Author: Marketplace

Hey Million Bazillionaires, are you ready for a new season of “Million Bazillion”?

Bridget and Ryan are back to answer even more of your money questions. This season, we’ll learn all about the business behind your favorite chain restaurants, take a flight to find out why airport prices are sky-high and pop into the world of bubbles, not the ones you blow with soap, but the kind that burst in the economy! Plus, we’re cracking the mystery behind $2 bills: why do they exist if we hardly use them?

New episodes drop every Tuesday, starting September 16th! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And, if you want even more Million Bazillion in your life, make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter for bonus episode content and tip sheets to keep the money learning going.

In the meantime, check out our trailer above and catch up on any episodes you might’ve missed.

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

A lot of people are eligible to have their criminal records expunged. And there are tens of millions of such files out there for things like misdemeanors, low-level felonies such as drug offenses and even just arrests. LegalEase, a justice-tech startup is streamlining the process through the use of artificial intelligence.

China's exports to the U.S. are down a third year over year. That’s a significant drop, reflective of President Trump’s punishing tariff agenda. Although China’s overall export growth has slowed, it still rose 4.5% in August — thanks, in part, to strategic redirection to new markets. In this episode, what the U.S. stands to lose by cutting off China as a trade partner. Plus: Luxury brands remain mostly insulated from economic uncertainty and fintech firm Robinhood prepares to join the S&P 500.

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.

"Recent cuts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid really make it harder for rural Americans to get by day to day," says journalist Michelle Polizzi, who recently wrote about her experiences with housing insecurity in rural America during the 2008 financial crisis. This morning, she joins Marketplace's David Brancaccio to discuss safety net programs and financial hardship in rural areas. But first: an update on reports that hundreds of South Korean workers detained in a Georgia immigration raid last week will be flown home.

This weekend’s Powerball jackpot was one of the largest in U.S. history; two lucky players will split the $1.787 billion winnings. But other winners include convenience stores and online lottery retailers, which see a surge in demand around these major jackpots. Also on the show: The U.S. government plans to target more businesses after a raid on a car battery plant construction project in Georgia, and we learn how federal layoffs have affected one family, six months on.

From the BBC World Service: Markets in Japan have reacted positively to the departure of the country's leader, Shigeru Ishiba, following recent election losses and despite a recent U.S. trade deal. Then, French Prime Minister François Bayrou looks set to lose a confidence vote over drastic budget cuts as the country faces mounting debt. And the United Kingdom is trying to tackle the high price of prisoner reoffending; in England and Wales, nearly a third of prison leavers end up back inside, costing the U.K. government around $24 billion annually.

Video gaming can be an expensive hobby. Nintendo’s latest Mario Kart game, Mario Kart World, released in June, costs $80, and it’s widely expected that Grand Theft Audio VI, coming out next year, will top $100. So are games becoming unaffordable … or do gamers not know how good they’ve got it? The BBC’s Will Chalk breaks it down.

Paltry job creation was the headline item in the latest jobs report. But dig a little deeper, and warning signs show up all over: long-term unemployment, Black unemployment and Hispanic unemployment all rose in August. In this episode, why those stats could be proverbial canaries in the coal mine of the broader labor market. Plus: Industrial warehouse demand is down and a shipworker shortage could thwart Trump’s goal of reviving the commercial shipping industry.

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.

The business journalists at Marketplace have been on the rollercoaster of U.S. trade policy under the Trump administration. But along for the ride, too, are small business owners. Today, we'll hear the latest on where Trump's tariffs stand and learn how the COO of a Queens-based sound effect equipment business is handling the lack of predictability. But first: Just 22,000 jobs were added to the economy in August. How concerned should we be?

The U.S. and Japan have finalized their trade deal a month and a half after it was announced. The White House says there will now be a 15% baseline tariff on nearly all Japanese imports and cut tariffs on Japanese cars almost in half. Also on the show: how climate change is showing up in our economy, what to make of a "delicate" and "vulnerable" job market, and which jobs are on the preliminary "no tax on tips" list.