Author: Marketplace

Can we invest our way out of the climate crisis? That’s the question we started this series with, and in this episode, we try to answer that question. 

Host Amy Scott pops the hood of her own retirement investments to look at how to reduce their carbon impact, and she shows you how you can too. We visit a battery storage farm in the Bronx to see how New York City is leveraging its shareholder power to accelerate the energy transition. Finally, we look at a phenomenon that has emerged in the wake of backlash against environmental, social and governance investing — something called “greenhushing.”

The use of algorithmic software in setting residential rents has come under scrutiny in recent years. In 2024, the Joe Biden administration sued real estate company RealPage, alleging that its algorithm, which aggregates and analyzes private data on the housing market, enables landlords to collude in pricing and stifles competition. There's no word yet on what the second Donald Trump administration's Justice Department will do with this case. But in the meantime, some cities are banning the use of these algorithms completely. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Robbie Sequeira, who has been reporting on the issue for Stateline.

Verizon lost nearly 300,000 monthly phone subscribers in the first quarter. The telecom giant put partial blame on ongoing government layoffs. Verizon will bounce back, analysts say, but its bad news may be followed by similar corporate disclosures reflecting DOGE-driven funding cuts and an atmosphere of paring back. Later in this episode, the U.S. lags China in nuclear power expansion, economic instability hinders AI data center investment and Catholic nuns struggle to find affordable care as they age.

Hey Smarties! Today we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast. This season, host Amy Scott and the team dig into the rise of environmental, social and governance-based investing, or ESG, and the right wing backlash that followed. In this episode, the story of ESG’s start revolves around some unexpected players: rabbis, nuns and other faith-based investors.

As the market for electric vehicles matures in the United States, sales of used EVs are climbing. They grew 39% year-over-year in March, according to data from Cox Automotive. Today, we hear how a used EV dealership in New Hampshire has experienced growth — and navigated market swings. And later in today's program: why a California public public school district is offering an elite athletic training program.

The Department of Health and Human Services has stopped the flow of money designated by Congress to protect immigrant children from exploitation. Layoffs have hit legal aid groups across the country that help the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors who cross the U.S.-Mexico border and are especially vulnerable to forced labor. We'll hear more. But first: hefty tariffs on solar panel parts and DHL's pause on certain shipments to U.S. consumers.

From the BBC World Service: Sky-high tariffs on Chinese goods arriving at the U.S. border are already having a knock-on effect for many companies. Many manufacturers in China are in a state of limbo, having to warehouse stock and hoping for a more favorable trade deal eventually. Meanwhile, the international diamond trade is keeping a close eye on India, where U.S. Vice President JD Vance has been talking trade with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

We've sometimes wished we could have our own Wendy Rhodes, the performance coach at the hedge fund on the TV show “Billions.” Most workplaces, however, aren't bringing in billions and can't afford a Wendy. But an upskilling platform called Multiverse uses artificial intelligence to provide personalized, on-the-job guidance. Its AI coach, Atlas, helps workers expand their abilities and keep themselves relevant in an economy that makes skills obsolete faster than ever before, says Ujjwal Singh, chief product and technology officer at Multiverse.

The scale and volatility of the trade war may be surprising, but tariffs aren’t new — unless you’re an aircraft manufacturer. (A trade agreement eliminated duties on commercial jets in 1980.) Last week, China told its airlines to reject Boeing deliveries, and since then at least two jets have been redirected to U.S. soil. Also in this episode: Student visa revocations could impede U.S. innovation in tech and science, home sellers are making concessions and consumers struggle with credit card debt.

Yes — Obamacare is before the Supreme Court, again. This time, the case centers on the legality of an advisory task force. Experts worry it could spell the end of an ACA mandate requiring insurers to cover certain preventative care services at no cost. But first: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is caught up in another Signal group chat scandal. Plus, Paul Revere wasn’t the only midnight rider to warn that the British were coming.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

"‘An amateur person’: GOP Rep. Bacon says Hegseth should go" from Politico

"Obamacare returns to SCOTUS, with preventive care on the line" from Politico

"Court to hear challenge to ACA preventative-care coverage" from Scotus Blog

"Kristi Noem’s Purse, With Security Badge and $3,000, Is Stolen" from The New York Times

"Paul Revere Wasn't the Only Midnight Rider Who Dashed Through the Darkness to Warn the Patriots That the British Were Coming" from Smithsonian Magazine

"April 18, 2025" from Heather Cox Richardson

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