On this week’s “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” OpenAI retreats from its pivot to profit after its plan to restructure the business hit some snags. Plus, we say goodbye to the old-school internet phone call platform - Skype. But first, the Department of Justice pushed for breaking up part of Google's advertising business by selling off two of its ad tech products, which Google says would be nearly impossible. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Joanna Stern, senior personal technology columnist at the Wall Street Journal, to discuss all these topics and more.
Marketplace All-in-One - What we’re expecting
The latest consumer expectations report is out and Americans are feeling much worse about their own personal financial situations than they were in March. Their inflation expectations though, haven’t budged much. In this episode, we look at why that might be — and whether these surveys correlate to economic reality. Plus: tariffs dampen hobby splurgers’ spirits, labor productivity drops and we nibble on the U.S.-U.K. trade deal.
Marketplace All-in-One - So, about that U.S.-UK trade “deal”
Following Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs, the United States has now struck a trade deal (sorta) with the United Kingdom. We’ll get into it. Plus, childcare costs a lot – and in some places, more than rent. Then, we’ll smile at the unexpected joy of “swole culture.” And what if, instead of sports metaphors, we used makeup lingo at work?
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “Trump unveils United Kingdom trade deal, first since 'reciprocal' tariff pause” by CNBC
- “U.S., Britain strike first major trade deal of Trump tariff era” by Axios
- “Sending 2 Kids to Daycare Costs More Than Rent in Most Major U.S. Metros” from Redfin
- “Head Start avoids Trump’s cuts, but advocates are ready to defend it: ‘There’s too much good in this’” by The Guardian
- LISTEN: “Will you be my nanny?” from “This Is Uncomfortable”
- “Life of the Mother” by ProPublica
- “Finding Strength in a Bigger Body” from The Cut
- “How one writer quit dieting and discovered her strength through weightlifting” by NPR
Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
Marketplace All-in-One - New Nun Syndrome
After decades of trying to make it as an actor and comedian in Hollywood, Claudette Powell felt deeply unfulfilled. So she set her sights on a radically different life -- one that required her to pay off nearly $150,000 of debt. When she finally wrote that last check, she took a vow of poverty and entered a convent.
But leaving behind her material life wasn’t as simple as it sounded. This week: how paying off debt was only the beginning – and how money still finds a way to complicate life within convent walls.
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Marketplace All-in-One - Investor interests versus patient interests
UnitedHealthcare is facing a lawsuit claiming it defrauded shareholders — by denying fewer claims but not warning ahead of time that its profits would decline. The nation’s largest health insurer has been under heightened scrutiny following the killing of its then-CEO in New York late last year. And later: President Donald Trump is expected to announce a trade deal with Britain, and consumer advocate Ralph Nader reflects on the drawbacks of going cashless.
Marketplace All-in-One - A muffin recipe that includes chocolate, blueberries and tariffs
The "Marketplace Morning Report" team is cooking this morning. First, we hear from the CEO and founder of Beyond Good, a company known for its artisanal Madagascar vanilla and chocolate, about how tariffs are stirring up business. We also discover how import duties are riling the U.S. blueberry industry, which has a close relationship with processors and packagers in Canada. But first: why home prices and sizes are going down in some metro areas.
Marketplace All-in-One - The UK is poised for the first tariff deal
From the BBC World Service: President Donald Trump is expected to announce a deal on tariffs with Britain later today. The agreement would be the first since sweeping tariffs were unveiled for dozens of America's trading partners. Plus, remember when a fire near London's Heathrow Airport threw worldwide air travel into chaos a few weeks back? Officials still don't know the cause. And, China is experiencing a shortage of qualified cosmetic surgery practitioners and clinics.
Marketplace All-in-One - Vibe coding is having its moment
Vibe coding is having a moment.
The buzzy new phrase was coined earlier this year by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy to describe his process of programming by prompting AI. It's been embraced by tech professionals and amateurs alike.
Google, Microsoft and Apple have or are developing their own AI-assisted coding platforms while vibe coding startups like Cursor are raking in funding.
Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino recently spoke with Clarence Huang, vice president of technology at the financial software company Intuit and an early adopter of vibe coding, about how the practice has changed how he approaches building software.
“What is vibe coding, exactly?” - from MIT Technology Review
“New ‘Slopsquatting’ Threat Emerges from AI-Generated Code Hallucinations” - from HackRead
“Three-minute explainer on… slopsquatting” - from Raconteur
Marketplace All-in-One - U.S. to talk trade with China
As tariff pressures mount, China’s vice president and other leaders have agreed to meet with top U.S. officials. If history is any guide, substantial change to the tense trade relationship between the two countries will take time. So what’s urgent enough to discuss this week? Plus, some big companies issue more Eurobonds, small businesses tread lightly when discussing the trade war and “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal explains the latest Fed decision.
Marketplace All-in-One - The million-dollar starter home?
On today’s episode: Marketplace’s Reema Khrais joins Kimberly to discuss two stories from opposite ends of the housing spectrum – cuts to rental assistance programs and the soaring cost of starter homes. Then, Kimberly explains yet another reason why the rest of the world is giving the U.S. major side-eye. And we’ll smile about a slimy substance that might help keep microplastics at bay and parrots connecting over Facetime.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “Proposed cuts to housing programs could affect millions, experts warn” from The Washington Post
- “Where starter homes cost at least $1 million” by Axios
- This Is Uncomfortable Season 11 from Marketplace
- “You Have a Message From Taiwan” by The Wall Street Journal
- “Why the Asian currency blowup matters” from Axios
- “Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Other—and the Birds Loved It” from Smithsonian Magazine
- “Okra and fenugreek extracts remove most microplastics from water, finds research” on Phys.org
Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.