Author: Marketplace

University retirement communities — where a college partners with a senior living community to provide residents access to classes, concerts, sporting events and more — are rising in the U.S. It's an attempt by some colleges to cater to the growing number of Americans over 65. We'll visit one just outside of Baltimore. Also: what a disconnect between hard data and soft data means for the Federal Reserve and how Chinese exporters are pivoting amid tariff uncertainty.

On today’s show, Kai makes a special annoucement! But first, Moody’s knocked the United States’ government’s credit rating down a peg below Triple-A. We’ll break down what that actually means and why it may not be as dire as it sounds but still matters a lot for the vibes. Plus, we’ll explain why, even with a majority, the House GOP hasn’t been able to pass its budget bill. And, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty and nerd out on “Star Wars” spin-off shows.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "House budget panel rejects GOP megabill amid conservative opposition" from Politico 
• "Army to place large metal plates on DC streets to protect them from tanks during June parade" from WTOP News 
• "U.S. Loses Last Triple-A Credit Rating" from The Wall Street Journal 
• "Airbnb Is in Midlife Crisis Mode" from Wired
• "Why banks still have branches — and why some are motivated to add more" from Marketplace
• "Gen Z's 'conscious unbossing' should be a wake-up call for businesses" from Business Insider
• ​​"Is the Next Great American Novel Being Published on Substack?" from The New Yorker 
• "Warner’s Streaming Service Has New Name: Its Old One. Meet ‘HBO Max.’" from The Wall Street Journal  

Got a message for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The Eurovision Song Contest was started in 1956 as an effort by a consortium of European broadcasters to use culture to unite the disparate countries of the emerging EU. Approaching 70 years of performances, 160 million could watch this year’s Eurovision, even in this age of streaming digital distractions. What's behind the staying power? But first, the WNBA season starts tonight after a breakout 2024, where attendance, viewership, and ad and merch sales all skyrocketed.

Online bookings for travel are down. Major airlines are reducing flight schedules as leisure travelers pull back. And now there’s more bad news for the tourism sector: High-spending business travelers are cutting back, as well. Later in the program: why Bank of America is investing in physical branches and how a technical program near the Texas-Louisiana coast is training young people for "gold-collar" chemical and petrochemical production jobs.

From the BBC World Service: Japanese carmaker Nissan recently unveiled sweeping cost-cutting plans. Now, it says it could share its U.K. factory with a Chinese state-owned company, manufacturing vehicles on their behalf. Plus, Malawi has lost a much-needed International Monetary Fund program worth $175 million. And, the Eurovision Song Contest is back this week. How has Eurovision managed to stay relevant after nearly 70 years?

President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East has prompted a flurry of AI deals worth billions. We'll get into the details on today's “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Stateside, the Trump administration has rolled back a Biden-era “AI Diffusion” rule. Companies involved in the semiconductor supply chain were critical of the rule, though it's still not entirely clear how Trump plans to revamp the regulation.

Plus, what some might call the most obvious rebrand: Warner Bros brings back the "HBO" to its Max streaming platform.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Natasha Mascarenhas, reporter at The Information, to discuss all of this and more.

Retail sales were practically flat from March to April, and consumers are feeling more glum, two recent reports show. Already, one big box retailer has said it will start raising prices in the wake of tariff pressure. In this episode, what happens when stressed shoppers meet higher costs? Plus: Data centers could be key to stabilizing natural gas demand, slashed USDA grants leave small farms scrambling to stay afloat and Trump’s tariffs, ironically, send some manufacturing out of the U.S. and into Canada.

In today’s show, Kimber-Kai are answering your questions about all the wild things going on in the U.S. economy. Isn’t the 30% tariff rate on China still crazy high? And, how are local governments preparing for potential federal funding cuts? We’ll discuss how states are weighing their next moves, and how the “Trump Slump” has taken shape in California. Then, we’ll get into the Federal Reserve’s wait-and-see tariff strategy. 

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “State of U.S. Tariffs: May 12, 2025” from The Budget Lab at Yale
• “States, Cities Face Funding Collapse Threat With Trump Cuts” by Bloomberg
• “Higher prices or higher unemployment? The economy could face a no-win dilemma” by NBC News

Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Donate during our May Fundraiser and get a classic public radio thank-you gift: tote bags, mugs, t-shirts, hats, and more! Give now: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn 

Ever wrestled with a work problem and didn’t know where to turn? We’ve got you. In our new advice column, “Work Drama,” we try to find answers to your sticky work situations. 

This week, “This Is Uncomfortable” host Reema Khrais is joined by career coach and podcaster Mandi Woodruff-Santos to unpack your workplace problems -- from messy, toxic bosses to dealing with salary negotiations.

Got workplace drama you need help dealing with? Shoot us an email at uncomfortable@marketplace.org to tell us about it, or call ‪(347) 746-4848‬ and leave a message. 

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Walmart officials are saying the retail giant will raise prices within weeks due to higher import taxes imposed by the Trump administration. The largest retailer in the country released Q1 results today — revenue was up, but the company declined to give profit guidance for the current quarter. Also on the show: busy times for Chinese exporters, proposed changes to Medicaid and a look at the future of interest rates.