Feb 25, 2025

A housing reality check

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Home prices keep going up, and Home Depot's earnings report reflects hesitation to make big purchases. Plus, consumer sentiment falls.

Segments From this episode

Consumer confidence drops amid inflation expectations

by Sabri Ben-Achour

Feb 25, 2025

Inflation expectations vary by political affiliation, especially with tariffs in the mix. But fears of inflation can be self-fulfilling.

Could all that tariff-inflation talk lead to actual economic consequences — even though tariffs have yet to nudge prices up?

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

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Home prices continued to rise in December

by Samantha Fields

Feb 25, 2025

Prices are now rising fastest in the Northeast, and slowing in some Sunbelt markets that saw big spikes early in the pandemic.

Home prices rose in December, according to the Case-Shiller Index.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Home Depot sales beat expectations. What does that tell us about the housing market?

by Meghan McCarty Carino

Feb 25, 2025

It's the first time the home improvement retailer posted gains in two years. This is partly because homeowners are renovating instead of shopping for a new home.

Home Depot, which saw gains for the first time in two years, serves as a bellwether for the home renovation and construction market.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Why some authors want out of the book blurb business

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst

Feb 25, 2025

A book critic explains how book blurbing works and why it’s become a source of debate in the publishing industry.

Book blurbs — though their value to readers is unclear — can help people who read professionally wade through the piles of new books published each year.

Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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Trade War 2.0

Tariffs on Canadian energy could hit power bills in the Northeast U.S.

by Henry Epp

Feb 25, 2025

Utilities and policymakers have worked for years to bring more Canadian power to New England and New York's energy grid.

Vermont Electric Co-op, a small electric utility, gets about 40% of its power from Canada. Tariffs could push up prices for its customers.

Henry Epp/Marketplace

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My Economy

Amidst USDA grant freeze, Georgia mushroom farmer faces funding uncertainty

by Sarah Leeson

Feb 25, 2025

If federal funding is off the table, Howard Berk, president of Ellijay Mushrooms, says he'll have to consider putting up more equity or taking on debt.

Ellijay Mushrooms grows thousands of pounds every week of shiitake, oyster, golden oyster, and lion's mane mushrooms, and they're still looking to grow the business.

Courtesy Howard Berk

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The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer II

Andie Corban Producer I

Sarah Leeson Producer I

Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II

Sofia Terenzio Associate Producer I

Jordan Mangi Assistant Digital Producer

Nicholas Guiang Assistant Producer

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