Author: Marketplace

From the BBC World Service: A court in Australia has handed the airline Qantas a record fine — just under $59 million USD — for illegally laying off 1,800 ground staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. And later, could plans for sweeping tax cuts on consumer goods boost India’s economy in the face of U.S. tariffs? Plus, the root vegetable cassava is one of the world's most versatile crops. We'll hear more about Nigeria's cassava market.

Esports is a multi-billion dollar industry, with players making millions by getting good at video games. But while traditional athletes, usually, retire into coaching, managing or being a pundit, what does an esports player do when they’ve hung up their controller? The BBC’s Will Chalk files this report from the U.K.

Recent data show moderate retail sales growth in July — a positive sign for our economy? On the flip side, consumer sentiment fell in an early-August survey. In this episode, why gloomy shoppers are still gonna shop. Plus: How NEA grant cuts are affecting nonprofit arts organizations, why a wealth tax might be unconstitutional, and when did Putin visit a New York City gas station?

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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.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has plans to nearly double the number of its immigration detention centers by the end of the year. The agency has an enormous budget to carry out its agenda, but can it find enough workers to do the job? We’ll get into it. And, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "ICE documents reveal plan to double immigrant detention space this year" from The Washington Post
• "ICE Has Tons of Cash, But Is Struggling to Hire Enough Agents" from Time
• "Secretary Noem Unveils No Age Limit for Patriotic Americans to Join ICE Law Enforcement to Help Remove Worst of the Worst from U.S." from the Department of Homeland Security 
• "Spike in Corruption Followed Last Hiring Surge at CBP and ICE" from American Immigration Council
• "Adjustable-rate mortgages make a comeback" from Marketplace
• "The White House makes a play for Intel" from Marketplace
• "Work weeks are getting more intense for AI startups" from Marketplace
• "LA 2028 Olympics to sell venue naming rights" from Axios

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

President Trump reportedly has floated a plan that would have the U.S. government take partial control of Intel, the ailing chipmaking giant. We look at how a potential deal might shake out and what obstacles it could face. Then, on the other side of the Pacific, workers at Chinese AI companies are working long hours in the heated global AI race. And finally, the BBC’s Jane Chambers reports on the economic malaise in Bolivia that’s shaping this weekend’s elections.

Target and Ulta have announced an end to their partnership, effectively closing hundreds of Target-based Ulta locations opened since 2021. We look at how differing business models and clientele led to the breakup. Then, a report on the latest developments from the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. And finally, we delve into a new report that explores why many hospital patients suffering from mental illness are discharged into nursing homes.

From the BBC World Service: The world's first humanoid robot games in China involve soccer, dancing, and boxing. But it's not just about the sport; the event is also designed to attract investment. Then, as Bolivia heads to the polls this weekend, an economic crisis is front and centre in voters’ minds. And later, UN talks on a global plastics treaty have ended without a deal.

On today’s Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review, Perplexity AI has offered $34.5 billion to buy Alphabet's Chrome browser, despite the fact the tech giant hasn't said it's for sale. Plus, the reviews are in for OpenAI's highly anticipated GPT-5 model and they're kinda…mixed. But first, President Trump gave chipmakers Nvidia and AMD the green light to sell their less powerful semiconductors in China, in exchange for a 15% cut of sales revenue. The deal is already raising eyebrows and legal questions.

Earlier this week, the July CPI report showed consumer prices remained steady, despite tariff noise. Today’s producer price index tells a different story: Wholesale prices grew a whopping 3.3% year-over-year. When might retailers pass those higher costs on to consumers? We break it down. Plus: Automated applications sow pessimism among job hunters, New York City marks two months of a ban on tenant-paid broker fees, and U.S. oil refineries face regionally different outlooks.

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.

It’s not just you — we feel the bad vibes in the job market too. On the show today, we’ll unpack how what we’re hearing from those on the job hunt compares to what the data shows about a labor market slump. And, President Donald Trump says he wants to allow riskier assets like crypto and private equity investments in retirement accounts. Plus, mocktails make us smile.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(K) Investors" from The White House
• "Should You Include Cryptocurrency in 401(k) Investments?" from AARP
• "Trump wants your 401(k) to access crypto and private equity. Here's what to know." from CBS News
• "Would you add crypto to your retirement portfolio?" from Marketplace
• "How do hiring sites deal with a slowing job market?" from Marketplace

• "Long-term unemployment is rising as uncertain businesses hold off on hiring" from Marketplace

  
  

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