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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

  • Construction continues near unfinished Purple Line rail tracks at the Paul Sarbanes Transit Center on April 8, 2021, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
    Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    Both labor unions and business groups are uniting to push for the bipartisan infrastructure spending bill on the table in Washington. Plus, as the Olympic flame arrives in Tokyo, an update on the new no-spectator policy for the Summer Games. And, President Biden could sign an executive order as early as today intended to increase competition and cut down on aggressive pricing in the ocean shipping and freight rail industries.

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  • Chinese companies are among the largest official sponsors of the 2020 European Championship soccer tournament.
    Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: You’ll see ads and billboards for brands like Alipay, TikTok and Hisense while watching this weekend’s championship game in the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. Why are Chinese firms so keen on reaching sports fans at this international soccer competition? Plus, the Biden administration is expected to add several more Chinese companies to its list of firms that are restricted from doing business with Americans companies. Beijing pledges to take action to protect its interests. And, 10 years since South Sudan became the newest country in the world, what a decade of political unrest has done to its people and economy.

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  • Many people are quitting their jobs and becoming entrepreneurs, signaling confidence in the economy's future.
    Richard Pohle/WPA Pool/Getty Images

    We’re quitting our jobs at a very fast pace — not something you do if you’re worried about the future. Workers may be looking for something that’s a better fit with their values and goals, and they’re willing to take a risk to find that job and career. Also, people are starting new businesses at a high rate. Plus, why it’s looking like we might hear from the Federal Reserve about raising interest rates sooner than previously expected. And, now that the economy is opening up, are we going to start swiping our way back to credit card debt?

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  • Going after Google in court … again
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Attorneys general of 36 states plus the District of Columbia are suing Google over the way it runs its mobile app store. It’s just the latest antitrust challenge to Big Tech. Also, President Biden is expected to sign an executive order this week that will give workers more freedom from noncompete clauses after they leave a job, and make it easier for some workers to move across state lines. And, summer music festivals start their comeback tour.

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  • Central banks are working to deal with the economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19.
    Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: The European Central Bank seems to be taking a page out of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s book, incorporating some flexibility on inflation, as economies react to the easing of COVID restrictions. Plus, the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse is a fresh blow to the Caribbean country, which has a long history of political instability and dismal economic performance. And, as COVID cases rise, Japan declares another state of emergency in Tokyo for the duration of the Olympic Games this summer.

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  • Many people are quitting their jobs and becoming entrepreneurs, signaling confidence in the economy's future.
    Richard Pohle/WPA Pool/Getty Images

    The high quit rate and number of new startups signals optimism in the economy’s future.

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  • What might that mean for teacher retention in the fall?
    Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

    Teachers are exhausted after the past year, and even bonuses offered by school districts may not be enough to hire adequate staff. Meanwhile, enrollment for summer school is expected to be at an all-time high. Plus, can the White House get Russia to rein in cybercriminals and ransomware attacks? Also, Chinese regulators order ride-hailing service Didi to be taken off of app stores shortly after the company made its U.S. stock market debut. And, a new tactic in the public relations push to get more Americans vaccinated: calling on moms to spread the message.

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  • What can the antibiotics industry learn from COVID?
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    And, specifically, how the U.S. government responded to COVID with Operation Warp Speed. The antibiotics industry needs revitalizing, and some solutions may lie in how the U.S. approached vaccine and therapeutics development during the pandemic. Plus, the force was not with Microsoft. The Department of Defense has canceled its contract with the technology company and instead will pursue a deal with multiple cloud providers.

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  • The Ever Given container ship sailing along Egypt's Suez Canal on July 7, 2021.
    Mahmoud Khaled/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: It caused a major disruption back in March on a shipping route that carries around 12% of global trade. Now, the Ever Given has been released by Egyptian authorities after the negotiation of a compensation deal. Plus, why fintech company Wise, formerly TransferWise, has chosen a direct listing on the London Stock Exchange rather than a traditional IPO. And, China is tightening rules on its big technology companies looking to list on stock markets overseas.

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  • Federal Reserve Board Jerome Powell testifies during a hearing on "The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress."
    Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

    There’s another chance this week for investors to figure out what the Federal Reserve will do next when it comes to monetary policy and interest rates. The Fed will release the minutes from its June meeting on Wednesday. Plus, Hong Kong says it’s trying to crack down on doxxing, but big tech companies argue new data privacy rules there threaten free expression. And, the latest from “Million Bazillion,” Marketplace’s podcast about money for kids and their families: Where did banks come from?

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David Brancaccio