Feb 20, 2025

Access to federal data in flux

AnnaStills via Getty Images

David Van Riper, an expert in improving public access to government data, discusses why the information is vital. Plus, Walmart is branching out beyond retail.

Segments From this episode

Walmart's "alternative" businesses give megaretailer a boost

by Daniel Ackerman

Feb 20, 2025

Its quarterly report shows ad sales, membership income and its third-party marketplace expanded. Their margins may help keep store prices low.

Walmart has diversified its operations far beyond big-box retail.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Why losing access to federal data is like taking “an X-ray machine away from a doctor”

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst

Feb 20, 2025

Data collected by the government helps researchers, policymakers, business owners and other individuals understand what’s happening in the economy.

Just as x-rays help doctors see what’s happening inside their patients, data collected by the government offers insight into the economy. Above, a physician examines a chest radiograph of a patient.

Ronny Hartmann/AFP via Getty Images

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ChatGPT now has 400 million weekly users — and a lot of competition

by Meghan McCarty Carino

Feb 20, 2025

The profusion and popularity of free, open-source models has raised questions about how AI companies can actually profit from their products.

In January, DeepSeek topped Apple’s download charts. This week, it’s xAI’s Grok. Then there’s Perplexity, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini.

Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

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What the government saving money actually means

by Kai Ryssdal

Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal digs into why making cuts to federal agencies also means cutting into economic growth.

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The U.S. added a record amount of solar energy generating capacity in 2024

by Henry Epp

Feb 20, 2025

Solar's big year helped push the proportion of power generated by renewables up to 24%.

The U.S. added tremendously to its solar power capacity in 2024, said a report from Bloomberg and the and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

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Homeownership woes in Charles Town

by Sean McHenry

We check back in with Monique Coleman a year after she bought new construction in a West Virginia town.

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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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