Marketplace®
Every story is an economic story

David Brancaccio

"Future Effects" Senior Correspondent

David Brancaccio is Marketplace’s “future effects” senior correspondent. In this role, David aims to explore how short-term thinking can impact our personal finances, innovation, government policy, and more.

David worked as the host and senior editor of “Marketplace Morning Report” from 2013 to 2026, where he focused on the regulation of financial markets, the role of technology in labor markets, the history of innovation, digital privacy, sustainability, social enterprises, and financial vulnerability in older adults. David freelanced for Marketplace in 1989 before becoming the program’s European correspondent based in London in 1990.

David hosted the evening program from 1993-2003, then anchored the award-winning public television news program “Now” on PBS after a period co-hosting with journalist Bill Moyers. David has co-produced and appeared in several documentaries, including “Fixing the Future,” about alternative approaches to the economy, and “On Thin Ice,” about climate change and water security, with mountaineer Conrad Anker. David is the author of “Squandering Aimlessly,” a book about personal values and money. He enjoys moderating public policy discussions, including at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Chicago Ideas Week, and the Camden Conference in Maine.

David is from Waterville, Maine, and has degrees from Wesleyan and Stanford universities. Honors include the Peabody, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University, Emmy, and Walter Cronkite awards. He is married to Mary Brancaccio, a poet and educator. They have three offspring, all adults. He likes making beer and building (and launching) pretty big rockets. Among his heroes are Edward R. Murrow and Wolfman Jack.

Latest from David Brancaccio

  • President Biden visited Ukraine. What was on the agenda?
    Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images

    President Biden arrived in Kyiv this morning on a surprise visit to wartime Ukraine. Hear about what was on the agenda, including fresh arms deliveries and other forms of assistance. The BBC investigates alleged sexual assault on Kenyan tea farms that supply some of the world’s largest brands. And, a look at how abortion funds and clinics in the South are sending services across state lines into communities where the practice became illegal after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.  Please be advised content featured in this podcast includes a story about sexual abuse that listeners may find difficult to hear or inappropriate for younger audiences.

    Read MoreDownload
  • How could federal dollars transform American manufacturing?
    Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    The American manufacturing sector is set to receive a huge deluge of funding in the coming years, thanks in large part to two major laws: the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. We spoke with Charlotte Howard, Executive Editor and New York Bureau Chief at The Economist, about what the laws could portend for the sector. President Biden is in Ukraine for a surprise visit, where he met with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and announced new military aid. And, a view from Moldova, where Pro-Russian protests are causing instability for the country’s Western-aligned government. 

    Read MoreDownload
  • The dark cost of tea farming in Kenya
    Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: A BBC investigation has uncovered widespread sexual abuse on tea farms which supply some of the world’s biggest international tea brands. Plus, the brewer Brewdog is expanding into China in a tie-up with Budweiser. And, we take a look at the economic implications of war in Ukraine on the eve of the first anniversary. Please be advised content featured in this podcast includes a story about sexual abuse that listeners may find difficult to hear or inappropriate for younger audiences.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Consumers are really, really indebted
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says credit card debt reached all-time highs at the end of 2022, around $986 billion in total. A look into why that matters, and what it says about the economy. As Turkey recovers from a devastating set of earthquakes that rocked the country’s southern region this month, questions are arising about a so-called “earthquake tax” that’s been in place since 2004. And, while revenue from online ads shrinks for giants like Meta and Alphabet, small businesses are keeping up their advertising campaigns.  

    Read MoreDownload
  • The job market is sending mixed signals
    Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

    There have been some contradictory signs coming out of the job market in the past month — some big tech companies are announcing layoffs, but other places say they’re hiring lots of workers. We look into what to make of the wider labor market picture. It’s time for the renewal of the Farm Bill, the massive agricultural spending law, and Congressional Republicans are aiming to trim SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps. And, we talked to the head of a Pennsylvania department store that’s been open for 118 years. 

    Read MoreDownload
  • How much will it cost to rebuild in Turkey and Syria?
    Mehmet Kacmaz/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: After the United Nations launched a $1bn appeal to help those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria we speak to our reporter to find how much it will cost to rebuild the affected areas. We hear about a major Chinese businessman who has been reported missing, and we ask Manchester United fans who they want to buy their club with a deadline looming.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Theatre jobs are still recovering from pandemic shocks
    Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

    Theatres were one set of businesses that were hit hardest by pandemic shutdowns, which forced many workers to be cut or furloughed. We check in with the Minneapolis-based Children’s Theatre Company to see how things are going. Today’s Producer Price Index data confirms what other recent inflation data is showing: rising prices aren’t slowing down nearly fast enough. And, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office says that the U.S. could default on its debt as soon as July should Congress fail to agree to raise the debt limit. 

    Read MoreDownload
  • U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai explains why addressing economic coercion from China is a challenge.
    cbarnesphotography/Getty Images

    China announced this morning that defense giant Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon would go on a blacklist, which follows similar American moves last week. It’s the latest incident in the Chinese balloon saga that has seen the U.S.-China relationship sour further. The White House’s new standards for electric vehicle chargers could bring about new business opportunities. And, we check in with an egg farmer about how the industry is doing amid its recovery from a severe avian flu outbreak.

    Read MoreDownload
  • In Nigeria, more money means more problems
    PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Nigeria allows the use of old notes to ease new problems – for now. A plan to replace notes has been beset by problems with a scarcity of cash leading to riots in some cities. Our reporter explains the backdrop and we hear from those affected in Lagos. Plus, one of the world’s biggest chip companies says its intellectual property has been stolen. And, why New Zealand is struggling with a shortage of eggs.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Consumers just keep on buying stuff
    lechatnoir

    The latest number on consumer spending are out this morning, and they indicate that people are continuing to buy stuff despite economic anxiety and inflation. Susan Schmidt walks us through what that could mean for rising prices. Meanwhile, at the Fed, central bankers are signaling that further interest rate hikes are needed after yesterday’s less-than-great inflation data. The EU is looking into using seized Russian assets to fund the rebuilding of Ukraine. And, the economic point of view from Rockwell Automation, a company that specializes in being a sort of “manufacturer for manufacturers.”

    Read MoreDownload