Marketplace All-in-One

After the 2008 housing market crash, new rules required banks hold capital reserves proportional to the home loans they issued. In response, banks issued fewer mortgages and non-banks filled in the gap. Easing those rules — which the Fed is considering — could make it a bit easier for Americans to get a mortgage. Also in this episode: Vaccine research and development suffers under federal funding cuts, home builders give industry sentiment updates, and physical media sees a comeback.

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In December, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed a new rule that would ban hospitals from receiving any Medicare and Medicaid funding if they offer gender-affirming care for minors. Today, Kimberly checks in with Marketplace’s Samantha Fields to hear about her reporting on how this is affecting health care providers across the country. Plus, we’ll get into how the proposed rule fits into a larger wave of restrictions on transgender health care, years in the making.

Inflation is gradually moderating. For some consumer goods, like gasoline, prices are outright declining. Gas prices are down 7.5% since last January, according to AAA. The reason has to do with basic economic principles. Also on the program: We discuss a nicely balanced economy (for now) and — from "Building Tomorrow," a collaboration by Marketplace and This Old House Radio Hour — hear about a clear, step-by-step "almost paint-by-numbers" approach to address the housing affordability crisis.

Regulators tightened banking rules after the Great Recession. At a conference yesterday, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman said the Fed is looking into easing rules for banks in hopes that this may mean more mortgage loans. But it also means banks may be more vulnerable to the next financial crisis. So why now? Plus, we take you on a tour of some of the physical infrastructure powering the AI boom.

From the BBC World Service: It's the start of the Lunar New Year — a major retail event. In China, AI has increasingly been merging with the shopping experience, and companies have poured billions of dollars into competing for customers over the next couple of days. Then, France and India are poised to sign a major deal for India to buy over 100 French-made Rafale jet fighters worth $35 billion. And, Cuba's world-famous cigar festival has been cancelled due to fuel shortages.