Marketplace Morning Report

Fewer students are trying to get advanced degrees in the United States. The number admitted to Ph.D. programs this coming fall dropped by 15% from last year. The number of international students applying to Ph.D. programs in the U.S. has also dropped sharply. Today, we'll hear how reduced federal funding for universities and stricter immigration policies are affecting advanced degrees and research. But first, a check-in on how businesses are feeling and what that means for their customers.

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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 in this episode:

Ph.D. admissions have dropped 15% for the new school year

On Monday, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open to traffic for the first time. The structure connects Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario, and provides a new link between the two countries. The opening also comes at a time of increased trade tension, with the U.S. proposing new tariffs on certain Canadian goods. We'll dig into the economic benefits of the new bridge — and its significance. Also, we'll look at the declining number of Ph.D. students and proposed cuts to federal research agencies.

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 featured in today’s episode:

Gordie Howe Bridge cuts U.S.-Canada trade tension — tariffs add it back
Ph.D. admissions have dropped 15% for the new school year

The reasons for premature retirement are plentiful: Companies downsize or go bust, partners get sick, kids need childcare help. A new survey finds that, on average, workers think they’ll retire at around 62, but the average age at which retirees actually leave the workforce is closer to 57. Thing is, most said they wished they’d saved more — or sooner. Plus, we dig into the latest round of tariffs from the Trump administration and debrief the past two weeks of earnings reports.

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 included in this episode:

Americans are retiring earlier than they'd like to. And not because they can afford to.

A new batch of tariffs went into effect overnight. And there’s more to come as the Trump administration attempts to rebuild the tariff wall torn down by a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. This morning, we'll explain the fresh import duties, their exceptions, as well as an ongoing tariff investigation. Plus, support beams inside a former office tower in New York City that is being converted to apartments buckled recently. What does this mean for other office conversions?

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:

What the near collapse of NYC’s Pfizer building means for office conversions

PlayStation announced in June that it would stop selling physical copies of games by 2028. Soon, when you buy a game, you’ll just be renting the digital license — which PlayStation could wipe at any time. Understandably, gamers are not happy. Then, a boom in the private jet market makes hangar space hard to come by.

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 featured in this episode:

Gamers are upset by this death knell for physical discs
A surge in private aircraft sales is leaving hangar space in short supply