Marketplace

The yield on a 30-year Treasury bond has been hovering above 5% for a couple weeks — the longest stretch since the Great Recession. One reason is Treasury bonds are competing with Big Tech debt. We’ll explain, with help from one reporter’s shady gym membership deal. Also in this episode: AT&T attributes strong earnings to service bundles, a customs broker updates us on shipping logistics amid tariff changes, and Kai explains why Fed economists want to keep inflation expectations "anchored."

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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:

30-year Treasury yields stick above 5%
China's consumer economy is losing steam
AT&T's service bundles make for an earnings boon
Inside the "tariff whirlpool" with a brokerage manager
What “anchored inflation expectations” mean for the Fed

Anthropic settled a copyright case Monday, agreeing to pay out $1.5 billion to authors whose material had been scraped to train its AI chatbot. It comes out to roughly $3,000 per work used after legal fees and other costs. But the outcome isn’t as decisive as it seems. In this episode, what Anthropic’s decision to settle means for future AI copyright cases. Plus: What we lose when we rely on digital downloads, why Jersey Mike’s is soaring while Subway slumps, and how small business owners are handling higher trucking costs.

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:

How business owners are grappling with higher trucking costs
Jersey Mike's filed to go public. What advantages does it have over other sandwich chains?
A GM vehicle will set you back around $52,000. Here's why that's higher than average.
In the digital era, what media do we still own?
Anthropic pays $1.5 billion to settle a copyright case
Breckenridge's dark night skies are dreamy — but they come at a cost

Blink and you’d miss it — gas prices cooled earlier this summer as the Iran war reached a ceasefire, but the national average is back up to $4 a gallon, according to AAA. In this episode, will U.S.-Iran negotiations drive fuel prices even higher? Plus: Starter home supply eases in some parts of the country, regional bank earnings reveal what’s going on in the consumer economy, and Kai discusses changes to the Fed under Chair Kevin Warsh.

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:

Gas prices hit $4 a gallon again
Regional bank earnings will tell us a lot about the health of the economy
All engines go as U.S. shipping speeds up
Starter home supply is starting to pick up, particularly in the South
For this Texas park worker, home is about the location — not the house

The short answer is no, the Chevron-Iraq deal won’t solve the problem. So why did the U.S.-based energy company sign a vague, preliminary deal to negotiate a pipeline that circumvents the Strait of Hormuz? It’s another sign that energy firms expect the war with Iran to drag on. Also in this episode: Talent managers represent more social media influencers as sponsored content spending grows, a food critic delivers the history of iconic Las Vegas buffets, and the U.S. experiences a fun shortage.

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 softening. Can it last with war and tariffs?
Chevron seeks new route to transport oil from Iraq
The professionals behind that sponcon on your feed
The economics behind America’s fun shortage
The Las Vegas buffet, from 1946 to today

The White House has proposed new tariffs on 60 countries that allegedly aren’t doing enough to ban forced labor. Domestic businesses, already burned from last year’s trade war, are bracing for more hurt. In this episode, companies weigh early orders against rising costs. Plus: Recent positive inflation data could convince the Fed to hold interest rates steady, Kroger buys Giant Eagle in ongoing effort to unseat Walmart as the supermarket market-share king, and parents sacrifice to put their kids through youth sports.

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 from today’s episode:

Retailers map out tariff strategies
The Fed digests an optimistic week for economic data
Traditional supermarkets are struggling. Kroger hopes its Giant Eagle merger will help
Business Botox: What it takes to sell a luxury home
Youth sports have turned into a five-figure-a-year commitment for many parents