Week of October 5th, 2026

A law meant to reduce unexpected medical bills has shifted the burden from patients to employers. Plus: solo sailing, and a tale of two farm economies.

Cole Brauer was the first woman from the U.S. to sail solo in a race around the world. Now, with a new memoir out, she’s already looking to the future.

Households are increasingly invested in the stock market, and massive AI investment is boosting GDP.

Analysts at the major banks set these expectations, with guidance from the companies themselves, experts told Marketplace.

Even agriculture has gone K-shaped.

The 2020 No Surprises Act shielded patients from big emergency care bills and set up arbitration to resolve payment disputes. But now the costs are landing on employers.

In this morning's podcast, we head to a remote Alaskan beach to hear what DOGE cuts mean for pollution cleanup efforts.

The federal agency in 2025 eliminated funding that could have also created a pipeline for Alaska's ever-growing marine debris problem.

The option to stay and work in the U.S. after graduation is a big draw for a lot of international students.

Rusty crayfish have invaded more than 300 northern Minnesota lakes. Can Midwestern appetites help manage a destructive invasive species?

The Trump administration announced yesterday that it will no longer allow Microsoft, Adobe, and a handful of other companies to sponsor foreign workers for green cards, at least for now.

Plus, the Senate fails to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act, and new poll shows voters' distrust of D.C.'s handling of AI risks.

Over the past two decades, the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet has grown to $6.7 trillion in response to two major financial crises.

Vijay and Kirti Desai retired together at the age of 55. One year into their retirement, they are busier than ever exploring their family history.

Workers are afraid to leave their jobs are employers are afraid to make new ones. Plus: AI doomers, home heating, and the Fed balance sheet.

Economists say workers are too nervous to quit for better jobs, so employers have no openings to fill, and job seekers have nowhere to go.

If you use gas and live near where it’s produced, your heating costs may go down. Heating your home with oil? Good luck.

People who see increased wealth through the stock market are putting less of their income aside. Others are dealing with higher prices and simply aren’t able to save as much.

Folks from AI startups, Big Tech, research nonprofits and activist groups gathered to hash out ideas for preventing the collapse of civilization over chips and cookies.

An analysis by writer and economist Joey Politano found that the U.S. has lost more than 200,000 jobs in creative industries over the last four years.

Jessica Meszaros, a reporter at WUSF in Tampa, Florida, discusses some of her team’s recent reporting on the rising cost of power in the Sunshine State.

And the mere fact that they’re expecting inflation could be enough to cause higher prices.

Energy bills in Florida have jumped by as much as 70% over the past 10 years, according to WUSF reporter Jessica Meszaros. Why is that?

Kalie Robins posted a video singing with her daughter. Then, a Meta AI prompt surfaced her location. The experience led her to rethink what and how she posts online.

“Who? Weekly” hosts Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger on the changing relationship between celebrities and consumers.

“A yield curve is really how the market is expecting Federal Reserve policy rates to evolve over time,” said Meghan Swiber at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Tech success is obscuring strife in other parts of the stock market. Plus: Auto loan delinquencies, yield curves, and the AI supply chain

The AI supply chain is full of mixed incentives, according to researcher David G. Widder. He’s not optimistic that the companies in charge of it will police themselves.

The S&P 500 hit a record high Tuesday. Take out the AI and tech firms, though, and things look less sunny.

An increasing number of auto loans are several months past due. That’s a sign that people who are already struggling with the higher cost of living are falling further behind.

Third-quarter earnings kick off next week with major financial institutions leading the way, followed by consumer staples companies like Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble and Kraft Heinz.

Recent analysis from the Bank of America Institute found that consumers are spending more on their hobbies like arts and crafts and outdoor recreation.

Like so much else in the economy, the cost of hobbies is on the rise.

Barbie maker Mattel is facing shareholder pressure to consider a sale.

An initiative on the California ballot would levy the nation’s first wealth tax on billionaires. Supporters say the proceeds would help offset President Donald Trump’s sweeping healthcare cuts. But critics argue that the temporary infusion of cash is a giveaway to politicians.

Backers of California’s billionaire tax say it could raise $100 billion over five years.

AI-focused political action committees are spending big. Brendan Glavin, Director of Insights at OpenSecrets, details how these groups are looking to influence AI policy.

Inventory levels are high and imports are up. Is it a sign of economic strength? Plus: chips, the euro, and a soccer cafe-bar.

Weeks before the 2026 World Cup, Neighborhood Sports Club opened its doors. “It was just chaos in the best way,” said co-founder Jordan Jesolva.

EJ Ume, a professor of economics at Miami University, explains the disparate impacts of monetary policy on Black workers.

When Sarah Walas left her job, she and her husband made sure of one thing: They still had health insurance covered.

Even imported chips can generate income here in the U.S. because many chips are designed here.

France borrowed heavily at short-term rates during the era of near-zero interest rates, and now faces refinancing that debt at much higher costs.

One big driver of those increases: data center construction.

How much are Ukrainian attacks having an effect on Russian refineries and global diesel prices?

That low view comes at a time when many colleges face an enrollment cliff.

As new work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks phase in, even eligible young adults could be at risk of losing their health insurance.

Americans’ view on the worth of higher education is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, according to a recent poll.

AI’s rapid expansion could leave some communities in the dark about new potential sources of pollution.

Calls to slow the pace of advanced AI development have raised questions on Wall Street about what that could mean for AI spending.

It's a grade on how well you pay back money you've borrowed.

Maria Edgeworth helped introduce the ideas of Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” to the public.

The trade deficit and deficit spending are all tangled up. Plus: an invisible hand, aggressive baby advertising, and electric trucks.

New parents are inundated with e-commerce ads and encouraged to spend more on baby products. It’s not a coincidence.

Can you say unintended consequences?

Incentives from states and improvements in range also play a role in the recent EV truck boom.

High government debt plus borrowing to fund data center buildouts are two main factors driving the dollar’s current strength.

Bond auctions can show the kind of yields investors are demanding and what they expect to happen in the future.

In this episode: autonomous cars, the bond and oil markets, and a trip to a makerspace.

MakerSpace NYC is one of at least 2,000 community workshops across the country.

People are more familiar with self-driving cars than they were a decade ago, but most still want the option of taking the wheel.

This morning, "Marketplace Morning Report" host Kimberly Adams takes listeners to MakerSpace NYC, to hear how a space for hands-on work is launching some small businesses.

Many of them hold effective altruism — the philosophy of making a positive impact with available resources — as their North Star, says Spencer Kaplan who studies AI worker culture as a Ph.D. candidate at Yale.