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Why it feels like you can't keep up Aug 18, 2026

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The average worker in the U.S. who stayed in their job between 2021 and 2024 saw their wages decline by 9% after inflation, a new paper finds. While the gap between wage growth and inflation is smaller now, that doesn’t undo the bad news of a few years ago. And this decline in real wages may be at the root of poor consumer sentiment. Plus, some Vermont businesses are offering steep discounts to lure back Canadian tourists.

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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.

Stories covered in this episode:

As space launches increase, there aren't enough spaceports Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

More than 100 rockets took off into orbit from Florida’s Space Coast last year — a new record. And with more rockets taking flight each year, the availability of launch sites is becoming a bottleneck for the growing space industry.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to make it easier for space companies to build new spaceports to make way for the increasing number of rocket launches. The agency has proposed waiving some environmental requirements for space launch. Daniel Ackerman has been reporting on the space industry as part of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT.

How do claw machines work? Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Today, we’re resharing an episode that’s perfect for a summer listen. We’re answering Maddox’s question about what happens to your quarter when you put it inside a claw machine. It just zips away! Ryan and Bridget talk to an expert who lets them peek inside a claw machine to find out where that quarter goes. After getting some tips on how to win at the claw, Bridget gets a little too hung up on trying to win a stuffie, leaving it up to Ryan to bring her back to reality (shocking, we know).

Consumer sentiment takes a tumble Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Consumer spending fell in early August, according to preliminary results from the University of Michigan’s survey. July retail sales were down, and the average price of gas is nearing a record high for August. In today’s episode, we look at how consumers could be cutting discretionary spending as a result. Also, we’ll look at why China’s economy may be in trouble, the value of GDP as a statistic, fake business registrations in Colorado, Reddit joining the S&P 500, and the global plastics industry.

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:

A "Silk Road" in the Arctic? Aug 17, 2026

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China, the world's second-largest economy, sent several cargo ships through an Arctic route over the weekend, along waters hugging Russia's northern coast. The two countries are trying out a path that could become a new shipping lane from China's East Coast to the largest port in the U.K. — one that could avoid U.S.-controlled choke points for trade. But first, big retailers will report quarterly earnings this week. What could they tell us about the U.S. economy?

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 featured in this episode:

Could an Arctic shipping route transform global trade?

Oil prices up as ceasefire deal expires Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Get used to paying higher gas prices — they’re the cost of curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions. That was the message from President Donald Trump at a rally on Friday. Today, the temporary ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran expires, and ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is now essentially halted. We'll have the latest. Plus, the $46 billion tribal gambling industry lacks a leader, and that could hamper business growth and 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.

Stories featured in this episode:

What happens when a $46 billion industry doesn't have a leader?

Can an AI music company make nice with human artists? Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Suno, an AI music company, wants to partner with independent artists by launching an incubator program called Suno Spark. This program will provide grants, marketing support and, of course, Suno AI tools to unsigned musicians.

Tatiana Cirisano, vice president of music strategy at MIDiA Research, which consults in entertainment, discusses more on this.

Retail feels the squeeze Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

In the Commerce Department’s retail sales report for July, sales at stores of all kinds were down 0.6%, when a modest increase in sales had been expected. Though some discretionary purchases are up, consumers are certainly tightening their belts. Also in this episode, we look at the decline of Etsy, how businesses near the Canadian border are dealing with fewer visitors, and the staying power of Candy Crush.

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:

Retail sales fell unexpectedly in July Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Forecasters predicted we’d see a slight increase in retail sales in July, but instead, Census Bureau data released this morning revealed a significant drop. As high energy prices persist and tax refunds run out, it appears that consumers have begun to pull back. Should we be worried? Plus: 200 Nebraskans have lost Medicaid coverage in the first wave of terminations under the government’s new “work requirements.” Many more Americans may soon follow.

Stories featured in today’s episode:

Roughly 200 people in Nebraska lost Medicaid on Aug. 1

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.

Why the U.S. is nearly $2 trillion in the red this year Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

The federal budget picture for 2026 is not looking too hot. Just in July, the government borrowed $432 billion — that’s $14 billion a day. We explain what’s behind the record-breaking national debt, and what it would take to pay it back. Then, we explore how relentless heat waves in Italy are creating dire conditions for the country’s cheese banks — yes, literal banks, where wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are held as collateral.

Stories featured in today’s episode:

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.

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