Marketplace Morning Report

Oil prices continue their upward climb amid conflict in the Middle East. The international benchmark Brent crude is now $115 a barrel; on Friday, it was $105. Brent is headed for its biggest monthly climb ever, and this morning, there are concerns about additional disruptions to oil shipments through another key route. We’ll unpack. Also: a looming helium shortage and a search for ways to mitigate threats to humanity.

The U.S. national debt crossed $39 trillion last week, and it’s growing fast. Racking up the most recent $5 trillion of that total only took two years. Now, a new survey finds that Americans' fiscal confidence is the lowest it’s been in a couple of years. Also on this morning's show: Anthropic gets a (temporary) win in its fight with the Pentagon, and commuters reflect on two years without Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The Trump administration is reviewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which comes up for renewal this year. The USMCA replaced NAFTA, was an economic cornerstone of President Donald Trump's first term, and accounts for more than $4 billion worth of cross-border trade. Thing is, it didn't live up to its promises of spurring manufacturing jobs. What might come next? But first, we dig into the anxiety that comes with surviving multiple rounds of layoffs.

People in the U.S. send a lot of money abroad: In 2024 alone, about $93 billion in formal remittances were sent overseas. However, a new federal remittance tax imposes a 1% levy on certain transfers. While a 1% tax may not sound substantial, it can drive up the price of sending money and hit unbanked individuals hard. We dig in. But first, the U.S. dollar has been gaining strength. Why is that happening?

Population growth is slowing in most counties in the U.S., according to new population estimates from the Census Bureau. During that time, 310 of the 387 U.S. metro areas had slower population growth, with dramatic declines along the U.S.-Mexico border. This largely has to do with a big decrease in net international migration. Then, later in the program, we have a deep dive into the current state of the pawn shop economy.