Retailers are getting ready for the most magical time of their year: holiday shopping season. Holiday spending is expected to tick up, though that's driven mostly by higher prices. We'll hear more. Plus, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund supports mission-driven lenders operating in rural, tribal, and otherwise underserved parts of the country. President Donald Trump recently tried to fire the entire staff of the CDFI as part of recent federal job cuts.
Marketplace All-in-One - Thousands in the UK take Johnson & Johnson to court
From the BBC World Service: A major legal claim has been filed in the United Kingdom against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, accusing the firm of knowingly selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos. The case mirrors American litigation, where billions of dollars in damages have been awarded to plaintiffs. Plus, President Donald Trump says India will stop buying Russian oil. And, how can countries outside the biggest players — the U.S. and China — get plugged into AI infrastructure?
Marketplace All-in-One - Documents show ICE wants a nonstop social media surveillance system
Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants to set up an around-the-clock social media surveillance network, according to public documents reviewed by WIRED magazine.
Under the proposal, ICE would partner with private contractors to monitor platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for information and leads that can be passed on to officers in the field.
Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Dell Cameron, senior writer at WIRED who broke the story, about the proposed structure of this new surveillance program.
Marketplace All-in-One - Time for another supply chain slowdown
The U.S. retail and supply chain sectors are slowing down — September’s Logistics Managers’ Index hits its lowest point since March. Many retailers are stopping shipments after stocking up early to avoid tariffs. Ongoing trade uncertainty and rising costs have companies fretting about the long term. Also in this episode: Gen Z plans to spend less this holiday season, tariffs muddle international library lending, and Colorado colleges partner with the private sector to expand skilled jobs training.
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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.
Marketplace All-in-One - Big banks post big earnings, but lending is more muted
It’s a big week for bank earnings. JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup reported quarterly results on Tuesday; Bank of America and Morgan Stanley report on Wednesday. Overall, banks are pulling in plenty of revenue — especially from their investment banking and trading departments. But the old-fashioned business of lending out money has been more of a mixed bag. We'll unpack. Also on the show: a major cryptocurrency scam and the economics of Broadway contract negotiations.
Marketplace All-in-One - Food tour of the future
Climate change is changing what we eat. As the planet heats up, foods like salmon, chocolate and coffee might be harder to come by and more expensive to buy. In this episode, the “How We Survive” team goes on a food tour around Northern California to find out how tech entrepreneurs are finding new ways to make all sorts of foods that are under threat from the impacts of the climate crisis.
Marketplace All-in-One - A conversation with Nobel laureate Joel Mokyr
Joel Mokyr is a professor at Northwestern University, who — along with Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt — won the Nobel prize in economics earlier this week. Today, Mokyr joins the program to discuss how major technological changes can boost economic growth — that is, if politics and institutions can adapt quickly enough. Plus, why the bankruptcies of First Brands and Tricolor Holdings are raising questions about private credit markets and big banks’ exposure to them.
Marketplace All-in-One - Greece decides on a 13-hour working day
From the BBC World Service: Greece's government is voting on a bill authorizing private sector employees to work up to 13 hours a day, if both employee and employer agree. Labor unions have called mass strikes in protest, paralyzing the public sector. This comes as Greece faces high debt, rising inflation, and lower wages than much of the European Union. Plus, Japan is holding its biggest-ever technology trade show, centered on integrating AI into our daily lives.
Marketplace All-in-One - FCC cuts expansion to broadband, hotspot access
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.
Marketplace All-in-One - Big banks’ boom time
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.
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.