Author: Marketplace

Borders may be invisible to most shoppers, but for businesses, they often mean delays, extra costs, and reams of paperwork. And amid Trump’s trade war, global trade is now faster and more complex than ever. Those new pressures have sparked a boom in new "customs tech" companies promising to speed things up. The BBC’s Leanna Byrne reports.

The Russell 2000, a stock index of smaller companies or “small caps,” has fallen behind the S&P 500 over the past few years. A Fed rate cut, which may come as soon as next week, could change their luck. In this episode, why interest rates have an outsize effect on smaller companies. Plus: Homebuilding is harder under President Trump’s tariffs and immigration policies, brands lean into the power of scent, and we recap the week’s economic headlines.

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.

Today’s news comes with a side of pawpaws. Kimberly is joined by Laura Blessing, senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, to break down the moves President Trump is making to exert more control over government spending. As Congress faces the possibility of another shutdown head on, it’s souring the mood. Plus, we’ll play a new game! Can you guess which headline is fake?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "What is a pawpaw, and will I ever be able to buy it at the grocery store?" from Marketplace
• "‘Don't even bother dealing with them,’ Trump says of Democrats’ shutdown demands" from Politico
• "What to know about Trump’s ‘pocket rescission’" from The Hill 
• "Paris Hilton mini-fridges recalled due to fire, burn hazards" from The Hill  
• "Musk got DOGE's mission "backward," Lutnick says" from Axios  

• "Trump announces crackdown on pharmaceutical advertising" from Politico 

  
  

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

“Marketplace Morning Report” is breaking down the overall picture of the U.S. economy by zooming in on different regions and taking a closer look. Marketplace’s senior economics contributor Chris Farrell reports from St. Paul, Minnesota, about what’s happening in the Federal Reserve’s Ninth District — which includes most of the upper Midwest. Also: Paramount Skydance explores a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, and markets anticipate a Federal Reserve rate cut.

"When you face bad economic numbers, you've got two choices: fix the economy or attack the numbers," says University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers. Today, we'll discuss what to make of how the Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data on jobs and inflation, as well as the doubts cast on BLS under the second Trump administration. But first, grocery prices jumped in August. Thing is, tariffs aren't to blame.

From the BBC World Service: Hundreds of workers have returned home to South Korea following a raid by U.S. immigration at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia. Officials said many workers violated their visas. This morning, we'll hear about the outrage South Koreans are feeling and the hesitance by South Korean companies to invest in the U.S. Then, Europe will get its first Universal theme park near Bedford, England. What economic benefits could the park bring?

Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Joanna Stern, senior personal technology columnist at the Wall Street Journal, to discuss all these topics and more. This episode was produced by Jesús Alvarado.

The labor market has been cooling for a bit, and in some sectors is virtually frozen. That could push the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. But the Fed’s other mandate, besides maximum employment, is price stability. And inflation is picking up. What to do, what to do…. Later in this episode: Why are utilities costs up? Are restaurants hiring when no one else is? And, should retirement accounts have access to private equity funds?

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.

In the wake of yesterday’s assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, Regina Bateson, a political science professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, joins Kimberly to unpack the rise of targeted political violence in the United States and what it means for the health of our democracy. Then, one of our listeners shares how digitizing her great grandmother’s WWII diaries helped connect her with her family’s past.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "A new dark normal of political violence still shocks the nation" Politico 
• "Tracking Attitudes About Elections and Political Violence Over Time" from States United Democracy Center
• "How Americans Justify Political Violence" from The New York Times Magazine 
• "Special Report: Key Political Violence and Resilience Trends From 2024" from the Bridging Divides Initiative 
• Check out Beth’s digitized diary project

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

Unionized Starbucks workers are still without a contract after more than a year of bargaining. Both the company and the union say it’s the other side holding up negotiations at the bargaining table. Today, we'll hear from a founding member of the union representing workers there. Plus, consumer inflation is moving the wrong way. The consumer price index released this morning showed prices up 2.9% annually in August. We'll discuss.