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Sean McHenry

Associate Producer

SHORT BIO

Sean is based in Los Angeles, California.

He works on the flagship broadcast show “Marketplace,” where he produces host interviews, first-person stories via the “My Economy” series, and directs (he’s one of the people who picks the music you hear on the show).

Sean graduated from the University of Michigan and got his formal entry to radio as an intern on Michigan Radio’s daily newsmagazine “Stateside.” Before that, his notable jobs include writing teacher, barista, and he was briefly a janitor. He enjoys being a big nerd over coffee and TV, especially sci-fi and reality TV.

Latest Stories (429)

"We've got to be more careful and prudent of how fast rates could come down,” says Chicago Fed chief

Feb 3, 2025
Austan Goolsbee says the central bank is keenly monitoring how changing economic policy is influencing inflation and employment.
"I am always concerned about anything that's going to raise prices or knock us off the employment track," said Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed.
Courtesy Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Is hardening a home against fire affordable? It depends.

Jan 16, 2025
The costs can vary widely and using the right building materials is essential, says wildfire policy analyst Kimiko Barrett.
A house with fiber cement siding, a building material that is less flammable than wood.
Public Domain

From satellites to AI, tech has a role to play in battling blazes

Jan 13, 2025
Kate Dargan Marquis of the Moore Foundation discusses spurring research and development to keep up with the growing impact of wildfires.
Firefighters work to contain the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County.
Ali Matin/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Cities can't be made fireproof, but they can be made fire-resilient

Jan 8, 2025
As the California blazes demonstrate, the concentration of homes in urban areas raises risks and costs.
"The more people you have concentrated in an area, the harder it is to make evacuations succeed quickly," said Roy Wright of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. Above, a home burns in the Pacific Palisades.
Eric Thayer/Getty Images

It's true love when an Orlando woman opens a romance bookstore

Jan 3, 2025
After struggling to get bank loans, Jane Rodriguez borrowed from family members in order to open The New Romantics.
Jane Rodriguez was listening to Taylor Swift's "The New Romantics" when she thought, "Wait a minute, this would be a really cool name for a romance-only bookstore."
Madison Leigh Photography

The drop in adult literacy is an economic issue too

The decline can lead to poor health outcomes and a loss of GDP, says Daphne Greenberg of Georgia State University.
"About 28% of adults in the United States are reading at what's considered Level 1 and below, which is really elementary skills," says Daphne Greenberg, a professor at Georgia State University.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Skip-the-line offers now a popular attraction in travel world

Dec 25, 2024
Would you pay hundreds of dollars to skip the lines for rides at theme parks like Disney World? More of the travel industry thinks the answer is yes.
Crowds at the Magic Kingdom Park at Disney World.
Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Will new tariffs affect monetary policy? For now, it's wait-and-see

Dec 9, 2024
Carola Binder, an economist at the University of Texas at Austin, explains why tariffs might cause prices to rise, but they doesn't necessarily mean the Fed will get involved right off the bat.
Imported cars parked at the Port of Los Angeles.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

This customs broker is prepping for another round of Trump tariffs

Dec 2, 2024
"We don't have any inside information," says customs broker Gretchen Blough. "So we're just kind of holding hands with our customers."
"We've been getting a lot of phone calls and emails asking if we have any kind of information as to what the tariffs will be on on commodities," says Gretchen Blough of Logistics Plus in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images

The bank that's got your mortgage lender's back

Nov 14, 2024
Alanna McCargo of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco discusses the bank's role in the region's housing affordability challenges.
"Affordability has been a long-time challenge," said Alanna McCargo, head of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images