Marketplace Morning Report

To see the U.S. economy in 3D, you gotta hit the open road. 100 years after the iconic highway was built, “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio kicks off his final week in the host chair with his journey on Route 66. His trip begins in Santa Monica, California. Along the way, he speaks with local business owners about the precarious job market, changing landscapes, and why one particular stop is a hit with French tourists.

The U.S. economy added 178,000 new jobs in March, and the unemployment rate went down. That’s a big improvement from last month’s disappointing jobs report, but there’s more than meets the eye to these numbers. We’ll explain in today’s episode. Also: SpaceX filed paperwork for an IPO, and the company’s high predicted valuation isn’t the only thing making waves. Plus, some food for thought before this weekend’s Final Four basketball games and inevitable betting ads: “This Is Uncomfortable” host Reema Khrais explains the effects of prediction markets on our wallets and our brains.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday that threatened tariffs of up to 100% on imported medications. The executive order also overhauls steel, copper, and aluminum tariffs. We’ve got all the details. Also in this episode: a breakdown of the new March jobs report. Plus, David Brancaccio speaks to a vintage car converter who turns old cars into electric vehicles.

The president made the case for the Iran war, and markets were not impressed. After President Donald Trump's address to the nation last night, the price of oil went up, and stocks went down. This is a total reversal of what markets were doing going into the speech, when stocks rallied, and oil prices fell. We'll get into it all and provide some key takeaways. Then, Marketplace’s David Brancaccio takes a trip to a West Hollywood pawn shop.

A year ago today, the president pulled out a chart in the now paved-over Rose Garden and set the global economy on fire. He announced his so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs, which changed a bunch of times before being deemed illegal by the Supreme Court earlier this year. And those tariffs were mostly paid by us — consumers and small businesses. Plus, just how worried should we be about jitters in the private credit market?