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Sabri Ben-Achour

Correspondent & Host

SHORT BIO

My job is to do what I can to help all of us understand the economic forces that shape our lives and our world.

What was your first job?

I was a waiter!

What do you think is the hardest part of your job that no one knows?

It can be hard to break down complex topics quickly and fairly.

In your next life, what would your career be?

A chemist or a geneticist, I think.

What’s your most memorable Marketplace moment?

Playing with giant horseshoe crabs under the moonlight as they swam ashore to spawn. (It was for a story on how their blood is used in the medical industry).

What’s the favorite item in your workspace and why?

My plants. I water them when I'm stressed. They get a lot of water.

Latest Stories (592)

What it takes to work in America

Pathways for highly educated immigrants or seasonal workers can be scarce, and for other jobs they're practically nonexistent.
"We are stuck with an inflexible system where we rely on Congress to change the caps and categories for immigration," said Julia Gelatt of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute.
Alex Kent/AFP via Getty Images

What immigration actually does to jobs, wages and more

Republican lawmakers want immigration changes in exchange for Ukraine aid. What does economic research say about current policy?
The economic research tells us that immigration does not cause serious wage losses, for example.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images

AI already has a big role in Hollywood

Dec 7, 2023
It's been used for some time in applications designed to support, not replace, the work of human actors, writers and directors.
Using artificial intelligence to cut the cost of visual effects will help filmmakers' budgets, said Nikola Todorovic of Wonder Dynamics.
Getty Images

Does the SAG-AFTRA deal go far enough on AI use?

Dec 7, 2023
The newly ratified SAG contract won some AI protections for actors, but some still have concerns.
Above, actress Frances Fisher joins picketing actors in July. Use of artificial intelligence was a major point of contention in the latest SAG contract.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images
One reason hiring has slowed is consumer pushback to restaurants setting higher prices in the wake of ongoing inflation.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

The finances behind preventing HIV and AIDS

The prices for HIV-prevention medication PrEP can range from 50 cents a day to north of $18,000 annually.
Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate is a daily pill that can prevent HIV infections.
Dylan Miettinen/Marketplace

Chemicals are a big business in the U.S., but here's why the sector is getting squeezed

Nov 28, 2023
Lower demand for many products made from chemicals plus too much inventory results in rough times for chemical manufacturers.
Demand for products made with chemicals, from PPE to home improvement materials, was way up during the pandemic. Now that demand is falling, chemical manufacturers are adjusting inventory levels.
Getty Images

There's a battery underneath your feet, and utilities want to use it

Nov 27, 2023
As the U.S. decarbonizes, it will need a lot more electricity. Geothermal energy networks may be a cost-effective part of the solution.
Underground geothermal pipes provide energy to ground source heat pumps, pictured above, which heat and cool buildings.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Why Andy Warhol’s "Bomb" sculpture bombed at auction

A closer look at the economics and psychology behind high art prices.
"[Andy Warhol's 'Bomb']  is not a pretty object, which is why I think it should have sold for tens of millions of dollars," said art critic and author Blake Gopnik.
Courtesy Bonhams

Argentina's president-elect wants to replace its peso with the dollar. Why?

Nov 20, 2023
In theory, "dollarization" solves some of Argentina's economic problems. But it could create others.
Javier Milei, Argentina's conservative incoming leader, has said he will push to slash government spending and adopt the U.S. currency to get inflation under control.
Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images