Marketplace Morning Report

If you're traveling in the next week or so, get to the airport early. Airport security lines are growing as workers with the Transportation Security Administration go without pay during the partial government shutdown. Nearly 50,000 TSA workers missed a paycheck last week, and if Congress doesn’t act, they could miss another one next Friday. Then, we'll dig into how wide salary ranges on job postings can influence an applicant's approach to negotiation over pay.

The Postal Service says it's facing a "severe financial crisis." Postmaster General David Steiner testified before a House subcommittee this week and said that the USPS was struggling and could “be out of cash in less than 12 months” unless something changes. Today, we check the finances of the postal service. And later, war in the Middle East is driving up fertilizer and diesel costs, worrying U.S. farmers during planting season.

Iran attacked critical liquefied natural gas and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, including a major source of gas for Europe. It was retaliating in response to Israeli strikes on a gas field that supplies a lot of Iran's domestic energy. This morning, we delve into what it means for the price of oil, precious metals, government bonds, and more. Plus, we learn how China’s entry into the World Trade Organization impacted local U.S. banks.

War continues to rage in the Middle East, and energy infrastructure is being targeted. The price of oil has surged to $115 a barrel, and gas in the U.S. is now averaging $3.88 a gallon — up almost a dollar from before the war. President Trump recently waived the Jones Act in an attempt to lower oil prices. Will it work? Also: what's next for the Federal Reserve, and where U.S.-China relations currently stand.

The supply chains of gold and precious gems are notoriously difficult to track. Human rights abuses and environmental devastation are often at the root of the work. This morning, we'll hear the story of one jeweler trying to change this by bringing women together from regions scarred by conflict to create a more ethical business model. But first: Microsoft is considering suing Amazon and OpenAI, and we look at what's behind a run on red yarn.