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Bytes: Week in Review - Micron's big earnings, Oracle's data center woes and "slop" is Merriam-Webster's word of the year Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

Building artificial intelligence tools requires a lot of graphic processing units, and those GPUs need huge amounts of ultra-fast memory to feed them data. Micron Technology is one of a handful of memory chip makers that has been selling a whole lot of memory, thanks to the AI boom.

Plus, cloud company Oracle's data center debt is coming under scrutiny. And Merriam-Webster names the word of the year for 2025: slop.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Anita Ramaswamy, columnist at The Information, to learn more on this week’s Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review.

That CPI report got a Black Friday discount Dec 18, 2025

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November inflation data came in lower than expected, according to the latest CPI report. But we can’t compare it to the previous month, since the BLS skipped several October reports. And data collection began late thanks to the shutdown, right in the middle of retailers’ Black Friday sales. In this episode, key caveats to the November CPI. Plus: Experts cautiously predict a more balanced housing market in 2026, tech stocks take a hit as data center debt climbs, and a growing number of politicians reject economists’ expertise.

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.

Can we fix America’s long-term care system? Dec 18, 2025

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Long-term care is expensive in the United States. With Medicaid spending cuts looming and the Trump administration’s deportation plans threatening the caregiving workforce, the system is under even more pressure. On today’s show, Allison Hoffman, health law expert at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School, joins Kimberly to unpack why the caregiving industry suffers from chronic labor shortages and how the U.S. could finance long-term care differently to make it more affordable.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

"What Role Do Immigrants Play in The Direct Long-Term Care Workforce?" from KFF
"Trump’s deportation plans threaten 400,000 direct care jobs: Older adults and people with disabilities could lose vital in-home support" from Economic Policy Institute
"A brief history of Medicaid and America’s long struggle to establish a health care safety net" from The Conversation
"The age-old problem of long-term care" from MIT News
"Solving the Home Care Quandary" from The New York Times

Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The president shares his thoughts on the economy Dec 18, 2025

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In his 19-minute address to the nation last night, President Donald Trump argued that he inherited a mess from former President Biden; the president claimed he'd made historic improvements to the lives of Americans over the past 11 months. Today, we'll dig into the claims — from the accurate, to the misleading, and the wrong. Also on the show: how scammers are using AI-generated ads to trick shoppers.

What will the job market hold in 2026? Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

As the year draws to a close, it's clear that the post-COVID hiring bonanza has ended, and job-hunting has gotten trickier. Experts are predicting next year to be marked by more of the same: a low-hire, low-fire labor market. Plus, the Nasdaq asks the SEC for permission to allow close to 24/7 trading, and a federal appeals court is blocking the firing of most workers at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

European farmers take to the streets Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

From the BBC World Service: The European Union says it's close to agreeing a trade deal with the South American economic bloc Mercosur, which represents Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The agreement covers all aspects of trade, but the most controversial area is agriculture. Farmers have been protesting because they fear a glut of cheap imports. Then, the European Commission unveiled its first-ever roadmap for tackling a Europe-wide housing affordability crisis earlier this week. We'll discuss it with the EU's housing Commissioner.

The challenges of integrating ads in AI search engines Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Search engines, social media, e-commerce, and mobile games all make money by selling advertising. But making ads work in AI search might not be so straight forward. Perplexity, for instance, reportedly pulled back on plans to integrate ads into their AI search engine. And internal documents showed the company made only $20,000 in ad revenue in the fourth quarter last year.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Garrett Johnson, professor of marketing at Boston University to get a sense of why jumping into the ad business is difficult.

Oil flow or oil freeze? Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

A U.S. blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers may sound disruptive, but global oil is plentiful, and Gulf Coast refiners remain tied to Venezuela’s heavy crude after decades of investment. If sanctions are lifted and Venezuelan oil flows again, it could benefit refiners and drivers alike. Also in this episode: why bank deposits are growing, how the Gap staged a successful turnaround, and where trade workers are experimenting with AI.

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.

How are your wages comparing to inflation? Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

We get a firehose of economic data this week. As these numbers come in, one thing is becoming clearer: Wage gains are stalling, and inflation has been heating up. What's that mean for affordability and consumers? Then, we check on oil prices after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers. Plus, we bring you the second part of our conversation with June Hagin, a night shift worker at a West Harlem Christmas tree lot.

The life of a Christmas tree seller Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

It's an annual tradition in New York City: Each December, pedestrians fight for walking room on sidewalks populated by lush firs and frasers. Staffed by seasonal workers, these Christmas tree lots are often open 24 hours a day. We visited one of these tree stands on a sidewalk in West Harlem just after midnight to learn about the biz. But first, holiday season retail sales numbers out yesterday from the Census Bureau were unexpectedly flat.

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