Marketplace All-in-One

Whether a business is considered “small” in the government’s eyes is pretty important. It determines whether the business is eligible for federal aid money and federal contracts. Now, the Small Business Administration is proposing some changes to how it defines “small business.” We'll explain. Then, we’ll dig into the state of AI protections and trade ahead of this week's meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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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 featured in this episode:

SBA considers changing definition of a small business
President Xi Jinping comes to Washington

The global beauty market is expected to hit almost $600 billion by 2030, according to a report by McKinsey & Company. And just like pretty much every industry, it's being transformed by AI.

L’Oréal and OpenAI announced a partnership this summer to bring virtual makeup try-ons and product discovery to ChatGPT. An AI styling firm called Alta is integrating e.l.f. Beauty products into its virtual try on avatars. And consumers are increasingly looking to chatbots for skincare and makeup recommendations.

Apparently beauty inquiries account for almost half of generative AI retail referral traffic, according to market research firm EuroMonitor. For more we're joined by fashion-tech journalist and consultant Maghan McDowell, who's been following this trend.

Diesel costs have nearly doubled over the last year, breaking record highs. In fact, some lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to halt all diesel exports until they cool off. But experts say it's a recipe for price chaos that will leave us right back where we started. Also in this episode: A wide crude oil spread persists, butter and cheese become a bright spot on grocery receipts, and local bank consolidations leave customers frustrated.

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:

The difference between the "paper" price of Brent crude and what refiners pay for it
Trump and Xi meet this week. What can we expect?
As grocery prices rise, cheese and butter get cheaper
"Not such a good idea": How banning diesel exports to lower prices could backfire
As banks consolidate, some customers aren’t so sure they’re happy

Paramount Skydance reached a settlement yesterday, clearing the last major roadblock to its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The takeover will give Paramount and its CEO David Ellison control over both CBS and CNN, while also combining control over two major streaming services, Paramount+ and HBO Max. Today, we provide an explainer. Also, data center developers in Texas now face new hurdles for their projects.

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.

The war in Iran and the ongoing war in Ukraine are keeping oil prices high, which we've already seen at the gas pump. But with winter coming, another type of fuel is also getting more expensive: heating oil, which is used mostly in the Northeast to heat homes. We'll hear more. Then, we're well into college football season, so let’s dig into the massive range of how much schools are paying their football roster.

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:

How global disruptions are impacting heating oil prices
Where college football compensation stands right now