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Latest Episodes:

No “stag” no “flation” May 02, 2024

Show notes

It’s time to rewind and revisit some of the big business stories of the week. First up, stagflation. Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell isn’t seeing signs of it, and neither is Kai Ryssdal. We’ll explain why. Plus, what Walmart’s decision to shut down all of its health clinics says about the U.S. health care system. Also, we’ll break down the latest efforts to restructure the American economy through the CHIPS Act. And, a singer’s plea to protect artists from AI-generated deepfakes.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “Fed Holds Rates Steady, Noting Lack of Progress on Inflation” from The New York Times

“GDP growth slowed to a 1.6% rate in the first quarter, well below expectations” from CNBC

“Walmart to close its 51 health centers and virtual care service” from Associated Press

“Walmart shuttering health units, including telehealth and 51 clinics” from Yahoo Finance

“Walmart Health Is Closing” from Walmart

“Breaking Ground: A visit to the “Silicon Desert” from Marketplace

”Senate Hearing on Digital Replicas and Artificial Intelligence Concerns” from C-SPAN

“FKA Twigs Reveals She Developed Her Own Deepfake in Congressional Testimony on AI Regulation With Warner Music CEO” from Variety

“Spotting tech-driven disinformation isn’t getting easier” from Marketplace

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.

The rising pressure on poll workers May 02, 2024

Show notes

With the presidential election less than six months away, election workers are raising concerns about their safety. We’ll get into the rising threats to election offices and how that might affect staffing ahead of November. Also, how Tesla’s disbanding of its Supercharger team could impact the Biden’s administration push to expand electric vehicle use. Plus, how a pest control professional saved a baseball game from a swarm of bees.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Nearly Two-Thirds Of Election Officials Worry Politicians Will Interfere With Their Work: Poll” from HuffPost

“Local Election Officials Survey” from the Brennan Center for Justice

“They staffed the Jan. 6 committee. Threats still follow them” from Roll Call

“Musk Undercuts Tesla Chargers That Biden Lauded as ‘a Big Deal’” from Bloomberg

“Pest control ace clears Dodgers-Diamondbacks bee swarm, throws first pitch” from United Press International

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 trade-offs of the trade deficit May 01, 2024

Show notes

Today we’re talking about the trade deficit at the request of some of our curious listeners. Since the mid-’70s, the U.S. has persistently been importing more goods than it exports. Is that such a bad thing? We’ll hear from Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, about why the U.S. has a trade deficit, whether it’s a good or bad thing, and why a country’s overall trade deficit matters more than deficits with specific countries.

Then, we’ll get into how online political donations are fueling election campaigns this year. Plus, the malleable idea of “old age” and the wonders of happy sheep in a solar field.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “Trade deficits aren’t good or bad, just weird” from Marketplace

“The U.S. Trade Deficit: How Much Does It Matter?” from the Council on Foreign Relations

Historical U.S. Trade Deficits from the St. Louis Fed

“Chinese Exports Are Threatening Biden’s Industrial Agenda” from The New York Times

“Trump promised to rebalance trade in North America. The US trade deficit keeps climbing.” from Politico

“How online donations are fueling the election” from Politico

Polling in 2024 from Reuters

Opinion | “What Departing Lawmakers Think About Congress” from The New York Times

“Young US adults reach key milestones later in life than in the past like marriage, full-time job, financial independence” from Pew Research Center

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Biden’s regulation rush Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

Nope. It’s not just your imagination. The Biden administration has been on a roll to finalize several regulations — from changes at nursing homes and updates to Title IX to health care protections for transgender people. Kimberly explains what’s really behind the mad dash. Also, Kai is back with a reminder: Don’t sleep on the foreign exchange market, folks! And we’ll smile about the tales of two cats.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Biden administration strengthens health care protections for LGBTQ+ Americans” from The 19th News

“Congressional Review Act Threat Looms Over Biden Administration Rulemakings” from Inside Privacy

“A Strong U.S. Dollar Weighs on the World”from The New York Times

“Japan Intervenes After Yen Slides Against the Dollar” from The Wall Street Journal

“Nebraska’s “Capitol Cat” brings paw-sitivity to politics” from USA Today

“Stowaway Cat Gets From Utah to California in Amazon Returns Package” 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.

College campus protests and the value of a degree Apr 27, 2024

Show notes

Protests over Israel’s war in Gaza have erupted at universities across the United States. We’ll discuss what the sweeping protests and other high-profile political battles at colleges could mean for the economics of higher education. And, what the Federal Reserve might look like under a second Donald Trump presidency. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. “Protests Threaten College Graduations, Denying Seniors Second Chance at Normalcy” from The New York Times

“What students say about the protests rocking their campuses” from The Washington Post

“Americans are falling out of love with the idea of college” from Noahpinion

“Americans Are Losing Faith in College Education, WSJ-NORC Poll Finds” from The Wall Street Journal

“Trump Allies Draw Up Plans to Blunt Fed’s Independence” from The Wall Street Journal

“Job trend ‘resenteeism’ has employees coasting through workdays and hanging on, rather than quitting” from Fox Business

“How science could disrupt the gin industry” from Marketplace

“Celebs head to DC for correspondents’ dinner: Here’s who’s coming” from The Hill

“California lawmakers are tired of Clear’s airport line-cutters — but airlines are not” from Fast Company

“Christopher Bess, 5-year-old basketball coach, goes viral” from Marketplace

Want more Make Me Smart in your life? Sign up for our newsletter at marketplace.org/smarter.

A stock pop and a stock flop Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

It was a big week for tech earnings calls. Guest host Nova Safo unpacks how they went down for Tesla and Meta, and why the stock market reacted so differently to what their CEOs had to say. Plus, what Boeing’s troubles say about the state of U.S. manufacturing. And, would you try an AI-generated gin cocktail?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

1. Tesla, Inc. Q1 2024 Financial Results and Q&A Webcast

“Elon Musk Would Like to Talk About AI” from Heatmap News

Meta Q1’24 Earnings Presentation

“Boeing failures are a case study of America’s manufacturing “dark age” from Marketplace
1. “How science could disrupt the gin industry” from Marketplace

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.

To ban or not to ban Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

Today, we’re talking about two different kinds of bans. As expected, President Joe Biden signed the TikTok sell-or-ban bill. But first, guest host Meghan McCarty Carino breaks down the Federal Trade Commission’s decision to ban noncompete agreements and their impact on workers and innovation. Plus, we’ll smile about Emily Dickinson and her newfound love of exclamation points!!! And how “old” is “old”?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Business Groups Race to Block FTC’s Ban on Noncompete Agreements” from The Wall Street Journal

“FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements That Restrict Job Switching” from The Wall Street Journal

“Did California’s Noncompete Ban Fuel Silicon Valley Innovation?” from Bloomberg Law

“Banning Noncompetes Is Good for Innovation” from Harvard Business Review

“TikTok may be banned in the US. Here’s what happened when India did it” from The Associated Press

“U.S. Approves Sale of Dating App Whose Owners Were Probed by National Security Officials” from The Wall Street Journal

“Grindr sold by Chinese owner after US raised national security concerns” from TechCrunch

“People think ‘old age’ starts later than it used to, study finds” from the American Psychological Association

“Eternity Only Will Answer” from Poetry Foundation

Want more Make Me Smart in your life? Sign up for our newsletter at marketplace.org/smarter.

The dollar store dilemma Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

Several American dollar store chains have been down bad these days. Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and 99 Cents Only have all recently announced store closures. On the other hand, Dollar General is poised to expand. This has us wondering: What’s going on with the dollar store business model? Has today’s inflationary economy broken it? On the show today, Sandro Steinbach, professor of agribusiness and applied economics at North Dakota State University, explains the economics behind dollar stores, how they keep prices so low, and the impact they have on different communities.

Then, we’ll discuss privacy risks while using popular dating apps. And, what the Australian kids’ show “Bluey” can teach us about the economy.

Here’s everything we talked about:

1. Video: “How can dollar stores still sell things for a dollar?” from Marketplace

“Why are discounters like 99 Cents Only Stores in dire straits?” from Marketplace

“Here’s How Dollar General Keeps Its Prices at Rock-Bottom” from Business Insider

“The Dollar-Store Showdown Comes Down to Real Estate” from The Wall Street Journal

“Dollar store expansion and independent grocery retailer contraction” from Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy

“The American dollar store has fallen on hard times” from CNBC

“Dating apps are collecting more of your information than you think” from The Washington Post

“Justice Department Reaches Civil Settlement with Hundreds of Victims Abused by Lawrence Nassar” from the Department of Justice

“Justice Department settles with Larry Nassar victims for $138.7 million” from The Washington Post

“Historical U.S. Trade Deficits” from The St. Louis Fed

Want more Make Me Smart in your life? Sigh up for our newsletter at marketplace.org/smarter.

Big change coming to nursing homes Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

Today, the Biden administration announced plans to implement strict staffing requirements at nursing homes. Kimberly Adams unpacks what this rule may mean for care and the nursing home business model. Plus, guest host Nova Safo returns to discuss the United Auto Workers’ historic victory in the South and the latest troubles at Tesla. And, high-speed rail is finally coming to the U.S.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“UAW wins big in historic union vote at Volkswagen Tennessee factory” from Reuters

“Tesla shares tumble on price cuts in run-up to earnings” from Reuters

“Biden administration finalizes controversial minimum staffing mandate at nursing homes” from CNN

“Nursing homes must hit minimum staffing levels under new federal rule” from The Hill

“Long Term Care Insurance Costs by State and Region” from New York Life

“How much does long-term care insurance cost?” from CBS News

“I’m 68 and My Long-Term Care Insurance Now Costs $600 Per Month. Is This Too Much?” from Yahoo Finance

“Nine practices from Native American culture that could help the environment” from The Washington Post

“From Sin City to the City of Angels, building starts on high-speed rail line” from The Associated Press

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.

A revamp for Title IX Apr 20, 2024

Show notes

The Joe Biden administration announced highly anticipated updates to Title IX. The new rule expands protections for LGBTQ+ students and sexual assault survivors. But it stops short of addressing the rights of trans athletes. Then, we’ll get into the outrageous hoops rich people jump through to get out of paying state taxes. Plus, we’ll weigh in on swapping seats on airplanes and more in a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today: