Marketplace All-in-One

Looking for an exclusive pastel Trader Joe’s mini tote? How about the latest Labubu? Once a staple of sneaker and streetwear, the “limited drop” release model is popping up all over the place. In this episode, find out why every brand seems to be chasing the “drop.” Later, we spill the tea on office gossip and what it’s like to run a dance studio. Also: A new survey shows 9% of Affordable Care Act enrollees are now uninsured after subsidies expired.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.

From the success of “K-pop Demon Hunters” to the return of BTS, K-pop is having a moment. But the rise of Korean culture was no accident—it has a decades-long backstory of investment by the South Korean government. On “Economics on Tap,” Kimberly talks with Michelle Cho, researcher of East Asian pop cultures at the University of Toronto, about the history behind the spread of Korean culture and how it’s shaped industries from entertainment to beauty. Speaking of K-beauty: sunscreen or sheet masks?Here’s everything we talked about today:‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Leads the Wave Back to Korea from Foreign PolicyBTS Is Back With ‘Arirang,’ but the K-Pop Landscape Has Changed from The New York TimesK-everything: the rise and rise of Korean culture from The Guardian "Americans Are Learning Korean Because of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’" from The New York Times"What’s So Special About Korean Sunscreens?" from Vogue"How K-pop Stars Are Leading Mental Health Conversations for AAPI People and Beyond" from Teen VogueWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

If you're traveling in the next week or so, get to the airport early. Airport security lines are growing as workers with the Transportation Security Administration go without pay during the partial government shutdown. Nearly 50,000 TSA workers missed a paycheck last week, and if Congress doesn’t act, they could miss another one next Friday. Then, we'll dig into how wide salary ranges on job postings can influence an applicant's approach to negotiation over pay.

The Postal Service says it's facing a "severe financial crisis." Postmaster General David Steiner testified before a House subcommittee this week and said that the USPS was struggling and could “be out of cash in less than 12 months” unless something changes. Today, we check the finances of the postal service. And later, war in the Middle East is driving up fertilizer and diesel costs, worrying U.S. farmers during planting season.

This week, Amazon speeds up delivery even more. Plus, will BuzzFeed stay in business?But first, Gecko, a robotics startup, landed a $71 million contract with the U.S. Navy. The 13-year-old Pittsburgh-based company says it'll be using its drones and wall-climbing robots to help find defects on ships. Then, it will use artificial intelligence to model current and future structural issues.Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Anita Ramaswamy, financial analysis columnist at The Information, about all these headlines for this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Newport, Oregon is a small town on the coast with beautiful beach views. After the town’s rescue helicopter was taken to the southern border, the community came together against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In this episode, we talk to a local reporter who covered the story. Plus, we check on lower-than-expected January home sales numbers and jobless claims. Later, a drugstore owner in a “pharmacy desert,” and a look at the climate cost of war in Iran.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 line with the Pentagon’s ambitions to build an “AI-first warfighting force,” earlier this year, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded unrestricted use of Anthropic’s Claude model. Anthropic had concerns. Now the two parties are engaged in a legal battle that could shape the future of AI safety. Kimberly talks with Justin Hendrix, CEO and editor of Tech Policy Press, to explain Anthropic’s lawsuit and why this could signal a turning point in the tech industry’s chummy relationship with the Trump administration.

Iran attacked critical liquefied natural gas and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, including a major source of gas for Europe. It was retaliating in response to Israeli strikes on a gas field that supplies a lot of Iran's domestic energy. This morning, we delve into what it means for the price of oil, precious metals, government bonds, and more. Plus, we learn how China’s entry into the World Trade Organization impacted local U.S. banks.

War continues to rage in the Middle East, and energy infrastructure is being targeted. The price of oil has surged to $115 a barrel, and gas in the U.S. is now averaging $3.88 a gallon — up almost a dollar from before the war. President Trump recently waived the Jones Act in an attempt to lower oil prices. Will it work? Also: what's next for the Federal Reserve, and where U.S.-China relations currently stand.

There have been decades of attempts to make destructive drones, going back to World War I. The technology has advanced significantly since then. Drones now range in size from tiny — as in, fitting in the palm of your hand — to so big they look like little planes.Stacie Pettyjohn directs the defense program at the Center for a New American Security. She spoke with Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes about how drones are being used in the war between Iran, Israel and the U.S., including Iran’s Shahed-136 drone.

It’s bound to happen in any friendship: an unfulfilled Venmo request, a trip that’s way out of your budget, or a dispute over splitting the bill at a restaurant. This week, we’re answering your questions about navigating tricky money situations with friends. Reema is joined by comedians and real-life friends Josh Gondelman and Alison Leiby to talk through everything from expensive bachelorettes to Venmo nickel-and-diming. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!

The Federal Reserve is focused on cooling inflation right now, which has stayed stubbornly above the 2% target. But price stabilization is just one half of the central bank’s dual mandate. In this episode, when will the Fed pivot to buoying the stagnant job market? After that, wholesale vegetables see huge price spikes, the imported seafood industry staggers despite easing tariffs, and your credit history could determine your mortgage rate.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.

The supply chains of gold and precious gems are notoriously difficult to track. Human rights abuses and environmental devastation are often at the root of the work. This morning, we'll hear the story of one jeweler trying to change this by bringing women together from regions scarred by conflict to create a more ethical business model. But first: Microsoft is considering suing Amazon and OpenAI, and we look at what's behind a run on red yarn.

Why not report earnings twice a year? The Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a proposal to eliminate the requirement for publicly traded companies to report quarterly earnings, according to The Wall Street Journal. It's a move that companies are cheering, but it also means less transparency for investors. Also on this morning's show: a preliminary deal between the WNBA and its players' union, and what older adults should keep in mind this tax season.

There's an emerging industry that uses artificial intelligence to create simulations of people who've died. These post mortem avatars are also called griefbots.Some critics, including Tomasz Hollanek, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, say this practice raises a number of ethical issues. He walks us through the mechanics of how this technology works, and how it may or may not be used responsibly.

When gas prices go up, Americans freak out. It doesn’t matter that gas prices often fluctuate independently of all the other stuff we have to buy and pay for; more expensive fuel makes an impact on the consumer psyche. In this episode, Americans’ unique emotional relationship to gas costs. Plus: Airlines contend with jet fuel price growth and TSA shortages, the trucking industry is hit by a diesel price-immigration restriction double whammy, and a federal tax code change could reduce charitable giving.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.

Farm bills are huge, sprawling pieces of legislation that affect all Americans — not just farmers. But as they’ve gotten more expensive, they’ve gotten tougher to pass. And due to the SNAP cuts in Congress’s big budget bill passed last summer, the coalitions that have historically gotten this legislation over the finish line may be fractured beyond repair. Kimberly talks with Chris Neubert, agriculture policy expert at Arizona State University, about what this could mean for this year’s farm bill prospects.

Two of the three major credit bureaus are dismissing a larger share of consumer complaints. At the same time, the Trump administration has attempted to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the government watchdog agency established following the Great Recession. Today, we'll delve into what it means for consumer protections. Also, the price of a barrel of Brent crude is about 50% higher than it was a month ago. Where do things go from here?

If you are one of the millions of people who haven't done your taxes yet, you've got a month and a day left to file. Something to look forward to, though? Refunds are up over 10% on average so far this year, and more people are receiving tax refunds. But first, we'll check in on how discount retailers are doing and learn how the war in the Middle East is impacting Federal Reserve officials' thinking about a rate cut.

More and more companies are incorporating artificial intelligence into their workflows — from AI assistants that record and analyze meetings, to AI notetakers that keep track of what's said, to AI summaries and analyses of emails.Workers may know this technology is being used, but some of these tools, which record and monitor, can still catch them off guard. Still, Josh Bersin, an human resources industry analyst and consultant, says the productivity gains from these tools mean many employers are embracing them.Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes had him walk her through what he’s seeing businesses try and what they're using at his company — including one HR tool that his company makes and sells called Galileo.