Marketplace

Despite Trump’s best efforts (a flurry of loosely targeted tariffs), the U.S. trade deficit is widening. But why is it widening? And what does it all have to do with foreign investment in government debt and the strength of the U.S. dollar? We’ll explain. Plus: Electric truck sales rev up amid record-high diesel prices, a 19th-century novelist popularized economic theory for her broad audience, and investors prep for upcoming Treasury auctions.

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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:

• What exactly are investors looking for in this week's government bond auctions?
• The U.S. dollar is at its strongest in 18 months
• The Regency-era novelist who popularized economics through her books
• Here's why the trade deficit is growing
• As diesel prices soar, so do electric truck sales
• The algorithm knows you have a baby, and it will exploit that

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.

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:

• 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

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?

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

Consumer confidence fell to a 12-year low in September, according to The Conference Board. The index has been trending down for a couple years, but this latest decline was steep. One reason? Upper-middle class respondents are starting to feel the pressure, too. Also in this episode: The economic forces behind GDP growth might run out of steam soon, the low-hire low-fire labor market marches on, and high diesel prices keep some Gulf shrimpers on dry land.

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:

• How long can the economy keep growing?
• The latest JOLTS survey shows more of the same low-hire, low-fire economy
• Consumer confidence falls to its lowest level in 12 years, survey shows
• The price tag might be an endangered species
• High diesel prices force some Gulf shrimpers to stay docked
• New career path, new baby, no problem

Apple used to be the leader in buying back shares. Now, Nvidia has broken the tech company’s record, announcing Monday that it would add $150 billion to its stock buyback program, on top of $80 billion pledged a few months ago. The chipmaker’s profits have continued to surge, as tech companies pour money into data centers and AI infrastructure. Is this a smart way for Nvidia to spend its money? More on Nvidia today, plus how a volunteer firefighter shortage is affecting a rural Wyoming county, why spending is predicted to soar this holiday season despite the energy crisis, and what economists are watching for in the jobs numbers coming out this week.

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:

• It's a big week for economic data. Here's what labor economists will be looking for.
• Nvidia's record stock buyback funded by cash from the data center boom
• There’s a national volunteer firefighter shortage. It’s on display in Wyoming
• Early retirement isn't always a choice
• Adobe forecasts record U.S. spending online this holiday season
• The mall isn't dead, yet

What happens to government debt, the budget deficit, and the overall economy if interest rates stay elevated? For a new report, the Congressional Budget Office crunched the numbers. By 2056, public debt would grow to an eye-popping 222% of GDP. Plus: Trump administration cuts decimated soil conservation programs, a new report highlights the impact of private equity investments on climate risk, and an uneventful Trump-Xi summit ends with a promise of more talks to come.

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:

• TTYL? Trump-Xi talks end without much to show
• What happens to the deficit and the national debt if interest rates stay high?
• U.S. farmers lost conservation experts in Trump’s federal cuts. Now they’re hurting for help
• Private equity gets a grade on climate risks

As Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh attempts to limit forward guidance, analysts are zeroed in on other Fed officials’ public comments. Turns out, they’ve got plenty to say. In this episode, central bankers make their voices heard. Plus: Layoffs push workers to pivot careers entirely, catastrophe modelers warn a strong El Niño is brewing, and potato farmers struggle in the wake of an excellent growing season.

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:

• Kevin Warsh is against forward guidance. But that hasn't stopped other Fed officials
• Laid off? Odds are a change of job title's in your future
• A "historic" El Niño is brewing and catastrophe modelers are mapping out the risks
• A spectacular 2025 growing season was not so great for potato farmers this year

Bad news first: Mortgage rates are topping 7% and, fittingly, mortgage applications are down. On the bright side, home prices aren’t completely frozen and listings are actually up. Question is, in this stuck housing market, when will things budge? Also in this episode: A running resurgence parallels popularity peaks in the aughts and ‘80s, Nashville-style hot chicken sees international success, and writer Robin Wigglesworth argues the bond market built the modern world in his new book, “A Fabulous Debt.”

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:

• U.S. mortgage rates climb above 7% in another blow to housing market
• Bonds are like the “hidden wiring connecting the global economy”
• Why everyone is running all of a sudden
• Like weddings, concerts are now destination affairs
• The global appeal of Nashville hot chicken

Diesel costs have nearly doubled over the last year, breaking record highs. In fact, some lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to halt all diesel exports until they cool off. But experts say it's a recipe for price chaos that will leave us right back where we started. Also in this episode: A wide crude oil spread persists, butter and cheese become a bright spot on grocery receipts, and local bank consolidations leave customers frustrated.

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 difference between the "paper" price of Brent crude and what refiners pay for it
• Trump and Xi meet this week. What can we expect?
• As grocery prices rise, cheese and butter get cheaper
• "Not such a good idea": How banning diesel exports to lower prices could backfire
• As banks consolidate, some customers aren’t so sure they’re happy