Make Me Smart With Kai And Molly

Branding is big in contemporary political campaigns. But some candidates are going to odd lengths to appeal to women in 2024. We’ll explain. Plus, the wave of new state voting laws since 2020 has the potential to dramatically reshape ballot access in the 2024 election. And we’ll weigh in on the doomsday prepping economy and “fridgescaping” during a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “G.O.P. Candidates, Looking to Soften Their Image, Turn to Their Wives” from The New York Times “In the tightest states, new voting laws could tip the outcome in November” from Stateline “Battleground State Removes Nearly 10 Percent of Voters for Being Ineligible” from Newsweek “VoteFlare’s mission to upgrade voter communication” from Marketplace “In uncertain times, the prepper supply business is booming” from Marketplace “Spurned by Social Media, Publishers Chase Readers on WhatsApp” from Th

In a speech outlining her economic vision this week, Vice President Kamala Harris said she’d boost manufacturing in the United States by supporting trade school programs and getting rid of unnecessary college-degree requirements for federal jobs. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain why the DOJ is suing Visa. Plus, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde’s wild search for butter prices. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris pledges ‘pragmatic’ approach to the economy in Pittsburgh speech” from Politico “Kamala Harris says she will cut degree requirements for certain federal jobs” from Reuters “Justice Department Sues Visa for Monopolizing Debit Markets” from the Department of Justice “Justice Department accuses Visa of stifling competition in the debit card business” from NPR “Cruz gets heated after Booker blocks deepfake revenge porn bill” from The Hill “Christine Lagarde – Stabilizing

Congress has agreed on a temporary spending bill to fund the federal government through Dec. 20. The House GOP’s hotly debated SAVE Act didn’t make the final cut. We’ll get into what did make it into the bill beyond bare-bones funding measures. And, a wave of homeowners are looking to refinance their mortgages as borrowing costs ease. Plus, we’ll cry happy tears over a “Homeward Bound” story come to life. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Kushner’s Fund Has Reaped Millions in Fees, but So Far Returned No Profits” from The New York Times “US Mortgage Rates Fall Again, Triggering Big Wave of Refinancing” from Bloomberg “The final countdown” from Punchbowl News “Shippers scramble for workarounds ahead of looming US East Coast port strike” from Reuters “Cat Missing in Yellowstone Returns Home to California After an 800-Mile Trek” from The New York Times Tweet from Jacqui Heinrich about President Biden

Kai Ryssdal takes over the mic today as he digs into the U.S. military’s climate change paradox. While the military is fueling the climate crisis, it’s also on the frontlines of the fallout. It’s an issue that hits home for Kai, a Navy veteran. And it’s all part of the latest season of Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast, “How We Survive.” Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

The 1979 disaster at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant helped define the energy conversation in the United States. Now it’s being reopened to help power artificial intelligence. We’ll get into the deal between the owner of the plant and Microsoft. Plus, the hosts weigh in on how some schools are warming up to AI and whether companies should take a political stand in a game of Half-Full/Half-Empty. Here’s everything we talked about: “How Sparing the Parkland Shooter’s Life Changed Florida’s Death Penalty” from The Marshall Project “Microsoft AI Needs So Much Power It’s Tapping Site of US Nuclear Meltdown” from Bloomberg “Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Plant to Reopen, Help Power Microsoft’s AI Centers” from WSJ If you’re in the Denver area, join Kimberly Adams for a live panel discussion on the economics of being single on Sept. 23. Make Me Smart listeners get a discount with the promo code SMART. And i

This year, fake content generated by artificial intelligence hasn’t created the massive election mess that many assumed it would in the United States … at least not yet. At a Senate hearing, tech executives pointed to recent efforts by Russia, China, and Iran to interfere with the upcoming election. And, no, the Teamsters union did not endorse former President Trump. We’ll explain. Plus, we’ll get into the ongoing strike at Boeing and Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan for a cap on childcare costs. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Censorship accusations loom over Big Tech hearing on election threats” from The Verge “Teamsters union declines to endorse Trump or Harris in presidential race” from NPR “Harris wants to limit child care costs to 7% of family income” from CNN Politics “Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the economy, potential U.S. port strike and Boeing strike” from CNBC “Boeing Workers Go on

The Federal Reserve today said it’s lowering its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point. The rate cut is bigger than we’d predicted, and bigger than what the Fed normally does, but its effects will take some time to ripple through the economy. We’ll also get into former President Donald Trump’s switch-up on the state and local tax deduction cap and why Sen. Rand Paul wants Congress to reclaim power over tariffs. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Federal Reserve lowers interest rates by 0.50 percentage points in first cut since 2020” from CBS News “Dr. Rand Paul Celebrates Constitution Day with the No Taxation Without Representation Act” from Sen. Rand Paul Tweet from Burgess Everett about Rand Paul’s tariff proposal “Trump signals SALT deduction cap reversal” from Axios “Schumer calls out Trump for ‘selective amnesia’ on SALT” from The Hill “NPR Exclusive: U.S. overdose deaths plummet, sa

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates this week for the first time in four years. It would be a major milestone in the central bank’s long fight to get inflation under control. The Fed changes interest rates to keep inflation in check. But inflation is a complex phenomenon, and people have different ideas about what drives it. On the show today, Harvard economics professor Stefanie Stantcheva explains what Americans believe about the root causes of inflation and how the government should manage it, how views differ along party lines and the role media play. Then, the narrative around retail theft is changing. And, comedian Rola Z who hosts the “Funny Arabs” show in Washington, D.C., answers the Make Me Smart question. Here’s everything we talked about today: “People’s Understanding of Inflation” from the Social Economics Lab at Harvard “The Fed And Public Opinion” from Forbes “What actually happens when the Fed cuts interest rates?R

It’s decision week for the Federal Reserve! Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues are expected to reduce interest rates for the first time since 2020. Investors are predicting a half-percentage-point cut, but we’re on Team 25. We’ll explain why. Plus, the origin of the false rumors about Haitian immigrants that reached the presidential debate stage. And why the cost of your Temu and Shein orders may go up. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Stock Market Today: Investors Bet on Bigger Fed Cut” from The Wall Street Journal “Elon Musk Writes, Then Deletes, a Post Musing About Threats to Biden and Harris” from The New York Times “Biden Takes Aim at China’s Temu and Shein With Trade Crackdown” from The Wall Street Journal “‘It just exploded’: Springfield woman claims she never meant to spark false rumors about Haitians” from NBC News “In celebration of being a terrible gardener” from The Washington Post We

Former President Donald Trump has said he wants to get rid of federal taxes on tips and Social Security benefits. Now he’s adding overtime pay to the list. We’ll get into it. And, could online dating be making income inequality worse? Plus, we’ll weigh in on foldable phones and Friday the 13th superstitions in a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Next Up in Trump’s No-Tax Zone: Overtime Pay” from The Wall Street Journal “Donald Trump Prepares to Unveil World Liberty Financial, a Cryptocurrency Business” from The New York Times “From Dating to Marriage: Has Online Dating Made a Difference?” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis “Tech companies commit to fighting harmful AI sexual imagery by curbing nudity from datasets” from AP News “How Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris could change the election end game” from ABC News “United Airlines to offer free Wi-Fi using Starlink from

Today, SpaceX’s crew of billionaire Jared Isaacman and three other private astronauts completed the world’s first-ever commercial spacewalk. We’ll get into it. And, Congress is quickly approaching yet another deadline to avoid a government shutdown. What’s holding up lawmakers from voting on a temporary spending bill? Plus, we’ll break down what’s been going on with oil prices this week and the latest in Apple’s foray into the world of artificial intelligence. Here’s everything we talked about today: “SpaceX Polaris Dawn astronauts complete 1st private spacewalk (video)” from Space “Speaker Johnson pulls Wednesday vote on government funding plan amid GOP divisions” from CNN Politics “House Speaker Johnson pulls government funding bill” from CNBC “Oil prices close at lowest level since December 2021 as OPEC cuts forecast” from CNBC “Apple Intelligence comes to iPhone, iPad, and Mac starting next month”

Last night’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump kicked off with a question about the economy — often cited as the top issue for voters. But the discussion that followed was notably light on economic policy. So, can the state of the economy swing this election? And, we’ll get into more takeaways from the big debate. Plus, are run clubs and grocery stores the new dating apps for singles? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris-Trump debate takeaways: Clashes on race, abortion, economy” from AP News “Fact-checking Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s 1st presidential debate” from ABC News “Trump “less inclined” to do another debate with Harris” from Axios “First it was childless cat ladies. Now it’s eating cats. How the topic led to ‘ALF’ memes” from Yahoo News “Love on Aisle 9? A TikTok Fad Fills Grocery Stores With Singles.” from The

The Joe Biden administration announced a final rule aimed at making sure insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders is on par with traditional medical benefits. We’ll explain why the Supreme Court’s Chevron decision poses a threat to the rule. Plus, the Supreme Court’s emergency docket is filling up with challenges to Environmental Protection Agency standards. And, we’ll talk about a Paralympic marathoner who opted to help out her stumbling guide, even if it cost her a medal. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Supreme Court Is Swamped With Emergency Appeals, Led by Challenges to EPA” from The Wall Street Journal “Biden administration finalizes rule to strengthen mental health parity law” from Reuters “Supreme Court’s Chevron Decision Threatens Decades of Progress in Access to Mental Health Care” from MedCity News “New Mental Health Rule Introduces Employer Benefit Parity Test” from Bloomberg Law 

The IRS and U.S. Treasury Department announced today the recovery of $1.3 billion from high-income tax dodgers since last fall, citing funding from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act as the catalyst for increased collection enforcement efforts. And we hear about the a new investigation into airline rewards programs. Plus, we discuss the value of musical-turned-movie remakes during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! And, a little PSA about 401(k)s. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Treasury recovers $1.3 billion in unpaid taxes from high-wealth tax dodgers” from The Associated Press “Saturn’s majestic rings will vanish in just six months from now” from Earth.com “The impending private equity blitz on NFL teams” from “Make Me Smart” newsletter “Airlines such as American, United, Delta, face DOT investigation over rewards programs” from Fox Business “Dancing With the Stars reveals cast for season 33: ’9

The Harris campaign is proposing a bump in the capital gains tax that’s well below the rate President Biden had put forward. We’ll get into why remixing Biden’s tax plan scored her some points with corporate supporters. And, we’ll explain the fight between Disney and DirecTV that’s causing channel outages for subscribers. Plus, why Medicaid patients are struggling to access GLP-1 weight loss drugs and what the vibes are in the restaurant industry right now. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris Tells the Business Community: I’m Friendlier Than Biden” from The New York Times “DirecTV chief content officer on ESPN blackout: Disney is still mandating minimum penetration” from CNBC “TV viewers get screwed again as Disney channels are blacked out on DirecTV” from Ars Technica “Disney networks go dark on DirecTV amid carriage dispute” from Axios “DirecTV is compensating customers affected by the Disney outage. But

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic is launching a new product targeted at businesses. It’s a step above the company’s consumer-facing products, like its popular chatbot Claude. We’ll explain what it could mean for human jobs. And, we’ll get into the White House efforts to combat Russian-backed attempts to influence the November presidential election. Plus, we’ll smile about 385 million-year-old fish fossils and an unsung hero who’s made coal mining a safer job. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Amazon-backed Anthropic rolls out Claude AI for big business” from CNBC “Biden administration announces major actions to tackle Russian efforts to influence 2024 election” from CNN Politics “Opinion | The Canary” (gift link) from The Washington Post “Fossils of 385 million-year-old fish found in pavement” from BBC News We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.o

This year alone, cryptocurrency companies have spent over $119 million on pro-crypto candidates in federal races across the country. That’s almost half of all corporate money spent on this year’s election. But can all this crypto money really sway elections? Lee Reiners, crypto policy expert at the Duke Financial Economics Center, explains what the crypto industry is hoping to accomplish with its election spending, the myth behind the “crypto-vote” and why former President Donald Trump is vying to become the “crypto-president.” Then, we’ll get into the U.S. government’s big penny problem. And, Boeing’s history in the spaceflight sector, and more to celebrate as the Paralympics continue.  Here’s everything we talked about today: “Crypto firms have spent more than $119 million on 2024 elections” from Marketplace “Crypto’s ‘huge moment’ scrambling US politics” from Politico “Why Republicans are embracing bitc

President Joe Biden has forgiven $167.3 billion in student loan debt since taking office. But his administration’s wins are often overshadowed by obstacles to its most ambitious debt relief programs. We’ll get into what this could mean for Biden’s economic legacy. And, we’ll explain why the 30-year mortgage rate can tell us what the markets think about the Federal Reserve’s next move. Plus, we’ll play a very demure, very mindful round of This or That! Here’s everything we talked about today: “30-Year Mortgage Rate Falls Again, Now at 6.35%” from The New York Times “$167.3 billion in student loan forgiveness” from The Washington Post “Very demure, mindful and viral: the TikTok trend explained” from Axios Kick off your Labor Day holiday weekend with our “Tunes on Tap” Spotify playlist featuring some of our favorite summer jams! Get the playlist here: marketplace.org/playlist.

The CEO of Klarna, the by now, pay later service, said the company plans to cut its workforce dramatically by opting not to replace workers when they quit and instead use artificial intelligence to fill in the gaps. We’ll get into it. And, Nvidia’s earnings that beat analysts’ expectations didn’t impress everybody. Plus, we’ll unpack the Justice Department’s new lawsuit against a rent-setting software company, and celebrate a win for the American wheelchair rugby team. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Klarna: AI lets us cut thousands of jobs – but pay more” from BBC News “Nvidia reports 122% revenue growth on surging demand for data center chips” from CNBC “How one company transformed the apartment rental market” from Axios “Chuck Aoki dominates, Sarah Adam makes history as USA Wheelchair Rugby holds off Canada | NBC Sports” from NBC Sports “Paralympic wheelchair rugby or ‘murderball’ isn’t for the