Author: Marketplace

A federal judge has stopped the Labor Department from halting operations at the federal Job Corps program, which gives teenagers and young adults training in trades like construction and car repair. We'll hear about the costs of the program — and the potential costs of cutting it. Plus, economic growth has been revised downward, and a new report finds that home ownership costs are uncomfortably high in nearly 80% of U.S. counties.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that President Donald Trump is thinking about announcing his pick to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as soon as this fall, months before Powell’s term is over. Plus, the national price tag for health care is expected to reach more than 20% of GDP by 2033, even as Congress considers significant cuts to what taxpayers spend on health care for vulnerable Americans. And later, what is a "shadow fleet"?

From the BBC World Service: In good news for Japanese consumers, rice prices have fallen to their lowest level in two months. That's after a shortage of the country’s staple food, caused by a poor harvest and increased tourist demand. Then, Zimbabwe has moved forward with compensation payments to white farmers whose land was seized during a controversial land reform program more than 20 years ago. And, business leaders are in China for the country's annual economic forum.

Demand for data centers continues to grow everywhere, but their environmental impacts are causing some to consider a different option: build them in space, where there's lots of room, solar power and a cold environment. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Evan Robinson-Johnson, business reporter at The Information, to learn more.

Just two weeks out from the Trump administration’s tariff pause deadline, no one is quite sure what to expect. In this episode, experts weigh in on what sort of deals the U.S. is likely to make and how businesses are preparing in the meantime. Plus: “Value seeking” consumers want the most bang for their buck, economic uncertainty puts the brakes on RV sales, and Indigenous jewelry makers struggle as silver prices rise.

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Many Americans are enduring a brutal heatwave this week. For those who work outside, the heat can be deadly. On today’s show, we’ll check in on a proposed heat safety law that would require employers to offer more breaks when the temperature rises above a certain threshold. Under the Trump administration, the law’s future is uncertain. And, the housing market can’t seem to break out of its slump. Plus, the lengths some Americans will go to score some Indian mangoes.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings Rulemaking" from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 
• "As U.S. Sizzles, Business Groups Push Back on OSHA's Heat Safety Law" from Inc.
• "Heat Safety Experts behind OSHA Rules Were Laid Off, which Could Make It Easier to Scrap Regulations" from Scientific American
• "Trump’s OSHA Nominee Has a History With Heat and UPS Drivers" from The New York Times
• "U.S. New Home Sales Slump as High Mortgage Rates Persist" from The Wall Street Journal
• '"You'll never be ready to buy a home"' from “This Is Uncomfortable”
• "New York City is using ranked choice voting in its Democratic mayoral primary. Here's how it works" from AP News 
• "What you need to know about ranked choice voting" from “Make Me Smart” 

• "The Perilous Business of Importing Indian Mangoes to the U.S." from The New York Times

  
  

  Got a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Two sounds across much of the country this morning: the AC grinding away and the ticking up of your electric bill. With hotter temperatures and AI-driven data centers drawing so much power, investors are putting money into the power industry. Global investments in electricity could reach 50% more than what’s spent on bringing coal, natural gas, and oil to market. Plus, Fed Chair Jerome Powell testified before the House yesterday, and FIFA’s Club World Cup isn’t generating as much hype as hoped for.

From the BBC World Service: We start today's show in the Netherlands, where President Donald Trump is for the NATO Summit. Most European countries have agreed to up their defense spending to 5% of GDP, though Spain has been less forthcoming. Then, India's dark stores deliver to online shoppers in just 10 minutes. What's the impact on retailers? And, demonstrators protest the lavish wedding of Jeff Bezos in Venice by throwing inflatable alligators into some of the city's iconic canals.

Over the last several days, you may have seen the latest examples of a growing phenomenon: satellite images of a conflict zone. This time, they were of Iranian nuclear sites, before and after American bombs struck. Images like these come from commercial satellite companies, a change from our past reliance on government-provided photographs. The shift toward commercial satellites gained steam amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to Mariel Borowitz, an associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology who specializes in space policy and the satellite industry.