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.
Marketplace All-in-One - It’s “Will they?” or “Won’t they?” day for the Fed
And it’s looking like they won’t. As the Federal Reserve meets to determine the future of interest rates, don't hold your breath for any rate cuts. We'll give a preview of what to expect and hear about the added pressures the Fed is under given President Donald Trump's trade war. Plus, a handful of companies are responsible for major productivity growth, and Canadian truckers are being hit hard by tariffs.
Marketplace All-in-One - When your bank gets the fire insurance money
A PSA for those whose homes burnt in the LA-area wildfires earlier this year: If the insurance company writes a check, it comes with two names on it — the property owner's and the bank's. But the bank may keep interest earned on that insurance payout. Now, a California assemblyman is trying to change that. We'll check in. Also: China lowers interest rates, and fewer international students come to the States for higher education.
Marketplace All-in-One - Oman says it’s mediated a ceasefire between the U.S. and Houthis
From the BBC World Service: The Yemeni group started attacking shipping lanes around the Red Sea after the war in Gaza began. It's hoped the ceasefire will stop disruptions to major trade routes. Then, China and the U.S. are set to hold their first trade talks since sweeping tariffs were announced. Later: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on last week's massive power outage and former U.S. President Joe Biden on defense and international trade.
Marketplace All-in-One - The human cost of fast shipping
E-commerce sites like Temu and Shein might not be quite as cheap as they were a week ago now that tariffs are kicking in on even small-dollar imports. But these platforms known for selling low-cost goods from China have also sought to cut costs on delivery.
They contract in the U.S. with companies like UniUni, which promises to dispatch packages for $3 or less — well below the industry standard. How UniUni delivers on those low rates is the subject of a recent investigation by reporter Theo Wayt at The Information. He tells Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino that drivers are hired through a network of subcontractors and UniUni pays them per item rather than an hourly wage.
Marketplace All-in-One - What comes after the trade deficit surge
The U.S. trade deficit hit a record high in March, as businesses rushed to bring in goods ahead of new import taxes. Now that President Trump’s tariffs on goods from China have set in and globally targeted tariffs are set to resume in July, what happens to the trade deficit? Plus: Lab-grown diamonds disrupt a centuries-old industry, a few big companies are back in the bond market and how the trade war could disrupt retirement plans.