Week of February 2nd, 2026

The Trump administration has disappeared statistics on the economy, public health, and more from public access.

When Joe González co-founded Jo-Mé Dance Theatre in Boston in 2011, he and his business partner “did it basically from a shoestring and a dime.”

Thank the worsening labor market. Plus: consumer staples, government data, and a recap of the week’s economic headlines.

It seems obvious that products will get more expensive over time. But that wasn’t always the case before the mid-20th century.

Consumers are feeling worse about the economy than they were at this time last year.

With all the uncertainty around how tech companies will actually make money on AI, investors are turning to companies that make stuff we can't go without.

Plus more of your work-related questions.

While some buyers are benefiting from discounts, mortgage rates are still double what they were in 2021 and home prices are still high in parts of the country. 

La Bodega Taco Bar is a Mexican restaurant in Minneapolis. The owner, Alex Rosario-Torres, said sales are down by around 50% because of the ICE crackdown in the city.

The Trump administration has launched the new TrumpRx website, where people can shop for prescription drugs at discounted rates.

Additional costs from tariffs and shifting consumer demand are hitting businesses and impacting their willingness to hire.

The new plug-ins automate functions in sales, legal, and financial analytics — and directly compete with enterprise software from firms like Salesforce and Intuit.

Software companies are in trouble — or at least their stocks are. Agentic AI is to blame.

From the BBC World Service: Sanae Takaichi called a snap election just months into her first term.

Paresh Dave, senior writer at Wired, joins Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes on “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

And Black Americans are experiencing a particularly high unemployment rate. Plus: Energy capacity, bank lending, and free pay phones.

Payphones are borderline extinct in the U.S., but the need for public phone access still exists.

Black unemployment is at 7.5%, 1.4% higher than one year ago. For Black women, the jobless rate is 1.9% higher. White unemployment, by contrast, has barely budged, up 0.2% since December 2024.

There are now more unemployed people than job openings, which is landing particularly hard on young jobseekers.

The U.S. and China are furiously building electrical capacity. It's not even close.

They’re more reluctant to make loans to companies whose industries are likely to be disrupted by AI.

An inside look at what polling and political communications research is revealing ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared at a tense hearing before a House committee.

Over the last several decades, labor’s share of overall income has been declining. That could have consequences for consumer spending going forward.

With the concepts unable to carve out a clear identity, Amazon is refocusing on Whole Foods and its grocery delivery business.

The layoff of hundreds of reporters at The Washington Post highlights the challenges in funding high-quality journalism.

The Washington Post laid off a third of its staff yesterday. Why have legacy newspapers struggled to find a sustainable business model?

From the BBC World Service: Today, we delve into the business model of “little treat culture.”

Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, says those will be the central questions as Meta Platforms Inc. and YouTube parent Alphabet go on trial this week.

We asked a divorce lawyer and a couples counselor to share their perspectives.

Big Tech is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to build out the energy-hungry infrastructure of AI, and many are turning to “behind-the-meter” solutions to get things up and running as quickly as possible.

Gilberto Cetina has been nominated for three James Beard awards, and his restaurant Holbox has a Michelin star, among other culinary recognitions.

Food is a common target. Plus: jobs data, new natural gas plants, and an award-winning chef.

Incidents have increased more than 90% between 2021 and 2024.

We can get glimpses through private data sources.

For older people, financial strain may be a warning sign of dementia — before doctors or families start noticing symptoms.

The Small Business Administration will no longer allow green card holders to apply for SBA loans.

From finance to consulting, automation is reshaping entry-level roles. Wendy Carlin explains how students and schools might adapt.

The changes to the food assistance program could impact benefits for millions of recipients.

Is a degree in economics even worth it in the age of AI? Plus, more SNAP recipients could lose their benefits.

From the BBC World Service: Shares in the Danish pharmaceutical giant tumbled 17% Wednesday after warnings of a decline in drug sales.

Nicole Nguyen, personal tech columnist at The Wall Street Journal, tested out three of the latest AI coaches and chronicled how it went.

Canary founder Rachel Schneider discusses how her nonprofit helps companies distribute $1,000 lump sum grants to employees experiencing financial crises.

Drew Millard wrote in Bloomberg about how the live music industry plans to recruit and train its next generation of roadies.

Advertisers have one goal this Super Bowl: avoid politics. Plus: CEOs, roadies, PepsiCo, and financial emergency funds.

Why the Lone Star State is home to roughly a quarter of new retail construction in the U.S.

PepsiCo, which also owns Frito-Lay, beat earnings expectations for the latest quarter. In addition to cutting prices, the brand is also trying to capture more health-conscious consumers.

Companies face plenty of pitfalls when selecting a new leader.

Expects ads heavy on celebrities and light on social commentary.

We’ll unpack the downpour of recent Fed news.

In spite of efforts to protect buyers from the perils of the resale market, the confusion of the process, coupled with sheer demand, has ultimately prevented devoted fans from getting tickets.

That stands for "What would Kevin do?" of course — Kevin Warsh, that is, President Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve chair.

Amazon, Dow, UPS, Pinterest, and T-Mobile are among the many companies to announce layoffs in the last couple of weeks.

It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s actually on the horizon. Here’s a rundown on the science and economics of getting all that technology into orbit.

Recent layoff announcements suggest a labor market under increasing stress.

From the BBC World Service: President Donald Trump announced tariff cuts on goods imported from India. We’ll interrogate the deal.

Christopher Mims, author of the new book “How to AI: Cut Through the Hype. Master the Basics. Transform Your Work,” says there's a disconnect between employers and employees when implementing artificial intelligence in the workplace.

Do recent layoffs signal AI is actually replacing human workers? Or, do those companies just think it sounds good to investors?

Presidents have tried to make their mark on the economy through the selection of Federal Reserve chairs before, but this time is different.

Why wage growth hasn’t kept up with productivity. Plus: Fed chair selection, AI layoffs, and rising global debt.

The world's largest economies have become more reliant on their national debt — and that might threaten global growth. 

Productivity growth allows companies to pull in more profits, which can allow them to raise wages. But recently, wage growth has slowed — even as productivity has stayed strong.

A lot of crucial employment reports were expected to come out this week, but the partial shutdown has delayed that.

The precious metals market has been on a tear, but experienced a severe correction last week. We’ll discuss.

In January, five states enacted laws restricting people who receive food aid from buying sugary beverages and snacks. About a dozen more will follow suit later this year.

New restrictions on food benefits can be confusing for store owners and customers who rely on them.

From the BBC World Service: After a historic rally, gold has seen its biggest drop in more than a decade.

Christopher Mims details ways to leverage artificial intelligence for individual and organizational gain in his new book, “How to AI: Cut Through the Hype. Master the Basics. Transform Your Work.”