Week of March 30th, 2026

The war in the Middle East hasn’t driven up U.S. natural gas prices. Plus: Wage growth, country stores, and a round up of the week’s economic headlines.

Artemis II, a SpaceX IPO, “Project Hail Mary,” and more.

The U.S. is the world's largest producer of both oil and natural gas, but only one of those commodities is hitting American consumers. The reason comes down to infrastructure.

The danger is that inflation will overtake wage growth, which would mean Americans overall would have less money for discretionary spending.

New Hampshire’s country stores were once community mainstays that might have been the only place for miles to buy basic necessities and chat with neighbors. Now they’re adapting to survive.

The ads are notoriously sensational, claiming to show celebrities who have undergone “shocking” transformations. It turns out they do work.

On today’s show: the March jobs report, SpaceX’s plans for an IPO, and the effects of prediction markets.

In Austin, one company is giving classic vehicles a high-tech second life — and inspiring a little business envy along the way.

An executive order threatened tariffs of up to 100% on medication. Plus: the March jobs report, and a vintage car converter who turns old cars into electric vehicles.

Paresh Dave, senior writer at WIRED, joins Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino for this week’s “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

With more than 50 trade policy changes over the past 12 months, keeping the score on tariffs was no easy task — even for economists.

Even if the war in the Middle East ends in April, it could be months until the global oil market is back to normal.

Rising costs for labor, ingredients and space is making it harder for one-off businesses to survive.

As federal spending on water infrastructure in the Colorado River basin dips under Trump, big companies like Procter & Gamble and Google are now making relatively small, targeted investments to fund that gap.

We’ll check in with two small business owners on opposite sides of the country to hear how they’re holding up.

Analysts say the global oil market faces months of disruption from damaged infrastructure, a slow reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and drawn-down reserves.

According to a new Dallas Fed survey, half of oil executives in Texas and the surrounding states say they’re not planning to build any more wells.

After President Donald Trump's address to the nation last night, the price of oil went up, and stocks went down.

Private credit funds are gating withdrawals, but their structure may make them less fragile than traditional banks.

An informal economic indicator from inside a pawn shop.

Before they were overturned by the Supreme Court, the Trump administration’s tariffs announced on April 2, 2025, cost U.S. consumers and small businesses a lot of money.

A year ago today, the president pulled out a chart in the now paved-over Rose Garden and set the global economy on fire.

As the U.S. Iran conflict continues into its fifth week, Iran has continued to block its population from the international internet. Amir Rashidi of human rights nonprofit the Miaan Group explains how the internet currently works in Iran.

Reema goes on a hunt to find her long-forgotten retirement accounts from early in her career.

We hear from a chocolate maker, a skate shop owner, and a steel tubing supplier about what tariffs have meant for them over the past 12 months.

Also in this episode: Direct to consumer darlings of the late-2010s struggle to keep up, and February saw a smidge of retail sales growth.

The sustainable shoe company was once valued at $4 billion. But now Allbirds is being sold to the brand management firm American Exchange Group for just $39 million.

Uncertain tariff policy has been “very paralyzing” to some companies over the last year, says UChicago economist Matt Notowidigdo.

Since Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff blitz, other countries have turned to each other to adapt.

Retail sales rose 0.6% last month. But the data predates the war in Iran, and experts say the real test for consumer spending is still coming.

This NCAA “March Madness” tournament has had fewer upsets, with larger budgets at the top. The NCAA’s new financial structure could be the reason.

This morning: what the U.S. economy stands to lose if Chinese EVs aren't let in.

Economist Noah Smith said demand for electric vehicles could accelerate battery production and other key technologies.

In the U.S., we’re paying more at the pump. Abroad, the war in the Middle East may have more dire and immediate effects — that’s especially true in South and Southeast Asia.

Airlines are already passing higher jet fuel costs on to consumers. Demand hasn’t taken much of a hit — so far.

On today’s show: American companies’ infrastructure in the Gulf region is being targeted, and parts of Asia are grappling with dire oil shortages.

In separate trial verdicts last week, juries found Meta and YouTube were liable for knowingly designing addictive products. Eric Goldman of Santa Clara University’s High Tech Law Institute discusses what the decisions could mean for future lawsuits against social media companies.

The global economy may shift to accomodate rising oil prices. Plus: Aluminum, blood plasma, Unilever, and furniture tariffs.

The number of plasma centers in the country more than doubled between 2014 and 2021, and they’re increasingly opening up in the suburbs.

In the month since the war in Iran began, the global price of coal has jumped more than 20%.

Businesses that rely on aluminum are deciding whether to absorb the costs or pass them on to their customers. To make that decision, many are drawing from their experiences with tariffs.

A wave of consolidation is reshaping the middle aisles of the grocery store, as conglomerates sell off food brands to focus on their core businesses. Experts say as fewer companies control more of the market, it gets easier for them to raise prices.

With federal tax credits gone and carmakers refocusing on gas-powered SUVs and trucks, the electric vehicle market was already struggling. The rising cost of fuel and a growing stock of used EVs change the math for consumers.

Marketplace’s Elizabeth Trovall joins Kimberly to share her insights from the annual CERAWeek conference.

One of the oldest trade schools in the country is teaching students how to land lifelong jobs working with their hands.

The U.S. is finally allowing Russian oil to be delivered to Cuba after months of what has basically been an energy blockade.

The rising cost of energy is likely to offset gains from 2025 tax cuts.

One-third of new car buyers who are trading in their old vehicle owe more than that vehicle is worth, according to JD Power.

The U.S. is allowing Russian crude oil to be delivered to Cuba after months of what has essentially been a blockade.

The average price of gasoline is now above $4 a gallon for the first time in three years.

A new Boston Consulting Group study suggests overuse of AI agents may be causing cognitive “brain fry.” BCG managing director and senior partner Matt Kropp explains how to avoid it.

The Treasury bond market is unstable at the moment, telling a story of investors on the edge.

A barrel of crude oil now costs over $100. Plus: Free market utilities, bond market balance, and small bank crunch.

While overall job numbers have stayed pretty flat in the past year, private payroll processor ADP reported a substantial uptick in job creation by small businesses in February.

The competition to pay depositors higher rates has been hot for several years, leaving many smaller lenders feeling pressured to raise deposits.

Oil prices go up faster than they come down, especially since the war has damaged oil infrastructure in the Middle East.

About a dozen states have “restructured” or “deregulated” utility systems, but results have been mixed, say consumer advocates.

Some sectors are more exposed than others as the war drives up energy costs and squeezes consumer spending.

Adults seem concerned about it. The government is, too. This week, Ryan and Bridget travel back in time to figure out what’s going on.

Plus, do wealthy people really flee high-tax states?

On today’s show: a dip in domestic migration and continued threats to the global oil supply.

Political scientist Sonja Amadae explains the growing complexity of existential threats and why human decision-making still matters.

MRI machines and AI chipmakers need the liquid form of the element.

The international benchmark Brent crude is now $115 a barrel; on Friday, it was $105.

Major League teams can now use an automated ball-strike system to challenge umpires’ calls. Nola Agha, professor of sports management at the University of San Francisco, explains what value the system brings to the MLB.