade within range of one of these cameras. Eileen Guo co-reported the series, “Dying on Camera.”

More on this:

“The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?” from MIT Technology Review

“A congressional representative just proposed killing America’s border tower program” from MIT Technology Review

Does higher education still guarantee financial stability? How can parents set their kids up for success, without subjecting them to overbearing pressure? Reema talks to writer Min Jin Lee to talk about her new novel, “American Hagwon.” They discuss the precariousness of the middle class, and how love, fear, and money get tangled up in what parents want for their children … and what those kids can feel like they owe in return.

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OpenAI just announced it will delay its IPO due to ongoing AI safety concerns. But when you’re a company as big as OpenAI, where does your funding come from? In this episode, venture capital doesn’t cut it. Plus: Second quarter GDP was revised up thanks to all that corporate AI investment, Kai breaks down why the labor market is kinda like a bathtub, and farmers turn to agritainment as crop revenue shrinks.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Second quarter GDP growth is brought to you by the letters A and I
• Why full employment is like filling a bathtub with water
• OpenAI delayed its IPO. That makes private investors happy
• Corn mazes, apple picking, and hayrides: More farms are leaning into "agritourism"
• Is your Dijon spicy? Heat and drought might be the cause
• How "Neon Tom" made a 40-year career out of neon signs