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Our take on the debate (and drone light shows) Jun 29, 2024

Show notes

There were no fireworks for the Democratic Party during last night’s debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. While Trump made false claims throughout the night, Biden did little to assuage fears that he’s not up to the job. We’ll get into how the Biden campaign’s fundraising strategy is already shifting and what it might mean for downballot races. Then, we’ll weigh in on Fourth of July travel and drone light shows during a game of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Debate takeaways: Trump confident, even when wrong, Biden halting, even with facts on his side” from AP News

“US Presidential Debate Viewership Analysis” from MiQ

“Biden-Trump presidential debate draws 48 million TV viewers” from Axios

“Politics and ‘a tale of different economies'” from Marketplace

“Why taxpayers keep footing much of the bill for new sports stadiums” from Marketplace

“Google puts an end to continuous scroll” from Marketplace

“MTV News Website Goes Dark, Archives Pulled Offline” from Variety

“Fourth of July travel is set to break records. Here’s how to plan.” from The Washington Post

“Why drones are replacing fireworks shows” from National Geographic

“We RICK ROLLED The City of Austin, TX With 600 Drones” on YouTube

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

SCOTUS shakes up SEC Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a huge blow to the Securities and Exchange Commission today when it ruled against its use of in-house judges to enforce securities fraud laws. We’ll get into why the decision will make the SEC’s job harder and what it could mean for other federal agencies. Plus, we’ll bust a common myth about Social Security and explain why homeownership is key factor in how Americans are faring in this economy.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“US Supreme Court faults SEC’s use of in-house judges in latest curbs on agency powers” from Reuters

“The Supreme Court’s chaotic SEC v. Jarkesy decision endangers ‘hundreds of statutes'” from Vox

“Social Security cuts are inevitable by 2035 unless lawmakers act” from Marketplace

“How the Inflation Reduction Act could change the future of one Native American reservation” from Marketplace

“Credit card delinquencies are climbing” from Marketplace

“Are we living in a K-shaped economy?” from Marketplace

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

Keeping up with the Supreme Court Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

This year’s Supreme Court decision season has been a busy one, and it’s not over yet. We’ll get into the court’s leaked opinion on emergency abortions and two other expected decisions that have the business world watching. Plus, another round of Cybertruck recalls and why it’s fine to keep referring to X as Twitter (per one Supreme Court justice).

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Supreme Court Poised to Allow Idaho Emergency Abortions: Exclusive” from Bloomberg

“Trump’s immunity, Jan. 6, abortion: The Supreme Court’s most controversial decisions are about to drop” from Politico

“What would Congress do without Chevron deference?” from Roll Call

“Tesla recalls every Cybertruck again” from Mashable

“Tesla is recalling the Cybertruck again, this time because a piece can fly off” from CNN

Tweet from John Shelton about the Supreme Court and the X/Twitter name debacle

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

Are we living in a K-shaped economy? Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

In the wake of the COVID-19 recession, many economists were describing the United States’ economic recovery as K-shaped. Basically, high-income Americans bounced back quicker than those at the lower end of the income scale.

So, did we ever ditch that K shape? The person who coined the phrase “K-shaped recovery” back then, says no.

“I think we’ve just gotten worse,” said Peter Atwater, president of Financial Insyghts and adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary. “Those at the top of the economic pyramid and those at the bottom have become even more divided.”

On the show today, Atwater explains why he believes economic inequality has grown since the pandemic recovery, why considerable wage gains for low-wage workers tell only part of the story and the risks of letting a K-shaped economy run wild. Plus, which letter of the alphabet would best represent a healthy economy?

Then, we’ll unpack an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision on a publicly funded religious charter school. And, we’ll get into how the fragility of global shipping supply chains could be playing into Federal Reserve decisions on interest rates.

Later, a listener shares what led them to begin adapting their home to suit living with friends. And, happy wedding anniversary, Susanna!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“The ‘K’ Is Not OK” from LinkedIn

“Inflation Is Bringing Back the K-Shaped Economy” from Bloomberg

“Behind America’s divided economy: Booming luxury travel and a jump in ‘relief’ loans” from CNBC

“A tight labor market and state minimum wage increases boosted low-end wage growth between 2019 and 2023” from the Economic Policy Institute

“U.S. Wealth Inequality: Gaps Remain Despite Widespread Wealth Gains” from the St. Louis Federal Reserve

“First publicly funded religious charter school in US ruled unconstitutional” from The Hill

“Fed’s Bowman Warns of Upside Risks to Inflation, Not Time to Cut” from Bloomberg

“Supply Chain Under Strain as Houthis Intensify Red Sea Strikes” from The New York Times

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

The conservative push to weed out anti-Trump federal workers Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Groups aligned with former President Trump are hunting through information to come up with a list of federal employees who might be resistant to a second Trump administration. We’ll discuss the push to reshape government. Plus, is the urban/rural divide a myth? And, a viral voicemail pep talk from a testing center worker makes us smile.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“In This Debate, CNN Is the Decider” from The New York Times

“Growing rural-urban divide exists only among white Americans” from Cornell Chronicle

“The Number of People Primarily Working From Home Tripled Between 2019 and 2021” from the U.S. Census Bureau

“Conservative-backed group is creating a list of federal workers it suspects could resist Trump plans” from AP News

“A 3-year-old voicemail goes viral, leads to emotional reunion” from The Washington Post

“Why Men Are ‘Rawdogging’ Flights” from GQ

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

The IRS battles a fraud-plagued tax credit Jun 22, 2024

Show notes

Four years after the Internal Revenue Service created a tax credit to help struggling businesses get through the pandemic, the agency ultimately plans to reject the majority of claims filed under the program. We’ll explain how it became swamped with fraud. And, Major League Baseball legend Reggie Jackson opened up about the racism he and other Black players faced in the ’60s. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“IRS says it will deny most claims of pandemic tax credit for employers” from The Washington Post

“With pardons in Maryland, 2.5 million Americans will have marijuana convictions cleared or forgiven” from The Associated Press

MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson recalls racism in baseball from Gary Parrish on X

“It’s Time to Stop Inviting Plus-Ones to Weddings” from The Atlantic

“First Came ‘Spam.’ Now, With A.I., We’ve Got ‘Slop’” from The New York Times

“Netflix House Will Let You Experience Your Favorite Shows, Movies in Real Life” from Netflix Tudum

“What’s to become of summer Fridays in the age of hybrid work?” from CNN

“Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms” from The New York Times

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

Turbulent times at Boeing Jun 21, 2024

Show notes

This week, senators grilled Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun about the aviation company’s safety culture and its retaliation against whistleblowers. But these problems are just the tip of the iceberg for Boeing. We’ll explain. Plus, why President Joe Biden’s new immigration plan is a big deal. And, who knew there were this many cricket fans in the U.S.?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun testifies before Senate committee on safety issues” from CNBC

“‘Why haven’t you resigned?’ Senators torch Boeing CEO as he apologizes for deadly failures” from Politico

“Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun Apologizes for Quality and Safety Issues at Senate Hearing” from The New York Times

“Boeing’s CEO Search Hits Some Snags” from The Wall Street Journal

“President Biden Announces Plan for Undocumented Spouses on DACA Anniversary” from C-SPAN

“Biden immigration program offers legal status to 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens. Here’s how it works.” from CBS News

“The economy is roaring. Immigration is a key reason.” from The Washington Post

“Supreme Court rejects challenge to tax on foreign corporate investments” from CNBC

“The Supreme Court upholds a tax on foreign income over a challenge backed by business interests” from The Associated Press

“The Supreme Court leaves a Trump-era offshore tax in place on investors” from NPR

“Supreme Court Upholds Trump-Era Tax Provision” from The New York Times

“ Rising Popularity of Cricket in US” from Bloomberg

“Uber Drivers, Techies Score Wins for Team USA at ICC T20 World Cup 2024” from Bloomberg

“T20 World Cup: The USA cricket team is capturing hearts and minds with historic run” from CNN

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

From “What Happened in Alabama?”: The history of Black land loss Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

In honor of Juneteenth, we’re bringing you an episode of a new podcast from APM Studios that’s especially relevant on this holiday. In the podcast, “What Happened in Alabama?” host Lee Hawkins unpacks his family history, confronts cycles of trauma and grapples with an issue many Black families face: how to keep land in the family.

This episode is about Black land loss. In 1910, Black farmers collectively owned over 16 million acres of farmland. A century later, over 90% of that land is no longer owned by Black farmers. Lee explores that tumultuous history and what Black families can do to hold on to their property.

If you’d like to hear more episodes from the series, you can find “What Happened in Alabama?” wherever you get podcasts.

The economics of building a life around friends Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

A recent survey found that almost 15% of Americans have co-bought a home with someone other than a romantic partner, and almost half said they’d consider it. This is part of a larger trend — many Americans are choosing to structure their lives around friends as opposed to a spouse or romantic partner. On the show today, Rhaina Cohen, author of “The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center,” explains what it really means to build your life around friends and the financial costs and benefits that come with it. Plus, how the LGBTQ+ community has shaped the conversation around the issue.

Then, we’ll unpack what baby boomers’ retirement readiness says about the wealth gap in the United States. And, the endless possibilities for crab emojis and why our intern, Thalia, was wrong about her curly hair.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Why more people are buying houses with their friends” from Axios

“What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?” from The Atlantic

“Inflation Widens Married Couples’ Money Lead Over Their Single Friends” from The Wall Street Journal

“Want financial security in America? Better get married.” from Vox

“Two Women Redefine What it Means to Marry Your Best Friend” from The New York Times

“If you can’t stay indoors during this US heat wave, here are a few ideas” from AP News

“Northeast Heat Wave 2024: This Is a Disaster. Treat It That Way” from Bloomberg

“US Retirement Accounts Are Flush for Millions of Older Americans” from Bloomberg

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

The false economic narratives continue Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

With the elections for president, the Senate and the House just 4½ months away, misinformation is on the rise. We’ll get into the kind of false narratives to look for on the campaign trail. Plus, how loopholes in medical billing underscore the importance of change at the state and local levels. And, the story of a remote-controlled robot that rescues swimmers in distress.

Here’s everything we talked about today: