American oil giant Chevron plans to funnel $7 billion into its Venezuela operations over the next five years, with a goal of more than doubling its production in the country. In this episode, we explain what Chevron has to gain from the deal and why other oil companies are hesitant to follow. After that: Can zero job growth be part of a healthy labor market? Are diesel prices affecting railroad freighting demand? And, will better-fitted windows turn into energy savings?

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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.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Chevron's $7 billion bet on Venezuelan oil
• Can zero job growth really be a sign of a healthy labor market?
• How the cost of childcare pushed this twin mom out of the labor force
• Why more companies are choosing trains over trucks for shipping
• "Buy now, pay later" loans creep into essentials for many consumers
• Your house's windows are probably leaky. Replacing them saves on utility bills

The average cost of a gallon of diesel was $5.68 on Wednesday — just 13 cents shy of a record high. Tariffs and ongoing wars are both to blame. But so is a seasonal upswing that happens every fall. In this episode, why diesel prices are likely going to get even steeper before they cool off. Plus: A computer model helps make the case for fewer mandated parking spots in city construction projects, Uber wants to shrink its middle management, and Alaska families celebrate dipnetting season.

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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.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Why high diesel prices are coming at a particularly bad time
• What it takes to reopen 19 months after a wildfire
• Uber lays off 10% of their workforce to make the company "simpler and faster"
• To spur more housing construction, Denver changed its parking rules
• Male loneliness epidemic? Try economic loneliness epidemic
• In Alaska, dipnetting for salmon is about more than what’s caught

Bond yields jumped to multi-decade highs in some countries this week, as market anxiety about inflation and the Iran war grows. The U.S. is not exempt from this turmoil. Borrowing rates could balloon, affecting the Fed and your wallet. We’ll explain. Also in this episode: The labor market barely budges in July job openings and labor turnover data, U.S. solar energy storage capacity nearly doubles under President Trump, and Reddit becomes valuable internet real estate in the age of AI.

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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.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Rising global bond yields will put pressure on U.S. interest rates, too
• The labor market in July showed very little movement
• For this Mississippi barge line, labor is more of a concern than tariffs
• Why solar energy storage capacity has nearly doubled since Trump took office
• "The heart of the internet": AI has marketers flocking to Reddit
• From medicine to HVAC: one entrepreneur's journey

In Texas oil country, September usually marks the beginning of maintenance season. But with refineries running at near-100% capacity to meet increased demand, this fall might look a bit different. In this episode, can the global oil market weather an even tighter supply squeeze? Plus: Fed watchers expect an interest rate hike in September despite Trump’s opposition, U.S. consumers keep up spending in the face of mediocre jobs data, and ski resorts hoard snow for the warmish winter.

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:

• Why interest rate expectations are pointing north
• The 'meh' job market hasn't slowed consumer spending much
• Inside the business of selling people their own family photo albums
• After a disastrous foray into real estate, this first-time buyer didn't let fear hold her back
• Can U.S. refineries afford to slow down for maintenance season?
• Ski resorts keep some snow in the bank this summer

It’s been more than a year since the Trump administration intensified ICE raids in immigrant communities across the U.S. Latino entreprenuers say the toll on their businesses has been worse than the pandemic. In this episode, the ongoing economic harm caused by Trump’s relentless deportation agenda. Plus: Small businesses grapple with more tariff uncertainty, Canada posts strong GDP growth, and we break down Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s first Jackson Hole speech.

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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.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Was that forward guidance we just heard from the Fed Chair?
• Canada's economy is growing as it heads to a trade war with the U.S.
• Tariff uncertainty means halted production for this camping chair company
• Immigration enforcement leaves Latino businesses struggling for months
• How a 21-foot-tall space cowboy has revitalized a strip of Route 66

The NFL is back in a couple weeks, and so is artificial turf. Several NFL stadiums rolled out the green carpet this summer for World Cup matches, which are mandated to be played on grass. For the 92% of NFL players who prefer the real stuff, it’s proof-of-concept — and could become a players union bargaining objective come 2030. Also in this episode: Nvidia announces eye-popping long-term revenue expectations, retail inventories tick up, and we weigh a tax on robot labor.

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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.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• America's shelves are filling up
• Nvidia expects revenue to grow by 70% over the next year
• Football is back. So is the turf — and players aren't happy
• Could an AI tax disincentivize human layoffs?
• For specialty food importer, tariffs are still front and center
• For three generations, this family has kept up business along Route 66

Another month, another PCE report that put annual core inflation meaningfully above the Fed’s 2% target. The central bank has been fighting high inflation for more than five years now. At a certain point, you might start to wonder, does the Fed even have the power to fix it? Also in this episode: Consumer confidence falls, transportation durable goods orders tick up, and Arizona’s Great Recession-era bid to save the state budget offers insight into how AI might change our tax structure.

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:

• Inflation is stuck above 2%. Can the Fed really do anything about it?
• Consumers are pessimistic about the next six months
• How Arizona's "Capitol-ism" points to a potential tax fix for the AI age
• What's driving an increase in orders for transportation equipment?
• Running a historic motel off Route 66 is no easy pursuit
• The Gila River Indian Community "walks the walk" on water conservation

If artificial intelligence really does replace human labor, the U.S. could be in for a tax revenue crisis. That’s because high unemployment shrinks the pool of taxable wages. In this episode, we visit Akron, Ohio — the former tire capital of the world — to learn what happens when lost jobs snowball into lost government funding. Plus: Economists hope for cake but will settle for crumbs in Fed Chair Warsh’s Jackson Hole Symposium speech, and a new plan for Colorado River drought management draws backlash.

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:

• Will Fed Chair Warsh actually say anything in his big Friday speech?
• Two years after Hurricane Helene, Asheville Tea Company finds a new home
• What Akron's rubber bust can teach us about a possible AI tax crisis
• The new Colorado River plan is out, and it's already under fire

Fuel hasn’t been touched in the trade clash between the U.S. and Canada (yet). It’s probably because the countries have an interdependent energy relationship — American refineries rely on Canadian crude; 90% of Canadian crude exports go to the U.S. But as tensions escalate, we started to wonder: Is Canada looking for alternative buyers? Also in this episode: Imported Mexican cattle could temporarily ease beef prices, Walmart bucks inflation trend by announcing grocery price cuts, and suburbia embraces factory-built homes.

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 U.S.-Canada trade fight has not touched oil ... yet
• While grocery costs rise, Walmart announces price cuts
• Manufactured housing, coming to a suburb near you
• Will importing beef help bring down prices?
• The behavioral economics of drought management

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 1.8 million Americans have been actively looking for a fulltime job for more than 27 weeks. That’s over six months. In this episode, two people tell us what it’s like to navigate a never-ending job search. Plus: A surge in lone star ticks threatens the cattle industry, McDonald’s keeps huge amounts of data on frequent customers, and the national debt passes that $40 trillion threshold.

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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.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

• The national debt hits $40 trillion
• Ticks increasingly threaten the health and livelihood of ranchers
• An Alabama cattle farm with a bird-tourism side hustle
• “Put me in, coach”: Navigating long-term unemployment in the low-hire economy
• How the McDonald's mobile app compiled 515-page dossier on one reporter

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s buyback of long-term bonds was a bit of a letdown this week — the interest rates barely budged. The Treasury’s next move in its quest to rein in the national debt will be to issue a ton more short-term securities. But that might not be such a good idea, either. In this episode, we’ll catch you up on the bond market turmoil. Plus: Multifamily construction permits are a housing bright spot, the Fed’s favorite inflation measure is due for a methodology change, and two craft-focused small business owners share the view from their economy.

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:

• "Buying a house with a credit card": The Treasury's plan to finance the national debt
• The Fed's preferred measure of inflation is changing
• As central bank bigwigs gather in Jackson Hole, local businesses carry on
• Builders bet on multifamily housing — but only in certain places