Marketplace All-in-One

Fewer students are trying to get advanced degrees in the United States. The number admitted to Ph.D. programs this coming fall dropped by 15% from last year. The number of international students applying to Ph.D. programs in the U.S. has also dropped sharply. Today, we'll hear how reduced federal funding for universities and stricter immigration policies are affecting advanced degrees and research. But first, a check-in on how businesses are feeling and what that means for their customers.

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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 in this episode:

Ph.D. admissions have dropped 15% for the new school year

On Monday, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open to traffic for the first time. The structure connects Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario, and provides a new link between the two countries. The opening also comes at a time of increased trade tension, with the U.S. proposing new tariffs on certain Canadian goods. We'll dig into the economic benefits of the new bridge — and its significance. Also, we'll look at the declining number of Ph.D. students and proposed cuts to federal research agencies.

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 featured in today’s episode:

Gordie Howe Bridge cuts U.S.-Canada trade tension — tariffs add it back
Ph.D. admissions have dropped 15% for the new school year

A proliferation of AI apps that allow users to create sexualized images of real people have grown into a multi-million dollar industry.

Social media platforms are serving as de facto gateways to these services, despite the fact that most prohibit the sharing or promotion of this kind of non-consensual intimate imagery, according to Sina Laubenstein, director of programs at the Institute for Strategic Dialogues, which recently published a report on this.

Intel’s sales jumped by 25% last quarter, the largest increase in over a decade — making the U.S. government’s stake in the company around $40 billion after the administration invested last year. In this episode: Was Trump’s Intel deal a win-win? Plus: Why Gen Z’s not drinking regular soda, rates on business loans might climb, and a 63-year-old pivoted to statue restoration after a career in tech.

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:

Weekly Wrap: Are tariffs just white noise?
Rates on business loans have held steady, but they might climb soon
Intel is booming a year after the U.S. government bought a stake. Is that a win-win?
Mushroom soda and other functional drinks make a splash in the beverage market
How a 63-year-old took statue restoration from a side hustle to full-time job

The reasons for premature retirement are plentiful: Companies downsize or go bust, partners get sick, kids need childcare help. A new survey finds that, on average, workers think they’ll retire at around 62, but the average age at which retirees actually leave the workforce is closer to 57. Thing is, most said they wished they’d saved more — or sooner. Plus, we dig into the latest round of tariffs from the Trump administration and debrief the past two weeks of earnings reports.

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 included in this episode:

Americans are retiring earlier than they'd like to. And not because they can afford to.