Author: Marketplace

From the BBC World Service: Tens of thousands of app-based delivery workers in India are holding a day-long strike that is likely to impact food delivery services on the final day of the year. They're demanding better wages and improvements in safety conditions, among other things. We hear more. Then, a British company says it's a step closer to manufacturing materials in space, and we look at the role of AI over the past year.

2025 brought some new speed bumps for electric vehicle sales, namely the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It cut federal EV tax credits — up to $7,500 for new cars and $4,000 for used ones. Those incentives had been on the books in some form since 2008 and were expanded during the Biden administration. They expired at the end of September.

Consumers rushed to take advantage before they disappeared, leading to record high sales earlier this year. But now the market faces an uncertain road ahead.

Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with her colleague Henry Epp about the outlook for EV sales in the U.S. now that federal tax credits are gone.

Home price growth is cooling, new reports show. Though homeowners may be struggling to sell at asking price, it is good news for prospective buyers. Especially those who’ve been waiting on the sidelines for a good deal. But, as with most housing issues, the slowdown is regional. Also in this episode: Auto sales were strong in 2025, Gen Zers see cash in a new light, and an unlikely government funds a U.S.-based GED program for Mexican immigrants.

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.

Hey smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2025. We can’t do this show without you and we still need your support. If you can, donate today to keep independent journalism going strong into 2026 and beyond. Give now to support “Make Me Smart.” Thank you so much for your generosity, happy holidays and we’ll see you in the new year.

The holidays are just around the corner. And for many, it might mean being a guest at, or hosting, a friendsgiving get-together or other holiday party. Regardless of which side of the gathering you’re on, it can be stressful. But fret not! Casey Elsass, author of the book “What Can I Bring? Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life,” joins Kimberly from New York City to share tips on how to host and attend a great holiday party without breaking your bank account. Plus, we’ll play a round of This or That!

This morning, we're recapping the 2025 housing market, which was — in a word — sluggish. Even though mortgage rates have come down, affordability remains an issue, and many would-be sellers are locked into ultra-low rates. But economists and real estate agents expect some modest pickup in the year ahead. Then, there's renewed focus on the vulnerability of the global auto supply chain after hackers targeted Jaguar Land Rover in September.

The Trump administration is pledging $2 billion in humanitarian aid to the United Nations. The official State Department announcement of the U.N. donation says it “reaffirms the United States’ ironclad commitment to supporting critical life-saving humanitarian action around the world,” but the last paragraph warns that the UN has to reduce bureaucratic overhead. Plus, IPOs made a comeback this past year, and solar panel installers look to incentives as federal tax credits end.

From the BBC World Service: Annual inflation in Iran is running at more than 40%, and business owners are angry at the rapid devaluation of the nation's currency, in part due to the pressure of Western sanctions. In response, shopkeepers in the capital, Tehran, have been demonstrating for a third successive day. Plus, this year's hack at British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover showed just how vulnerable the global auto supply chain could be.

AI psychosis became a thing in 2025. That's when a chatbot leads a user into a delusional spiral.

The technology's tendency to affirm what people say can result in conversations that become untethered from reality and, in the worst cases, has ended with real-world harms. Kashmir Hill has been reporting on this phenomenon for The New York Times.

Content warning: This episode includes mention of self harm and suicide.

The housing market is showing modest improvement, with pending home sales rising over 3% in November and prices growing just 1.2% year over year. Rising inventory and falling mortgage rates mean affordability is improving, though rates likely need to dip below 6% for demand to really pick up. Also in this episode: The 2026 outlook for oil prices and production, a look at which states are getting a minimum wage increase, and what's going on with AI travel influencers.

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.

Move over “Be Kind, Rewind.” The new slogan is “Take a Movie, Leave a Movie.” That’s right. A Blockbuster nostalgia trip could be coming to a yard near you. Today, we visit Salt Lake City, which just got its very first Free Blockbuster — like a lending library but for DVDs and VHS tapes. Also on today's show: divisions at the Federal Reserve and a coin buried for centuries in the Scottish woods.