Marketplace Morning Report

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Minnesota's data center debate Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Big hyperscaler data centers are just coming to Minnesota but have already become an issue in the midterm elections. To get a first-hand look at how battle lines are shaping up, Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer traveled to Minnesota’s second congressional district to learn about a lightning-rod data center development there. Also on the program: the kick-off of earnings season, the K-shaped economy, and gloomy consumer sentiment.

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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 featured in this episode:

What's at stake in Minnesota's data center debate

What hospitals can do about healthcare costs Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

High healthcare costs continue to be a top concern for voters ahead of next month's midterm elections. A recent Urban Institute study found that more than one in four adults in the U.S. had medical debt in 2025. In some states, hospitals are experimenting with something called presumptive eligibility, which automatically screens patients for financial assistance needs. We hear more. But first, with rising inflation, consumers pull back where they can.

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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.

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Tensions in the data center capital of the world Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Loudoun County, Virginia, claims the highest concentration of data centers anywhere in the world. Thanks to those data centers, the county’s tax base has swelled. But data centers depreciate over time, meaning the older they are, the less tax revenue they generate. So, to keep the cash flowing, the county has needed to keep approving new ones. Cue the backlash. But first, higher energy prices are starting to really show up in producer inflation data.

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 from this podcast:

"Data Center Alley" in suburban Virginia may be hitting a dead end

Where grocery prices are headed Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Inflation ran 3.7% year over year in September. One kind of bright spot? Grocery prices are only rising at about half the overall rate. But there are signs that high diesel prices are starting to trickle into some of the prices we pay at the checkout. And later this morning: how skyrocketing borrowing costs are affecting developing nations and how CEOs are thinking about AI 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.

What keeps people gambling Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Americans have wagered more than $600 billion on sports since the Supreme Court paved the way for states to legalize sports betting back in 2018. And something like 2.5 million adults have a problem with gambling. This morning, why people keep betting — even when the odds are against them — and what can be done about it. Also in this morning's podcast: a hotter-than-anticipated inflation reading and a continued squeeze on diesel.

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 from this episode:

The behavioral economics behind problematic sports betting

Changes are coming to some seniors' healthcare plans Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Open enrollment for Medicare starts tomorrow. Seniors will have until early December to review their health insurance options for next year and sign up for either a traditional Medicare plan through the federal government or a Medicare Advantage plan through a private insurance company. Thing is, some big insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield are dropping some Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. We have more. Then, are sports betting apps doing enough to help problem gamblers?

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 from this episode:

A small bump in Social Security checks Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Tomorrow, the Social Security Administration will announce their Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and seniors are expected to see a small increase in their monthly checks next year. It could be a meaningful change for struggling retirees: 74% of people on Social Security have reported making financial changes due to rising costs outpacing their benefits. Then, an update on the global bond market.

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.

How a housing recession could impact the economy Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Inflation, war, high borrowing costs, and of course, the Fed’s rate hikes: There’s a lot of reasons why mortgage rates have shot through the roof recently. Because of this, when we get the National Association of Realtors report on existing home sales for September, experts expect to see sales in decline — again. Usually that has a lot of spillover effects on the economy. Is that true today? Then: how much it costs to keep a data center cool.

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.

Outlooks, bank earnings, and a Nobel win Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

To kick off this morning's show, a survey by the National Association for Business Economics shows that economic forecasters predict lingering inflation and higher interest rates. We'll dig into those outlooks. Then, big banks report their financial results this week, and they could give us a sense of how higher interest rates and higher long-term bond yields are working their way through the economy. Plus, we'll hear what this year's Nobel Prize in Economics win means for the field of macroeconomics.

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 from this episode:

Bank earnings this week could offer clues to impact of Fed's rate hike

What it means to win the Nobel Prize in economics Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

Two Americans, Stanford's Robert E. Hall and Columbia's Michael Woodford, have won this year's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and will split the almost $2 million prize for models that help governments maintain stability while navigating big swings in the economy. To mark the occasion, we reached out to a couple of past prize winners to hear how things have been going since. Then, we hear why some schools are paying influencers to lure in new prospects.

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 in this podcast:

Some colleges are paying current students to post on social media

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