Marketplace

After the 2008 housing market crash, new rules required banks hold capital reserves proportional to the home loans they issued. In response, banks issued fewer mortgages and non-banks filled in the gap. Easing those rules — which the Fed is considering — could make it a bit easier for Americans to get a mortgage. Also in this episode: Vaccine research and development suffers under federal funding cuts, home builders give industry sentiment updates, and physical media sees a comeback.

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The White House may roll back steel and aluminum tariffs, according to the Financial Times. Sure, President Donald Trump has announced or enacted tariffs just to reverse course many times. But the difference is steel and aluminum are crucial materials in the production of, well, just about everything. In this episode: How might such a rollback affect your wallet? Plus, market conditions make for a stronger manufacturing sector in 2026, restaurants expand menu offerings that cater to GLP-1 users, and we explain how the Fed actually changes interest rates.

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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.

On Thursday, Feb. 12, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the revocation of the “endangerment finding,” a federal determination that planet-warming emissions harm human health. The Trump administration said the decision will save Americans $1.3 trillion in energy and transportation, but experts are pushing back on that claim. Plus: The rise of concierge medicine and a look into how AI modeling could play a role in your weather forecast.

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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.

When high earners ramp up their spending while low earners pull back, that’s a symptom of a "k-shaped" economy. But what about middle-income households? New evidence shows the middle class is also struggling in comparison to the wealthiest Americans. It’s sort of like a K shape within a K shape. After that: Newer firms are more likely to offer work-from-home options, Washington National Opera has financial reasons for splitting from the Kennedy Center, and we check in with a few small businesses ahead of an upcoming inflation report.

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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.

The January jobs report came out Wednesday, and on the surface, it was better than expected. The economy added more jobs than it has in months and the unemployment rate remained stable. But topline numbers don’t tell the whole story. After that: Trump’s immigration policies weigh on the labor market, Iran tensions cause choppy oil prices, and a new law brings whole milk back to school lunch programs.

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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.