This Is Uncomfortable
Marketplace
This is Uncomfortable is the award-winning show about life and how money messes with it. Each week, Marketplace’s Reema Khrais explores how money shapes our decisions, relationships, and sense of self through conversations that are intimate, surprising, and deeply human. From the economic headlines that hit our wallets to the choices that keep us up at night, the show digs into the money questions we’re too afraid to ask and gives listeners a way to feel less alone in this increasingly complicated world.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 18, 2020 • 27min
How to pay for college
Years ago, one woman put college on hold because she couldn’t afford it. Now she faces a hard choice to keep history from repeating itself. Plus: What will college even look like this fall?
Jun 5, 2020 • 25min
It’s expensive to get arrested
A teenager protesting police brutality is arrested, leading to a discussion about the expensive and complicated world of bail. The podcast explores the experiences of arrest and protest, the reliance on bail funds, and the need for criminal justice reform.
May 28, 2020 • 35min
Barred from benefits (from The Uncertain Hour)
Millions of Americans who are out of work don’t receive unemployment benefits. That’s by design. An episode from “The Uncertain Hour’s” pop-up season “A History of Now.”If you liked this epsiode, you can hear more at uncertainhour.org.
May 21, 2020 • 21min
School’s out (forever?)
When you’re 17 or 18, you’re often making choices that can dictate the course of your whole life. Making those decisions during a pandemic is even harder. Today we follow three high school friends trying to figure out what comes after graduation when a global pandemic is clouding everything.By the way, today is the last day of Marketplace’s spring fundraising drive. We know not everyone can afford to give, but if you love the show and you are in a position to donate, we would really appreciate it. You can give and find more information at marketplace.org/giveTIU.
May 15, 2020 • 47min
Our parents’ debts (from Terrible, Thanks for Asking)
This week, we’re showcasing a story from our colleagues at “Terrible, Thanks For Asking”: When a supporting pillar is knocked out of a family, the consequences can be costly.
May 7, 2020 • 19min
From prison to pandemic
Kevin Harrington was exonerated last month after spending 17 years in prison for a murder conviction. He and his family are overjoyed, but the coronavirus pandemic means freedom looks a little different right now.By the way, Marketplace is in the middle of a really important fundraising drive right now. We know not everyone can afford to give, but if you love the show and you are in a position to donate, we would really appreciate it. You can give and find more information at marketplace.org/giveTIU.
Apr 30, 2020 • 19min
Confessions of a shopaholic
A woman grapples with her shopping addiction in quarantine.By the way, we were just nominated for a Webby! Please take a second and vote for us at wbby.co/pod09.
Apr 23, 2020 • 19min
A $35,000 COVID bill
Danni Askini fought cancer for 18 months before getting COVID-19. Their focus was on surviving, not the cost of care. That didn’t make the bill any easier to take.
Apr 16, 2020 • 15min
What it’s like getting an abortion in Texas right now
The clock is ticking for one college student after she finds out she’s pregnant in the middle of a pandemic, in a state that’s trying to restrict abortion.
Apr 9, 2020 • 19min
Zoom therapy in a pandemic
How do I keep from fighting with my partner about money? What do I say to a friend who’s just lost a job? This week, a little financial therapy session over zoom to help us all cope with our COVID-19 anxiety.
