Marketplace

The middle class is the most talked about group in the 2016 presidential election. But who are they? We take a look at the state of the middle class with our series "How the Deck is Stacked," a collaboration with PBS Newshour and Frontline. 

The World Bank today joins a chorus of other international organizations warning of global economic slowdown; an interview with the guy that invented customer satisfaction surveys; and Yahoo's putting 3,000 patents worth nearly $1 billion dollars on the auction block, but why are these patents worth so much?

The latest installment of Corner Office with Izumi Kajimoto, the CEO of Stetson, about how she's using classic Americana to sell hats and more in the 21st century; how oil workers that were laid off after the recent drop in oil prices are flocking to Texas' growing solar energy sector; and Verizon is willing to pay $3 billion for yahoo, but how did they arrive at the number and what exactly are they getting?

China's high levels of steel production have caused a global glut, and that's not good for their economy or anyone else's; weighing the economic impact of the UK leaving the EU with the Brexit vote a few weeks away; and the story of one hedge fund manager who quit Wall Street to make art. 

Why elections are bad news for the economy; people in Colorado can now legally collect water in a rain barrel; and breaking down the jobs report with the Weekly Wrap.

The ride-share app Uber has secured a $3.5 billion investment from Saudi Arabia; Truck divers are striking over employment status, Marketplace's Andy Uhler takes a look at how the debate is affecting the six hundred billion dollar industry; and how thirty-somethings in Oakland have developed co-ops in response to the lack of affordable housing. 

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warns that the global economy is falling into a "low-growth trap"; Disney reportedly orders reshoots for the new Star Wars movie, "Rogue One"; and Marketplace's Rob Schmitz follows up with one of the women profiled in his new book "Street of Eternal Happiness: Big City Dreams along a Shanghai Road."

Today's episode goes inside Verizon's American call centers and inside the heads of American consumers. Plus: Only about half of welfare funding actually goes to cash assistance, work or child care. What happens to the rest?

On this Memorial Day episode: Military spouse employment, home prices and part of our new podcast "The Uncertain Hour."

Microsoft and Facebook — the social network you can't escape — are teaming up to build a fiber optics cable under the mid-Atlantic. Plus: what, me worry (about a trade war)?