Marketplace Morning Report

Now that the Winter Olympics have wrapped up, the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games kick off on March 6. Dozens of athletes will represent Team USA in sled hockey, skiing, wheelchair curling, and snowboarding. But getting to the Olympics or Paralympics is expensive and costs competitors an average of $12,000 a year. For winter athletes in particular, the costs can be even higher. But first: why the FDA is looking to put the brakes on compounded GLP-1s.

The AI company Anthropic is loosening some of its core safety principles. Anthropic unveiled a new policy on safeguards earlier this week, moving from self-imposed guardrails to non-binding goals for AI safety. At the same time, the company is facing pressure from the Pentagon to roll back limitations on how Anthropic’s Claude AI models are used. We hear more. Also: a conversation about age-verification rules on social media and privacy concerns.

From the BBC World Service: The United States says it will allow some small Venezuelan oil shipments to reach Cuba, providing a lifeline to the Caribbean island. Cuba's electricity grid runs on foreign oil, and without it, the lights simply don't stay on. Then, we'll head to one small town in the north of England, where a collection of 13 charity thrift shops on its Main Street is attracting visitors from far and wide.

First up, AI has driven a market moodiness as of late. Broader anxieties have sparked sell-offs, while bullish tech optimism has also boosted stock indexes. What gives? Then, companies are expected to spend a whopping $50 billion a month on AI data center construction over the next few years. Those firms are issuing investment-grade corporate bonds to pay for it all. This morning, we'll dig into what that could mean for interest rates.

Last night, President Donald Trump strongly defended his tariffs in his State of the Union address. He made the case for future tariffs, despite the Supreme Court decision last week striking down the centerpiece of his tariff policy. Trump also expressed hope that import taxes will someday replace income taxes. Plus, Nvidia is looking to get back into the consumer market, and mortgage rates dipped below 6% this week.