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Matt Levin

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Matt covers AI for Marketplace, where he tries to be as polite as he can to every chatbot he meets … because, well, he’s seen sci-fi movies. Matt also covers some crypto and housing, with a taste for stories that make you say: "huh, that's kinda weird.”

Before joining Marketplace Matt was a data and housing reporter for CalMatters, focused on California politics and policy. Before that he was a statistics jockey for a think tank, focused on poverty and inequality. And long before that Matt was a really terrible teenage cashier for Toys R Us.

Matt’s previous honors include awards from the Online News Association and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and SPJ awards.

Latest Stories (339)

Why are car sales still strong, even with high prices and interest rates?

by Matt Levin
Jul 23, 2024
The vehicle industry is surprisingly resilient this year. Many people have been waiting for lower costs but can't hold out any longer.
When interest rates are high, people might wait to get a new car. But they might give in if rates stay high and the repair costs start to add up.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Election 2024

Republicans are embracing crypto

by Matt Levin
Jul 17, 2024
The official Republican platform adopted earlier this week says the party will "defend the right to mine bitcoin."
"The crypto industry has raised and spent an incredible amount of money influencing elections," said Duke University's Lee Reiners.
Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images
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A tour of "emotionally intelligent" AI

by Matt Levin
Jul 16, 2024
Creators say the new AI is capable of inferring users' emotions, but some experts are wary of the dangers of adaptive AI.
Hume AI believes its AI voice product, which can recognize 48 human emotions, could be put to use as a personalized virtual assistant.
Ilya Lukichev/Getty Images
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How long does it take for interest rate cuts to show up in the economy?

by Matt Levin
Jul 10, 2024
While economists agree rate cuts won’t instantly juice an economy, there’s really no consensus on just how long that lag is.
Fed Chair Jay Powell took away the proverbial punch bowl with rate hikes. Now that the economy is slowing, “he’s got his hands on the punch bowl, he’s walking around the room with it, and he’s not sure whether to put it down on the table yet,” says Ann Owen, an economist at Hamilton College.
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Home insurance premiums are surging. That's bad news for low-income housing — and its residents.

by Matt Levin
Jul 3, 2024
The more low-income housing nonprofits have to pay for insurance, the less they have leftover to build new units to ease the housing shortage.
Nearly a third of affordable housing providers saw premiums spike at least 25% from 2022 to 2023. Climate change has played a role in the rising cost.
Leila Macor/AFP via Getty Images
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AI advertising may repel as well as attract

by Matt Levin
Jul 1, 2024
Companies hope AI branding makes them look ready for the future, but that leaves opportunities for "human-focused" marketing.
A screen grab from an AI-generated pitch for Toys R Us.
Courtesy Toys R Us
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Pen and paper, but please no cursive: Widespread cyberattack sends car dealers back to 20th century

by Matt Levin
Jun 21, 2024
A hack on CDK Global, the system many dealerships use to track sales and service, is forcing them back to the analog era.
Fifteen thousand auto dealers across the U.S. and Canada were affected by the CDK Global hack. Service had not been restored as of Friday.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Why Nvidia reigns supreme in the market for AI chips

by Matt Levin
Jun 20, 2024
Nvidia has an estimated 75% to 90% of the chip market, and they're well-positioned to keep it that way.
It’s not easy for other chipmakers to compete against one of the richest companies in the world.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Why it's gotten more expensive to house people experiencing homelessness

by Matt Levin
Apr 22, 2024
Higher interest rates and insurance costs make building low-income and supportive housing more costly —  especially in California, home to 28% of the U.S. homeless population.
The costs of constructing housing for the unhoused are being hammered by higher interest rates.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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What is the bitcoin "halving"?

by Matt Levin
Apr 19, 2024
Bitcoin halving happens approximately every four years, and it's a big deal for the philosophical premise of the cryptocurrency.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
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