Author: Marketplace

This week, we look at Spotify's stellar quarter. Plus, there's a new AI-only social network called Moltbook. But first, Alphabet, parent of Google, went to the debt markets this week, raising tens of billions of dollars to fund its AI spending.

One of the bonds Alphabet is offering, issued in British pounds, has a maturity date of 100 years from now. This is very unusual in the corporate world. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital, about what she makes of Alphabet doing this kind of borrowing.

When high earners ramp up their spending while low earners pull back, that’s a symptom of a "k-shaped" economy. But what about middle-income households? New evidence shows the middle class is also struggling in comparison to the wealthiest Americans. It’s sort of like a K shape within a K shape. After that: Newer firms are more likely to offer work-from-home options, Opera America has financial reasons for splitting from The Kennedy Center, and we check in with a few small businesses ahead of an upcoming inflation report.

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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.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, in this episode we’re taking a look at what it’s like to be looking for love right now — and the technology that’s meant to help us do it. Lots of dating apps are integrating AI features these days, but are they making it easier to find real-life connections? We talk to Jason Parham, senior writer at Wired magazine, to try to find out.

Who would’ve thought? Last month, PepsiCo cut snack prices. McDonald's has been cutting prices, too, and said it's paying off. Yesterday, the company released better-than-expected results for the tail end of 2025. Also, big revisions to datasets like yesterday's jobs report are becoming more common in an economy undergoing big shifts, and Germany is looking to recruit foreign-born skilled workers as harsher immigration policy and rhetoric make the U.S. less appealing.

Jittery investors continue to punish stocks of companies that may (or may not) face major disruption from artificial intelligence. Last week, it was software firms, then insurance brokers. Now, it’s financial brokerages that offer people planning advice — the likes of Charles Schwab, Raymond James, and Ameriprise. But what's lost when we lose human capabilities in financial services? Plus, U.S. allies like Canada and the U.K. are increasingly turning to China for trade deals.

From the BBC World Service: Russia has ordered a block on WhatsApp, the Kremlin confirmed. The app has more than 100 million users in Russia, who have now been cut off from the platform, and the Russian government is pushing users to download Max, Russia's state-owned messaging platform. Then, China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell by 0.3% in 2025, the first full year to show a decline. And, as summers get hotter, Europeans are looking to "coolcation" in colder climes.

Cryptocurrency is being used more frequently in illegal transactions — about $158 billion was used in illicit crypto activity last year. That’s an all-time high, according to a new report from the startup TRM Labs. This comes as the overall crypto ecosystem is growing and, it should be said, legitimate uses of crypto are growing at a faster rate than illegitimate ones. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Ari Redbord, global head of policy at TRM Labs and one of the authors of the new report, to learn more.

Reema is joined by Sam Sanders (host of KCRW’s “The Sam Sanders Show”) to answer your questions about money and dating. We’ve got questions about scammers, secret investments, and secondary partners. 

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And if you have a sticky money situation you need advice on, call and leave us a message at 347-RING-TIU or email uncomfortable@marketplace.org

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The January jobs report came out Wednesday, and on the surface, it was better than expected. The economy added more jobs than it has in months and the unemployment rate remained stable. But topline numbers don’t tell the whole story. After that: Trump’s immigration policies weigh on the labor market, Iran tensions cause choppy oil prices, and a new law brings whole milk back to school lunch programs.

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.

Five years ago, Winter Storm Uri took out the lights across the Lone Star State. Hundreds of people died, millions of Texans were left without heat, and it cost the state billions. What’s changed since then? Plus, new payroll numbers are higher than expected, and unemployment is slightly down, but revisions to last year’s totals complicate the story. And later, we check out what one of the country’s most environmentally friendly homes looks like 18 years later.