Marketplace Morning Report

The precious metals market has been on a tear, but experienced a severe correction last week. Part of it has to do with the nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed chair. We'll discuss it, plus preview this week's big hiring and unemployment reports. Plus, from our partners at the BBC, one out of every five people over 65 in Japan is living with dementia or has early symptoms. How are businesses responding?

In January, five states enacted laws restricting people who receive food aid from buying sugary beverages and snacks. About a dozen more will follow suit later this year. This morning, we'll learn about how that affects SNAP recipients and grocery stores. Plus, last week, gold and silver had their worst declines in decades. Then, as part of Marketplace's "AI and You" coverage, we'll look back at when the dot-com boom led to a rapid expansion of internet infrastructure — similar to what we're seeing today with AI.

From the BBC World Service: After a historic rally, gold has seen its biggest drop in more than a decade. Silver is also down after sharp swings in Asian trading. The rapid decline comes after President Donald Trump announced Kevin Warsh as his nomination for Federal Reserve chair, a pick many hope can continue to preserve Fed independence. Then, we head to Japan, where local tech firms are helping seniors living with dementia.

This morning, President Donald Trump revealed his choice to lead the Federal Reserve: It's Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and more recent Fed critic. If confirmed by the Senate, Warsh would replace Jerome Powell, whose term expires in May. Warsh had called for "regime change" at the Fed. On today's show, we'll dig into Warsh's background and perspective. Plus, from "Marketplace Tech," we'll hear how a Nevada startup is taking used electric vehicle batteries to help power a data center.

An increasing number of states in the U.S. not only require high schools to teach financial literacy but also require them to incorporate the fundamentals of free-market capitalism into their lesson plans. We head back to the classroom to hear how these lessons are changing as a growing number of students voice skepticism about capitalism. (Need to head back to Econ 101? Take our quiz to find out.) Plus, following last week's economic blackout in Minneapolis, we examine the history of general strikes in the U.S.