As the weather gets colder, many lower-income Americans will depend on LIHEAP, a program that helps them heat their homes. Receiving LIHEAP assistance to keep the heat on was a reality for over 5 million American households in fiscal year 2024. But existing funds are running low, and future funds are stalled during the shutdown. Also: markets react to the continued federal shutdown, and the Trump administration plans to take stakes in several quantum computing companies.
Marketplace All-in-One - Beef prices and the beef of tomorrow
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said cattle ranchers “have to get their prices down.” Trump also claimed that the high tariffs he placed on imports from Brazil are the reason ranchers are doing well, but the reality is more complicated. Today, we'll explore why there’s no quick fix for high beef prices. We'll also learn what role regenerative farming can play in meeting consumers' beef demands going forward.
Marketplace All-in-One - Parsing the impact of fresh U.S. sanctions on Russian oil
From the BBC World Service: In an effort to pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine, the United States has announced new sanctions on Russian oil. The sanctions effectively blacklist two of Russia's major oil export companies, and that has big implications for both India and China, which rely heavily on Russian oil imports. And then recent talks to make the shipping industry greener have stalled. So what’s the industry doing to cut emissions?
Marketplace All-in-One - The aerospace industry is betting on hybrid air taxis
The promise has been titillating: quiet, electric taxis taking off vertically, floating over urban traffic. The consulting firm McKinsey says in a matter of five years, flying taxi fleets could rival airlines in size.
Well, maybe. It's already taking longer than predicted. Marketplace’s Henry Epp has been tracking the industry and its evolution.
Marketplace All-in-One - Why is Trump throwing money at the Argentine peso?
The U.S. just agreed to spend $20 billion on a currency exchange with Argentina. The hope? To put a lid on inflation before Javier Milei, an ally of President Trump, is up for re-election. How does that work? What’s in it for the U.S.? Later in this episode: AI firms juice the stock market, an economist explains Trump’s flavor of state capitalism, and sports betting sites push the boundary between state and federal regulation.
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Marketplace All-in-One - Cars, crypto, and Cuba
Earlier this month, Tesla unveiled cheaper versions of some of its most popular cars. Other automakers are also promising to discount EVs or roll out more affordable models. This all comes following the end of federal tax credits that knocked as much as $7,500 off the price of a new EV. Also: a proposal that could grant crypto firms access to Fed infrastructure and a check-in with Cuba's tourism minister.
Marketplace All-in-One - Spotify and Netflix join forces
Netflix is trying a new strategy to make more money: It's worked out a deal to stream some podcasts from Spotify, which have both audio and video. The deal means access to more consumer data and a new audience. And it's a move against a common competitor: YouTube. Also on the show: a change in tune on crytpo from a Federal Reserve leader and OpenAI's very own web browser.
Marketplace All-in-One - Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack is costliest in UK’s history
From the BBC World Service: Experts have estimated that the cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover — which halted car production there for multiple weeks — cost the carmaker roughly $2.55 billion, making the breach the most expensive in the country’s history. We'll do the numbers. And later in the program, tourism has long played a central part in Cuba’s economy. So what impact have the Trump administration’s new sanctions had?
Marketplace All-in-One - The Land Problem
About a third of the greenhouse gases cooking our planet come from our food. Agriculture and livestock production are incredibly taxing on the planet. To curb the impact, we need to drastically reduce the amount of land we use to make food, while at the same time making more food for a growing population. How are we going to do that? In this episode we go fishing with an eccentric rancher in Northern California and hop over to Colorado to get a rare peek into the demonized factory farm industry on our hunt for answers.
Marketplace All-in-One - How Indigenous communities are adopting AI
Artificial intelligence holds a lot of promise for tribal nations — as a force multiplier for hard-to-staff departments, a tool to better serve tribal citizens, and even to aid in the revitalization of Indigenous languages and culture.
But, as with all applications of AI tools, data security concerns loom. And some nations are adopting the new technology quicker than others. For an overview, Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Savannah Peters, who covers Indigenous communities for Marketplace.