Marketplace Morning Report
Weekdays during Morning Edition (6:51am and 8:51am)
Marketplace Morning Report is the morning sister program from the award-winning staff of Marketplace. Bringing you the morning business news "for the rest of us" in the time it takes you to drink your first cup of joe, MMR is a great way to start your day.
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The Trump administration has launched the new TrumpRx website, where people can shop for prescription drugs at discounted rates. The site, a hub that points cash-paying customers to five participating manufacturers' websites, went live yesterday. We dig in. Then, it's been a bumpy week for markets. What should we make of it? Plus, we speak with a Minneapolis restaurant owner who says sales are down 50% due to ICE's crackdown in the city.
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Software companies are in trouble. Or at least their stocks are. Salesforce is down 25%, and Intuit is down 31%, after startup Anthropic released a new tool sparking fear among investors that software companies are in danger of becoming obsolete. We'll learn more. Then, all kinds of cryptocurrencies are cratering in value, and we'll hear what it's like to be a small business in an anemic job market.
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From the BBC World Service: Japanese voters will give their verdict on the government of Sanae Takaichi this weekend after Japan's first female prime minister called a snap election just months into her first term. How is the economy there shaping the election? Plus, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel says his government is trying to solve an energy crisis exacerbated by U.S. sanctions. And we check in with a company on a tiny Scottish island that produces an essential piece of Winter Olympics equipment.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be on Capitol Hill again today for another grilling. He’s scheduled to appear before the Senate Banking Committee. Yesterday, Bessent appeared before the House Financial Services Committee to talk about oversight of the U.S. financial system, where he sparred with Democrats. And later in the program, wages are making up a shrinking share of overall income. Also: discussions of Fed independence, inflation, and more.
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News Corp — the parent company of The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, and Fox News — announces quarterly profits today. Meanwhile, The Washington Post laid off a third of its staff yesterday. Today, we'll delve into the state of the media industry and why it's such a struggle to find a business model that works. Then, Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go is closing up shop. What went wrong with Amazon’s foray into physical stores?
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From the BBC World Service: Little luxuries can become routine during tougher economic times. The newest iteration of the “lipstick effect,” the phenomenon is called "little treat culture" on TikTok, where videos using the hashtag have grown by 75% globally over the past year. This morning, we'll delve into the business model of treat-onomics. But first, TSMC confirms plans to make AI semiconductors in southern Japan, and gig workers in India are planning a nationwide strike.
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The Small Business Administration will no longer allow green card holders to apply for SBA loans. The new policy was announced on Monday and takes effect next month. This program doesn’t lend money directly to businesses; it provides loan guarantees to lenders, and the loans are usually cheaper than traditional borrowing. We learn more. Then, for older people, financial strain may be a warning sign of dementia — before doctors or families start noticing symptoms.
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Is a degree in economics, long considered a path to stable employment, even worth it in the age of AI? Recent research suggests entry-level economics and business jobs may be especially exposed to automation. That could leave college students wondering if their degree will be outdated by the time they hit the job market. Today, we'll hear how students and schools are adapting. Plus, work requirement changes to SNAP benefits could impact millions of recipients.
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From the BBC World Service: Shares in the Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk tumbled 17% on Wednesday after the weight-loss drug pioneer warned of a decline in sales this year amid increasing competition and pressure on prices. Then, the United States renewed an agreement that gives 32 African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market. And later, the prime minister of Spain says he intends to ban social media for children under 16.
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Of course, we mean "What would Kevin do?" — Kevin Warsh, that is, President Donald Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve chair. And it's a question plenty of investors are asking as they try to feel out his views on inflation and Fed independence. We'll unpack. Plus, we'll head to Venezuela, where acting President Delcy Rodríguez signed a law last week opening the oil industry there to private ownership after two decades.