Best Byte Federal Podcasts (2025)

1
Outsourced jobs threatened by AI 6:51

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1h ago6:51

6:51

Experts are still in the early stages of understanding just how much generative AI will disrupt the labor force. A new report by MIT finds that the adoption of AI led some firms to cut back spending on jobs that were often already being outsourced — things like customer support, software engineering, and administrative tasks. We'll learn more. Also…

1
Intel secures a $2 billion investment 6:28

27m ago6:28

6:28

From the BBC World Service: Japan’s SoftBank has invested $2 billion in U.S. chipmaker Intel, which has been losing ground lately in the booming AI market. It also comes as the U.S. government weighs whether to take a direct stake in the company. And, as historic White House talks spark hopes of a Putin–Zelensky summit, the war in Ukraine grinds on…

1
China tells businesses to embrace AI. Where does that leave humans? 4:10

7m ago4:10

4:10

Marketplace’s Jennifer Pak recently attended the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. She asked Chinese AI firms what they think about the humans who might lose jobs to their AI products.By Marketplace

1
As many shoppers scrimp and stress, the wealthiest splurge 25:55

10h ago25:55

25:55

New context for the strong-consumer-spending-and-falling-consumer-sentiment combo: According to a Boston Fed report, the proportion of spending done by top-earning U.S. households is growing, and the share spent by lower-income Americans is shrinking. What might that widening gap tells us about the trajectory of this economy? Plus: Strong Q2 corpor…

1
USPS’s EV plans face a Republican roadblock 19:52

15h ago19:52

19:52

Republicans in Congress are attempting to claw back federal funding to replace the U.S. Postal Service’s outdated mail trucks with a mostly electric fleet. We’ll break down the fight. And, parents across the country are facing a slew of economic headwinds. How does a couple with 5 kids and a modest income make it work? Plus, a mysterious comet and …

1
It's almost time for Jackson Hole again 6:54

17h ago6:54

6:54

It’s a big week for Fed watchers. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak at a research conference on Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It comes at a tricky time for the Fed — pressures are weighing on both price stability and maximum employment, and there's ire coming from President Donald Trump. We'll discuss what to expect. Plus…

1
Getting spendy to get ahead of tariffs 6:55

20h ago6:55

6:55

Consumer spending was up pretty significantly for more expensive items last month — things like cars and furniture. All that big-ticket buying comes despite a softening labor market and broader economic uncertainty. We'll parse the data a bit more. Also on the program: we'll hear what we can expect from homebuilder confidence and learn how the star…

1
Record fine for Australian airline 6:39

21h ago6:39

6:39

From the BBC World Service: A court in Australia has handed the airline Qantas a record fine — just under $59 million USD — for illegally laying off 1,800 ground staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. And later, could plans for sweeping tax cuts on consumer goods boost India’s economy in the face of U.S. tariffs? Plus, the root vegetable cassava is on…

1
What happens to esports athletes when they retire? 4:47

24h ago4:47

4:47

Esports is a multi-billion dollar industry, with players making millions by getting good at video games. But while traditional athletes, usually, retire into coaching, managing or being a pundit, what does an esports player do when they’ve hung up their controller? The BBC’s Will Chalk files this report from the U.K.…

1
Concerned consumers keep on spending 26:36

3d ago26:36

26:36

Recent data show moderate retail sales growth in July — a positive sign for our economy? On the flip side, consumer sentiment fell in an early-August survey. In this episode, why gloomy shoppers are still gonna shop. Plus: How NEA grant cuts are affecting nonprofit arts organizations, why a wealth tax might be unconstitutional, and when did Putin v…

1
Armed with cash, ICE plans for rapid growth 26:14

3d ago26:14

26:14

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has plans to nearly double the number of its immigration detention centers by the end of the year. The agency has an enormous budget to carry out its agenda, but can it find enough workers to do the job? We’ll get into it. And, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: "…

1
The White House makes a play for Intel 6:51

4d ago6:51

6:51

President Trump reportedly has floated a plan that would have the U.S. government take partial control of Intel, the ailing chipmaking giant. We look at how a potential deal might shake out and what obstacles it could face. Then, on the other side of the Pacific, workers at Chinese AI companies are working long hours in the heated global AI race. A…

1
Target and Ulta announce breakup 6:57

4d ago6:57

6:57

Target and Ulta have announced an end to their partnership, effectively closing hundreds of Target-based Ulta locations opened since 2021. We look at how differing business models and clientele led to the breakup. Then, a report on the latest developments from the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. And finally, we delve into a new report that explores w…

1
China Hosts Humanoid Robot Games 6:46

4d ago6:46

6:46

From the BBC World Service: The world's first humanoid robot games in China involve soccer, dancing, and boxing. But it's not just about the sport; the event is also designed to attract investment. Then, as Bolivia heads to the polls this weekend, an economic crisis is front and centre in voters’ minds. And later, UN talks on a global plastics trea…

1
Bytes: Week in Review — Nvidia and AMD's new chip deal with President Trump 9:09

4d ago9:09

9:09

On today’s Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review, Perplexity AI has offered $34.5 billion to buy Alphabet's Chrome browser, despite the fact the tech giant hasn't said it's for sale. Plus, the reviews are in for OpenAI's highly anticipated GPT-5 model and they're kinda…mixed. But first, President Trump gave chipmakers Nvidia and AMD the green ligh…

1
Producers feel the pinch 25:52

4d ago25:52

25:52

Earlier this week, the July CPI report showed consumer prices remained steady, despite tariff noise. Today’s producer price index tells a different story: Wholesale prices grew a whopping 3.3% year-over-year. When might retailers pass those higher costs on to consumers? We break it down. Plus: Automated applications sow pessimism among job hunters,…

1
A vibe check on the job market 16:11

5d ago16:11

16:11

It’s not just you — we feel the bad vibes in the job market too. On the show today, we’ll unpack how what we’re hearing from those on the job hunt compares to what the data shows about a labor market slump. And, President Donald Trump says he wants to allow riskier assets like crypto and private equity investments in retirement accounts. Plus, mock…

1
When government data is called into question 6:44

5d ago6:44

6:44

President Donald Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier this month, claiming that the monthly jobs numbers — which were revised downward — were “rigged” to make him look bad. Plenty of companies use BLS data to make business decisions. With questions raised about the quality and regularity of that data now, how do al…

1
So your house burned in the wildfires. Would you rebuild with wood? 6:52

5d ago6:52

6:52

In addition to the many considerations surrounding cost, those who lost homes in this year's California wildfires may also be looking for an environmentally-friendly way to rebuild that's able to withstand the next fire. Today, Marketplace's David Brancaccio explores mass timber, which doesn't burn easily, as an option for home reconstruction. But …

1
No agreement reached on plastic pollution 6:45

5d ago6:45

6:45

From the BBC World Service: Talks on the world’s first legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution are coming to an end, and so far, there's no deal. What are the major sticking points, and what's the likelihood of finalizing an agreement? Then, dairy farmers in the United Kingdom are warning that a chronic shortage of skilled workers is threat…

1
Work weeks are getting more intense for AI startups 5:13

5d ago5:13

5:13

China’s labor market is known for being intense, especially in the tech sector. For years high profile tech workers have embraced the “996” schedule – that's 9am to 9pm six days a week. And recently, Silicon Valley startups have reportedly been leaning in to the “996” grind themselves. So now China is taking it up a notch.…

1
"Hacks" creators on collaboration, S5, and the state of comedy 26:36

6d ago26:36

26:36

HBO Max’s “Hacks” often tackles the push and pull between art and profit in the entertainment industry. It’s a topic the show’s creators are deeply familiar with. In this episode, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal discusses that tension — as it appears in the show and in real life — with “Hacks” showrunners Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky. Plus: Job-fin…

1
China has an economic data problem. Is the U.S. next? 14:29

6d ago14:29

14:29

Since President Trump’s firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner over a weak jobs report, we’ve been thinking a lot about the trustworthiness of U.S. economic data. Other countries like China can offer a glimpse of what happens when that trust erodes. On the show today, Marketplace’s China correspondent Jennifer Pak explains how she wo…

1
Is there a cost if economists face pressure to back up Trump? 6:50

6d ago6:50

6:50

Recently, President Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after revisions depicted a weaker job market than initially thought. This week, Trump called on the CEO of Goldman Sachs to get rid of his chief economist, after the economist predicted that tariffs would force consumers to pay extra. What should consumers and investo…

1
The history of — and present threats to — Social Security 7:07

6d ago7:07

7:07

Social Security turns 90 tomorrow. Some 74 million Americans receive the benefits, and a new survey shows that 65% of retirees rely on them. Roughly 40% of Americans have no retirement savings at all, and this precarity comes at a time when Social Security faces the possibility of benefit cuts. Plus, Trump's tariffs are generating billions in reven…

Byte Federal Podcasts

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Byte Federal Podcast

Byte Federal

1
Marketplace All-in-One

Marketplace

1
Outsourced jobs threatened by AI 6:51

1
Intel secures a $2 billion investment 6:28

1
China tells businesses to embrace AI. Where does that leave humans? 4:10

1
As many shoppers scrimp and stress, the wealthiest splurge 25:55

1
USPS’s EV plans face a Republican roadblock 19:52

1
It's almost time for Jackson Hole again 6:54

1
Getting spendy to get ahead of tariffs 6:55

1
Record fine for Australian airline 6:39

1
What happens to esports athletes when they retire? 4:47

1
Concerned consumers keep on spending 26:36

1
Armed with cash, ICE plans for rapid growth 26:14

1
The White House makes a play for Intel 6:51

1
Target and Ulta announce breakup 6:57

1
China Hosts Humanoid Robot Games 6:46

1
Bytes: Week in Review — Nvidia and AMD's new chip deal with President Trump 9:09

1
Producers feel the pinch 25:52

1
A vibe check on the job market 16:11

1
When government data is called into question 6:44

1
So your house burned in the wildfires. Would you rebuild with wood? 6:52

1
No agreement reached on plastic pollution 6:45

1
Work weeks are getting more intense for AI startups 5:13

1
"Hacks" creators on collaboration, S5, and the state of comedy 26:36

1
China has an economic data problem. Is the U.S. next? 14:29

1
Is there a cost if economists face pressure to back up Trump? 6:50

1
The history of — and present threats to — Social Security 7:07