Author: Marketplace

Before the government shutdown, the Federal Communications Commission voted to end funding for Wi-Fi on school buses and the lending of hotspot devices from libraries. Nicol Turner Lee, author of “Digitally Invisible,” said this could further the digital divide for marginalized communities.

Amid all the anxiety, uncertainty and flip-flopping in this economy, one sector is doing tremendously: Big banks. Recent earnings reports showed banks including Citibank and JPMorgan beat revenue expectations and grew at a clip over the past few months. In this episode, why banks are thriving as regulations loosen and the economy gets unpredictable. Plus: A growing share of small businesses are raising prices in response to tariffs, Microsoft stopped updating Windows 10, and battery makers weigh pivot from EVs to grid storage.

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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.

The effects of government shutdowns are felt particularly deeply in tribal communities across the United States. That’s because the federal government has a constitutional obligation to fund services in Indian Country. But when the government closes, tribal nations are left to pick up the tab. Marketplace’s Savannah Peters joins Kimberly to explain how tribal communities get caught up in the federal government’s dysfunctional budget process and why tribal leaders argue this needs to change.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "How the government shutdown is playing out in Indian Country" from Marketplace 
• "Tribal governments fend off the worst of the impacts of the shutdown" from High Country News 
• "The shutdown isn’t big for Utah’s tribes yet. If it drags on, that’s the problem" from KUER 
• "In Indian Country, federal budget dysfunction takes a toll" from Marketplace

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

There are almost 250,000 Chinese students in the U.S. this fall. That's a 36% drop from the 2017 peak. For Chinese students still wanting to study abroad, America remains the top destination, but geopolitics, safety concerns, and persistent inflation are making the U.S. a less attractive place to receive a higher education. And later, Switzerland is facing 39% tariffs from the U.S. How are businesses there faring?

Paychecks are grinding to a halt for federal employees as the government shutdown enters its third week. A 2019 law entitles furloughed workers to back pay (though the Trump administration is claiming otherwise), but there are no pay guarantees for millions of government contract workers, who outnumber federal employees nearly two to one. Also on the show: which new tariffs kicked in last night, and why megadeals are driving merger and acquisition activity.

From the BBC World Service: Chief executives have been urged to plan for computer security breaches by going back to pen and paper. The U.K. government told CEOs to plan offline contingencies after a number of high-profile attacks on companies — hacks that cost global brands millions of dollars. We'll learn more. Plus, delegates are in London for U.N. talks aimed at reducing the environmental impact of global shipping. And, we'll hear about the impact of tariffs on Swiss businesses.

Today, we’re resharing an important episode from our archive! There’s a major storm brewing, and Ryan and Bridget are stuck inside. It’s the perfect opportunity to answer a question they got from Archer in Los Angeles: What is insurance? Archer’s dad is an insurance agent, and Archer wants to know what his dad does all day. Turns out insurance is uh, complicated. From home insurance to health insurance, we’re going to figure out what it is and why people use it. Plus, we have a catchy song to help you remember the difference between some confusing insurance jargon.

If your family is interested in learning even more about today’s question, check out our website. We’ve got conversation starters and a tip sheet!

This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

Countries all over the world use technology to keep track of immigrants released from detention centers. The idea is to allow people to live in communities while their cases are adjudicated.

But Petra Molnar of the Refugee Law Lab at York University said the technology is also often employed in ways that are too intrusive and can act like digital shackles. She told Marketplace’s Nova Safo that even smartphone apps, which can be glitchy, are a challenge for immigrants who are often waiting on asylum claims.

In another wave of tariff news, Trump announced a 100% tariff on Chinese goods that will take effect in November. The constant back and forth of tariff policy has left import-reliant business owners frustrated, defeated and wondering how long they can hold out. Also in this episode: Slowing immigration explains a change in break-even employment, California explores public AI compute projects to create shared GPU infrastructure, and GDP may grow more than expected, despite economic uncertainty.

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.

Marketplace doesn’t always cover the goings-on of the Holy See. But when he highlights the need to combat poverty, it seems like a pretty good time to do so. In his first teaching last week, Pope Leo XIV called into question some basic tenets of mainstream economics and focused on the gap between the rich and the poor. Today, we discuss. Also on the show: the research of Nobel laureate economists and Trump's attempts to calm markets over China trade.