Marketplace All-in-One

Consumer sentiment — as in, how everyday people feel about the economy — fell to a low not seen since 2022, according to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers. The decline was consistent across demographics, except among the wealthiest Americans (as measured by volume of stock market holdings). In other words, economic mood just became another k-shaped indicator. Also in this episode: Colleges shutter satellite campuses to cut costs and small and midsize businesses shrink their headcounts.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.

On today’s edition of Economics on Tap, we’re heading to Virginia! The state held major elections this week, and affordability was top of mind for voters. VPM News reporter Patrick Larsen joins Kimberly to debrief the election results and explain why rising energy costs were a key campaign issue—and what data centers have to do with it. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!Here’s everything we talked about today:"How do data centers figure into Virginia's 2025 elections?" from VPM News"Virginia’s Rural Voters Shift 12 Points Toward Democrats" from The Daily Yonder"Soaring energy prices gave Democrats a winning message" from Semafor"Pumpkinscaping could be coming to a porch near you" from Marketplace"iRobot Is in Trouble, but Roomba Is Already Dead" from Wirecutter"How is this novelty team outselling over half the MLB?" from Marketplace "What Travelers Need to Know About the Shutdown, Flight Reductions and Delays" from The New York Times We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The value of Pokémon cards soared during the pandemic, and some have climbed in value nearly 4,000% over the past two decades. For some, Pokémon cards are a source of nostalgic joy, but others are seeing them as alternative assets — joining the likes of sneakers, comics, and even crypto. Also, hundreds of flights are cancelled today at airports across the country. And, from Marketplace's "Million Bazillion," little listeners reflect on the role of the $2 bill.

Starting today, the Federal Aviation Administration is requiring airlines to reduce flights at 40 airports because of the strain that air traffic controllers are under during what's turned into the longest federal government shutdown ever. Fewer flights mean reduced supply, just as demand is about to ramp up for the holidays. And there’s gonna be consequences for both airlines and consumers — including likely price increases. Plus, what constitutes a "workplace emergency" these days?

From the BBC World Service:

On today's “Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” we discuss federal cybersecurity cutbacks that affected this week’s elections and a caucus of Midwestern states pushing to join the AI boom. Plus, Sens. Josh Hawley and Mark Warner introduced a bipartisan bill requiring some companies to report when AI replaces workers. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Axios tech policy reporter Maria Curi about these headlines and more.

The firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas counted over 153,000 job cuts in this country last month — the most October layoffs since 2003. Are companies pivoting to save money in light of over hiring and AI, or we are we moving toward a more serious slowdown? Also in this episode: A training center in China narrows the gap between tech manufacturing labor supply and demand, the FAA orders flight cuts, and “green” data centers face expensive challenges.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.

Quantum computing is still in an experimental phase, but tech companies say it could eventually have an enormous impact on the global economy. How long is that going to take? On today’s show, science journalist Dan Garisto joins Kimberly to break down the basics of quantum computing and why it could take many years for the technology to move out of the lab and into the real world.Here’s everything we talked about today:"This Year’s Nobel Physics Prize Showed Quantum Mechanics Is a Big Deal—Literally" from Scientific American  "The Next Big Quantum Computer Has Arrived" from The Wall Street Journal "Google Measures ‘Quantum Echoes’ on Willow Quantum Computer Chip" from Scientific American "Futuristic quantum computing stocks take speculators on roller-coaster ride" from Reuters"Here’s How Quantum Computing Could Change the World" from The Wall Street Journal Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Elyria-Swansea, a largely Latino neighborhood in Denver, has plenty of industrial sources for air pollution: a dog food factory, an oil refinery, a highway. Now, an AI data center is being constructed and threatens to contribute to the area's poor air quality. How are community residents responding? Also on today's show: key points during yesterday's Supreme Court oral arguments over tariffs and a gathering of some world leaders at COP30 in Brazil.

Yesterday, Supreme Court justices heard arguments and asked questions about whether an emergency powers law could be used by a president to overhaul international trade and bring in lots of money through import taxes — all without getting Congress to go along. The justices were skeptical, to say the least. We'll discuss. Plus, we'll hear how suspended SNAP benefits are playing out at one food bank in Central California.

From the BBC World Service: The summit is part of an effort to show that the climate crisis remains a top priority, although some big names won't be in attendance, including leaders of China, India, and the U.S. What can the conference achieve without them? Then, China has announced it's easing tariffs and export controls on U.S. firms following last week's seemingly productive meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. And in Shanghai, foreign businesses are being welcomed to a major trade import expo.

Big tech companies have invested hundreds of billions in AI infrastructure, including data centers that are popping up all over the country. Constructing the facilities brings in jobs to local communities, but what happens once the construction is finished? Former Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Pat Harker says tech companies owe a longer-lasting benefit to the communities that host data centers.Marketplace tech host Nova Safo talked with Pat Harker about his proposal for a “digital AI land grant act.”

With no government jobs data available during the shutdown, analysts have turned to private reports for clues about the labor market. In the latest round, ADP said private companies added jobs in October, despite job openings hitting their lowest level since early 2021. Experts say the labor market is stalled but stable, though risks of a downturn are growing. Also in this episode: the K-shaped economy comes for the housing market, global food systems face challenges with limited land, and Southwest cuts accommodations for larger-bodied flyers.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.

The London Stock Exchange has launched a series of indexes to track private investment funds. "Private investment" is a phrase we've been hearing a lot — the Trump administration is trying to make it easier to add it to your 401(k). And the "private credit" market has been catching serious side-eye from Jamie Dimon and others. But what the heck does "private" even mean in these contexts? We have an explainer. Plus, a look at job creation and sentiment among farmers.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments today on whether President Donald Trump can use emergency powers to levy tariffs. The law in question doesn’t mention tariffs, but the president also has wide latitude in setting the foreign-policy agenda. Let's dig into both sides' arguments. Plus, China's government is hosting a big trade show, and auto sales fall into a pot hole with EV subsidies gone.

From the BBC World Service: Shein is making headlines for more than its new brick-and-mortar store in Paris’s famed BHV department store. But the launch has been overshadowed by French authorities’ investigation into disturbing, illegal products sold on the platform, as well as on Temu, AliExpress, and Wish. Today, we'll learn more. And some people in Thailand are relying on informal money lenders to cover the bills as consumer debt levels soar. We'll examine the deeper costs.

The 100th meridian is the longitudinal boundary separating the humid East and the arid West. Researchers say the dry line is moving east because of climate change, threatening some of our cheapest and most reliable crops, like wheat and corn. In this episode, Amy drives across Kansas to talk to farmers on both sides of the dry line to see how they’re adapting to climate change. And we hear from a scientist who’s trying to breed crops that will thrive in a hotter, drier world.

Rya Jetha, tech culture reporter at The San Francisco Standard, spends a lot of time thinking about the industry’s internal dynamics. Gone are the computer programmers, self-proclaimed nerds of an era mostly focused on software development. Jetha says the new tech bro is of the “hard tech” era, with emphasis on the charisma needed to raise huge sums of money for expensive hardware innovations and AI technologies.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday for and against the legality of President Trump’s signature economic policy: tariffs. In this episode, a lawyer walks us through what’s at stake and how the major questions doctrine may come into play. We also consider whether it’s possible to repay the $90 billion accumulated in tariff revenue should SCOTUS rule against the president, and scrutinize potential ‘plan B’ tariff policies.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.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs have rattled the global economy this year. That goes for both allies and adversaries of the United States. But the future of some of these tariffs hinge on the outcome of a Supreme Court case challenging their legality. On today’s show, Asma Khalid, co-host of “The Global Story” podcast from the BBC, joins Kimberly to explain what’s at stake. Plus, how international relationships are shifting in the Trump era.Here’s everything we talked about today:"The Global Story, The Supreme Court battle over Trump’s tariffs" from the BBC World Service"Geopolitics of Trump Tariffs: How U.S. Trade Policy Has Shaken Allies" from Council on Foreign Relations"The president who cried tariffs: will the US supreme court challenge Trump’s trade war?" from The Guardian  "China and India pledge to be 'partners not rivals'" from BBC News "The rise and fall of globalisation: the battle to be top dog" from The ConversationWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.