Author: Marketplace

Every day this week, we’ll take a look at the ripple effects of the budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress that would enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. Today, we focus on the bill’s impact on health care and social programs. We explain how the Senate’s version of the reconciliation bill cuts Medicaid more aggressively than the House of Representatives’ previous version. Then, we hear from a listener about how the bill’s Medicaid cuts could affect the hospitals they work with, particularly in underserved rural areas. Plus, we answer a listener question about how states would absorb the costs of the bill’s federal funding cuts.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Senate Bill Would Make Deep Cuts to Medicaid, Setting Up Fight With House” from The New York Times
• “Hundreds of rural hospitals at risk if Medicaid cuts pass, Democrats say” from Healthcare Dive
• “2025 Budget Impacts: House Bill Would Cut Assistance and Raise Costs for Seniors” from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• “GOP bill would have states picking up more of the tab for programs like Medicaid and SNAP” from Marketplace
• “How Would Potential Federal Budget Cuts Impact State Budgets?” from Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
• “What are the Implications of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill for Hospitals?” from KFF

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

Financial markets are strangely calm so far this morning, given — among other things — continued hostilities between Israel and Iran. As the trading day gets underway, there's been no sign from the White House about whether the U.S. would take military action against nuclear facilities in Iran. We'll try to get a sense of the market. Plus, sometimes taking a vow of poverty is easier said than done. From Marketplace's "This Is Uncomfortable," we'll learn all about a nun's finances.

Contractors provide legally required services for people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These include medical care, where providers are trying to navigate the administration's assertions that detainees do not have rights to normal due process. Today, we hear about a mental health facility in Colorado that decided not to take this business. Also: a big win for cryptocurrency businesses in the Senate and a look at the horror movie economy.

From the BBC World Service: Japanese vehicle exports to the United States dropped by almost a quarter last month amid the fallout from President Donald Trump's new tariffs. Tokyo has been seeking relief from the 25% U.S. import taxes on foreign-made vehicles, but no agreement has been reached despite a series of high-level talks. Plus, we hear how French wine producers are reacting to the uncertainty around tariff talks.

Protests in Southern California and around the country over raids targeting undocumented immigrants played out differently on social media depending on the person or the platform. They’re peaceful - look at the carnival atmosphere. They’re violent - Los Angeles is in flames. These competing narratives underline the hyper-siloed nature of online discourse and the power of misinformation. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Renee DiResta, Research Professor at Georgetown University about how protest discourse has been playing out online.

This is a busy time for food banks — without school breakfast and lunch programs, more families lean on them. But between millions of dollars slashed from the USDA budget and heightened deportation fears, it’s a tougher-than-usual summer. In this episode, we visit Texas food banks with a simple goal: keep kids from going hungry. Plus, Trump wants to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the cost of basic baby items is up 24% since new tariffs were imposed, and retail sales fell in May.

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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.

This week, Ryan and Bridget are answering a question about why athletes get paid what they do. In this bonus mini-episode of “Million Bazillion,” Bridget and Ryan hear from Colin Hufman, who competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics with the U.S. curling team. Curling is a sport that’s played on ice, in which players slide granite stones toward a target area. We’ll learn about Colin’s experience earning income as an Olympic athlete, including payments for medals, monthly stipends and promotional endorsements. The hosts realize that making a living as an Olympian involves a lot more than just training and competing in sports.

“Million Bazillion” listener Alistair wants to know how professional athletes get paid. Bridget and Ryan prepare for the semi-annual Public Radio Foosball Tournament, but their star player is drafted to the opposing team. The hosts have to scramble to assemble players for their dream team in time for the big tournament. In this episode, they learn about labor unions, player trades and statistical analysis strategies used in the movie “Moneyball.”

If your family is interested in learning more about the questions we answered in this episode, check out our website. We’ve got discussion questions and tips!

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

Today, we take a deep dive into the provisions affecting small businesses and taxes in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which aims to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May, and the U.S. Senate released its proposed version of the bill on Monday. The Senate’s draft upheld many policies from the House of Representative’s version, including cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. We explain how the ripple effects of those cuts could affect small businesses such as grocery stores and farmers. Also, we dig into the implications of the Senate’s proposal to make permanent several business tax breaks.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Here’s what’s in the Senate GOP’s version of Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’" from The Hill
• “Senate Republicans seek tougher Medicaid cuts and lower SALT deduction in Trump’s big bill” from The Associated Press
• “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: A comparison for businesses” from the Internal Revenue Service
• “The Farm Safety Net: A Closer Look at ARC and PLC” from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

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

The Trump Organization, the president’s family business, is getting into mobile phones. The company is promising a new wireless service — called Trump Mobile — and releasing a new, gold smartphone. The Trump Organization says the phone will be made in the U.S., but industry experts are skeptical about whether that’s even possible. Also on the show: how one sneaker broker turned his hobby into a full-time job.