Marketplace All-in-One

Small business owners know affordability is top-of-mind for their customers. But as margins grow narrower, keeping prices as-is isn’t always possible. In this episode, we hear from a few small business owners about how they’re balancing cash-strapped shoppers and rising costs. Plus: The potential Netflix-Warner Bros deal could mean less variety for viewers, Midwestern farmers hope to carve out a market for local oats, and a discussion of the week’s economic headlines.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.

As another holiday season kicked off on Black Friday, finding the perfect gift is top of mind for many. But how much will weary American consumers be willing to spend this year? Based on early data … it’s a lot! Marketplace’s Kristin Schwab joins Kimberly to explain why the K-shaped economy may explain the contradiction and why AI is making its way into Americans’ shopping habits. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!Here’s what we talked about on the show today:”September retail sales fail to impress” from Marketplace”Black Friday, Cyber Monday spending expected to top records” from Marketplace”Black Friday Sales Spike Despite Economic Uncertainty, Study Shows—Here’s Why” from Forbes“‘Tis the season for credit card debt” from Marketplace”How are retailers benefiting from the "buy now, pay later" boom?” from Marketplace”What is your Spotify listening age?” from Marketplace”More than 8 in 10 Americans are more likely to purchase secondhand gifts this year” from Retail Brew”Target Launches New AI-Powered Features to Make Holiday Shopping Easier, Smarter and More Fun” from PR NewswireMissed Giving Tuesday? It's always a great time to become a Marketplace investor. Give now: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

How wired into your brain are tech companies? Spotify offers us a clue. The streaming company runs its Spotify Wrapped marketing campaign every December, taking user data and AI to create a personalized year-in-review for every listener — and it's an incredibly effective marketing move that consumers want to be a part of. Also: a preview of the last Fed meeting of the year and a manufacturing CEO's thoughts on tariffs and factory activity.

Following a fierce bidding war, Netflix announced this morning that it’s buying Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal worth more than $82 billion. The deal still has to be approved by regulators, and some lawmakers are already raising antitrust concerns. We learn more. Then, as part of our lunar economy mini-series, we hear what a lack of private interest oversight could mean for an economy beyond the clouds.Note: This morning’s podcast has been updated following the official announcement of a Netflix-Warner Bros. deal.

From the BBC World Service: Major airports in India have descended into chaos after the airline IndiGo either canceled or delayed hundreds of flights for the fourth consecutive day. IndiGo says there have been technical issues with aircraft or winter schedules that have delayed some flights, but the biggest reason is a pilot shortage. Also, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace deal, and some countries are boycotting Eurovision over Israel's involvement.

The Trump administration has been trying for months to ban AI regulations at the state level. And its latest gambit to roll such a measure into the congressional National Defense Authorization Act appears to have failed. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday that GOP leadership is now “looking at other places” to include that measure after reportedly facing pushback from both parties.Plus, New York recently became the first state to enforce an AI law designed to protect consumers from "algorithmic pricing." And Amazon pulled back on AI dubbing for some international content after anime fans complained.

Changes are afoot at the Federal Reserve: President Donald Trump will name a new Fed chair in the coming year, and the central bank’s job could get complicated as the economy absorbs the full impact of new tariffs. In this episode, why Fed independence is crucial and where the federal funds rate is headed in 2026. Plus: Families weigh the cost of child care, the BLS remains behind on data releases, and state farm bureaus offer cheaper health insurance to farmers — with a catch.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 average age of Congress' members has gotten older compared to the Americans it represents. This 119th Congress is the third oldest since 1789. On today’s show, Princeton economist Owen Zidar joins Kimberly to explain how decades of public policy have fueled a generational wealth gap and what our so-called gerontocracy has to do with it. Plus, what it would take for Congress to really address the economic issues younger Americans are facing.Here’s everything we talked about today:”It’s My Party and I’ll Leave When I Want To” from Intelligencer”Gerontocracy is everywhere” from Slow Boring”How baby boomers got so rich, and why their kids are unlikely to catch up” from The Washington Post”The Age Divide: How America’s Electoral System Reinforces the Gerontocracy” from New America”The Everywhere Millionaire” by Owen ZidarWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

These days, Americans are drinking less alcohol. While that may be a positive from a health perspective, it’s not great news for California grape growers. Industry groups predict that 2025 will be the smallest harvest since the mid-’90s. These changing consumption habits are changing the landscape of California vineyards. Also, the Trump administration is reducing fuel efficiency standards, and layoffs are running high ahead of the next Federal Reserve meeting.

The Transportation Security Administration announced earlier this week that passengers without a REAL ID or other acceptable documents (like a passport or tribal ID) will have to pay a $45 fee for the extra screening required to get through security. We'll hear more. Plus, as part of our continued lunar economy series, we'll learn about what developing infrastructure or communications systems on the moon might look like.

From the BBC World Service: European antitrust regulators have just launched an investigation into Meta over its rollout of artificial intelligence features on WhatsApp for European users. This move marks the latest action by European regulators against large technology firms, as the trade bloc seeks to balance support for the sector with efforts to curb its expanding influence. Then, air travelers in India face continued disruptions, and Japan tries to regain a stronghold in semiconductor chip manufacturing.

Every day, consumers are confronted with the fragility of our personal data privacy — another data breach, another government agency accessing databases they didn't previously have access to, another consent form popping up to get permission to gather more data.It's almost too much for any one person to keep a handle on, according to Rohan Grover, professor of artificial intelligence and media at American University. He recently co-authored a piece for The Conversation about why data privacy seems to have largely fallen out of the public discourse, even though he says the topic is more urgent than ever.

Small business owners’ economic moods remain mixed. But, as is so often the case, how folks feel is different from how they act. And hard data tells us small business owners are pulling back on hiring — one ADP report shows businesses with fewer than 50 employees cut a net 120,000 jobs in November. Should we be worried? Plus: Retailers benefit from buy now, pay later offerings, import prices sans fuel rose in September, and cap-and-trade carbon emissions programs have changed since their inception.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 Trump administration has been clear about its desire for deep federal funding cuts to university research. So, some institutions of higher learning are looking to other sources of revenue, including backing startups spun off from research. Today, we'll examine the potential money-making idea. Plus, we’ll learn about a hiring pullback by smaller businesses, hear about smartphone surveillance attempts by India, and check on younger consumer optimism.

President Donald Trump plans to announce weaker fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks at a White House event today. The move will likely reverse a Biden-era rule requiring automakers to reach an average of 50 miles per gallon for new vehicles by 2031. Plus, as part of our lunar economy series, we hear how one company is recycling space debris into more useful products for the space industry.

From the BBC World Service: European politicians have reached a provisional agreement to phase out imports of Russian gas by 2027. Exports of oil and gas have been crucial for Russia to fund its military campaign in Ukraine. Russia says Europe will be less competitive and that consumers will have to pay higher prices. Then, we'll check in on Japan's work-life balance and hear about a diamond-studded Faberge egg, which just sold at auction for $30 million.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman once speculated that we'll soon see the first billion-dollar company run by one person and an army of AI agents. Journalist Evan Ratliff decided to put the idea to the test in the newest season of his podcast, “Shell Game,” where Ratliff and his team of synthetic co-founders, executives and workers launched their startup, HurumoAI. His AI agents designed a logo, built a website and eventually released their own agentic AI service. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Ratliff about what he learned from this whole experience.

The Federal Reserve’s quantitative approach to monetary policy decisions means its governors tend to reach consensus. But in the past few meetings, some FOMC members have disagreed on whether to prioritize jobs or inflation. In this episode, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal and former FOMC member Daniel Tarullo discuss why the Fed is divided right now. Plus: Dollar stores weather an uncertain economy, companies use return-to-office policies as a workforce reduction mechanism, and electricity demand grows as data centers pop up nationwide.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.

If you could send a message to yourself, 20 years into the future, what would you say? On today’s show, Scientific American’s editor-in-chief David Ewalt joins Kimberly to share how he built an e-mail time capsule two decades ago and how human relationships kept the project alive despite the challenges of a rapidly changing technology and media landscape.Here’s the article we talked about today:"How Forbes Sent E-mails to the Future—And What Happened 20 Years Later" from Scientific American Become a Marketplace Investor today, and your impact will be  doubled. Give now: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

Corporate bond spreads, extra compensation that corporate bonds pay out compared to government bonds, have been narrowing this year, which means investors aren’t demanding much additional money to account for additional credit risk. That could indicate that investors think economic growth could pick up in the near term. Also on the program: a trade deal regarding U.K. pharmaceuticals and OPEC's plans to keep oil production flat to start the new year.