Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories
 

Sean McHenry

Associate Producer

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 from Sean McHenry

  • Consumer spending outpaced income — again
    andreswd/Getty Images

    Americans are spending more money than they’re making due to tariff-induced cost pressures. Plus: ICE raids on businesses, Olympic surfing, and an LA artist.

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  • A quick GDP refresher
    Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

    Consumer spending is a major factor in the equation. Plus: Beef prices, cardboard, and scam texts.

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  • What's with the streaming price hikes?
    Chesnot/Getty Images

    Platforms have shifted focus from subscriber volume to profit. Plus: Manufacturing equipment, fly fishing, a soybean farmer and a TV producer.

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  • Warren Littlefield (left) speaks with "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal in the office of his production company in Culver City, CA.
    Sean McHenry/Marketplace

    Warren Littlefield, the producer behind “Fargo” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” weighs in on the business of making television, Jimmy Kimmel’s return to air, and more.

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  • Sep 23, 2025

    Rate cut? So what?

    Rate cut? So what?
    Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

    Dramatic interest rate cuts could lead to falling bond yields and an increase in spending, in the short term. Plus: In-store ads, a traveling nurse, and AI tools for tariff calculations.

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  • Who's got the pricing power?
    Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    Stubborn inflation and strong consumer spending means retailers can raise their prices. Plus: H-1B visas, the TikTok algorithm, teen factory training, and the farm bill.

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  • Google raises the stakes of the AI race
    Vincent Feuray/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

    Transforming Chrome into an agentic browser will give Google’s AI unprecedented access to users’ data. Plus: Feeding Alaska and a Jo-Ann Fabrics replacement.

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  • The Port of Alaska in Anchorage is the biggest port complex in the state and a key part of its food supply chain.
    Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

    While most Alaskans live near roadways, 82% of Alaskan communities are found off the road network. And that means shipping food involves planes, ports, weather stations, and all sorts of public infrastructure.

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  • The job market's bizarre balancing act
    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    August saw roughly equal numbers of Americans getting hired and losing their jobs. Plus, risks to mobile homes, a plus-size mall, and two farmers’ trade war concerns.

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  • Sep 17, 2025

    Hey, big spender!

    Hey, big spender!
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The highest earners in this economy account for nearly half of consumer spending. Plus, mortgage refinancing, Etsy tariffs, a nontraditional student, and a Fed rate cut.

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