The Fed vs. AI inflation

Ah, the duality of AI. Spending on the technology is boosting economic growth, yes, but it’s also driving up inflation. (In case you were too distracted by Jensen-Huang-enfreude, wholesale inflation was up 6.5% YoY in October.) What’s the Fed — which hasn’t met its 2% inflation goal in over five years — to do? In this episode, how the central bank might be thinking about AI ahead of its next meeting. Plus: Nvidia execs are likely getting very, very prepared for next week’s earnings call and private equity gets its paws on more and more food and beverage chains. 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:Nvidia this, Nvidia that — doesn't anyone want to talk about inflation data?What will happen at Nvidia's impending earnings call?This retired HR worker never expected to start an art business in HawaiiThe AI boom has handed the Fed an inflation problem that rate hikes may not fixFrom cookies to sandwiches, private equity is digging into restaurants

Big Tech’s AI revolution is in limbo after the resignation of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. A giant among tech world giants, Huang played an immeasurable role in the global trajectory of artificial intelligence. What will the chipmaker — and the company so powerful it’s often referred to as AI’s central bank — do without its longtime leader? We’ll discuss. Plus: Tariffs continue to fuel inflation, JetBlue adds first-class tickets, and Bloomberg builds its own consumer price tracker.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:Is Nvidia "too big to fail"?Even as they stabilize, tariffs continue to drive up pricesA growing Wyoming town faces a housing development crossroadsAfter teacher burnout, she stitched together a new career as a fabric store ownerJetBlue adds first-class seats to boost profitsBloomberg built its own high-frequency version of the consumer price index

First-time jobless claims — that’s the number of people who filed for unemployment in a given week — are at a 57-year low. Sounds good, right? Sure, except changes to the unemployment insurance system have narrowed the pool of eligible recipients. And it doesn’t include the rising long-term unemployment rate. So the question is, are jobless claims a reliable economic indicator anymore? Also in this episode: War in the Middle East gives U.S. LNG producers a leg up, the Nashville Symphony recieves critical support from an unlikely source, and AI investors have their eyes glued to CoreWeave earnings.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:What is CoreWeave and why is the stock market rising and falling on its earnings?How the Iran War is transforming the liquefied natural gas industryWhat a record-breaking harvest season looks like for one Iowa farmerNashville's symphony orchestra needed saving when Big Tech stepped inDo low jobless claims tell an accurate story anymore?Faced with a return-to-office mandate, she started her own business instead

Inflation is still running hot, according to the latest CPI report on consumer prices. In October, costs were up 0.4% from the previous month, 0.3% without food or energy. Economists say its a sign those high gas prices have permeated this economy, indirectly raising the cost of just about everything else. The good news? Crude oil, gas, and diesel prices are actually starting to fall. We’ll break down why. Plus: Retailers try to block AI shopping agents and some Americans avoid spending their retirement savings.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 remains stubbornly high across the economyOil, gas, and diesel prices are declining — but not all for the same reasonAI agents are here to help with your online shopping (where they're allowed)Americans are saving for retirement. But are they spending enough?The day after retirement, this Illinois couple opened their own apple orchard

It’s a common trope in Big Tech: an iconic CEO, interchangable with the brand itself. Jobs and Apple, Zuckerberg and Meta, Altman and OpenAI. Nvidia is no exception — its leather jacket-clad CEO Jensen Huang has superstar status among Silicon Valley elites. So what happens when that image is shattered? In this episode, celebrity CEOs come with steep consequences for a business and its investors. Plus: Mortgage rates decline modestly in the wake of the midterms and young consumers give new meaning to “Made in China” labels.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:Charismatic CEOs can be a huge asset — until they’re notMortgage rates are down sharply since mid-OctoberRising costs pushed this candy company owner to sell"Made in China" doesn't mean what it used toDisability made her leave her job, but a business opportunity waited on the other side

The U.S. labor market added 165,000 jobs in October, which was more than expected. An uptick in white-collar hiring was particularly surprising. Sure, unemployment remains stuck just above 4%, but more jobs is a step in the right direction. Plus: Declining foreign ownership of U.S. Treasurys contributes to rising yield rates, more friends are co-homebuying in this unaffordable housing market, and we recap the post-election 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.Read the stories in today’s episode:How the economy looks post-midtermsLatest jobs report shows a white-collar hiring turnaroundForeign governments own fewer Treasurys these days. That's pushing interest rates upWant to buy a house with friends? This Colorado group did itWhat if you don't have to find another job?

A bunch of American oil companies announce quarterly earnings this time of year, and they’re doing pretty well. Oil prices are up and crude production hit a record high last week. Will a strong 2026 mean more capital investment in 2027? That remains to be seen. Also in this episode: Companies swap their stock exchange affiliation, AI floods academic journal submissions, and one family leaves a life in Idaho to protect their trans daughter.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:U.S. oil companies post billions in Q3 profits as crude production hits record levelWhy do companies switch stock exchanges?AI in academic journal submissions is hurting the credibility of research itself'Tis the season for cookie decorating classes — and TikTok videosWhy this family is leaving Idaho for good

Treasury yields have been climbing over the past year, which affects the cost of all sorts of borrowing, including mortgages. Treasury is a fancy word for government debt — a government that just got a ton of new lawmakers. So, will a Democratic-led Congress reverse that upward yield trajectory? We’ll explain. Also in this episode: Property tax ballot measures divide voters, data center opposition forges bipartisan bonds in Alabama, and school cafeterias face financial strain.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 this week's election results can impact the bond market — and interest ratesWyoming and Florida voters come to different conclusions on property tax reformData center opposition is forging unlikely bipartisan alliances in AlabamaFree school lunch is no longer on the menu for many kids. It's one of many strains on cafeterias

The September Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey from the BLS is out, and things in this labor market are mostly unchanged, although quits were up a bit. Still, economists are clear: Now is not the time to leave your job without another one lined up. Also in this episode: That stiff labor market may be hampering productivity, warehousing costs are up as retailers scramble for the holidays, and pro baseball faces a lockout in 2027.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:What continued productivity growth might say about this economyQuits ticked up in September, but economists say it’s still a terrible time to leave your jobSometimes leaving the workforce turns into a labor of loveWhy warehouse space is getting harder and more expensive to come byCompanies invest big in pet food researchMLB players look to defend free labor market as owners push for a salary cap

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is issuing $6.7 billion worth of bonds in Europe. That’s about €6 billion. Meta is reportedly considering a similar move. In this episode, we explain the pros and cons of Big Tech selling debt on the European market. Plus: AI agents transform the travel industry, Kai tours a satellite factory in Southern California, and the low-fire, low-hire, weak-wage-growth trifecta persists ahead of the October jobs report.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:Jobs data has see-sawed lately. What can we expect for October?What role will AI play in travel and hospitality?Is bigger better? Why these brothers are trying to build satellites at scaleWhy Alphabet and other big tech firms are raising money in eurosIn San Francisco, real estate has reached eye-popping prices