Week of March 16th, 2026

Remember how people were switching careers left and right early in the pandemic? Here’s one update, years later.

Ellen Cushing at The Atlantic explains the product drop model and why every brand seems to be doing it — from Trader Joe’s to Crocs.

Why brands like Trader Joe’s and Crocs are offering limited product collections. Plus: office gossip, dance lessons, and how many people dropped health insurance last year.

From K-pop to K-everything.

In a report from the health policy nonprofit KFF, more than half of respondents also said they are cutting back on household expenses in order to afford their higher insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act.

Customer success managers and instructional designers can pay between $78,000 and $122,000.

Dishing with colleagues can have some surprising benefits. But in an age of remote and hybrid work, there are fewer spaces for it.

If you're traveling in the next week or so, get to the airport early. Airport security lines are growing.

Congress and the postal service are discussing if reducing delivery days, increasing stamp prices, closing rural offices, or other structural changes would close the gap.

New research shows how wide salary ranges could undermine pay transparency laws.

Farmers across the U.S. are entering planting season with uncertainty as the war in the Middle East drives up fertilizer and diesel prices.

The Postal Service says it's facing a "severe financial crisis." This morning, we’ll check in.

Anita Ramaswamy, financial analysis columnist at The Information, joins Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes on this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

As war in Iran continues to unfold, energy prices are surging globally. But another lasting impact of the war will be how it impacts the speed of climate change.

Julie Perkins is a pharmacist and the owner of Batson’s Drug Store in Howard, Kansas. It’s the only pharmacy for miles.

In areas where fewer homes are bought using mortgages, getting on the property ladder is even more difficult.

The town of Newport, Oregon comes together against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Plus: unemployment claims, pharmacy deserts, slow home sales, and the climate cost of war.

Unemployment insurance claims dropped more than expected last week. The number of people filing for jobless benefits for the first time fell to 205,000, the lowest level since January.

Garrett Epps, the legal affairs editor at the Washington Monthly, talks about a small Oregon town’s fight against ICE.

Sales were down 17% from December. Blame lousy weather and rising mortgage rates.

We’ll unpack the fight between Big Tech and the Trump administration over artificial intelligence.

Strikes and counterstrikes in the Middle East are hitting the price of oil, government bonds, and more. We dig in.

A new study from the University of Iowa found that China’s entry into the World Trade Organization has had long-lasting effects on local U.S. banks.

The 100-year-old mandate was intended to protect the U.S. shipping industry. Analysts differ in how much they think waiving it will impact the cost of oil.

President Trump is delaying a U.S.-China summit, citing the war. But there’s more at play.

The price of oil has surged to $115 a barrel, and gas in the U.S. is now averaging $3.88 a gallon. Could waiving the Jones Act help?

Stacie Pettyjohn at the Center for a New American Security says Iran's Shahed-136 drones are mainly composed of off-the-shelf consumer tech, which makes them affordable to make at scale.

We’re answering your questions about how cash complicates your friendships.

Even a “fair” credit score can send home insurance rates skyrocketing for homeowners, reports Claire Brown at The New York Times.

“I've never seen emergency child care where somebody just shows up at your front door and helps you with no questions asked,” said Silke Knebel, founder of the National Childcare Emergency Network.

The central bank kept rates as-is at this week’s meeting. Plus: Vegetables, seafood, emergency child care, and personal credit history.

The Fed is charged with promoting a strong economy by maintaining stable prices and maximum employment, but the latter could be a challenge with a job market that’s slowing.

About 80% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, much of it from China and India — two countries hit with major tariffs in the past year.

The latest data on producer prices from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed an almost 49% rise in the price of vegetables last month.

The yarn industry isn’t quick to meet a spike in demand.

This morning, we'll hear the story of a jeweler trying to create a more ethical business model for jewelry with gold and precious stones.

The proposal would allow companies to report earnings only twice a year, instead of quarterly.

Lori Evers, a retired CPA and volunteer with the AARP Foundation's Tax Aide program, breaks down the latest tax changes, plus how to protect yourself from identity theft.

Why not report earnings twice a year? It’s a requirement change the Securities and Exchange Commission is mulling.

Tomasz Hollanek, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, says AI bots that are coded to mimic a deceased person could help preserve historical figures. But, if developed unethically, a late person's data could be manipulated to benefit a business model.

Christopher Mims, a technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal, talks about the rise in GPS dead zones and what alternatives there are to GPS.

The consumer psychology of high gas prices. Plus: Patient advocates, GPS deadzones, and tax deductions.

Beth Scott at the Patient Advocate Foundation said their services are more in-demand than ever, but resources are increasingly scarce.

And, could we finally get a new farm bill this year?

Diesel prices are averaging above $5, while new policies block certain foreign-born drivers from getting commercial licenses.

The war in Iran and the partial government shutdown in the U.S. are creating multiple stressors for airlines, which also means stress for travelers.

Lower-income taxpayers will be able to deduct contributions for the first time, but there are new limits on higher-income taxpayers’ deductions.

Americans have a unique reliance on — and love — for cars.

On today’s show: how CFPB cuts impact consumer protections and where oil prices go from here.

Both Dollar Tree and Dollar General saw their same-store sales rise last year, but the outlook for 2026 is more subdued.

Two of the three major credit bureaus are dismissing a larger share of consumer complaints. At the same time, the CFPB has been effectively gutted by the Trump administration.

Many filers have seen bigger refunds this year, especially those who are middle- or upper-middle income.

Refunds are up over 10% on average so far this year, and more people are receiving tax refunds.

Josh Bersin, an HR analyst and consultant, says AI-powered tools that record meetings and analyze emails can help with efficiency. But he says they can back fire if used to evaluate employees.

Reema is interviewed by Gretchen Rubin, along with Haley Sacks (a.k.a. Mrs. Dow Jones).

“There's a very, very strong idea that dentists are very, very wealthy,” said Dr. Katherine Sislow. “You know, ‘My crown is just paying for your next boat payment,’ right? And I'm like, ‘You haven't even touched the cost of my rent for this month.’”

The U.S. economy can weather higher oil prices, but only to a point. Plus: AI scam prevention, dentistry, and “plant-based” products.

Crude oil, fertilizer, and diesel prices are up. These increases due to the war in the Middle East are putting pressure on farmers, while the oil industry is poised to benefit.

At some point, the rising price of energy could start forcing people and businesses to make hard choices.

With the help of AI tools, global fraud scams resulted in the loss of $62 billion in 2025.

Between elevated inflation and a shaky job market, the Federal Reserve had already been setting the stage for an interest rate hold.

You can find plant-based diapers, cosmetics, phone cases and more these days. But what does that label actually mean?

Is Europe's reliance on U.S. tech a vulnerability? Also: BNPL use among new homeowners and a preview of this week’s Fed meeting.

New homeowners are using the “buy now, pay later” credit tool during and after the process of buying a home, according to research from the JPMorganChase Institute.

At the University of Chicago’s Existential Risk Laboratory, researchers study how emerging technologies like AI could amplify global threats such as nuclear war.

TSA agents are missing their first full month of paychecks as the partial government shutdown drags on.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business has been running their own “Consumer Cryptocurrency Confidence Index” for the last three years. Wharton marketing professor David Reibstein, one of the creators of the index, says he hopes to use the index to accurately predict crypto prices.