Marketplace
Hosted by Kai Ryssdal · 43 decoded episodes · newest Oct 7, 2026
Every weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day's business and economic news — no econ degree or finance background required. "Marketplace" takes you beyond the numbers, bringing you context. Our team of reporters all over the world speak with CEOs, policymakers and regular people just trying to get by.
Episodes 43
- Oct 7, 2026 · 25 minAI lifts indexes as households and businesses feel the squeezeThe episode tests whether market gains reflect economic health when expensive borrowing, housing and consumer stress are concentrated outside technology.
- Oct 6, 2026 · 25 minImports expose an economy powered by AI infrastructureThe episode connects trade, chips, employment, health insurance, sovereign debt and soccer to the risks and opportunities of a changing economy.
- Oct 5, 2026 · 25 minHow U.S. borrowing widens the trade gapThe episode connects government deficits, foreign investment and dollar strength to trade imbalances, while showing how debt pressures reach markets and households.
- Oct 2, 2026 · 26 minA weak economy exposes cracks in brands, incentives, and workThe episode connects sluggish hiring and squeezed wages to broader shifts in consumer brands, electric-vehicle policy, online commerce, and working life.
- Oct 1, 2026 · 26 minSteady inflation masks deeper pressure on householdsThe episode connects persistent housing and health care costs with higher borrowing rates, debt constraints, labor shortages, and economic uncertainty.
- Sep 30, 2026 · 25 minAI spending lifts GDP as workers and startups stay cautiousThe episode tests whether AI investment can produce durable economic gains while a seemingly strong labor market and private funding conceal underlying uncertainty.
- Sep 29, 2026 · 26 minConfidence falters as households confront a tougher economyThe episode connects weakening confidence, stalled hiring, and squeezed industries to a broader question about whether resilient spending can last.
- Sep 28, 2026 · 25 minNvidia’s buyback tests AI’s next investment priorityNvidia’s cash windfall raises a broader question about whether companies should reward shareholders or keep funding growth while the economy shows uneven strength.
- Sep 25, 2026 · 25 minHigher rates put America’s debt trajectory under pressureSmall changes in borrowing costs can compound into much larger interest payments, weaker growth and fewer public resources over decades.
- Sep 24, 2026 · 25 minFed officials prepare markets for higher ratesThe episode connects persistent inflation and monetary-policy uncertainty with labor disruption, housing strain, climate risk, and pressure on farmers.
- Sep 23, 2026 · 26 minHigh rates test housing while bonds underpin the economyThe episode connects softer housing demand and rising government financing costs to the financial system’s deeper dependence on bonds.
- Sep 22, 2026 · 26 minDiesel export bans could deepen the fuel squeezeThe episode connects a proposed short-term price fix to longer-term risks across energy markets, trade, public finance, dairy, and local banking.