Author: Marketplace

HBO Max’s “Hacks” often tackles the push and pull between art and profit in the entertainment industry. It’s a topic the show’s creators are deeply familiar with. In this episode, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal discusses that tension — as it appears in the show and in real life — with “Hacks” showrunners Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky. Plus: Job-finding sites struggle as hiring slows, and response rates to government surveys fall.

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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.

Since President Trump’s firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner over a weak jobs report, we’ve been thinking a lot about the trustworthiness of U.S. economic data. Other countries like China can offer a glimpse of what happens when that trust erodes. On the show today, Marketplace’s China correspondent Jennifer Pak explains how she works around unreliable data when reporting on the Chinese economy. Plus, could the United States be headed in the same direction?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "12 million students in China will graduate this year into a shaky job market" from Marketplace
• "China says its unemployment rate is “stable,” but job seekers remain gloomy" from Marketplace 
• "Is GDP still a useful gauge of China’s economy?" from Marketplace
• "How Bad Is China’s Economy? The Data Needed to Answer Is Vanishing" from The Wall Street Journal  
• "How to deal with untrustworthy government economic data? Look to China" from Marketplace

• "Trump taps Heritage economist to lead BLS" from Politico

  
  

  We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Recently, President Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after revisions depicted a weaker job market than initially thought. This week, Trump called on the CEO of Goldman Sachs to get rid of his chief economist, after the economist predicted that tariffs would force consumers to pay extra. What should consumers and investors make of this? We'll discuss. And later, we'll hear how French factories are benefiting from increased defense spending.

Social Security turns 90 tomorrow. Some 74 million Americans receive the benefits, and a new survey shows that 65% of retirees rely on them. Roughly 40% of Americans have no retirement savings at all, and this precarity comes at a time when Social Security faces the possibility of benefit cuts. Plus, Trump's tariffs are generating billions in revenue monthly, and Brazil's president announced $5 billion to help smaller companies deal with tariffs.

From the BBC World Service: United Kingdom-based engineering giant Rolls-Royce first made its name in luxury cars, but after selling its motor business nearly 30 years ago, it’s now known for its aircraft engines and defense manufacturing. Speaking exclusively to the BBC, its CEO is betting on artificial intelligence and nuclear technology as a path to becoming the UK's highest-valued company. Plus, why have European countries been stepping up their defense spending?

Implementing AI in government agencies — where the public goes for things like food stamps and unemployment or disability benefits — could come with tradeoffs, according to a recent report by the Roosevelt Institute. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino sat down with Samantha Shorey, who authored that report on AI and public administration.

Ever read past the top line of the consumer price index? That 2.7% inflation rate varies a lot by metro area. The same goes for goods categories. So why is inflation higher in San Diego than Dallas? And higher for baby clothes and than electronics? We explain. Also in this episode: Long-term unemployment rises as hiring slows, businesses grow weary of waiting for tariff clarity, and we talk to Cheryl McKissack Daniel, CEO of the country's largest Black-owned construction firm.

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.

Today we’re diving into some ongoing battles over athlete pay, from college athletics to the WNBA. In the case of college sports, a recent lawsuit settlement involving the NCAA allows colleges and universities to pay their athletes directly. On the show today, sports journalist Kennington Lloyd Smith III explains how college athlete pay has evolved, how the recent House v. NCAA settlement could strain athletic departments, and what could come from the WNBA players’ current fight for more equitable pay. Plus, the sports private equity firms are eyeing.

Then, we’ll hear how one listener got involved in local government. Plus, Paralympic sled hockey gold medalist Declan Farmer answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "How college athletes will be paid after House v. NCAA settlement: NIL changes, enforcement, contracts and more" from CBS Sports
• "Trump signs executive order to 'protect' college sports" from Politico 
• "Down to Business: Valuations are wild, returns are rocky. But women’s sports teams are in demand" from The Athletic 
• "The WNBA Has a Good Problem on Its Hands" from The Atlantic 
• "Private equity tees up to invest in youth sports" from Marketplace  

• "Travelers aren't big fans of TSA's facial recognition program, report finds" from Marketplace  

  
  

  We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Philadelphia, Boston, and Seattle have all experienced strikes by trash collection workers this summer. At their peak, more than 2,000 workers coast to coast walked off the job after contract talks stalled. The Teamsters Union representing the workers says members deserve a pay rise and better health care benefits. We'll hear from the picket line and customers affected. But first, a Texas-based manufacturer reflects on what all this tariff back-and-forth means for business.

Each year, pediatricians order vaccines in anticipation of the winter respiratory virus season. But plummeting demand and confusion over vaccine recommendations have thrown the process into chaos, forcing some doctors to gamble and order vaccines they may not be able to use. We'll hear more. But first, the White House has again extended its trade truce with China, and the president's tariffs hit toy stores, which buy most of their products overseas.