Make Me Smart

Latest Episodes:

What you need to know about tariffs Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

The Biden administration is aiming to triple tariffs on Chinese steel to protect U.S. manufacturers. Sound familiar? We’ll explain who is actually paying the price and what raising tariffs would mean for U.S. workers. We’ll also get into why economic data doesn’t always translate into how voters view the economy, especially in an election year. And, what the buzz over the popular animated series “Bluey” is all about.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“President Biden Gives Remarks on Labor Unions and Manufacturing Jobs in Pittsburgh” from C-SPAN

“Biden vows to shield US steel industry by blocking Japanese merger and seeking new Chinese tariffs” from The Associated Press

“Once again: Who pays for tariffs on Chinese steel?” from Marketplace

“Fed Chair Powell delivers remarks at the Washington Forum on the Canadian economy” from CNBC

“Fed Chair Jerome Powell Dials Back Expectations on Interest-Rate Cuts” from The Wall Street Journal

“It’s getting harder to predict the economy’s effect on presidential elections” from Marketplace

“Caitlin Clark Selected No. 1 Overall by the Indiana Fever” from ESPN

“Wait, Caitlin Clark Is Only Getting Paid $76,000?” from The Wall Street Journal

“Hall of Fame college coach Dawn Staley Reflects on the state of women’s basketball.” from NPR

“Political advertisers worry about reaching sports fans streaming their games” from Marketplace

Bluey “The Sign” Official Trailer

“The Non-Parents’ Guide to Bluey” from Vulture

“Is “Bluey” ending? “The Sign” explained — and the show’s future.” from Vox

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!

A new day for labor organizing in the South? Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

A union election at Volkswagen is testing the power of the United Auto Workers. As voting gets underway this week, guest host Nova Safo explains what unionization could mean for three big automakers and the labor movement in the South. Plus, how a unanimous Supreme Court ruling expands the scope of workplace bias suits. And, why Billy Joel came up at a Pentagon press briefing.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“The South has few unionized auto plants. Workers say this one could be next.” from The Washington Post

“Supreme Court makes it easier to sue for job discrimination over forced transfers” from The Associated Press

“Hugh Grant says he took ‘enormous sum’ to settle suit alleging illegal snooping by The Sun tabloid” from The Associated Press

“Conservative Broadcaster OAN Settles Defamation Claims by Voting-Machine Company Smartmatic” from The Wall Street Journal

Pentagon press conference moment from Travis Akers on X

Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Official HD Video)

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.

What we often get wrong about teens and screen time Apr 17, 2024

Show notes

There’s been a lot of debate lately about the potential effects of smartphones and social media on young people’s mental health. Some states like states like Florida and Utah have even tried to ban kids from using social media apps until they reach a certain age. But Mikey Jensen, professor of clinical psychology and director of the Interactions and Relationships Lab at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, said outright bans could do more harm than good.

On the show today: How smartphones and social media are reshaping our lives. And why we should focus on the quality of kids’ online time instead of the amount of it.

Then, we’ll get into the cost of a major ransomware attack for a health care company and its clients. And, the mini pencil economy and what a history professor got wrong about ancient Rome.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?” from Nature

“The Phone in the Room” from The New York Times

“I Asked 65 Teens How They Feel About Being Online” from The Cut

“What the evidence really says about social media’s impact on teens’ mental health” from Vox

“UnitedHealth to take up to $1.6 billion hit this year from Change hack” from Reuters

“Change Healthcare stolen patient data leaked by ransomware gang” from TechCrunch

“IMF Steps Up Its Warning to US Over Spending and Ballooning Debt” from Bloomberg

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The rise of the (tax) resistance Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

It’s Tax Day! Millions of Americans have already filed their 2023 returns, but today we’re talking about tax protesters and the moral and ethical reasons some refuse to file their taxes or pay what they owe. Plus, the “no landing” scenario has entered the chat. And, what are we getting wrong about the cosmos?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “Taxes are due even if you object to government policies or doubt the validity of the 16th Amendment’s ratification” from The Conversation

“Taxes 2024: I stopped paying taxes a decade ago. The results shocked me.” from Slate

“‘The 401(k) industry owns Congress’: How lawmakers quietly passed a $300 billion windfall to the wealthy” from Politico

“Fed Hiking Rates to 6.5% Is ‘Real Risk’ for UBS Strategists” from Bloomberg

“March retail sales data show the American consumer is still pretty strong” from Axios

“World’s top cosmologists convene to question conventional view of the universe” from The Guardian

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.

Why owning a car is getting so expensive Apr 13, 2024

Show notes

It’s hard to get around without a car these days. But in the last couple of years, owning one has become very expensive. We’ll explain the deceptive practices happening in the auto lending market. And, we’ll explain how Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s power in the Democratic Party was demonstrated by a campaign contribution. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty and weigh in on “dumbphones” and adult gap years.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “Ocasio-Cortez Never Steered Money to a Key Arm of Her Party. Until Now.” from The New York Times

“The rise of the scammy car loan” from Vox

“Decades later, Bonnie Tyler still finds new fans for her hit song every total eclipse” from CBC Radio

“Tech is supercharging pre-employment personality tests” from Marketplace

“The Dumbphone Boom Is Real” from The New Yorker

“Broadband ‘nutrition labels’ help you comparison shop for cable” from Marketplace

“Brands in Space: What’s behind the rush to advertise in the final frontier?” from Marketplace

“‘Companies are starting to realize burnout is an issue’: Meet the lucky workers taking sabbaticals and ‘adult gap years’ to recharge” from Fortune

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.

Bonds, Boeing and Beyoncé Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Today, we’re discussing the bond market’s big reaction to the latest inflation news and why you shouldn’t worry about it. Plus, a new Boeing whistleblower comes forward, and Beyoncé calls out the home insurance industry.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “Bonds are talking to us after inflation gauge comes in above forecasts” from Marketplace

“US consumer prices heat up in March; seen delaying Fed rate cut” from Reuters

“$6.6 billion TSMC deal in Arizona the latest in the CHIPS Act’s rollout” from Marketplace

“TSMC: Biden to give Taiwanese company $6.6 billion to ramp up US chip production” from CNN

“Biden administration bets an old plant can make new chips” from Marketplace

“‘Benefit of the doubt running thin with Boeing’: Capt. Dennis Tajer on whistleblower claims” from CNBC

“Boeing whistleblower says the Dreamliner 787 could ‘break apart’ because of safety flaws, report says” from NBC

Beyoncé’s YA YA (Clean Version)

Video breaking down Beyoncé’s “YA YA” from Daryl Fairweather on X

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

The last mile of the inflation fight just got bumpy Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

Inflation is coming in hot! Today’s consumer price index shows prices kept rising in March. Kai Ryssdal explains the one thing everybody should be doing right about now in addition to taking a deep breath! Plus, the rising cost of insurance — from homeowners coverage to life insurance — and what companies are doing to dump customers. Also, hear a whale talk to a scientist.

Here’s everything we talk about today:

1. “Hot Inflation Report Derails Case for Fed’s June Rate Cut” from The Wall Street Journal

“Insurers Are Spying on Your Home From the Sky” from The Wall Street Journal

“The Soaring Cost of Homeowners Insurance” from Comstock’s Magazine

“MassMutual is rolling out free genetic testing for members, a dicey area for life insurers” from STAT+

“The scientists learning to speak whale” from BBC

Solar Grazing Resources from the American Solar Grazing Association

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 EV market’s growing pains Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

There’s a lot of buzz about a slowdown in the electric vehicle market. EV sales, while still growing, are not accelerating at the pace of just a few years ago. At the same time, EV makers from Tesla to General Motors and Ford are pushing back EV plans. So, what gives? On the show today, Robinson Meyer of Heatmap explains what’s really happening with the U.S. EV market, what it’s going to take to rev it back up, competition from China and whether moves by the Biden administration will be enough to help domestic EV producers pull ahead.

Then, can robots make the meatpacking industry safer? Plus, in celebration of Monday’s solar eclipse, a planetary scientist answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “What happened to EVs?” from Business Insider

“Opinion | China’s Electric Vehicles Are Going to Hit Detroit Like a Wrecking Ball” from The New York Times

“The key to growing EV adoption is cars with lower sticker prices. They may be on their way.” from Marketplace

“Here Comes the Flood of Plug-In Hybrids” from Wired

“How Americans view electric vehicles” from Pew Research

“Tesla’s Sales Drop, a Sign That Its Grip on the E.V. Market Is Slipping” from The New York Times

“The U.S. Urgently Needs a Bigger Grid. Here’s a Fast Solution.” from The New York Times

“Meet the Robots Slicing Your Barbecue Ribs” from The Wall Street Journal

“Dogs can understand the meaning of nouns, new research finds” from The Guardian

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

A new round of student debt relief Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

The Biden administration is in a mad dash to address student debt relief ahead of the presidential election. A new plan could benefit tens of millions of Americans. We’ll explain. Plus, a Kai rant about a CEO who gets too much attention. And, there seems to be a market for everything! We’ll tell you about a new fad involving kids and mini pencils.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “Biden announces new student debt relief plan for millions of borrowers” from The Hill

“Biden seeks student debt relief for millions” from NPR

“Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Might Face Interest-Rate Spike” from The Wall Street Journal

“2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASA” from NASA

“Hot Market for Pencils Help Kids Turn Lead Into Gold” from The Wall Street Journal

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.

Let’s talk about earthquakes and the economy Apr 06, 2024

Show notes

Today, we’re talking earthquakes! First, our East Coast-based hosts react to the shaking on their side of the country. Then, we’ll examine how earthquake preparedness in Taiwan saved lives and prevented a big problem for the global tech economy. Later, we’ll weigh in on restoring blue check marks on X, New York earthquake memes and solar eclipse tourism in a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today: