Imports are way, way up

August marked the third-highest level of container imports to the U.S. on record. Sure, it’s usually a busy month for holiday shopping inventory, but there’s also that pesky looming inflation and ongoing tariff uncertainty. In this episode, why U.S. retailers are stocking way up. Plus: The stock market braces for a likely Fed rate hike, wildlife highway crossings save money and lives, and Carter’s undergoes a rebrand aimed at a new generation of parents.

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Read the stories in today’s episode:

• If the Fed hikes rates, here's how the stock market might respond (marketplace.org/story/2026/09/15/how-might-the…)
• For those without a degree, the job market looks pretty good (marketplace.org/story/2026/09/15/the-job-marke…)
• Imports boomed this summer in anticipation of higher costs (marketplace.org/story/2026/09/15/imports-boome…)
• Wildlife use bridges and tunnels too, but it’s spendy (marketplace.org/story/2026/09/15/federal-fundi…)
• Carter's big rebrand amid challenging children's clothing market (marketplace.org/story/2026/09/15/carters-rebra…)
• The complicated history of New York's iconic Charging Bull statue (marketplace.org/story/2026/09/15/who-owns-new-…)