The 1979 disaster at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant helped define the energy conversation in the United States. Now it’s being reopened to help power artificial intelligence. We’ll get into the deal between the owner of the plant and Microsoft. Plus, the hosts weigh in on how some schools are warming up to AI and whether companies should…

This year, fake content generated by artificial intelligence hasn’t created the massive election mess that many assumed it would in the United States … at least not yet. At a Senate hearing, tech executives pointed to recent efforts by Russia, China, and Iran to interfere with the upcoming election. And, no, the Teamsters union did not endorse form…

The Federal Reserve today said it’s lowering its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point. The rate cut is bigger than we’d predicted, and bigger than what the Fed normally does, but its effects will take some time to ripple through the economy. We’ll also get into former President Donald Trump’s switch-up on the state and local tax deduc…

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates this week for the first time in four years. It would be a major milestone in the central bank’s long fight to get inflation under control. The Fed changes interest rates to keep inflation in check. But inflation is a complex phenomenon, and people have different ideas about what drives it. On th…

It’s decision week for the Federal Reserve! Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues are expected to reduce interest rates for the first time since 2020. Investors are predicting a half-percentage-point cut, but we’re on Team 25. We’ll explain why. Plus, the origin of the false rumors about Haitian immigrants that reached the presidential debate stag…

Former President Donald Trump has said he wants to get rid of federal taxes on tips and Social Security benefits. Now he’s adding overtime pay to the list. We’ll get into it. And, could online dating be making income inequality worse? Plus, we’ll weigh in on foldable phones and Friday the 13th superstitions in a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s…

Today, SpaceX’s crew of billionaire Jared Isaacman and three other private astronauts completed the world’s first-ever commercial spacewalk. We’ll get into it. And, Congress is quickly approaching yet another deadline to avoid a government shutdown. What’s holding up lawmakers from voting on a temporary spending bill? Plus, we’ll break down what’s …

Last night’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump kicked off with a question about the economy — often cited as the top issue for voters. But the discussion that followed was notably light on economic policy. So, can the state of the economy swing this election? And, we’ll get into more takeaway…

By Marketplace / Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams

The Joe Biden administration announced a final rule aimed at making sure insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders is on par with traditional medical benefits. We’ll explain why the Supreme Court’s Chevron decision poses a threat to the rule. Plus, the Supreme Court’s emergency docket is filling up with challenges to Enviro…

The IRS and U.S. Treasury Department announced today the recovery of $1.3 billion from high-income tax dodgers since last fall, citing funding from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act as the catalyst for increased collection enforcement efforts. And we hear about the a new investigation into airline rewards programs. Plus, we discuss the …

The Harris campaign is proposing a bump in the capital gains tax that’s well below the rate President Biden had put forward. We’ll get into why remixing Biden’s tax plan scored her some points with corporate supporters. And, we’ll explain the fight between Disney and DirecTV that’s causing channel outages for subscribers. Plus, why Medicaid patient…

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic is launching a new product targeted at businesses. It’s a step above the company’s consumer-facing products, like its popular chatbot Claude. We’ll explain what it could mean for human jobs. And, we’ll get into the White House efforts to combat Russian-backed attempts to influence the November president…

This year alone, cryptocurrency companies have spent over $119 million on pro-crypto candidates in federal races across the country. That’s almost half of all corporate money spent on this year’s election. But can all this crypto money really sway elections? Lee Reiners, crypto policy expert at the Duke Financial Economics Center, explains what the…

President Joe Biden has forgiven $167.3 billion in student loan debt since taking office. But his administration’s wins are often overshadowed by obstacles to its most ambitious debt relief programs. We’ll get into what this could mean for Biden’s economic legacy. And, we’ll explain why the 30-year mortgage rate can tell us what the markets think a…

The CEO of Klarna, the by now, pay later service, said the company plans to cut its workforce dramatically by opting not to replace workers when they quit and instead use artificial intelligence to fill in the gaps. We’ll get into it. And, Nvidia’s earnings that beat analysts’ expectations didn’t impress everybody. Plus, we’ll unpack the Justice De…

Home improvement retailer Lowe’s is the latest in a string of American companies to publicly abandon diversity, equity and inclusion efforts after facing pushback from conservative groups. We’ll get into it. Then, two signs that the global economy may be in trouble. Plus, we’re hype about the Paris Paralympics opening ceremony! Here’s everything we…

In case you haven’t heard, the Summer Olympics aren’t over! This year’s Paralympics kick off in Paris on Aug. 28. It’s the first time all 22 Paralympic events will be aired live, and total broadcast revenues are up by more than 20% from the delayed 2020 Paralympics. Chuck Aoki, an American Paralympic wheelchair rugby player, said content creators l…

The trial weighing the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two grocery titans, begins today. We’ll explain what the biggest supermarket merger in U.S. history could mean for everyday shoppers and why the federal government wants to put a stop to it. Plus, we’ll get into the latest of Boeing’s woes: its Starliner spacecraft. Can the company’s failures …

The Democratic National Convention this week featured a wide range of speakers, from those who railed against the billionaire class to billionaires themselves. We’ll unpack the Democratic Party’s mixed messaging on the ultrawealthy. On the other hand, the world’s central banks seem to be on the same page when it comes to interest rates. We’ll get i…

Since Vice President Harris proposed a federal ban on price gouging in the food and grocery industries, her campaign has offered up few details about what the policy would actually look like. That’s left room for wild speculation. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll debunk former President Trump’s claims that the Biden administration manipulated job data…

We read the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s last meeting so you don’t have to! Kai Ryssdal explains why an interest rate cut in September is looking more and more likely. Plus, how the Ozempic boom is changing the cost of workplace insurance plans. And, Chicago’s hottest dance club is at the … Democratic National Convention?! Here’s everything w…

For decades, private school vouchers, often referred to as school choice programs, were limited to low-income students. But recently, several states have passed universal voucher programs that any family, regardless of income, can use to pay their kids’ private school tuition. On the show today, Huriya Jabbar, professor of education policy at the U…

New survey data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that the percentage of Americans who expect to get laid off in the next four months has gone up. On the other hand, the share of Americans who expect to get a job offer in the next four months is also up. So what gives? We’ll get into the labor market unease and why the Federal Reserve…

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, 70% of Gaza’s housing has been damaged, crucial infrastructure like schools and hospitals have been destroyed, and millions of Palestinians have been displaced. We’ll get into the logistical and economic challenge of reconstructing the Gaza Strip. And, we’ll explain why certain proposals coming out of the Ha…

At a campaign rally, former President Trump said he’s committed to slashing energy prices by at least half in a year (or at the latest 18 months). We’ll explain why it’s a pipe dream. And, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to propose the first-ever federal ban on corporate price-gouging in the food industry. But where’s the line between pric…

A quick housing market announcement: the structure for real estate commissions is set to change this week following a legal settlement with the National Association of Realtors from earlier this year. We’ll get into what it could mean for homebuyers, sellers and real estate agents. And, to publish or not to publish internal Trump campaign documents…

Hey Smarties! If you’ve ever wondered how you make your diet more climate friendly, this episode of “Burning Questions” has you covered. From our friends over at “How We Survive,” the series answers your questions about climate change. In this episode, host Amy Scott chats with Melissa Nelson, professor of Indigenous sustainability at Arizona State…

On the show today: a story from the “this is terrifying” file. Cybersecurity researchers are bringing attention to a recent surge in GPS “spoofing” on commercial airlines. We’ll explain how these digital attacks work and why they pose a danger. And, former President Donald Trump made his return to the social media site X to promote an upcoming conv…

Compared to the Games in Tokyo and Beijing, NBC’s Paris Olympics coverage has been pulling in significantly higher viewership and ad revenue. Guest host Meghan McCarty Carino explains why the company may have finally hit its stride with its streamer Peacock. And, candidate Donald Trump said the president should have more influence over the Federal …

Former {resident Trump and Vice President Harris are apparently neck and neck in the presidential race. That’s according to the … betting markets? Yes! We’ll get into the ways prediction markets are being used like polls in the 2024 race. Then, why lobbying dollars may pour in at state houses following the end of the Chevron doctrine. Plus, guest h…

A federal judge on Monday ruled that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly over online search. It’s the biggest antitrust ruling in decades. Could it be the cherry on top for President Joe Biden’s economic legacy? We’ll get into it. Plus, climate change and the future of the home insurance industry. And, gymnastics girl power and meteor sho…

Another day, another data breach, am I right? Companies including AT&T, Ticketmaster, and UnitedHealth have all made headlines recently after hackers left millions of customers’ data vulnerable. Lily Hay Newman, a writer covering information security, digital privacy and hacking for Wired, says data breaches like these have been a growing issue for…

It’s been a tumultuous Monday for global markets as investors worry about the strength of the American economy. We’ll explain the data points behind the stock market slide and what it could mean for the Federal Reserve’s upcoming decisions on interest rates. And, we’ll get into what the fallout of former President Donald Trump’s appearance at the N…

It’s been a few months since our deep dive on populism, but following the annoucement of JD Vance as Trump’s VP pick, the term is back in the headlines. Today, we’re revisiting that episode because it’s important to know what populism is and isn’t, and why a specific brand of populism is on the rise. We will be back next week with new episodes afte…

On today’s edition of Economics on Tap, we’ll get into some news while toasting the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics. First, Kimberly teaches us how to make an Olympic torch cocktail (complete with a real flame)! And, we’ll play a Paris Games-themed round of This or That. But first, a discussion of the history of women’s sportswear at the Olympic G…

When President Biden leaves office in 2025, he’ll leave behind a series of industrial policies like the CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act that have turned United States economic policy on its head. We’ll get into why it may take decades to see these initiatives fully play out. And, we’ll get into Vice President Kamala Harris’s budding economic …

Ahead of this year’s election, politicians are spinning out all kinds of narratives about how immigration hurts the U.S. economy. But an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office projects that a surge in immigration over the next decade will ultimately lower the federal deficit. We’ll do the numbers. Then, we’ll get into why former Treasury Secre…

Today, we’re talking about one of Kai Ryssdal’s favorite topics: soccer! The sport’s U.S. audience is only expected grow, especially as the country gets ready to host the World Cup in 2026. Paul Tenorio, soccer writer for The Athletic, said access to the sport has changed dramatically for Americans over the last decade. On the show today, Tenorio e…

It’s official, folks. Over the weekend, President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in. Some are pointing out similarities between VP Harris’ eleventh-hour candidacy and the “glass cliff effect,” when a woman is put in a position of leadership to fix a company in crisis. We’ll get into it and fi…

In May, President Joe Biden’s campaign said it had a hefty $91 million stashed in the bank. If Biden were to end his candidacy, what would happen to all that cash? We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain why the federal government’s plan to phase out its purchases of single-use plastics could have a sizable impact on the country’s use of plastic over…

This week Sean O’Brien became the first ever president of the Teamsters union to speak at the Republican National Convention. We’ll explain why this ruffled some feathers and what it could mean for the relationship between unions and the Democratic Party. And, we’ll get into how the lock-in effect is shaping today’s housing market and why the Feder…

The transition to our clean energy economy is already underway. But progress on climate change may slow down as climate populism on the far right is taking root in developed economies. We’ll explain why cheaper, green technologies might be the antidote. Meanwhile, in Arizona, ballooning costs for a school voucher program triggered a state budget cr…

If you’ve been feeling hopeless about the news, the election, the economy, the climate crisis and everything else that’s going on, today’s episode is for you. Emily Amick, lawyer and co-author of “Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives,” argues we can all become better participants in our democrac…

We’re still processing the news of the shooting at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. On top of that, a federal judge dismissed the classified documents case against the former president. We’ll get into the news and why it matters how we talk about it. Then, we’ll explain why eviction rates remain above pre-pandemic lev…

In the aftermath of the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, money’s been talking. Major donors to a key pro-Biden super PAC are reportedly putting donations worth $90 million on ice if Biden stays in the race. We’ll get into what the funding freeze means for the future of Biden’s campaign. Plus, guest host Sabri Be…

If you’re waiting for interest rates to fall back to the near-zero levels of the 2010s, don’t hold your breath. On Capitol Hill this week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told senators that era is probably over. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll unpack why more NATO members are spending more on defense and what’s causing widespread financial strain…

For the oldest members of Gen X, retirement is right around the corner. But a new report from BlackRock found only 60% of Gen X feels on track to retire, the lowest of any generation. We’ll do the numbers on which Americans feel confident in their retirement savings and what could explain generational and gender gaps. And, we’ll get into a social m…

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is as American as apple pie. But it wasn’t always this way, and it’s putting the housing market in a tough spot lately. A substantial amount of homeowners with low-rate mortgages are choosing to stay put in their homes rather than selling and buying a new one at higher rates. It’s created what’s known as a lock-in ef…

In June, global temperatures had surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for 12 months straight, encroaching on the goal set in the Paris climate accord. We’ll explain why scientists use 1.5 degrees as a key benchmark and why it’s important to have hard conversations about climate change. Then, we’ll get into an investigation reve…