Marketplace Morning Report

Eric Gordon, a business professor with expertise in IPOs, and Christopher Lowe, chief economist at FHN Financial, unpack the March jobs numbers and why the unemployment rate fell. They also dig into SpaceX's IPO plans, valuation questions, who might get shares, and the broader implications for markets and policy.

Discussion of a new policy imposing steep levies on imported medicines and how manufacturers might avoid them. Changes to steel, aluminum, and copper tariff rules and how values will be calculated. A look at the March jobs report and why monthly hiring numbers can be volatile. A feature on converting vintage cars to electric drivetrains and the costs and preservation debates involved.

Elliot Salter, a West Hollywood pawn shop owner sharing firsthand observations of customers and inventory; David Brancaccio, a seasoned Marketplace reporter and interviewer; Nova Safo, a markets and energy correspondent reporting on oil and geopolitical impact. They discuss the president's Iran speech and its market fallout. They explore oil rising while stocks fell, the Strait of Hormuz implications, and pawn shops as a local economic signal.

Tomás Piskorski, Columbia Business School finance professor who studies private credit funds, and Kimberly Adams, a Washington trade reporter, discuss how tariffs over the past year affected small businesses and lobbying. They also explore the structure and risks in the private credit market. Short, topical conversations that trace real-world costs and financial stability questions.

Bradley Saunders, a North America economist who analyzes markets and energy prices, and Noah Smith, an economist and writer on economic policy and industry, discuss market reactions and oil price movements. They dive into BYD’s global EV push and how U.S. tariffs block Chinese electric cars. They debate whether allowing those EVs could spur battery demand and reshape manufacturing.

Samantha Fields, Marketplace reporter who covers energy and travel, explains how surging jet fuel is reshaping airfares and airline decisions. She talks about rising fuel surcharges, premium-traveler demand, and how Asia is uniquely hit by Middle East supply shocks. The conversation also covers refinery limits, short-term energy alternatives, and broader growth risks.

Will Grant, BBC correspondent covering Mexico, Central America and Cuba, reports on crippling blackouts and how a Russian oil delivery offers a short-term lifeline. Marissa Mazria-Katz, journalist who covered Boston's trade school, profiles students learning piano-tuning, locksmithing and violin-making. The conversation shifts between Cuba's energy strain and hands-on trades building durable careers.

Kaylee Wells, Marketplace reporter on car markets and consumer finance, explains why many trade-ins are underwater. Justin Ho, Marketplace reporter on policy and economics, links rising gas to how tax changes affect spending. Nova Saffo, Marketplace reporter on energy, reports gasoline topping $4 and the household and diesel-industry effects. They discuss fuel prices, consumer behavior, refunds, and auto loan strain.

William Frey, demographer at Brookings studying U.S. population shifts. Julia Coronado, macroeconomist and policy analyst at UT Austin. They discuss falling internal migration, who still moves and why, whether wealthy people relocate for tax reasons, and how war-related supply risks could ripple through markets.

Kaylee Wells, a science and industry reporter, details looming helium shortages and how supply-chain snarls could stall medical MRI and chip work. Nova Saffo, an energy reporter, maps rising oil prices and the risk of new supply disruptions from Red Sea attacks and pipeline rerouting. Short, focused reports on fragile supply lines and global impacts.