May CPI: glass half-empty, glass half-full

Today, we’re featuring an episode from the new season of “How We Survive.” Could dimming the sun be the key to cooling things down before the climate crisis worsens? Some scientists say yes, that we can cool the earth by launching tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. It’s a type of solar geoengineering that was once seen as preposterous, meant to exist only in the pages of a sci-fi novel. But now, it’s a reality. To find out for ourselves, we travel to Northern California where two entrepreneurs are launching sulfur-filled balloons from the top of stacked shipping containers. Later, we talk with scientists on both sides of this issue to find out if solar geoengineering could help prevent catastrophic tipping points or introduce a whole new slew of cascading consequences.

SpaceX went public Friday, with much pomp and circumstance. Investors are already buying and selling the company’s stock — well, some investors. Employees, early investors, and Elon Musk all held SpaceX stock pre-IPO. Now, the company will supervise when and how they can sell it off. In this episode, we explain why. Plus: An unlikely city tops list of best metro areas for recent college grads, an AI chatbot helps one reporter sell his house, and we break down the week’s economic headlines.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.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all three economists we asked say gas prices are due for another hike this summer. The war in Iran continues to drain oil reserves in the U.S. and abroad, and eventually prices will have to match growing supply-demand tension. (Yes, that’s even if the war ends today.) Also in this episode: Bond investors expect inflation to stick around for a while, a trio of upcoming IPOs will barely put a dent in total market cap, and Kansas City short-term rental demand disappoints as World Cup kicks off.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.

The May CPI report dropped Wednesday and it’s a doozy: Inflation rose 4.2% over the last 12 months. This means wallet pressure is bearing down on consumers, as wage growth lags behind price growth. On the other hand, the CPI report includes signals that inflation may have reached its peak. In this episode, an optimist’s and pessimist’s reading of the latest inflation data. Plus: Slowing immigration will have long-term effects on the U.S. economy, and summer camps shift to accommodate anxious teens.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.

Bank of America advised investors late last week that too many red flags pointed to a market peak, and that it was time to “take profits.” In plain English? The stock market could see a downward turn soon, so it may be time to sell. In this episode, why tell investors to sell? Plus: Ongoing war in Iran strengthens oil and gas outlooks, we check in on foreign trade zones operating under new Trump-era rules, and packaged food brands face myriad potential headwinds.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.

Averages wages grew 3.4% year over year, but at the same time, inflation as measured by the consumer price index, has been eating away at those gains. Workers don’t want to lose purchasing power — rising inflation will feel like a pay cut — but the Fed may see things a bit differently. Plus: Home cooks are a bright spot in Campbell’s soup sales, the owner of Vimeo, AOL, and WeTransfer files for an IPO, and a former diplomat rehabs old movie theaters.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.

Growing health insurance premiums, particularly for plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, have been in the headlines as cuts to Medicaid roll out nationwide. But healthcare deductibles are also growing — and with them, the group of Americans who have insurance but can’t afford to use it. Also in this episode: The hospitality industry adds jobs in May, a jeweler in California mines his own gold, and we recap the week’s economic headlines.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.

Oil inventories have fallen drastically since President Trump launched the war against Iran. But it’s not because we’re suddenly using more fuel. Instead, the U.S. is exporting much more oil than usual — to places that can’t get enough with the Strait of Hormuz blocked. All this will have knock-on effects for oil prices in the U.S. for months to come. Plus: Investors want to yank more money from private credit firms, your social media algorithim is likely full of “stealth ads,” and we visit the elk antler market in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.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.

For a while now, we’ve talked to small business owners who say they want to hire more employees, but aren’t in a financial position to do it, can’t find qualified applicants, or are too concerned about the economy to make the jump. But two new reports show small business hiring picked up this spring. In this episode, whether that’s a blip or the start of a positive trend. Plus: An AI prescription renewal tool is launched in Utah, Macy’s tries to turn things around, and we visit a river in the Pacific Northwest with two aging bridges at risk of collapse.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.

Massive Medicaid cuts, including new work requirements, are rolling out across the country. Trouble filing paperwork will be one reason qualifying Americans lose their coverage. In this episode, what history tells us about cutting Medicaid funding. Plus: Personal incomes are falling, consumers are prioritizing value over luxury, and we explain incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s preferred inflation measure.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.