Marketplace Stories

There’s plenty of natural gas available to heat and power homes through the cold spell that’s gripping much of the U.S. The problem is getting it where it’s needed, and hiccups in that process can mean price spikes. Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

The amount companies borrow from banks can be an important economic indicator. That’s money those companies might use to buy new equipment or purchase more stuff to sell, or to expand their business or be more productive. And yet, despite a strong economy, last year the rate of business-loan growth slowed. To be clear, it’s […]

Over the past few days, President Donald Trump has tweeted quite a bit about foreign aid. On New Year’s Day, he complained about the amount of foreign aid we send to Pakistan and criticized its government for not doing more to stop terrorism. Yesterday, he targeted aid to Palestinians, questioning whether payments should continue. What […]

2017 was a great year for musical producers on Broadway. Buoyed in part by the continued success of “Hamilton,” the Broadway box office claimed a record-breaking $1.6 billion last year. The previous record was $1.12 billion in 2014. Yet, for every action there’s an equal opposite reaction (pardon the “Hamilton” reference). And in this case, in […]

Protests in Iran have left more than 20 people dead since they started last week. These are the country’s largest demonstrations since 2009, when millions protested the results of a presidential election. This current wave of protests was sparked by something different, however: economic inequality. Marketplace host Lizzie O’Leary spoke with Bahman Kalbasi of the […]

It’s the highest first-of-the-year price for oil since 2014. But the companies producing crude are taking a more cautious view of things than the investors and lenders who back their efforts. From unrest in Iran to uncertainty about the new tax code, oil could face a profitable but turbulent year. Click the audio player above […]