What happens to government debt, the budget deficit, and the overall economy if interest rates stay elevated? For a new report, the Congressional Budget Office crunched the numbers. By 2056, public debt would grow to an eye-popping 222% of GDP. Plus: Trump administration cuts decimated soil conservation programs, a new report highlights the impact of private equity investments on climate risk, and an uneventful Trump-Xi summit ends with a promise of more talks to come. Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/newsletters">Subscribe</a> to our daily or weekly newsletter. Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/">marketplace.org</a> — and consider <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/make-a-smart-investment">making an investment</a> in our future. Read the stories in today’s episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/09/25/the-trumpxi-summit-in-washington-dc-wraps-up" class="default">TTYL? Trump-Xi talks end without much to show</a></li><li><a href="https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/09/25/what-high-interest-rates-do-to-the-national-debt" class="default">What happens to the deficit and the national debt if interest rates stay high?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/09/25/trump-cuts-to-conservation-agency-leaves-farmers-high-and-dry" class="default">U.S. farmers lost conservation experts in Trump’s federal cuts. Now they’re hurting for help</a></li><li><a href="https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/09/25/how-private-equity-impacts-the-environment" class="default">Private equity gets a grade on climate risks</a></li></ul>

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