Samantha Fields

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Samantha Fields is a senior reporter at Marketplace.

She’s particularly interested in how the economy affects people’s everyday lives, and a lot of her coverage focuses on economic inequality, housing and climate change.

She’s also reported and produced for WCAI and The GroundTruth Project, the “NPR Politics Podcast,” NPR’s midday show, “Here & Now,” Vermont Public Radio and Maine Public Radio. She got her start in journalism as a reporter for a community paper, The Wellesley Townsman, and her start in radio as an intern and freelance producer at “The Takeaway” at WNYC. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Latest Stories (523)

The expanded child tax credit could "cut poverty in half"

Jun 28, 2021
Starting July 15, most parents will get monthly payments for half of the tax credit instead of a lump sum at tax time.
More parents will be eligible for the child tax credit this year. Above, a mother and daughter stand outside of a community food pantry in New York.
Spencer Platt via Getty

Can $8B in grants smooth out U.S. airports' uneven recovery?

Jun 23, 2021
Passenger numbers are bouncing back. But for business destinations and international hubs, the recovery is taking longer.
The United Airlines check-in counter at San Francisco International.
Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. pledge to share 80 million vaccine doses with world stumbles on logistics

Jun 22, 2021
There's no shortage of the medicines, but you can't just put them on planes and hope for the best.
So far, the U.S. has distributed only a fraction of the promised vaccines overseas.
Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty Images

Nearly 9 million older Americans still have student loan debt

Jun 21, 2021
More people are going to college and graduate school. There's also been an increase in parents taking on loan debt for their kids.
And the total amount of debt they owe is growing faster than for any other age group.
zimmytws/Getty Images

How broadly will a Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ rights and religious freedom apply?

Jun 18, 2021
It was a relatively narrow decision in favor of Catholic Social Services, but some say it indicates a shift at the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court ruled recently that states can prosecute crimes allegedly committed by non-Natives on tribal land.
Zach Gibson/Getty Images

U.S. housing market short 6.8 million homes, report says

Jun 16, 2021
Construction of homes, especially those that are affordably priced, has fallen in recent years, according to National Assn. of Realtors.
Slowed construction of affordable housing over the past two decades has contributed to a nationwide shortage of dwellings.
Drew Angerer via Getty Images

A heat wave in the West is putting stress on power grids

Jun 16, 2021
There are technology and consumer behavior changes that could make a difference as extreme heat becomes more common.
In Texas and California, people are being asked to lower their power use.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Americans are driving older cars, a trend the pandemic accelerated

Jun 15, 2021
The average car on the road right now in the U.S. is 12 years old.
That's because the quality of vehicles has only improved over time, and because people didn't drive as much during the pandemic.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Although other numbers are falling, the number of people receiving extended unemployment remains high

Jun 10, 2021
Many of them will face the hardest path back into the labor force.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Work rules for SNAP benefits don't lead to more people working, study finds

Jun 9, 2021
But they do reduce the number of people receiving food assistance.
Scott Heins/Getty Images