Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 7h

Battery manufacturers were building their infrastructure to support the production of electric vehicles. But with EV sales slowing down, partially due to the end of the EV tax credit, battery providers are looking to pivot.

Battery makers look to grid storage as market for electric vehicles slows

Companies that make the high-capacity batteries that usually end up in EVs are now shifting focus to supplying data centers and storage for energy producers.

www.marketplace.org

1 9

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 8h

As small businesses struggle to deal with tariffs and inflation, many of those costs are being pushed onto consumers. And with limited pricing power, that means small businesses are “on the defensive more than they’ve been since the end of the Cold War.”

Many small businesses have already raised prices, or plan to soon

The latest NFIB survey of small businesses found nearly a quarter of small businesses raised prices last month. And nearly a third plan to do so in the next three months.

www.marketplace.org

2 11

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 10h

Consumers and small business owners may be increasingly blue, but big banks are thriving. Plus: Battery makers, romance novels and an Airbnb.

Today on Marketplace.

Big banks' boom time

Consumers and small business owners may be increasingly blue, but big banks are thriving. Plus: Battery makers, romance novels and an Airbnb.

mktplc.org

2 9

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 14h

The number of mergers and acquisitions completed so far in 2025 is pretty low compared to the past decade or so, but the value of the deals that have gone through has definitely made up for the decline. And those bigger deals have some different goals from smaller mergers.

Megadeals have driven most merger and acquisition activity this year

Big companies are thinking that in a time of economic uncertainty, bigger is better.

www.marketplace.org

3 6

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 15h

🏆 What a crew! Congrats to Sabri Ben-Achour, Stephanie Hughes, Amy Scott, Stephanie Siek and the rest of the team for bringing home a National Edward R. Murrow Award for their continuing coverage of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

Revisit their work at mktplc.org/46PFB9A.

22

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 16h

With the shutdown entering its third week, there’s been speculation about whether or not furloughed workers will be receiving backpay. What’s not in question is that contract workers will not. And that’s not just defense contractors — it’s also janitors, security guards, and cafeteria workers.

Government shutdown could hit contract workers especially hard

As the government shutdown wears on, federal employees have begun to miss paychecks. But contract workers at government facilities face different repercussions.

www.marketplace.org

3 11

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 19h

Break-even employment, the number of new jobs needed on a monthly basis to balance out the number of job seekers, has dropped significantly from just a few years ago. That could be because of a decline in migration to the U.S., but that also means job growth has dropped with it.

Why "break-even" employment has seen a dramatic shift

Break-even employment is a sort of balance figure between the number of job seekers and the number of jobs available.

www.marketplace.org

5

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 21h

Expectations for annualized GDP growth have risen from 1.3 percent, as predicted earlier this summer, to 1.8 percent. That’s mainly the result of a reduction in imports and capital investment in AI data centers, but some economists say the growth isn’t sustainable.

GDP growth seems to be picking up steam

But it might be a product of businesses holding back on imports after going on an import binge earlier this year to avoid tariffs.

www.marketplace.org

3

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 1d

President Trump announced an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods last Friday, clarifying later in the weekend that “it will all be fine” while urging Americans not to worry. It’s unclear if the tariff will be levied, and that’s not reassuring for many business owners.

How are businesses responding to threat of new China tariffs?

Businesses have been dealing with tariff uncertainty since April, and it's starting to wear some of them down.

www.marketplace.org

4 10

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 1d

"Save your receipts" is good advice in general, but especially helpful if you're gambling in Las Vegas.

David Brancaccio shares an important tip from his recent reporting trip in Las Vegas.

Find more from David on the ground in Sin City at marketplace.org/sin-city-slump.

19

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 1d

Import-reliant businesses struggle as more tariffs are threatened. Plus: an LA costume designer, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ reference week, and break-even employment.

Today on Marketplace.

Trump's tariffs take a toll

Import-reliant businesses struggle as more tariffs are threatened. Plus: an LA costume designer, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ reference week, and break-even employment.

mktplc.org

6

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 1d

SNAP assistance not only supports individuals and families, but also the grocery stores they patronize. But in early October, the USDA directed states to change the program’s eligibility requirements and funding by November 1, and the tight turnaround could leave some loose threads.

SNAP is about to undergo some big changes

Earlier this month, the USDA notified states they need to make big changes to SNAP eligibility, work requirements, and who’s covering all the costs.

mktplc.org

1 5

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 1d

When Esmé noticed her dad suddenly staying home from work, she had questions. Her dad is one of the hundreds of thousands of workers sent home because of the government shutdown.

But what is a government shutdown anyway? In a special bonus episode of "Million Bazillion," we explain what’s going on.

What is a government shutdown?

Family movie night might help explain it!

mktplc.org

2 5

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 1d

For his first teaching, the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church opted to focus on the gap between the rich and the poor.

We dive deeper into the pope’s teaching, which calls into question some basic tenets of mainstream economics.

The pope calls on Catholics to take on economic inequality

Pope Leo XIV’s first teaching called on Catholics to engage with and help solve poverty.

mktplc.org

1 4 17

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 2d

The Essential Air Service program provides critical transportation assistance to rural communities, but its over $550 million per year cost has been the subject of recent debate. Some transportation experts say the money could be better spent on bus routes.

As Congress weighs rural air subsidies ... what about rural bus service?

Taxpayer-funded Essential Air Service ensures people in remote communities can get to family engagements and medical appointments.

www.marketplace.org

1 5 12

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 2d

Caitlin Lenahan is one of around 1.1 million Americans without running water. But in Alaska, where even homes near urban areas sometimes lack plumbing, running water can be more trouble than it's worth.

Living in a “dry cabin” in interior Alaska

Many homes in Alaska lack running water — even those near urban areas. “You get used to it pretty fast,” said resident Caitlin Lenahan.

mktplc.org

3 10

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 3d

Sports betting is taking off, even in places where it's not exactly legal. That's thanks to the emergence of prediction markets, where users can place bets on anything they can come up with.

Prediction markets are playing sports, but don't call it betting

Sports on prediction markets are not subject to regulation from state sports betting authorities, but that could change.

mktplc.org

1 4

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 3d

The last time we checked in with Virginia’s Elden Street Tea Shop in July, owner Rachel Rozner was still trying to absorb tariff costs. Now, she‘s had to pass some of those costs off to her customers, but she’s holding on to one last hope: the Supreme Court decision.

Navigating tariffs feels like a "cat-and-mouse game" for this tea shop owner

Tariffs have raised the prices that tea shop owner Rachel Rozner pays. She’s now passing some of those costs on to customers.

mktplc.org

2 9

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 3d

Why are U.S. taxes so difficult? What started as one man's dream to cure overbites with clarinet lessons has evolved into a complicated system of tax credits that can save you money, if you know how to navigate it.

Why U.S. taxes are so complicated (plus, a case for clarinet lessons)

The U.S. tax code is filled loopholes — credits, write-offs, exceptions and exemptions. This complicated system is costly and time-consuming for taxpayers. And it’s pretty unique to the U.S.

mktplc.org

12

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 4d

EVs had their strongest quarterly U.S. sales in recorded history at over 438,000 vehicles, mostly driven by the elimination of the EV tax credit. That boosted auto sales in general, but that's not expected to last now that the credit is gone.

Driven by EVs, auto sales were strong in Q3. The momentum is unlikely to last.

The end of federal EV tax credits jazzed overall sales in July, August and September. But with EV sales likely to plummet, the industry faces increasing headwinds.

www.marketplace.org

1 3 8

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 4d

Prediction markets like Kalshi are seeing major investment. Plus: Subsidized air travel, auto sales, and a “dry” cabin.

Today on Marketplace.

The deal with "back door" betting

Prediction markets like Kalshi are seeing major investment. Plus: Subsidized air travel, auto sales, and a “dry” cabin.

mktplc.org

3

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 4d

It's "tough times" right now for musicians according to Dan Runcie, the founder of music and entertainment research group Trapital. The rise of AI and algorithms has, in some ways, made it more difficult to predict which songs will pick up steam. And that isn't just limited to new artists.

4

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 4d

As of August, the number of visitors to Las Vegas was down 6.7% year over year, especially from the "three Cs" of Canada, China, and California. Some tourists and locals say the two key factors in that decline are increased immigration activity and the trade war.

Trump administration policy is another headwind for Las Vegas economy

And it’s not just tariffs. The immigration crackdown and hardened borders are also hitting the workforce and visitor traffic.

www.marketplace.org

6

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 4d

Travel and economic activity are slowing down in Las Vegas. Is this a big, neon warning sign for the American economy overall? Marketplace Morning Report’s David Brancaccio hit the Strip to find out.

Getting a pulse on the Las Vegas economy

YouTube video by Marketplace APM

youtube.com

1 2 19

Marketplace @marketplace.org · 4d

Federal programs and funding play an important role in Indian Country because of the government’s trust responsibility to provide or fund services to tribal nations in exchange for ceded land. That relationship also means that government shutdowns hit tribes especially hard.

How the government shutdown is playing out in Indian Country

The federal government has a trust responsibility to provide services in tribal communities. Because of that relationship, government shutdowns hit tribes especially hard.

mktplc.org

2