Marketplace

Another month, another PCE report that put annual core inflation meaningfully above the Fed’s 2% target. The central bank has been fighting high inflation for more than five years now. At a certain point, you might start to wonder, does the Fed even have the power to fix it? Also in this episode: Consumer confidence falls, transportation durable goods orders tick up, and Arizona’s Great Recession-era bid to save the state budget offers insight into how AI might change our tax structure.

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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:

Inflation is stuck above 2%. Can the Fed really do anything about it?
Consumers are pessimistic about the next six months
How Arizona's "Capitol-ism" points to a potential tax fix for the AI age
What's driving an increase in orders for transportation equipment?
Running a historic motel off Route 66 is no easy pursuit
The Gila River Indian Community "walks the walk" on water conservation

If artificial intelligence really does replace human labor, the U.S. could be in for a tax revenue crisis. That’s because high unemployment shrinks the pool of taxable wages. In this episode, we visit Akron, Ohio — the former tire capital of the world — to learn what happens when lost jobs snowball into lost government funding. Plus: Economists hope for cake but will settle for crumbs in Fed Chair Warsh’s Jackson Hole Symposium speech, and a new plan for Colorado River drought management draws backlash.

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:

Will Fed Chair Warsh actually say anything in his big Friday speech?
Two years after Hurricane Helene, Asheville Tea Company finds a new home
What Akron's rubber bust can teach us about a possible AI tax crisis
The new Colorado River plan is out, and it's already under fire

Fuel hasn’t been touched in the trade clash between the U.S. and Canada (yet). It’s probably because the countries have an interdependent energy relationship — American refineries rely on Canadian crude; 90% of Canadian crude exports go to the U.S. But as tensions escalate, we started to wonder: Is Canada looking for alternative buyers? Also in this episode: Imported Mexican cattle could temporarily ease beef prices, Walmart bucks inflation trend by announcing grocery price cuts, and suburbia embraces factory-built homes.

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 U.S.-Canada trade fight has not touched oil ... yet
While grocery costs rise, Walmart announces price cuts
Manufactured housing, coming to a suburb near you
Will importing beef help bring down prices?
The behavioral economics of drought management

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 1.8 million Americans have been actively looking for a fulltime job for more than 27 weeks. That’s over six months. In this episode, two people tell us what it’s like to navigate a never-ending job search. Plus: A surge in lone star ticks threatens the cattle industry, McDonald’s keeps huge amounts of data on frequent customers, and the national debt passes that $40 trillion threshold.

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 national debt hits $40 trillion
Ticks increasingly threaten the health and livelihood of ranchers
An Alabama cattle farm with a bird-tourism side hustle
“Put me in, coach”: Navigating long-term unemployment in the low-hire economy
How the McDonald's mobile app compiled 515-page dossier on one reporter

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s buyback of long-term bonds was a bit of a letdown this week — the interest rates barely budged. The Treasury’s next move in its quest to rein in the national debt will be to issue a ton more short-term securities. But that might not be such a good idea, either. In this episode, we’ll catch you up on the bond market turmoil. Plus: Multifamily construction permits are a housing bright spot, the Fed’s favorite inflation measure is due for a methodology change, and two craft-focused small business owners share the view from their economy.

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:

"Buying a house with a credit card": The Treasury's plan to finance the national debt
The Fed's preferred measure of inflation is changing
As central bank bigwigs gather in Jackson Hole, local businesses carry on
Builders bet on multifamily housing — but only in certain places