Marketplace Morning Report

Big hyperscaler data centers are just coming to Minnesota but have already become an issue in the midterm elections. To get a first-hand look at how battle lines are shaping up, Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer traveled to Minnesota’s second congressional district to learn about a lightning-rod data center development there. Also on the program: the kick-off of earnings season, the K-shaped economy, and gloomy consumer sentiment.

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Stories featured in this episode:

What's at stake in Minnesota's data center debate

High healthcare costs continue to be a top concern for voters ahead of next month's midterm elections. A recent Urban Institute study found that more than one in four adults in the U.S. had medical debt in 2025. In some states, hospitals are experimenting with something called presumptive eligibility, which automatically screens patients for financial assistance needs. We hear more. But first, with rising inflation, consumers pull back where they can.

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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.

Read the stories from this podcast episode:

Consumers are pulling back on some discretionary spending
Earlier screening for financial aid in hospitals could help lower bills

Loudoun County, Virginia, claims the highest concentration of data centers anywhere in the world. Thanks to those data centers, the county’s tax base has swelled. But data centers depreciate over time, meaning the older they are, the less tax revenue they generate. So, to keep the cash flowing, the county has needed to keep approving new ones. Cue the backlash. But first, higher energy prices are starting to really show up in producer inflation data.

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 from this podcast:

"Data Center Alley" in suburban Virginia may be hitting a dead end

Inflation ran 3.7% year over year in September. One kind of bright spot? Grocery prices are only rising at about half the overall rate. But there are signs that high diesel prices are starting to trickle into some of the prices we pay at the checkout. And later this morning: how skyrocketing borrowing costs are affecting developing nations and how CEOs are thinking about AI investment.

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.

Americans have wagered more than $600 billion on sports since the Supreme Court paved the way for states to legalize sports betting back in 2018. And something like 2.5 million adults have a problem with gambling. This morning, why people keep betting — even when the odds are against them — and what can be done about it. Also in this morning's podcast: a hotter-than-anticipated inflation reading and a continued squeeze on diesel.

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 from this episode:

The behavioral economics behind problematic sports betting