Author: Marketplace

Consumer sentiment — as in, how everyday people feel about the economy — fell to a low not seen since 2022, according to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers. The decline was consistent across demographics, except among the wealthiest Americans (as measured by volume of stock market holdings). In other words, economic mood just became another k-shaped indicator. Also in this episode: Colleges shutter satellite campuses to cut costs and small and midsize businesses shrink their headcounts.

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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.

On today’s edition of Economics on Tap, we’re heading to Virginia! The state held major elections this week, and affordability was top of mind for voters. VPM News reporter Patrick Larsen joins Kimberly to debrief the election results and explain why rising energy costs were a key campaign issue—and what data centers have to do with it. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "How do data centers figure into Virginia's 2025 elections?" from VPM News
• "Virginia’s Rural Voters Shift 12 Points Toward Democrats" from The Daily Yonder
• "Soaring energy prices gave Democrats a winning message" from Semafor
• "Pumpkinscaping could be coming to a porch near you" from Marketplace
• "iRobot Is in Trouble, but Roomba Is Already Dead" from Wirecutter
• "How is this novelty team outselling over half the MLB?" from Marketplace 
• "What Travelers Need to Know About the Shutdown, Flight Reductions and Delays" from The New York Times 

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

The value of Pokémon cards soared during the pandemic, and some have climbed in value nearly 4,000% over the past two decades. For some, Pokémon cards are a source of nostalgic joy, but others are seeing them as alternative assets — joining the likes of sneakers, comics, and even crypto. Also, hundreds of flights are cancelled today at airports across the country. And, from Marketplace's "Million Bazillion," little listeners reflect on the role of the $2 bill.

Starting today, the Federal Aviation Administration is requiring airlines to reduce flights at 40 airports because of the strain that air traffic controllers are under during what's turned into the longest federal government shutdown ever. Fewer flights mean reduced supply, just as demand is about to ramp up for the holidays. And there’s gonna be consequences for both airlines and consumers — including likely price increases. Plus, what constitutes a "workplace emergency" these days?

From the BBC World Service:

On today's “Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” we discuss federal cybersecurity cutbacks that affected this week’s elections and a caucus of Midwestern states pushing to join the AI boom. Plus, Sens. Josh Hawley and Mark Warner introduced a bipartisan bill requiring some companies to report when AI replaces workers.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Axios tech policy reporter Maria Curi about these headlines and more.

The firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas counted over 153,000 job cuts in this country last month — the most October layoffs since 2003. Are companies pivoting to save money in light of over hiring and AI, or we are we moving toward a more serious slowdown? Also in this episode: A training center in China narrows the gap between tech manufacturing labor supply and demand, the FAA orders flight cuts, and “green” data centers face expensive challenges.

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.

Quantum computing is still in an experimental phase, but tech companies say it could eventually have an enormous impact on the global economy. How long is that going to take? On today’s show, science journalist Dan Garisto joins Kimberly to break down the basics of quantum computing and why it could take many years for the technology to move out of the lab and into the real world.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "This Year’s Nobel Physics Prize Showed Quantum Mechanics Is a Big Deal—Literally" from Scientific American  
• "The Next Big Quantum Computer Has Arrived" from The Wall Street Journal 
• "Google Measures ‘Quantum Echoes’ on Willow Quantum Computer Chip" from Scientific American 
• "Futuristic quantum computing stocks take speculators on roller-coaster ride" from Reuters
• "Here’s How Quantum Computing Could Change the World" from The Wall Street Journal 

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

Elyria-Swansea, a largely Latino neighborhood in Denver, has plenty of industrial sources for air pollution: a dog food factory, an oil refinery, a highway. Now, an AI data center is being constructed and threatens to contribute to the area's poor air quality. How are community residents responding? Also on today's show: key points during yesterday's Supreme Court oral arguments over tariffs and a gathering of some world leaders at COP30 in Brazil.

Yesterday, Supreme Court justices heard arguments and asked questions about whether an emergency powers law could be used by a president to overhaul international trade and bring in lots of money through import taxes — all without getting Congress to go along. The justices were skeptical, to say the least. We'll discuss. Plus, we'll hear how suspended SNAP benefits are playing out at one food bank in Central California.