Episodi

  • Skilled labor scarcity
    Jan 16 2026

    An AI-driven construction boom is coming, some hope. But to build all that infrastructure, the U.S. is going to need a lot more construction workers, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and other skilled workers. And President Trump’s immigration policies actively work against that goal. Also in this episode: Trump withdraws the U.S. from a key global climate change agreement, Americans shell out for at-home coffee setups, and Kai discusses the week’s economic headlines with Greg Ip at the Wall Street Journal and Amara Omeokwe at Bloomberg.


    Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.


    Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

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    26 min
  • On the ground in Minnesota
    Jan 16 2026

    On today’s show, Dana Ferguson, political correspondent for MPR News, joins Kimberly to share how her community has been affected by a recent surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, including the fatal shooting of Renee Macklin Good. We’ll also discuss the impact on small businesses in the Twin Cities and the political fallout from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s decision to end his reelection campaign.


    Here’s everything we talked about today:


    • "Minnesota business owners feeling the effects of ICE enforcement actions" from MPR News
    • "As immigration raids roil Minnesota, corporate leaders stay silent" from Marketplace
    • "Tim Walz drops out of Minnesota governor’s race, Klobuchar considers jumping in" from Politico
    • "With limited political power, Minnesota Democrats navigate resistance to Trump" from MPR News
    • "Walz's exit from Minnesota governor's race will pose challenges for both parties" from MPR News
    • "What to Nosh in the North Star State: Minnesota's Most-Iconic Dishes" from Food Network
    • "Photos: The Minneapolis music scene, from the 1980s to now" from MPR News


    We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

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    22 min
  • Paying more at national parks
    Jan 16 2026

    International visitors to 11 U.S. national parks, including Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, and Sequoia, now have to pay more to get in — as in, up to a $100 a head more. The fees will help national parks address maintenance backlogs running to more than $22 billion, but some worry that it'll dent visitor numbers and hurt “gateway communities” near the parks. Also: plans to cap credit card rates and energy prices.

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    8 min
  • Corporate leaders in Minnesota stay silent amid ICE raids. Why?
    Jan 16 2026

    Minnesota is home to more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies, including 3M, Target, Best Buy, and General Mills. But in a wave of wake immigration arrests and ICE's killing of 37-year-old Renee Good, executives from many of the state's leading corporations have been noticeably quiet. This morning, we'll examine why exactly that is. But first, enrollment at community colleges was up for the fourth fall in a row.

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    7 min
  • Can Canada and China repair their relationship?
    Jan 16 2026

    From the BBC World Service: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have announced a "new strategic partnership" at a meeting in Beijing. The deal encompasses clean energy and lower tariffs. Then, the United States and Taiwan have reached a trade agreement that reduces import taxes on goods from the island, while increasing Taiwan's technology investment in the U.S. And later, we look at the growth in the low- and no-alcohol drinks industry.

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    8 min
  • Bytes: Week in Review – New chip exports for China, Microsoft to pay electricity for AI data centers, and Gemini will power Apple’s AI
    Jan 16 2026

    Those massive AI data centers going in across the country can use as much energy as an entire city. President Trump said this week he wants tech companies to "pay their own way," and touted a new Microsoft pledge to bear the full cost of their AI energy needs.


    Plus, Apple announces its long awaited new AI Siri will be powered by Google.


    But first, Nvidia can once again export its second best H200 chips to China if it follows some new security rules and pays the U.S. government 25% of its sales. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information, to discuss all these topics on this week’s “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.”

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    12 min
  • Trump's latest plan to lower mortgage rates
    Jan 15 2026

    President Trump recently ordered government-backed mortgage companies (that’s Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) to buy up $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities. The last time they bought these bonds was the 2008 financial crisis. Will the move actually lower rates? Probably not much. Also in this episode: Venture capital can thank AI for a 2025 rebound, banks fight to block stablecoin interest yields, and more young people are getting prenups.


    Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.


    Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

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    26 min
  • It's brutal out here (in the job market)
    Jan 15 2026

    Marketplace’s “This Is Uncomfortable” is back with new episodes about life and how money messes with it. Today, host Reema Khrais joins Kimberly to share some of what she’s learned from conversations on how to survive job hunting in today’s brutal labor market and what it really means to have “enough” money. Plus, how anxiety about money can actually hold you back financially.


    Check out new episodes from “This Is Uncomfortable:”


    • "We're back: How much money is ‘enough’?" from “This Is Uncomfortable”
    • "Surviving job hunting hell" from “This Is Uncomfortable”
    • "The number of long-term unemployed is growing. What does that tell us about the economy?" from Marketplace


    Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

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    16 min