Marketplace All-in-One

Inflation is affecting all of us. But when costs go up, lower-income households are especially vulnerable to credit creep — that’s when consumers use credit for more and more transactions. One survey found 29% of buy now, pay later users took out the loans to pay for groceries, double the percentage from just a couple of years ago. Also in this episode: What might happen to the labor market if Fed raises interest rates, how immigration crackdowns are tied to a 14-year homebuilder confidence low, and why political candidates are competing for AI attention.

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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.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

What will happen to the job market if the Fed raises interest rates?
Struggling consumers are increasingly turning to high-cost credit for basic needs
This farmer was promised a $20,000 grant to go solar. USDA changed the rules
How immigration crackdowns are tightening the construction labor market
Candidates campaign for AI attention
Home-based coffee shops provide unique perks for owners and customers

On Friday, the documentary "You Can See Everything" about Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes opened in theaters across the U.S., grossing an estimated $15 million and selling out 2,000 shows. It joins a slate of fall films, including "Artificial," "Musk," and "The Social Reckoning," profiling major tech companies and their founders. We dig into why Hollywood is focusing on these stories right now. Also: what sanctions relief for Russia means for oil markets and why the French protests are also a bond market story.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Stories from this episode:

Hollywood is releasing a slew of tech films

Are you doing your homework ahead of the midterms or just planning to wing it at the ballot box? While you may have a good idea already about who you want for House, Senate, or governor, there’s still other studying to do before Election Day. But in 2026, the word “homework” often means “ask an AI-powered chatbot.” For voters, that’s both a resource and a risk. First though: why economic uncertainty is translating into a flood of imports.

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

Marketplace Morning Report 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.

Read the stories from this podcast:

Uncertainty is helping to generate a "tsunami" of imports at some ports
Voters weigh doing their election homework with AI

You might say the 2026 midterms are the first big AI election. The technology has become a key political issue, it’s a significant source of fundraising and it’s also helping power campaign ads.

Plus, generative AI is being looked to by voters as a tool for sorting through the deluge of information, especially in places like California where there are 14 ballot propositions to research.

Marketplace's senior correspondent for Future Effects, David Brancaccio, put three AI chatbots to the test.

More on this:

“Electoral Hallucinations: Safeguarding UK elections in the world of LLMs and AI chatbots” from Demos

“AI chatbots can effectively sway voters – in either direction” from Cornell Chronicle

India’s economy, from one perspective, has a huge leg up on the U.S.: Its workforce is young and growing. “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal visited Mumbai to learn what that growth looks like on the ground. In this episode, Kai and ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson visit a Mumbai-based healthcare startup that’s using AI to detect disesases early. They also reflect on the trip as a whole. Plus: Farmers face down high fertilizer prices and we break down the week’s inflation data.

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.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

If inflation persists, what comes next?
Farmers face high fertilizer prices — with no end in sight
Inside a global AI company built in rapidly-growing India