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Plus, Americans don’t get enough fiber. Can “gut pop” help? 
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How much President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and budget legislation will save (or cost!) you depends on a lot of factors, but mainly income. Here’s a handy calculator to help estimate the impact on your finances. Workers who make a lot in tips and overtime have a whole different calculation though, thanks to provisions that make some of those earnings tax-free. 

We’ll dig into how that change might work in this week’s newsletter. Plus: We visit the minor league park where an MLB team is playing this season, and learn about America’s recent love affair with fiber. Read to the end for a secret bit of Marketplace lore! Have a great weekend. — Tony Wagner, newsletter editor
Atmosphere on a restaurant patio. A waiter pours water.
Rey Lopez/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
How the new "No Tax on Tips" and overtime laws work
The tax breaks will help some workers, but come with limits. Marketplace’s Kristin Schwab reports.

It’s that odd time of day at Havana Central in Midtown Manhattan, the lull between lunch and happy hour. The restaurant’s still buzzing though, with Cuban music pumping through the speakers.

“I like making mojitos,” said Orlando Amaya, who’s shaking up some cocktails. “My favorite one is coconut. Oh my lord, just delicious.”

Amaya has been working full time here for three years. As a bartender, he earns the tipped minimum wage , which is $11 an hour in New York City. His income is usually close to $70,000. The majority of it, nearly $50,000, is from tips. He is excited about the no tax on tips law. Without it, his take-home pay is $40,000.

“So I expect to, like, see maybe $60,000 at least a year. That would be way better,” said Amaya.

Unfortunately, Amaya’s expectations do not line up with the reality of this law. And who could blame him? By name alone, No Tax on Tips and Overtime laws, which are parts of President Trump’s sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, sound simple.

But tax law is wonky and in the weeds. And the details of these laws haven’t been fully released.

“The next step in this process is for the treasury department to start writing regulations,” said Andrew Lautz, director of tax policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, adding that this sometimes takes years, but needs to be done in months, since the law is already in effect. It covers income starting from the beginning of 2025 through the end of 2028.

Here’s what tax policy experts do know: This is a federal tax break. That means Amaya will still pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and likely state and local taxes, too.

The law also has limits. It doesn’t cover all of Amaya’s tips. As a single taxpayer, the deduction limit is $25,000, or $12,500 for those on overtime. This starts to phase out once a worker makes $150,000. 

And to make the calculation even more confusing:

“The value of the tax credit is actually based on what tax bracket you’re in,” said Lautz.

READ MORE


 
Stories for the weekend

More questions you’re wondering about

  • Why do Social Security beneficiaries only receive a lump sum benefit of $255? 

  • How are utilities priced?

  • Why do companies still use 1-800 numbers?  

The labor market

  • It’s no secret we’re in a tough job market for young people. Here are a few cities where recent college grads are actually landing jobs.

  • Go a bit deeper on the data, and you’ll start to see a gender gap.

Hang time

  • What happened to sitcoms where characters just hang out? Today’s hit shows mostly revolve around work. 

  • In real life, young people are hanging out less but tracking each other’s movements more.
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Investor Exclusive Virtual Event!

Whether breaking down the true effect of the GOP's big tax cut on our personal economies — or how the math isn’t mathing when it comes to the national debt — Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal and Stacey Vanek Smith will talk with executive producer Nancy Farghalli in a live virtual event next week, answering your most pressing questions about government spending.

We’ll also hear from Marketplace Vice President and General Manager Neal Scarbrough about the implications of recent federal funding cuts for public media.

It's all happening July 30. Get the registration link for this event by donating today. Already an Investor? Check your inbox for an invitation.
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An older man smiles for the camera on a London street
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for poppi
Americans love protein. But is it fiber’s time to shine?
Gut health is cool, which means more brands are touting the fiber available in their products.

Bryan Rucker, 43, switched to a mostly vegetarian diet and started to eat more fiber-rich foods to cut down his cholesterol. 

As a result, “I naturally added more fiber — lots of legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains,” said Rucker, who writes the cooking substack “Back to the Garden.”

But getting enough of the nutrient each day is tough, which is why Rucker began supplementing with high-fiber tortillas.

After a year and half on his new diet, Rucker’s cholesterol is lower, his digestion has improved and he’s lost about 30 pounds. 

Ninety-five percent of Americans are fiber deficient, according to national surveys. But more Americans, especially younger social media users, are adding fiber to their diets with “gut pop” and “dense bean salads.” 

Brands are paying attention, experts told Marketplace’s Janet Nguyen, and using fiber as a selling point. 

Experts are wary about the health claims made by fiber-filled prebiotic soda companies like Olipop and Poppi, and say that consumers should try to up their fiber intake with whole grains, fruits and vegetables instead. Poppi recently settled an $8.9 million class-action lawsuit that alleged its products are not as gut healthy as it claims. 

But the increased scrutiny didn’t stop PepsiCo from purchasing Poppi for almost $2 billion this year. Nor did it stop the multinational food company from announcing plans to launch its own prebiotic soda this fall. 
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ICYMI
Our most popular newsletter links this week

Our most popular links from Marketplace’s Daily Wrap newsletter this week. Sign up to get the latest news and numbers in your inbox every weekday evening.

  • Where Congress’s Cuts Threaten Access to PBS and NPR (The New York Times, gift link)

  • Trump’s tariffs may hurt U.S. manufacturing instead of helping it (Marketplace)

  • When will homes become more affordable? (Marketplace)

  • We visited the first Tesla Diner. It was surreal and heavy on nostalgia, and we'd go back. (Business Insider)

  • Photos of renovations at the Federal Reserve's Great Depression-era headquarters (Associated Press)
A photo illustration shows dollar bills with social security cards.
Justine Willard/Athletics via Getty Images
The business of Major League Baseball in a minor-league park
The Athletics left their charmingly deteriorating Oakland Coliseum to play in a 14,000-seat Sacramento ballpark while awaiting their shiny new stadium on the Las Vegas strip. How's it going so far? Our own Matt Levin went to see for himself.

On a June Saturday night in West Sacramento, about 8,300 people watched the A’s take on the Cleveland Guardians — 60% of Sutter Health Park’s capacity.

That’s fewer empty seats than an A’s game in Oakland Coliseum the past few years.

But a stadium with more fans isn’t necessarily a louder one. When a little boy leads the signature “Let’s go A’s” chant on the jumbotron, the crowd response is noticeably muted.

The A’s have banned the drums and vuvuzelas that were the rowdy hallmarks of the Oakland days. The vibe in Sacramento is more, “Hey look! There’s a baseball game going on… That’s nice.”

“This definitely feels like Triple AAA,” said Scott McDonald, who along with his two sons were watching the A’s warm up along the right field line. “Small, intimate, but the Coliseum was a lot [more] raucous, you know a lot more fun.”

Raised in an Oakland suburb, McDonald grew up going to the Coliseum. Like a lot of old school Bay Area fans in attendance, he felt a tinge of guilt buying a ticket.

“I swore them off, and I said I wouldn't come once they moved,” said McDonald.  

Part of the lure? McDonald’s two boys can lean over the wall and basically touch an A’s player. In a cozy minor league ballpark, there really are no bad seats. And you don’t have to pay through the nose to avoid the nosebleeds.

“Actually tickets were pretty cheap, like $33, and we’re in the front row,” said Giovanna Magana, who used to tailgate with her family outside the Coliseum.

READ MORE
A flow chart shows considerations to take before borrowing money: Is it for a want or a need? Will the money allow you to take advantage of a future opportunity? An you afford to pay the debt back in the future?

THIS WEEK ON “MILLION BAZILLION”
How much debt is too much?

On the latest episode of our podcast about money for kids and families, Bridget and Ryan reunite with an old friend to learn about debt: How much is too much to borrow?

It’s a big topic, but to start off, here's a flow chart kids (and their grown-ups) might find useful when thinking about borrowing money. Don’t dig yourself in too big of a hole!

LISTEN NOW
 
SONG OF THE WEEK
"Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish
The cover art for
Listen to "Birds of a Feather" on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Amazon’s teen drama “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is back with a new season. The show has become known for its stacked soundtrack, including needle drops from all the main pop girls of today: Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Chappell Roan, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo. That’s got fans, and us, curious: How much does it cost to license all those songs?

One expert we spoke to pegged the cost of Swift’s songs alone at $50,000 apiece, or more. Other artists tend to command a smaller fee, or may even let a show use their music gratis.

“Everything is negotiable,” said Darren Wilsey, a songwriter and author of the book “The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music.” “One of the most valuable aspects of having music featured on a popular TV show is the exposure.” 

After you listen, here’s one last link: Did you know Billie Eilish’s mom was on “Marketplace” talking about gentrification, years before her daughter became a pop star? 
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