Stephanie Hughes

My preview of the February jobs report.

Unfortunately for "Team Reacceleration", the US policy uncertainty machine isn't done with the labor market yet.

macromostly.substack.com/p/bls-jobs-r...

Happy map 100,000 moments of human happiness, mapped

My colleague shared this happiness map, and man, at this moment in time, AM I HERE FOR THIS.

pudding.cool/2026/02/happ...

oh good lord.

Netflix Declines to Raise Offer for Warner Bros. - About Netflix

"But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price."

What is it with some venture capitalists not having real web pages? For the second time in two days, I found a (real) VC's website that's essentially just a postcard, with no actual content or way to get in touch.

Thee Klondike bars and two bananas seems like the right amount of items for a Monday night tiding over at the corner store

Meta's big bet on "superintelligence" New York Times reporter Mike Isaac walks us through Meta’s plans and how the company is trying to catch up in the larger AI race.

Really enjoyed talking with @mikeisaac.bsky.social about how Meta is using AI to make its ads even MORE targeted.

Also, how VR lost ... and AI won at the company.

www.marketplace.org/episode/2026...

How long does it take your fingers to automatically enter a new password?

Apple Podcasts Is Launching New Video Features, Looking to Keep Pace With YouTube and Spotify Apple Podcasts will add integrated video capabilities this spring including the ability to dynamically insert ads into video shows.

I was just talking with a friend this weekend about switching between listening to a book and reading it, depending on where you are.

Now you could switch between listening to a podcast and ... watching it.

variety.com/2026/digital...

Today's public radio is being brought to you by ... granola bars!

I just ate three of them while writing this script.

Why Google just issued a rare 100-year bond | CNN Business Why Google just issued a rare 100-year bond

Really fun writing by @amorrow.bsky.social in this piece about Google's 100-year bond: www.cnn.com/2026/02/10/b...

I have a crazy cold I caught from the baby, and every time I sneeze, it feels like my right eyeball is vibrating.

New study reveals a "smartphone penalty" that distorts survey results Professor Carly Urban at the University of Montana says respondents who use smartphones in online surveys are more likely to answer questions incorrectly compared to those who answer surveys on comput...

When we use smartphones to respond to surveys, compared to a laptop or tablet, we're more likely to answer incorrectly, or say we don't know. Economist @carlyurban.bsky.social is calling this "the smartphone penalty" in a new working paper.

www.marketplace.org/episode/2026...

I don’t think I totally realized until this week how not used to dealing with snow Maryland is.

To be young and dreaming of a 9-to-5 The low-fire, low-hire job market is making it hard for young people to enter the workforce.

Thanks to @hughesstephanie.bsky.social at @marketplace.org for chatting with me about the extremely challenging environment for young people who are currently looking for work.

www.marketplace.org/story/2026/0...

Site of first intense HIIT workout post-baby. Think I might throw up a little.

that's burying the lede: you read the Power Broker. I have it on the shelf.

In Oklahoma, financial literacy courses highlight the risks of gambling As more states adopt personal finance education requirements, they are tailoring the classwork to help students navigate their local economies.

In Oklahoma, which has more casinos than any other state but Nevada, high schoolers learn about odds, gambling addiction, and strategies for gambling responsibly as part of their personal finance education.

My latest from @marketplace.org

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

What May inflation numbers might tell us about tariffs Keep your eye on an inflation measure that focuses exclusively on goods except for food and energy.

This week, I reported on how core goods inflation -- which is goods, taking out food and energy -- could be where we see the effects of tariffs on prices first.

But not yet. That measure was up 0% in May from the month before.

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

Warner Bros. Discovery is the latest media company to announce it's splitting into smaller companies Its older cable networks will go into one company, its streaming services and movie empire another.

THANK YOU @hughesstephanie.bsky.social for entertaining our thoughts in today's @marketplace.org piece on the announced splitting of Warner Bros. Discovery into two new publicly traded entities!

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

Right?

Do you guys know about application fees for day cares? They are a THING. Like, some places are in the hundreds of dollars. I now know about this now that I need a day care.

Colleges and students find it harder to get financial aid information after Department of Education cuts According to a new survey, nearly a third of colleges have dealt with delays in getting FAFSA information, which is key to providing students with answers about the cost of college attendance.

Cuts at the Department of Education are already impacting financial aid in big ways. @hughesstephanie.bsky.social of @marketplace.org talked to Robin Thompson in the financial aid office @hmc.edu about what she's seeing and the effects on students and colleges.

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

“These are our new customers:" colleges seek out retirees as students On some campuses, the term “college senior” is taking on a whole new meaning.

“By 2034, there's going to be more Americans over 65 than there are under 20. This is the growth market for higher education in the future.” - Goucher President Kent Devereaux

I really enjoyed reporting this story, on the new meaning of a "college senior."

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

I am in a customer service hell loop, and have twice been asked by the automated system if I want to do a survey about my thoughts on my experience, and I'm like...buddy, you really don't want my thoughts.

What is going on with sports tickets? Prices for admission to sporting events was up 9.3% in April from a year ago.

Now, that’s down from a 25.8% year over year increase in March, but damn, son, you’ve got to want to go to that Mets game. (Which, I do, CPI, I do.)

Spending by American companies on computers in Q1 grew at the fastest pace since 1983 According to GDP data out today, business investment in computers and related equipment grew nearly 113%.

1983 was around about the time that Time called the computer “the machine of the year.”

It was also the last time that company spending on computers grew as much as it did last quarter, as businesses tried to get ahead of tariffs:
www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

How a bath tub can help us understand what’s happening in the labor market Data out Tuesday from The Conference Board indicates consumers think the tub is draining faster than it’s filling up.

Thanks to @hughesstephanie.bsky.social at @marketplace.org for chatting with me yesterday:

“People are also telling you, you know what? I actually think the bathtub is going to drain a lot faster in the next few months.”

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

I feel like "uncertainty" has to be the biggest word in the business journalism word cloud so far this year.

AI can't read the room Researchers at Johns Hopkins University tested several AI models’ ability to interpret how humans were interacting with each other in short videos and found they were largely unable to consistently de...

We learned that AI is still socially ... pretty awkward.

www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...