Make Me Smart

Latest Episodes:

Trump’s pipe dream: slashing energy prices by half Aug 15, 2024

Show notes

At a campaign rally, former President Trump said he’s committed to slashing energy prices by at least half in a year (or at the latest 18 months). We’ll explain why it’s a pipe dream. And, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to propose the first-ever federal ban on corporate price-gouging in the food industry. But where’s the line between price-gouging and setting prices at market value? We’ll get into it. Plus, the latest data breach making headlines and a potential fix for the hassle of canceling unwanted subscriptions.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Trump wants to bring down energy prices — why that’s not easy” from Yahoo Finance

“FTC to investigate high grocery prices” from Marketplace

Margins by Sector (US) from the Stern School of Business at New York University

“Harris to propose federal ban on ‘corporate price-gouging’ in food and groceries” from CNBC

“Biden admin wants to make canceling subscriptions easier” from Axios

Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Launches New Effort to Crack Down on Everyday Headaches and Hassles That Waste Americans’ Time and Money from The White House

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The new rules of the road for real estate agents Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

A quick housing market announcement: the structure for real estate commissions is set to change this week following a legal settlement with the National Association of Realtors from earlier this year. We’ll get into what it could mean for homebuyers, sellers and real estate agents. And, to publish or not to publish internal Trump campaign documents allegedly leaked by Iranian hackers? That is the question several newsrooms are facing. We’ll explain the conundrum. Plus, Kai Ryssdal gets wistful about his daughter’s first day of school.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“So Much About Real-Estate Commissions Just Changed. Here’s What to Know.” from The Wall Street Journal

“Why newsrooms haven’t published leaked Trump campaign documents” from The Washington Post

“Biden admin to spend billions to blunt spike in Medicare drug premiums” from Politico

“Seeds are gifts from nature, says a major organic producer. So now it’s going to give them away” from AP News

“Rare display of northern lights and Perseid meteor shower delights skywatchers worldwide” from Space

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

From Burning Questions: How can I eat for the planet (without getting stressed out)? Aug 13, 2024

Show notes

Hey Smarties! If you’ve ever wondered how you make your diet more climate friendly, this episode of “Burning Questions” has you covered. From our friends over at “How We Survive,” the series answers your questions about climate change. In this episode, host Amy Scott chats with Melissa Nelson, professor of Indigenous sustainability at Arizona State University, about how our day-to-day food choices affect the planet and steps you can take to make your diet a little greener, without getting overwhelmed.

The growing threat of GPS attacks on airlines Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

On the show today: a story from the “this is terrifying” file. Cybersecurity researchers are bringing attention to a recent surge in GPS “spoofing” on commercial airlines. We’ll explain how these digital attacks work and why they pose a danger. And, former President Donald Trump made his return to the social media site X to promote an upcoming conversation with Elon Musk. We’ll get into it. Plus, Kai Ryssdal tells us all about his adventures in France to see the Paris Olympics.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Trump Returns to X With Several Posts Ahead of Musk Interview” from Bloomberg

“GPS spoofers ‘hack time’ on commercial airlines, researchers say” from Reuters

“Meta beats censorship lawsuit by RFK Jr’s anti-vaccine group” from Reuters

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Peacock sticks the landing at Paris Olympics Aug 10, 2024

Show notes

Compared to the Games in Tokyo and Beijing, NBC’s Paris Olympics coverage has been pulling in significantly higher viewership and ad revenue. Guest host Meghan McCarty Carino explains why the company may have finally hit its stride with its streamer Peacock. And, candidate Donald Trump said the president should have more influence over the Federal Reserve. Guest host Nova Safo gets into how that scenario played out in the Richard Nixon era. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“NBC’s Olympics Broadcast Isn’t Just Addictive. It’s a New Era of Streaming” from Wired

“NBC enjoys Paris Olympics success as Americans neglect work to watch the Games” from Reuters

“The Snoop Olympics: Paris proving a boon to NBC after interest waned in Tokyo and Beijing Games” from AP News

“Trump Calls for Three Debates Against Harris, More Influence Over the Fed” from The Wall Street Journal

“Trump would face constraints in remaking the Federal Reserve if elected” from Axios

“Do athletes who earn an Olympic gold medal get a cash prize?” from Marketplace

“Costco is cracking down on membership moochers” from CNN

“Amazon Deals Let Shoppers Buy Products on TikTok, Pinterest” from Bloomberg

“Americans Are Skipping Theme Parks This Summer” from The Wall Street Journal

“Celebrity book clubs are ‘extremely influential’ in the publishing world” from Marketplace

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

What betting markets can and can’t tell us about the election Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

Former {resident Trump and Vice President Harris are apparently neck and neck in the presidential race. That’s according to the … betting markets? Yes! We’ll get into the ways prediction markets are being used like polls in the 2024 race. Then, why lobbying dollars may pour in at state houses following the end of the Chevron doctrine. Plus, guest host Meghan McCarty Carino joins us to discuss the steady drip, drip, drip of layoffs in the tech industry. And, U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles wants his Air Jordan moment.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Yes, you can place bets on the election (for now)” from Marketplace

“Trump and Harris in Dead Heat for Presidency, Polymarket Betting Shows” from The Wall Street Journal

“When the feds don’t regulate … will the states?” from Marketplace

“Dell Layoffs Hit Sales Team With New Unit Focused on AI” from Bloomberg

“Intel is laying off over 15,000 employees and will stop ‘non-essential work’” from The Verge

“The World’s Fastest Man Wants His Own Signature Adidas Shoe” from Bloomberg

Join us tomorrow for a Make Me Smart guest host take over edition of Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Google’s ruling and Biden’s antitrust legacy Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

A federal judge on Monday ruled that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly over online search. It’s the biggest antitrust ruling in decades. Could it be the cherry on top for President Joe Biden’s economic legacy? We’ll get into it. Plus, climate change and the future of the home insurance industry. And, gymnastics girl power and meteor showers make us smile.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Google Loses Antitrust Case Over Search-Engine Dominance” from The Wall Street Journal

“All the spiciest parts of the Google antitrust ruling” from The Verge

“How Does Harris View Big Business? Her Time as California’s Top Lawyer Offers Clues” from The New York Times

“Your Next Home Insurance Nightmare: AI, Drones, and Surveillance” from Business Insider

“Trump vs. Biden: Who Got More Done on Antitrust?” from Washington Monthly

“For the VP also-rans’ political futures, Walz’s elevation ‘complicates it a lot’” from Politico

“Michelle Obama Weighs In On Simone Biles’ Bowing Gesture After NFL Star Trashes It” from HuffPost Sports

“Perseid meteor shower 2024 peaks this weekend. Here’s how to see summer’s best ‘shooting stars'” from Space

“Mountain Bikers Are Rewilding Land by Paying the Government to Do It” from Wired

Make Me Smart is headed to Boston! You can find details about the live event and how to get early bird tickets here.

So you’ve been part of a data breach. Now what? Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

Another day, another data breach, am I right? Companies including AT&T, Ticketmaster, and UnitedHealth have all made headlines recently after hackers left millions of customers’ data vulnerable. Lily Hay Newman, a writer covering information security, digital privacy and hacking for Wired, says data breaches like these have been a growing issue for more than a decade. On the show today, Newman explains steps you can take after you’ve been impacted by a breach (beyond signing up for free credit monitoring) and what you can do proactively to protect your data. Plus, what cybercriminals actually do with your data and how cyberattacks have evolved.

Then, we’ll get into how a PAC funded by Elon Musk is collecting information on would-be voters. Plus, we’ll workshop a name for Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic platform and hear about Olympic speed climbing.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“The Sweeping Danger of the AT&T Phone Records Breach” from Wired

“Ticketmaster Confirms Data Breach. Here’s What to Know.” from The New York Times

“AT&T says criminals stole phone records of ‘nearly all’ customers in new data breach” from TechCrunch

“What’s Behind the Increase in Data Breaches?” from The Wall Street Journal

“Here’s how much your personal information is worth to cybercriminals – and what they do with it” from The Conversation

“How an Elon Musk PAC is using voter data to help Trump beat Harris in 2024 election” from CNBC

“Forget Apple, the biggest loser in the Google search ruling could be Mozilla and its Firefox web browser” from Fortune

“U.S. climber Sam Watson smashes men’s speed world record with 4.75-second qualification run” from NBC Olympics

Make Me Smart is headed to Boston! You can find details about the live event and how to get early bird tickets here.

The stock market temper tantrum, explained Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

It’s been a tumultuous Monday for global markets as investors worry about the strength of the American economy. We’ll explain the data points behind the stock market slide and what it could mean for the Federal Reserve’s upcoming decisions on interest rates. And, we’ll get into what the fallout of former President Donald Trump’s appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists says about microaggressions in the workplace. Plus, women’s rugby, Flavor Flav and all things Olympics.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Trump attacks Harris’s Black identity at NABJ conference. Harris says Americans ‘deserve better.’” from The Washington Post

“Traders Bet on Fed Emergency Rate Cuts, but Officials Need More to React” from The New York Times

“U.S. women’s rugby team’s recent $4M gift is momentous for the sport: ‘We’ve always wanted to be included'” from CNBC

“Flavor Flav’s new reality: Tackling gender pay inequality in sports, one Olympic polo match at a time” from The Oregonian

“An Olympian couldn’t pay her rent. Flavor Flav and Alexis Ohanian stepped in to help” from CNN Sports

“Flavor Flav Signs Five-Year Sponsorship Deal as Official Hype Man for USA Water Polo Women’s and Men’s National Teams” from USA Water Polo

“Google pulls Gemini AI ad from Olympics after backlash” from The Verge

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The global rise of right-wing populism (rerun) Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

It’s been a few months since our deep dive on populism, but following the annoucement of JD Vance as Trump’s VP pick, the term is back in the headlines. Today, we’re revisiting that episode because it’s important to know what populism is and isn’t, and why a specific brand of populism is on the rise. We will be back next week with new episodes after a short summer break. Until then, keep sending us your thoughts, questions and comments at makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Here’s everything we talked about today: