Make Me Smart

Latest Episodes:

We have a constitutional crisis. Now what? Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

On today’s episode, Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams discuss the Donald Trump administration’s disregard for the courts. The White House has ignored a judge’s order to turn around a pair of deportation flights and failed to rehire federal workers. A constitutional crisis has arrived. Plus, get ready for a three-bleep Kai rant. And how anime helps explain the GOP’s attempt to get around the real cost of its $4 trillion tax cut.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Black War Hero’s Medal of Honor Page Deleted by Pentagon” from Newsweek

“Donald Trump Is Itching for a Legal Showdown Over Deportations” by Vanity Fair

“What court orders? Trump’s moving full steam ahead to slash more federal workers” from Politico

“Exclusive: How the White House ignored a judge’s order to turn back deportation flights” from Axios

“Trump admin live updates: Border czar says ‘I don’t care what the judges think’” by ABC News

“Crematory horrors spur Maryland lawmakers to push for reform” by The Washington Post

“A Congresswoman with Dementia Stopped Coming to Work. The DC Press Corps Never Noticed.” by Politico

“The Budget Trick the G.O.P. Might Use to Make a $4 Trillion Tax Cut Look Free” by The New York Times

@bbkogan.bsky.social on Bluesky

“Republicans press for change in how CBO tallies cost of legislation” from Marketplace

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Shutdown averted. How it all went down. Mar 15, 2025

Show notes

A Republican-written spending bill is being backed by some Senate Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, to avoid a government shutdown. Other Democrats — and much of the voter base — aren’t happy. We’ll get into it. Then, we’ll close out the week with a round of Half Full/Half Empty, weighing in on Southwest Airlines’ new checked bag policy and $19 strawberries. Plus, in the wake of a certain duchess’ foray into television, what are your thoughts on celeb cooking shows?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“The Siberian Bone Hunters Diving for Ice Age Mammoth Fossils” from The New York Times

“Dr. Oz, with a TV host’s flair, promises simple solutions for America’s health care ills” by Politico

“Schumer Under Fire as Pelosi and Other Democrats Criticize Shutdown Retreat” from The New York Times

“Half-Past Four is the New Five O’Clock in More Efficient Workday” from Bloomberg

“5 Takeaways From Meghan Markle’s Netflix Show ‘With Love, Meghan’” from The New York Times

“Why does the viral Erewhon strawberry cost $19?” from Marketplace

“Southwest Airlines is charging for checked bags. Will loyal flyers stick around?” from USA Today

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

“Tariff on the brain” Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Kai and Kimberly divide into the back and forth over tariffs. The on-again, off-again levies are making it tough for industries to plan and trade. With all the uncertainty, are markets — from stocks to agriculture — on the verge of becoming untradable? Plus, we’ll wryly smile at a biting, century-old song about farmers who were ticked off about tariffs. (Thanks to our listener, Robert, for sharing his rendition!)

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“China’s retaliatory tariffs on agricultural goods will squeeze farmers” from Marketplace

“Chinese tariffs on U.S. farm products take effect as trade tensions mount” by The Washington Post

“An ‘Untradable’ Market: Trump Sows Profound Uncertainty for Stocks” from The New York Times

“Nebraska folklore pamphlet: Farmers’ Alliance songs of the 1890’s” from Nebraska Memories, a digitized archival project from the Nebraska Library Commission

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

Let’s talk about Newsom the Govcaster Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

A new contender has entered the podcast landscape: wait, is that California Governor Gavin Newsom? His show features a surprisingly conservative guest list, including MAGA stars Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk. Kai and Kimberly break down the fourth wall and discuss whether there’s value in platforming guests who hold a different set of values. Plus, more federal layoffs took place this past week, this time in the U.S. Department of Education and its civil rights division. Then, the hosts get smiley about rescue dogs in a sled dog race (thanks, Abigail!) and the birds in Kai’s neighborhood.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “Gavin Newsom Finds Some Surprising Common Ground With Steve Bannon” from The New York Times

“Massive Layoffs at the Department of Education Erode Its Civil Rights Division” by ProPublica

“U.S. Department of Education Launches “End DEI” Portal” from the U.S. Department of Education

“This Iditarod musher is racing with mostly rescue dogs from Alaska shelters” from Alaska Public Media

Kai’s been using Merlin Bird ID from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to identify birds in his neighborhood

Meanwhile, Kimberly’s uses the Seek app to help her tell the difference between weeds and plants in her garden

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Unpacking our collective COVID-19 trauma, five years on Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

Five years ago, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Since then, there have been lockdowns, a recession, two presidential elections and more than a million American lives lost from the disease. In many ways, life feels like it’s back to normal, but David Wallace-Wells, a writer for The New York Times, argues that the pandemic still has a grip on American life, from our faith in public health institutions to the way consumers feel about the economy. On the show today, Wallace-Wells walks us through how Americans neglected to process the seismic impact of the pandemic in the rush to recover from it, and how it’s left us more self-interested and less empathetic. Plus, how this can help explain disgruntled consumers and a growing appetite for risk-taking in the economy.

Then, we’ll get into how responses to public health emergencies have shifted to the realm of the private sector. And, we’ll hear listeners’ reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic, five years on.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Opinion | How Covid Remade Our America, Five Years Later” from The New York Times

“30 Charts That Show How Covid Changed Everything in March 2020” from The New York Times

“Gyms, pets and takeout: How the pandemic has shifted daily life” from The Washington Post

“It’s Not the Economy. It’s the Pandemic.” from The Atlantic

“Opinion | Covid’s Deadliest Effect Took Five Years to Appear” from The New York Times

“More Universities Are Choosing to Stay Neutral on the Biggest Issues” from The New York Times

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Will climate tax credits stay or go? Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

On today’s episode, Kai and Kimberly discuss the future of Biden-era clean energy tax credits under Trump 2.0. A group of GOP lawmakers want them to stay. Meanwhile, the administration is rescinding memos that pushed for climate change-resilient infrastructure. Plus, the hosts weigh in on the arrest of a Palestinian activist and Columbia University student by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Is this the first arrest of “many to come?” Finally, we’ll smile as the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., get closer to full bloom.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Trump Says Columbia Student Arrest Is First of Many to Come” from The Wall Street Journal

“House Republican support grows for keeping clean energy tax breaks” from Politico

“Transportation secretary rescinds Biden memos prioritizing infrastructure resilience to climate change” from The Hill

“2025 Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Forecasts” from DC Cherry Blossom Watch

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Oh, the irony! Mar 08, 2025

Show notes

President Donald Trump’s family business is suing Capital One for closing its bank accounts in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, arguing the bank violated consumer protection laws. Where’s the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau when ya need ’em? Then, Kimberly breaks down two moves by the White House that could have sweeping consequences for law firms who work on cases against the Trump administration. Plus, we’ll weigh in on Trump’s strategic bitcoin reserve and tariff whiplash during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Oh, and should there be a half-time show at the 2026 World Cup final?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Trump Organization Sues Capital One for Closing Its Accounts” from The New York Times

“War heroes and military firsts are among 26,000 images flagged for removal in Pentagon’s DEI purge” from AP News

“Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures the Enforcement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c)” from the White House

“Trump directs DOJ to seek security bonds for injunctions” from Law and Crime

“Trump targets prominent Democratic-linked law firm” from Politico

“Your tariff questions, answered.” from the Marketplace newsletter

“Why coffee shops like Dunkin’ are dropping nondairy milk fees” from Marketplace

“Fed chair signals patience amid Trump’s tariff whiplash” from The Washington Post

“In a first, the 2026 World Cup final will include a halftime show” from NPR

“Can an A.I. Travel Bot Plan Your Trip to NYC?” from The New York Times

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Your questions about government economic data answered Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump administration officials disbanded two expert committees on economic data this week and suggested altering the way the U.S. calculates gross domestic product. It’s not the first time the administration has hinted at fiddling with important numbers, and a listener wrote in to ask how all this might impact businesses and the market. We’ll break it down. Plus, why is nobody talking about the debt limit? And, congrats to Bill in Ohio on scoring a hat trick!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Trump administration disbands two expert panels on economic data” from Reuters

“Can the U.S. delete government spending from GDP?” from Marketplace

“Key House Republican Warns May Debt-Ceiling Breach Possible” from Bloomberg

“Explainer: Why would the US government shut down?” from Reuters

“A campus sign said ‘Tell us something good.’ Students delivered.” from The Washington Post

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

What is even happening with the politics of this economy?! Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

On today’s episode, we’re discussing a pair of recent rulings about the Trump administration’s efforts to cut foreign aid and fire federal workers, leaving us with a “Through the Looking-Glass” moment, where the nonsensical is reality. Plus, we’ll explain some ways to catch a breath in the midst of uncertain economic times. And, we’ll smile at a math problem solved through the power of anime fans.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Bid to Freeze Foreign Aid” from The New York Times

“How to handle the stress of tariff escalation and stock market jitters” from The Washington Post

“‘He Finally Shot the Hostage’: Trump’s Trade War Is a Brutal Reality Check” from Politico

“OPM retroactively edits probationary firing guidance to note it did not order probationary firings” from Government Executive

“How Anime Fans Stumbled upon a Mathematical Proof” from Scientific American

“Steve Carell tells students affected by wildfires that prom tickets are paid for” from The Washington Post

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Angel City FC and the rise of women’s pro soccer Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

The National Women’s Soccer League’s regular season kicks off next week. And thanks in part to a record-breaking media rights agreement and the growth of women’s professional sports across the board, the league is gaining more attention — and investment — than ever. Angel City Football Club became the highest-valued women’s sports team in the world last year when Willow Bay and Bob Iger acquired a controlling stake in the franchise for $250 million. Julie Uhrman, the team’s CEO and co-founder, says Angel City is just the beginning. On the show today, Uhrman explains how she and her co-founders got investors to see their vision, why a game day experience that leaves you with FOMO is key to Angel City’s growth, and how to watch the NWSL’s season.

Later, how proposed funding cuts at the National Institutes of Health could leave a generational impact on the United States’ reputation as a science leader. And Adam Grant, host of the “Re:Thinking” podcast, answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today: