Marketplace All-in-One

Later this afternoon, we'll get minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed kept interest rates steady in July, but there was some disagreement. A handful of Fed officials wanted to raise the cost of borrowing. This morning, we'll discuss the dissents, fresh economic data, and what to expect from today's report. Then, it's been five years since tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted to U.S. cities. We'll learn about their careers and lives.

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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.

Water systems across a dozen states were targeted by cyberattacks in recent weeks. So far, the water has remained safe to drink, but the incidents have raised concerns about the possibility of future attacks.

Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Nikita Shah, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about other vulnerable infrastructure and the steps that states can take to strengthen cybersecurity.

More on this:

How Tehran’s Use of Cyber Operations in the U.S.-Iran Conflict Has Evolved from CSIS

A Leaked Memo Ties Cyberattacks on Minnesota Water Utilities to Iran | WIRED from WIRED

New York awards $9M to protect water systems after cyberattacks in other states - Gothamist from Gothamist

Cattle herds are at a national low not seen since the 1950s. That’s driving up the price of beef for consumers, but it’s also affecting the companies that process cows into steaks and burgers. In this episode, why meatpacking plants are shuttering. Plus: Home Depot stays afloat despite a “frozen” housing market, retailers prepare to release quarterly earnings, and interior design is stuck in a “color recession.”

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:

Here's why Home Depot calls housing market "frozen"
Retailers should be doing well, despite consumer challenges
Despite a slow alcohol retail market, this Wyoming distillery is expanding
Meatpacking plants close as U.S. cattle herds shrink to a nearly 75-year low
Is the greige wave here to stay?

The school year is getting started across the country, but some families are sending their kids to school without access to a benefit many have relied on in previous years: free school meals. Significant changes to SNAP under last year's Republican tax and spending law have led to plummeting SNAP enrollment — which is often tied to free school meals. Also on the program: big retailers' quarterly results and a buyer's market (for wealthier homebuyers, that is).

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 episode:

A buyer's market? Yes. For those who can afford it.

The average worker in the U.S. who stayed in their job between 2021 and 2024 saw their wages decline by 9% after inflation, a new paper finds. While the gap between wage growth and inflation is smaller now, that doesn’t undo the bad news of a few years ago. And this decline in real wages may be at the root of poor consumer sentiment. Plus, some Vermont businesses are offering steep discounts to lure back Canadian tourists.

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 covered in this episode:

U.S. businesses offer deals to lure back Canadian tourists
Real wage losses are at the root of low consumer sentiment, new paper finds