Marketplace All-in-one

In a conversation with the owner of a Portland-based construction firm, something disturbing was revealed: One reason he can't retain the workers he needs is that random bigots are profiling his staff as immigrants and harassing them when they have to leave the jobsite to, for instance, pick up materials. This morning, we’ll hear his account. But first, the tariffs that mid-sized companies are paying nearly tripled starting early last year.

From the BBC World Service: India is hosting an AI summit as part of the country's efforts to showcase itself as a major player in the artificial intelligence space and a leader in the Global South. It's aiming to be an emerging market where AI is not just going to be consumed, but where it's going to be created, built, and exported. Plus, restaurant owners are starting to take action on what they call "entitled" behavior by food influencers.

Think that a prenup isn’t for you? Think again! Prenups are not just for rich people: they can protect you against debt and mitigate future issues like spousal support and custody. You’ve got to talk honestly about money if you want to build a shared financial life together, while still protecting yourself. This week, Reema Khrais talks with family lawyer Sahar Taylor and financial therapist Aja Evans to understand how prenups work and the deeper emotions underneath.If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. If you have thoughts, strong opinions about prenups - if you’ve signed one or are trying to decide if you should - we’d love to hear about it! You can email us at uncomfortable@marketplace.org or call 347-RING-TIU to leave a message.Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!Correction (Feb. 20, 2026): Previous versions of this story misstated the percentage of prenups among married Americans.”

Meta anticipates up to $135 billion worth of capital expenditures this year, nearly double the company’s outlay in 2025. One driver of that expenditure growth is what Meta calls its "Superintelligence Labs." This kind of spending puts it right up there with other tech giants pouring money into their AI capabilities. And it's a shift from a company that used to be hyper-focused on virtual reality. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes talked about this with Mike Isaac, a reporter for the New York Times, to learn more.

Areas that recently experienced the largest slowdowns in unauthorized immigration also saw the largest slowdowns in employment growth, according to data analysis by the San Francisco Fed. This disproves the accusation that immigrants take jobs from American citizens. In this episode, how tighter immigration restrictions could affect the U.S. labor market long-term. Plus: It’s too early to tell how AI affects workplace productivity, California gas prices reflect more than high taxes, and the upcoming PCE index will tell Fed economists where we're at with inflation.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.

A major fight is brewing over who has the right to regulate prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket. In a brief in a Nevada court case, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission argued it should regulate prediction markets, but states say the platforms should follow state gambling laws. Later in the episode, we unpack departure plans for the European Central Bank's president and hear why geopolitics are making Sweden rethink its decision to not adopt the euro.

Though most companies are incorporating generative AI into their workflows, it doesn’t seem to be boosting output just yet. A survey of almost 6,000 companies found that AI hasn’t made waves in productivity or employment for most. Plus, we hear why fewer students are enrolling in computer science classes and majors. And later in the program, tariff-induced price uncertainty is hitting one Portland-based construction firm hard.

From the BBC World Service: Japan’s export figures were the strongest in three years, climbing 16.8% year over year in January. The data sharply beat market expectations. Plus, the German drugs giant Bayer is offering to pay more than $10 billion to settle claims over the weedkiller Roundup. And, European commercial flights have resumed to Venezuela for the first time since the ousting of President Nicolás Maduro.

As artificial intelligence companies roll out more sophisticated agents, many analysts and investors raised concerns that AI could replace traditional software. Some are dubbing this the “SaaSpocolypse.”New AI tools allow users to “vibe code,” or describe what you’d like to create in plain language and have the AI generate the code for you. This could make some software easier for companies to create themselves.Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Daniel Newman, CEO of The Futurum Group, a technology research firm, to learn more.

After the 2008 housing market crash, new rules required banks hold capital reserves proportional to the home loans they issued. In response, banks issued fewer mortgages and non-banks filled in the gap. Easing those rules — which the Fed is considering — could make it a bit easier for Americans to get a mortgage. Also in this episode: Vaccine research and development suffers under federal funding cuts, home builders give industry sentiment updates, and physical media sees a comeback.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.

In December, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed a new rule that would ban hospitals from receiving any Medicare and Medicaid funding if they offer gender-affirming care for minors. Today, Kimberly checks in with Marketplace’s Samantha Fields to hear about her reporting on how this is affecting health care providers across the country. Plus, we’ll get into how the proposed rule fits into a larger wave of restrictions on transgender health care, years in the making.

Inflation is gradually moderating. For some consumer goods, like gasoline, prices are outright declining. Gas prices are down 7.5% since last January, according to AAA. The reason has to do with basic economic principles. Also on the program: We discuss a nicely balanced economy (for now) and — from "Building Tomorrow," a collaboration by Marketplace and This Old House Radio Hour — hear about a clear, step-by-step "almost paint-by-numbers" approach to address the housing affordability crisis.

Regulators tightened banking rules after the Great Recession. At a conference yesterday, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman said the Fed is looking into easing rules for banks in hopes that this may mean more mortgage loans. But it also means banks may be more vulnerable to the next financial crisis. So why now? Plus, we take you on a tour of some of the physical infrastructure powering the AI boom.

From the BBC World Service: It's the start of the Lunar New Year — a major retail event. In China, AI has increasingly been merging with the shopping experience, and companies have poured billions of dollars into competing for customers over the next couple of days. Then, France and India are poised to sign a major deal for India to buy over 100 French-made Rafale jet fighters worth $35 billion. And, Cuba's world-famous cigar festival has been cancelled due to fuel shortages.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the number of students enrolling in computer and information science decreased this past fall from the year before. That's at both the graduate and undergraduate level and the first drop since 2020. Meanwhile, the Computing Research Association says there's been a decline in a number of computing-related majors. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Kari George, Senior Research Associate at the CRA's Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline to learn more.

The White House may roll back steel and aluminum tariffs, according to the Financial Times. Sure, President Donald Trump has announced or enacted tariffs just to reverse course many times. But the difference is steel and aluminum are crucial materials in the production of, well, just about everything. In this episode: How might such a rollback affect your wallet? Plus, market conditions make for a stronger manufacturing sector in 2026, restaurants expand menu offerings that cater to GLP-1 users, and we explain how the Fed actually changes interest rates. 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.

Markets seesawed over the past few weeks over fears that artificial intelligence will soon disrupt several industries, including software and financial services. As large language models reshape how brands reach consumers, traditional ad shops could also face pressure to reinvent themselves or get left behind. We'll dig in. But first, inflation cooled this winter, but will it warm up in the spring? We'll discuss how tariffs and energy costs could play a role.

We learned on Friday that inflation dropped to 2.4% — the lowest it’s been in almost five years. But certain prices are still rising much faster than that overall measure, including utilities. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association projects that people will have to spend over $1,000, on average, to heat their homes this winter. Plus, the IRS lost more than 25% of its staff to cuts. Is it ready for this tax season?

From the BBC World Service: The Chinese tech company ByteDance says it'll curb its AI video app, Seedance, which is being used to create viral life-like clips of Hollywood stars; Disney and other entertainment giants have threatened legal action over it. Then, the UK government says it will review its regulation of AI to better protect children online. And later, Starbucks is hoping AI will help turn around the company's fortunes.

Caterpillar, which manufactures heavy duty equipment like asphalt pavers, diesel engine locomotives, and industrial gas turbines, has been around for 101 years. And now, the company seems to be one of the big winners of the AI infrastructure build out.Big tech companies are working as fast as possible to get their data centers up to power artificial intelligence. Some are building their own natural gas plants to provide electricity for those data centers. Enter Caterpillar, maker of electric generators. Marketplace’s Dan Ackerman has been reporting on this.