Marketplace Morning Report

High healthcare costs continue to be a top concern for voters ahead of next month's midterm elections. A recent Urban Institute study found that more than one in four adults in the U.S. had medical debt in 2025. In some states, hospitals are experimenting with something called presumptive eligibility, which automatically screens patients for financial assistance needs. We hear more. But first, with rising inflation, consumers pull back where they can.

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Loudoun County, Virginia, claims the highest concentration of data centers anywhere in the world. Thanks to those data centers, the county’s tax base has swelled. But data centers depreciate over time, meaning the older they are, the less tax revenue they generate. So, to keep the cash flowing, the county has needed to keep approving new ones. Cue the backlash. But first, higher energy prices are starting to really show up in producer inflation data.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories from this podcast:

"Data Center Alley" in suburban Virginia may be hitting a dead end

Inflation ran 3.7% year over year in September. One kind of bright spot? Grocery prices are only rising at about half the overall rate. But there are signs that high diesel prices are starting to trickle into some of the prices we pay at the checkout. And later this morning: how skyrocketing borrowing costs are affecting developing nations and how CEOs are thinking about AI investment.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Americans have wagered more than $600 billion on sports since the Supreme Court paved the way for states to legalize sports betting back in 2018. And something like 2.5 million adults have a problem with gambling. This morning, why people keep betting — even when the odds are against them — and what can be done about it. Also in this morning's podcast: a hotter-than-anticipated inflation reading and a continued squeeze on diesel.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories from this episode:

The behavioral economics behind problematic sports betting

Open enrollment for Medicare starts tomorrow. Seniors will have until early December to review their health insurance options for next year and sign up for either a traditional Medicare plan through the federal government or a Medicare Advantage plan through a private insurance company. Thing is, some big insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield are dropping some Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. We have more. Then, are sports betting apps doing enough to help problem gamblers?

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories from this episode:

As Medicare open enrollment begins, millions of seniors will have to pick a new plan
What are sports betting apps doing to help problem gamblers?