Marketplace All-in-One

Hey Smarties! There won’t be a livestream for “Economics on Tap” today. But don’t worry! “Economics on Tap” will return soon on Feb. 20. For now, we’re sharing a new episode from our friends over at “This Is Uncomfortable.” Enjoy!

Author and journalist Aymann Ismail wants his kids to grow up with a real connection to their Egyptian roots, including speaking Arabic. For his family, that means committing to a private Islamic school — and figuring out how to afford tuition.

“This Is Uncomfortable” host Reema Khrais sits down with Aymann as he walks through his family budget and the financial trade-offs that decision requires. They talk about what’s at stake for him, financially and culturally, and why holding onto Arabic feels especially urgent right now.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And if you want to tell us what you thought about the episode or about a tricky financial decision you’ve made, email us at [email protected] or call 347-RING-TIU. And follow our new social accounts on Instagram and Tiktok @ThisIsUncomfortablePod

The clock's ticking! If you're in the greeting card business, Valentine's Day is more than just a holiday — it’s a big sales opportunity. This morning, as part of our What's That Like? series, we hear from someone who changed careers from graphic designer to full-time greeting card maker during the pandemic. But first, a new report calculated just how big a difference primary care access can make in lowering overall health care spending.

From the BBC World Service: As the energy crisis in Cuba continues, the port of Havana has received two ships carrying humanitarian aid sent by Mexico. Cuba is struggling after the Trump administration put a virtual oil blockade on the island. Then, the center-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party has secured a landslide election victory, so what will it mean for the nation's economy? And, after more than four decades, the designer behind Japan's Hello Kitty character is stepping down.

This week, we look at Spotify's stellar quarter. Plus, there's a new AI-only social network called Moltbook. But first, Alphabet, parent of Google, went to the debt markets this week, raising tens of billions of dollars to fund its AI spending.

One of the bonds Alphabet is offering, issued in British pounds, has a maturity date of 100 years from now. This is very unusual in the corporate world. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital, about what she makes of Alphabet doing this kind of borrowing.

When high earners ramp up their spending while low earners pull back, that’s a symptom of a "k-shaped" economy. But what about middle-income households? New evidence shows the middle class is also struggling in comparison to the wealthiest Americans. It’s sort of like a K shape within a K shape. After that: Newer firms are more likely to offer work-from-home options, Opera America has financial reasons for splitting from The Kennedy Center, and we check in with a few small businesses ahead of an upcoming inflation report.

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