Marketplace All-in-One

Gas prices are at the lowest level since 2021, according to AAA, as millions of Americans are traveling for the holidays. The average price of gas has been below $3 a gallon for most of the month. Plus, from "Marketplace Tech," ChatGPT has become the new WebMD. And from the Marketplace podcast "How We Survive," we learn what an invisible longitudinal line has to do with farmers, the economy, and the global food supply.

That's been the case for Thomas and Mariah Pisha-Duffly, a Portland foodie power couple with multiple James Beard Award nominations under their belt. Today, we chat with the Pisha-Duffys about their holiday meal planning, which focuses less on extravagance and more on family and serves as a departure from the stressors of the restaurant industry. But first, as you unwrap your Christmas presents, we check in on the supply chains that brought them to you.

From the BBC World Service: Have you ever wondered where your festive Christmas lights, ornaments, and toys all come from? Well, there's a good chance they originate in the Chinese city of Yiwu. It's home to a major the world's largest wholesale market and produces more than half of the world's Christmas decor. This Christmas morning, we'll take a trip to the city and hear how it's being affected by the latest U.S. tariffs

Will Gottsegen, a staff writer at The Atlantic, tests out Meta’s AI smart glasses and gives us a recap of how AI continues to get embedded in consumer tech.

The labor market has been tightening all year, and Americans have grown increasingly anxious about their ability to find new jobs. A bit of good news? New unemployment claims fell last week. But that isn’t likely to signal a full job market turnaround in the new year. Plus: AI investment hasn’t slowed under Trump’s tariffs, a TikTok creator shares “recession recipes,” and we learn about the history of Legos.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.