Marketplace All-in-One Marketplace

Over the last 50 years, an ideology known as neoliberalism has transformed the American economy — for better or worse. The concept is often associated with Ronald Reagan, free markets and deregulation. But legal scholar Mehrsa Baradaran says there’s a lot we get wrong about the origins of neoliberalism and its true impact on society. On the show today, Baradaran, author of the new book “The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and the Looting of America,” explains what neoliberal ideology promised to do for the American economy, what it actually did and why she believes that looking to the free market might, ironically, be the only way forward.



Then, why actress Scarlett Johansson isn’t cool with OpenAI’s new chatbot. And we’ll hear the sounds of cicadas!



Here’s everything we talked about today:


“Opinion | The Neoliberal Looting of America” from The New York Times
“What is neoliberalism? A political scientist explains the use and evolution of the term” from The Conversation
“Opinion | Time is up for neoliberals” from The Washington Post
“Learning how to use AI could boost your pay by 25%, study finds” from CNN Business
“Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI chatbot voice ‘eerily similar’ to hers” from Reuters



We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

On Monday, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon hinted at retiring soon after running the banking powerhouse for 18 years. But finding replacements for veteran CEOs can be a tricky business. Also in this episode: New research finds that Native households are more financially stressed. Plus: Lowe’s invests in professional contractors, and Chicago vendors scramble after grocery stores shutter.

Our May fundraiser ends Friday, and we need your help to reach our goal. Give today and help fund public service journalism for all!

Stock markets close higher; Americans’ financial well-being remains steady; Layoffs at Pixar; Feds to sell off a gasoline stockpile in the Northeast.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller basically rules out an interest rate hike; a change at the top of the FDIC; Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tries to convince U.S. allies to use seized Russian assets to help Ukraine; Macy’s reported its latest quarterly earnings today.

On Wednesday, we get glimpses of two very different ends of the economy: Both retailer Target and AI chipmaker Nvidia report earnings. One lives in the world of consumers facing high interest rates, while the other occupies the sphere of cutting edge technology. What can we anticipate? Then, caregiving is a major factor behind the rise of multigenerational households in the U.S. We’ll hear from one family who came to live together.

Our May fundraiser ends Friday, and we need your help to reach our goal. Give today and help fund public service journalism for all!

Houston residents are once again rebuilding after a severe windstorm delivered damage to cars, businesses and homes last week. Insurers are just beginning to assess the extent of the damage — at a time when insurance is getting pricier and harder to find. Then, the FDIC’s chair says he will step down once a successor is confirmed following investigations into toxic culture at the agency. Plus, can legislation save local news?

Our May fundraiser ends Friday, and we need your help to reach our goal. Give today and help fund public service journalism for all!