Marketplace All-in-One

Business activity growth soared in April, according to S&P Global’s purchasing managers index. The topline number might sound rosy, but experts think the growth spurt is really a sign of fear. In this episode, why businesses spent month two of the war in Iran stockpiling goods. Plus: Avis experiences a stock market “short squeeze,” business owners apply for the first round of tariff refunds, and we look back at the 1970s to understand the economics of oil price caps.

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The labor force participation rate in the U.S. has fallen to the lowest level it’s been since 1977 (aside from the during the height of the pandemic). One reason for the decline? President Trump’s immigration crackdown. University of Colorado Boulder economist Chloe East joins Kimberly to break down the unexpected ways restrictive immigration policies affect the labor market, and trends she’s paying attention to during this second Trump administration.

The Trump administration announced a big change in how people's credit is assessed when applying for mortgages. Instead of only using FICO scores to prove creditworthiness, prospective homebuyers can now use a separate score model — one that considers things like rent and utility payment history — when applying for loans from mortgage lenders, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Also on the show: discussions of the market's bullishness and plans for a graduate degree in a tumultuous job market.

Maybe it’s hoarding, or protectionist, or human nature. Whatever you want to call it, some countries have plenty of oil right now — especially wealthier ones with their own refineries and reserves — while others can't get what they need and are rationing fuel. Plus, "starting has always been hard. This era is making it harder," said New York Times bestselling author Jodi Kantor. Today, we hear her job-hunting advice for new grads.

Lawmakers around the U.S. are moving to restrict data center development. Maine, for example, recently passed what's being called the country's first statewide ban on data centers. The measure would prohibit building any new data centers until late 2027.

As of this taping, Maine's governor, Janet Mills, was reportedly still undecided on whether she'd sign the bill. And 13 other states are also considering bans on data center development, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Tony Pipa of the Brookings Institution talks more about how much of the pushback has to do with the speed with which data centers are popping up.