May 18, 2023

Call 2023 the year of bankruptcies

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

2023 is on track to be the biggest year for Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings in over a decade. What gives? Plus, hobby spending slows down.

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2023 has been a year for bankruptcy

by Kristin Schwab

May 18, 2023

More than 230 companies declared bankruptcy before the end of April. What is happening?

David’s Bridal is among the more than 230 companies that declared bankruptcy before the end of April.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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How would a U.S. debt default play out in Texas?

by Elizabeth Trovall

May 18, 2023

Half a million jobs could be lost in the second-biggest state economy. Pensioners, the food insecure and many others could suffer.

Treasury chief Janet Yellen has warned that the federal government could run out of money by June 1. Moody’s estimates that in a default, the giant Texas economy could lose more than half a million jobs.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

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Americans are spending less on hobbies. How's that affecting stores that rely on them?

by Stephanie Hughes

May 18, 2023

Commerce Department data shows retail sales for sporting goods, hobby, instrument and book stores were down 5.4% in April compared to a year ago. Sales for garden equipment and supplies were down too.

Lindsay Farrell, who works at Canton Games in Baltimore, holds out a 100-sided die. It costs $44.99. Stephanie Hughes / Marketplace

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Ads on social media are exceptionally good at getting us to click "buy"

by Kai Ryssdal , Sarah Leeson and Maria Hollenhorst

May 18, 2023

"In the past, we've studied social media ads as if they're just like a billboard or a print magazine ad when they're not," said advertising professor Matthew Pittman. "You're seeing an ad from any number of sources."

On Instagram or in other social media feeds, "you're seeing an ad from any number of sources right after you might see a video or a post from your ex from high school or a new celebrity training fitness routine," said the University of Tennessee's Matthew Pittman.

David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

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A Warmer World

Growing pistachios is a tough business. Here's one couple's story.

by Lily Jamali

May 18, 2023

The Burchams own an orchard in Firebaugh, California. Like other pistachio farmers, they're grappling with a changing climate.

Klytia and Stephen Burcham own Gage Farms in Firebaugh, California. They have more than 18,000 pistachio trees on their orchard, which stretches over 114 acres.

Lily Jamali/Marketplace

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My Economy

Vendor fees are among the biggest expense for Reno food truck

by Nicholas Guiang

May 18, 2023

As a small business, TukTuk YumYum Sweet Treats often struggles to reach the threshold of a bulk order when purchasing supplies. This means they often still pay retail prices.

TukTuk YumYum operates out of a 3-wheeled rickshaw the owners bought from Italy and built from scratch.

Courtesy Debey Grimes

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The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Daisy Palacios Senior Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer

Sean McHenry Associate Producer

Andie Corban Associate Producer

Richard Cunningham Associate Producer

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