Week of March 31st, 2025

Let’s have one and discuss!

The poorest Americans will be hit hardest by tariffs. The labor market, which has remained strong so far, will likely suffer as well.

March’s jobs report was decent. But sweeping changes to U.S. trade policy taking effect in early April may show up in next month’s numbers.

They simply have to spend a bigger slice of their income on necessities.

In New Mexico, a family of four making up to $124,000 a year can now send their kids to day care for free. That’s twice the state’s median income.

West Odessa is an unincorporated community in the heart of West Texas’ oil patch that has outgrown its water system, leaving many to buy and haul in their water.

Because it probably won’t look pretty. The stock market plummeted again this morning on news that China is putting hefty new tariffs on American goods.

Ever wondered what happens to old rental cars? Odds are, they get snapped up by dealers looking for bargains at car auctions.

When investors concentrate capital in AI-related companies, what does that mean for startups in other sectors?

Even though many commodities, like oil, were exempt from tariffs, the broader economic effects are likely to take a toll if they continue.

Most of the shoes and clothes purchased in the U.S. come from countries hit hard by tariffs.

The UAW supports tariffs used to bring more auto manufacturing back to the U.S., but the union doesn’t love everything the president’s doing..

From the BBC World Service: Asian and European markets have fallen further as global markets continue to process the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Maria Curi of Axios joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino for “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

Money makes the world go ’round. So how can you harness that power to work for your values?

The Trump administration is challenging a longstanding firewall around taxpayer data so addresses can be shared and used in deportations.

Plus, economists share how they’re preparing.

President Trump’s tariff announcement clarifies a lot. What’s next? Plus, use economic theory to make life decisions.

Prices are expected to rise across the board — from construction materials to consumer electronics and clothing.

A range of services — including software companies, hotels and restaurants — may also suffer as discretionary spending dries up.

In “Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work,” economist Daryl Fairweather has some ideas about how to get ahead.

Owners have to figure out how these duties will impact input costs and assess whether they need to do anything differently.

Following President Donald Trump’s tariffs, KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk offers a bleak prognosis for the economy.

A new report by the Dallas Fed offers some insight: employment growth has been unusually strong in areas like health care, which is less cyclical and therefore less sensitive to changes in monetary policy.

34%. 32%. 24%. 20%. Those are the additional tariff rates on — in order — China, Taiwan, Japan and Europe imposed by President Trump.

From the BBC World Service: Today, it’s a world tour of global responses to new tariffs imposed under the second Trump administration.

The Born This Way Foundation and the nonprofit Hopelab jointly published a report showing that a majority of queer 15-24-year-olds prefer expressing their true selves and interacting with others in online spaces.

Since January, contracts with the company have been paused, un-paused, canceled, and restarted, and the government now owes Mana $20 million.

Declarations of tariffs’ economic benefits during his first term might be overblown.

Companies will need workers with the right skills — and will need to invest in training them.

The study argues implicit bias from court officials is part of the problem in Chapter 13 cases. The head of a trustees group doesn’t agree.

Mergers and acquisitions have the slowest quarter in a decade. Plus, Trump wants an American manufacturing renaissance. Are American manufacturers ready?

Twenty federal employees at LIHEAP have been laid off. Officials fear it may impact the overall energy assistance program.

The new console is set to be released in June. It will have new video chat and game sharing features, but it will not come cheap.

Career opportunities are scarce for young adults, which can have long-term impact on their financial well-being, says Bloomberg’s Conor Sen.

The first quarter of 2025 was the slowest first quarter for M&A deals in more than a decade, according to Dealogic. That’s largely thanks to uncertainty about the economy and the regulatory environment.

Buyers snapped up vehicles last month trying to get ahead of tariffs President Donald Trump is set to announce later today.

London’s Borough Market, a stone’s throw from the Thames, attracts roughly 20 million visitors a year.

A federal bankruptcy judge has rejected Johnson & Johnson’s latest attempt to settle lawsuits that allege its talc baby powder caused cancer.

More than 60% of all purchases last year were made with a credit or debit card, according to the Federal Reserve. That’s up from 45% in 2016.

Many U.S. allies are promising to retaliate against tariffs that President Donald Trump is expected to unveil this afternoon.

From the BBC World Service: The Nordic country has seen a boom in its defense tech industry since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Gerrit De Vynck of The Washington Post reports that tech workers with H-1Bs are being advised to not leave the country in case they can’t reenter. The industry fears that major constraints on skilled immigration would hold back innovation, he says.

Can we invest our way out of the climate crisis?

And, where the government really can learn from the private sector.

Will falling retirement account balances put the brakes on consumer spending? Plus, a customs broker gives us tariff calculation insights.

Bryan Tetorakis opened a listening bar in Cleveland last year. As costs fluctuate, he’s substituting menu ingredients to manage prices and profit.

Firms with fewer than 10 people let workers go at the highest rate in February. Those businesses are more exposed to quick economic changes.

Ahead of the planned 25% auto and retaliatory tariffs for April 2, Gretchen Blough, a customs broker manager, talks about the impact of trade and tariffs on importers.

With stocks down lately, some folks are spending less. But more consumers may feel bolstered by healthy home values and a stable job market.

If countries targeted by Trump administration tariffs respond with tariffs of their own, then demand could fall for American corn, soybeans and other agricultural exports.

SUVs and crossovers are just more profitable for carmakers. What’s the budget-conscious consumer to do now?

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Rocket continues a buying binge by striking a $9.5 billion deal to purchase home loan servicer Mr. Cooper.

One issue: Managing the cost of repaying COVID-era loans that they took out to survive in 2020 and 2021.

Some tricks from London flower salespeople: get up early, stay nimble and get ready for paperwork.

The costs of COVID-era loans are still weighing on many restaurants — especially smaller establishments.

From the BBC World Service: Vietnam has cut import duties on a range of goods, including cars and some agricultural products.

Since its file-sharing operation was shut down in 2001, Napster has been bought and reimagined several times. Harry McCracken, global technology editor at Fast Company, says the disruptor brand still has appeal but the “learned nostalgia” that surrounds it may be overvalued.

Plus, the rise of “buy Canadian.”

The average household income needed to afford a typical U.S. home rose by half since January 2020. Plus, restaurant hiring and banana import whiplash.

Sales and hiring have dropped in the restaurant industry amid harsh weather conditions and economic uncertainty.

Tariffs and other issues with the U.S. are prompting moves toward decoupling. But the Continent lags in growth and innovation.

Foreign investors wary about the trade war’s impact have been selling U.S. stocks — and by extension, dollars — to invest in other markets.

The average age of a homebuyer is also going up.

“It feels like it’s been psychological torture,” said Daniella Velazquez de León, general manager of Organics Unlimited.

Falling birth rates, urban migration and school choice are keeping public school rosters down in North Carolina, especially in small towns.

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We’ve that President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are coming for a while, so why the sharp market reaction now?

Investors are anxious over President Donald Trump’s anticipated tariffs, slated to hit at a time when consumers are more cautious about spending.

From the BBC World Service: Stock markets in Asia took a hit in anticipation of fresh U.S. tariffs slated for Wednesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is investing in the development of advanced technology, a pivotal arena of competition with the United States. The nation has made notable gains, most famously the DeepSeek chatbot.