Make Me Smart With Kai And Molly

The Supreme Court is hearing two cases that deal with a foundational part of administrative law, known as the Chevron deference, which gives federal agencies broad powers to create policies and regulations. We’ll explain the fight over the Chevron deference and how the economy could be impacted if it were overturned. And, what do we lose when we don’t get to see candidates debate each other? Plus, don’t talk to me about this year’s presidential election until I’ve had my coffee. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Conservative Justices Appear Skeptical of Agencies’ Regulatory Power” from The New York Times “China’s Economic Growth Disappoints, Fueling Stimulus Calls” from Bloomberg “CNN cancels New Hampshire Republican primary debate” from Politico “Rumors Circulating That James Webb Has Discovered Life on Another World” from Futurism “No, the James Webb Space Telescope

In 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote that “the solution to poverty is to abolish it directly by a now widely discussed measure: the guaranteed income.” Decades later, while still a divisive idea, the conversation around guaranteed income is starting to simmer, and pilot programs looking at universal basic income, a similar idea, are popping up around the country. On the show today, Stacia West, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research, explains why King called for a guaranteed income, why UBI is gaining traction today, and what early results from pilot programs are showing us about its impact. Then, we’ll get into the haggling over the child tax credit on Capitol Hill and check in with the world’s second largest economy. Plus, one historian was wrong about Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for the American economy. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Solution to

Certain dietary supplements with an ingredient that mimics opioids are a bubbling problem for public health officials. Sometimes called “gas station heroin,” they’re sold at run-of-the-mill smoke shops and convenience stores. We’ll get into why health officials are concerned and how under-regulation can muddy our understanding of how safe a substance actually is. Then, a much needed-happy puppy story. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Utah Jazz player Kelly Olynyk and wife found dog then found her owner” from The Washington Post “Supreme Court to review restrictions on homeless encampments” from The Washington Post “More Teens Who Use Marijuana Are Suffering From Psychosis” from The Wall Street Journal “‘Gas-Station Heroin’ Sold as Dietary Supplement Alarms Health Officials” from The New York Times “Why the earliest version

We’re approaching a partial government shutdown, again. We’ll get into why it feels like we’re back at square one and where Congress goes next. And, we’ll explain why the panel blowout during an Alaskan Airlines flight is a big problem for Boeing, despite its strong position in the market. Plus, what bitcoin exchange-traded funds mean for the future of crypto and Nikki Haley’s Social Security plan. Here’s everything we talked about today: “US Senate Democrats plan for stopgap to avert shutdown, House Republicans bicker” from Reuters “Boeing CEO says company is “acknowledging our mistake” after Alaska Airlines door blowout” from CBS News “Boeing’s design of a part that blew off a jetliner is being investigated by the federal government” from AP News “Nikki Haley wants to reform Social Security and Medicare. Donors are paying attention” from CNN Politics “Gary Gensl

Today, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to approve the first exchange-traded funds holding bitcoin. But regulators still have concerns, and a recent hack of an SEC social media account have only heightened fears. Plus, the pandemic relief funds that’ve been keeping state budgets afloat are gone. We’ll unpack why state budgets can be trickier beasts than the federal budget. And: This is normally a zombie-free zone, but “The Last of Us” TV series has us reconsidering. Here’s everything we talked about today: “SEC Hack Adds to Unease Over Bitcoin ETF Approval” from The Wall Street Journal “State Budget Problems Spread” from The Pew Charitable Trusts “‘It was a mirage’: States face budget woes as huge infusions of federal cash run out” from Politico “The Last Of Us Show Casts Beef Actor As Key Character” from Kotaku We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@

After Elon Musk’s gut renovation of Twitter, now known as X, other platforms like TikTok and Mastodon attempted to take its place as the new hub. But as users flock to various apps and algorithms replace follower-based feeds, the very core of social media is changing. On the show today, The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel explains the silo-ification of social media, what it means to go viral on today’s internet and how the changing medium might impact the 2024 elections. Plus, a potential upside to the fragmented social media landscape. Then, we’ll get into what the U.S. is doing about shady shell companies, how China became the world’s biggest car exporter and get smart about gin. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Nobody Knows What’s Happening Online Anymore” from The Atlantic “TikTok’s biggest hits are videos you’ve probably never seen” from The Verge “The Great Social Media–News Collapse” from The Atlantic

Former Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned after backlash following controversial testimony to Congress and accusations of plagiarism. We’ll get into Gay’s exit and what it says about privilege in the workplace. And, why Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to tell the White House about his hospitalization is a big deal. Plus, the lore behind John Coltrane’s cover of “My Favorite Things” is making us smile. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Opinion | Former Harvard President Claudine Gay: This Is About More Than My Mistakes” from The New York Times “Claudine Gay’s Harvard resignation proves Black women’s leadership is still political” from 19th News “The Pentagon adds new details about Austin’s secretive hospital stay and the delay in telling Biden” from AP News “How John Coltrane’s ‘My Favorite Things’ Changed American Music” from Smithsonian Magazine

Hey Smarties! Today we’re sharing an episode from “Million Bazillion,” a Marketplace podcast that answers kids’ questions about money. This episode tackles a question many of you might have too: What’s a recession? To get to the bottom of it, hosts Bridget and Ryan take an adventure-filled trip to the Federal Reserve, where they bump into Fed Chair Jerome Powell (who might sound a bit like Kai Ryssdal). We’ll be back with new episodes next week. Until then, if you’ve got a question, comment or submission for a state drink, send them our way. We’re at 508-UB-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Hey smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2023. We can’t do this show without you and we still need your support. If you can, donate today to keep independent journalism going strong into 2024 and beyond. Give now to support Make Me Smart. Thank you so much for your generosity, happy holidays and we’ll see you in the new year. Today, we’re talking about two topics near and dear to our hearts: space and economics. Over the last several years, NASA’s Artemis program and the commercialization of space have given rise to a large and growing space economy. How large? “It’s about $400 billion. By 2030 it is estimated to become about $1 trillion,” said Namrata Goswami, a scholar on space policy and co-author of the book “Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space.” “We also include a space economy to come in the next 20 to 30 years which includes the ‘in-spa

Hey Smarties! Today we’re handing things over to the team at “The Uncertain Hour,” a podcast all about the obscure policies and forgotten histories that explain who gets left behind in this economy. In the episode, host Krissy Clark explains the origins of welfare work requirements and gets into the experience of a mother who sought help from a for-profit welfare company when she came upon hard times. Give now to support Make Me Smart in the new year and beyond!

Hey Smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2023. We can’t do this show without you, and we still need your support. If you can, donate today to keep independent journalism going strong into 2024 and beyond. Give now to support “Make Me Smart.” Thank you so much for your generosity. Happy holidays and we’ll see you in the new year! What can Jell-O tell us about the United States during the Gilded Age? What about Spam during World War II? According to Anna Zeide, food historian and author of the new book “US History in 15 Foods,” they can tell us a lot about the evolution of American values, government — and of course, the American economy. “We all have to eat every day, and nothing else we do can really happen without food. And yet, at the same time, I think because of how mundane it becomes in its dailiness, it recedes to the back of our, kind of, concentrated thought. And we don’t spend all that much time thinking about how central i

The Golden Bachelor reality dating series has been a big hit this Fall. These kinds of reality TV shows are relatively cheap to produce, but at what cost? Today we’re bringing you an episode of Marketplace’s “This Is Uncomfortable” that gets into the economics of the reality TV industry for contestants and creators alike, and the real life financial and emotional consequences for the stars of the show. Give now to support Make Me Smart in the new year and beyond!

Hey smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2023. We can’t do this show without you and we still need your support. If you can, donate today to keep independent journalism going strong into 2024 and beyond. Give now to support Make Me Smart. Thank you so much for your generosity, happy holidays and we’ll see you in the new year. Americans love to eat meat. Last year alone, the average American ate 227 pounds poultry, pork and beef. But meat production comes with its own set of ethical and environmental consequences. So how do we get around these concerns? Dozens of startups say they’ve got the answer: lab-grown meat. Growing beef or chicken in a lab out of a few tiny animal cells may sound like something out of a sci-fi novel, something that will happen far off in the future, but with nearly $3 billion invested in the lab-grown meat industry, that future may already be near. “I think that that the supermarket, like tackling a Safeway or Kroge

Today we’re bringing you an episode from the latest season of “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast. In the episode, host Amy Scott and the “How We Survive” crew explore how communities in the Southwest are using technology to reimagine how the region manages its drought-stricken water supply. It turns out that water is everywhere. And it can be sourced in unexpected ways. We can’t do this show without you and we still need your support. If you can, donate today to keep independent journalism going strong into 2024 and beyond. Give now to support “Make Me Smart.” 

Hey smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2023. We can’t do this show without you and we still need your support. If you can, donate today to keep independent journalism going strong into 2024 and beyond. Give now to support Make Me Smart. Thank you so much for your generosity, happy holidays and we’ll see you in the new year. It’s time to air out some of fast fashion’s dirty laundry. Recently, fast-fashion retailer Shein was in the headlines over a paid influencer trip to one of its factories in China. It’s also facing allegations that range from labor rights abuses to high levels of carbon emissions. Sustainable-fashion writer Alden Wicker’s new book, “To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick” documents another gritty side of the industry: the toxic chemicals used to make the clothing many companies sell. As it turns out, there aren’t many laws in the U.S. to prevent those chemicals from ending up in our clothes. “It’s a pretty u

For our final episode of 2023, we’re throwing a holiday party with music, festive fascinator hats and drinks. We’ll also get to some big medical news: For the first time, the FDA approved gene therapies to treat sickle cell disease, which affects mostly Black people in the United States. And, the head of OPEC is meddling in climate talks at COP28. Plus, we’ll play a holiday-themed round of our favorite game, Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “OPEC Leader Tells Members to Block Any Climate Summit Deal to Curb Fossil Fuels” from The New York Times “FDA Approves Breakthrough Sickle Cell Disease Gene Therapies” from HuffPost “US FDA approves two gene therapies for sickle cell disease” from Reuters “After living with sickle cell disease for 39 years, I’m both excited and skeptical about the newly approved gene therapies” from Stat News “Buy now, pay later hit an all-time high

President Biden has asked Congress to pass a hefty aid package for the war in Ukraine and other defense initiatives, but the funding can’t seem to get through the Senate. We’ll hear the president implore lawmakers to act swiftly and get into why the package is being held up. Plus, the ballet of federal regulators and Wall Street banks continues. And, Google introduced its new AI model called Gemini. Among other capabilities, it can see! Here’s everything we talked about today: “As Ukraine aid falters in the Senate, Biden signals he’s willing to make a deal on border security” from AP News “Is a recession on the horizon? More bank CEOs think so” from CNN Business “Introducing Gemini: Google’s most capable AI model yet” from Google Video: “Hands-on with Gemini: Interacting with multimodal AI” on YouTube “Tommy Tuberville ends blockade of 400 military promotions” from The Guardian Joi

Today we’re geeking out over the bond market. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note has dropped from a few weeks ago and now sits close to 4.1%. We’ll unpack what a bond market rally could mean for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision-making as well as for the average American. Plus, what happens when someone says they intend to abuse their power? We’ll get into former President Donald Trump’s remarks at an Iowa town hall last night. Here’s everything we talked about today: “United States Rates & Bonds” from Bloomberg “Former House speaker Kevin McCarthy to resign from Congress at end of year” from The Guardian “Tuberville drops hold on military promotions” from NPR “Trump’s ‘dictator’ remark jolts the 2024 campaign — and tests his GOP rivals on debate day” from Politico “She spent a month trying to help stray dog whose head was stuck in a jug” from The Washington

We’re less than a year out from the 2024 presidential election. And former President Donald Trump is still leading the pack of Republican candidates, by a lot. This has us wondering: What would another Trump presidency mean for the economy? On the show today, William Howell, professor of American politics at the University of Chicago explains how Trump’s plans to weaken the federal bureaucracy could disrupt the economy, how the former president’s proposals on immigration and Obamacare could go over, and what voters see in his economic agenda. Plus, what this could all mean for our democracy. Then, we’ll get into a major data breach at the genetic testing company 23andMe. And, Moody’s lowered China’s credit outlook to negative. We’ll unpack what that means for China and what it has to do with political dysfunction in the U.S. Later, thoughts on COP28 and some impressive Spotify Wrapped stats. Plus, what the owner of a gift wrapping service had wrong when she started

The U.S. population is aging as Americans choose to have fewer children or none at all. We’ll get into the many reasons millennials hesitate to jump into motherhood and how to change the narrative around parenting. Plus, fewer children mean fewer people to take care of our aging population in a country already dealing with a senior care crisis. And, Patti LaBelle’s infamous performance of “This Christmas” at the 1996 National Christmas Tree Lighting makes us smile. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Aging America faces a senior care crisis” from Axios “How millennials learned to dread motherhood” from Vox Threads post from Business Insider’s Kali Hays “Patti LaBelle’s Disastrous Tree Lighting Performance Is the Only Good Christmas Tradition” from Esquire “Kiwi Eggs Hatch in the Wild Near New Zealand’s Capital” ​​from the New York Times It’s Half-Priced Hoodie Week! Give now to sho