Make Me Smart With Kai And Molly

The latest data from the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation measure hinted that inflation is cooling. But the Fed is still on guard, meaning higher interest rates for longer than many had expected. We’ll get into how that will likely be felt differently by Americans at opposite ends of the income spectrum. Then, we’ll get into the risky return of zero-down mortgages. Plus, we’ll weigh in on Chevy Malibus and merch during a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Inflation Remains Steady, With Signs of Further Cooling” from The New York Times “Zero-down mortgages are making a comeback” from CNN “CFPB Launches Inquiry into Junk Fees in Mortgage Closing Costs” from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “GM to discontinue the Chevy Malibu later this year” from Marketplace “Zoom cashiers may signal a new era of digital offshoring and remote work” from Marketplace “Venice’s new a

A former OpenAI board member dropped a bombshell allegation about CEO Sam Altman and the company’s ethics. But this isn’t the first time employees have expressed safety concerns about the company. We’ll explain. Plus, a new rule aims to protect buy now, pay later users. And, how college sports might finally get recognized as a multibillion-dollar business. Here’s everything we talked about today: “The Golden Triangle: How the CHIPS Act is changing one Arizona neighborhood” from Marketplace “What really went down at OpenAI and the future of regulation w/ Helen Toner” from The TED AI Show “Former OpenAI board member explains why they fired Sam Altman” from The Verge “Commissioner Sankey: ‘There’s no better time to be a student-athlete’” from SEC Sports “What to know about House v. NCAA settlement and a historic day for college sports” from The New York Times “Klarna CEO on CFPB declaration: Wise to put regulations around this” from CNBC “CFPB Takes Action to Ensure Con

After years of having a frosty relationship, Elon Musk and Donald Trump are warming up to each other. We’ll discuss what a potential political marriage might mean for a second Trump administration. Plus, who actually donates to political campaigns? Later, we’ll smile about two giant pandas returning to D.C.’s National Zoo! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Fewer Americans to Make Political Donations in 2024” from LendingTree  “Fewer Americans plan to donate to political campaigns: Survey” from The Hill “Inside Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Growing Alliance” from The Wall Street Journal “Two New Giant Pandas Coming to Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute From China by End of the Year” from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute “The Pandas Are Coming!” from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute “Latest North Korean Offensive: Dumping Trash on South Korea From the Sky” from The New York Times

Today we’re talking about food. Specifically, Big Food. In his book, “Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry,” Austin Frerick, agricultural and antitrust policy fellow at Yale, argues the food system is the most consolidated sector in the United States. On the show today, Frerick explains how the American food system became so concentrated, how that’s inflated prices and eroded quality, and what we should do about it. Plus, Walmart’s role as king of grocery kings. Then, we’ll get into why Boeing can’t keep up with SpaceX. And, an expert on youth mental health (and former guest on “Make Me Smart”) was wrong about how teens curate their social media feeds. Here’s everything else we talked about today: “Lax Antitrust Enforcement Imperils The Nation’s Supply Chains” from Forbes “What Is “Big Ag,” and Why Should You Be Worried About Them?” from Union of Concerned Scientists “The prob

More tariffs from the Joe Biden administration on Chinese goods are on the way, and he gave his blessing to some Trump-era tariffs. We’ll break it down. Plus, why a story about a local public library becoming an adults-only space may be a warning of things to come. Later, we’ll weigh in on Chuck E. Cheese’s animatronic band, whales sinking yachts and “quiet vacationing” during a round of Half Full / Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Biden Extends Tariff Exemptions on Some Imports From China” from Bloomberg “Donnelly Public Library announces it will become adults-only library, cites Idaho Legislature’s library bill” from KTVB “Employers can offer a new benefit: Matching student loan payments with 401(k) contributions” from Marketplace “After Outcry, Chuck E. Cheese Says It Will Keep More Animatronic Bands” from The New York Times “The Mad Scientist and the Killer Whales” from Rolling Stone “The restaurant reservation resale game is on the rise in N

After Israel threatened to cut ties between Israeli and Palestinian banks, Treasury Secretary Yellen warned it could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and create economic instability in the West Bank. We’ll also explain one reason why U.S. military spending is so high, get updates on the AI economy’s hot shot, Nvidia, and the U.S. government’s battle against Big Ticket. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Yellen Warns Israel Against Cutting off Palestinian Banks” from The New York Times “Yellen concerned about Israel’s threats to cut off Palestinian banks” from Reuters VIDEO: “VIRAL MOMENT: Michael Waltz Confronts Air Force Officials With Staggeringly Expensive Components” from Forbes Breaking News “Pentagon falling victim to price gouging by military contractors” from CBS News “New Bipartisan Bill Allows Military Contractors To Fleece Taxpayers” from The Lever “Nvidia dominates in AI, but others

Red Lobster, the popular seafood chain, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week after closing dozens of locations. We’ll get into the company’s yearslong troubles and why its unlimited shrimp deal isn’t entirely responsible for the chain’s downfall. Then, we’ll discuss the challenges of battling misinformation in today’s fractured media landscape. Plus, WNBA players are slaying designer looks and defying stereotypes of women in sports. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Tales From the Trenches of Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp.” from Slate “Why Red Lobster Filed for Bankruptcy: It Wasn’t the Endless Shrimp” from Eater “As Red Lobster files for bankruptcy, changing tastes take a toll on its casual-dining competitors” from Marketplace “Majority of Americans wrongly believe US is in recession – and most blame Biden” from The Guardian “How Arizona is preparing for AI-powered election misinformation” from Marketplace “The WNBA Has Teamed Up W

Over the last 50 years, an ideology known as neoliberalism has transformed the American economy — for better or worse. The concept is often associated with Ronald Reagan, free markets and deregulation. But legal scholar Mehrsa Baradaran says there’s a lot we get wrong about the origins of neoliberalism and its true impact on society. On the show today, Baradaran, author of the new book “The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and the Looting of America,” explains what neoliberal ideology promised to do for the American economy, what it actually did and why she believes that looking to the free market might, ironically, be the only way forward. Then, why actress Scarlett Johansson isn’t cool with OpenAI’s new chatbot. And we’ll hear the sounds of cicadas! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Opinion | The Neoliberal Looting of America” from The New York Times “What is neoliberalism? A political scientist explains the use and evolution of the termR

Today, we’re talking about the different efforts to invest in artificial intelligence. First up, guest host Lily Jamali breaks down Argentina’s endeavor to turn the country into an AI hub. Then, we’ll discuss the use of AI and deepfakes in India’s election in an attempt to reach voters. Later, we’ll smile about America’s first Black astronaut candidate finally taking a trip to space. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Argentina’s Milei Plans to Meet With Zuckerberg at End of May” from Bloomberg  “Indian Voters Are Being Bombarded With Millions of Deepfakes. Political Candidates Approve” from Wired  Marketplace’s Decoding Democracy election series “Dirty Dancing, Back to the Future and E.T. Voted Best 80s Films: Poll Reveals Top 40 Movies From Big-Hair Days” from Good News Network “Ed Dwight Goes to Space 63 Years After Training as 1st Black Astronaut” from The New York Times “Can life exist on Europa, Jupiter’s moon?” from Marketplace We love to h

Prices have been rising for pretty much everything these days. And for some, it’s raising the cost of making friends as more folks turn to paid activities like art classes and happy hours to socialize. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain the latest scandal that’s left the Supreme Court in a bind. Plus, we’ll weigh in on Chuck E. Cheese animatronics and bridesmaid debt during a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Supreme Court Justice Alito’s House Displayed a ‘Stop the Steal’ Flag After Jan. 6” from The New York Times “Want to Make a New Friend? How Much Money Have You Got?” from The Wall Street Journal “Watching the NFL This Season? You’ll Need at Least 5 Streaming Services” from How-To Geek “Chuck E. Cheese saying goodbye to animatronic band” from CBS News “The Bridesmaids Going Into Debt for Their Friends’ Weddings” from The Cut “Mindy Kaling Shar

Inflation isn’t going anywhere, and listeners wanna know what’s up with two of the government’s inflation measures. Today, we’re answering some nerdy econ questions about the consumer price index and personal consumption expenditures price index. We’ll also answer questions about how the Supreme Court gets funded and the ins and outs of joint fundraising committees. Got a question you’d like us to answer? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voice mail at 508-U-B-SMART! Here’s everything we talked about today: “How does the government measure inflation?” from Brookings “Why the PCE is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation” from Marketplace “What is the Core PCE price index?” from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis “Courts, Programs, and Other Items Funded by Congressional Appropriations for the Federal Judiciary” from the Congressional Research Service “US judiciary set to receive modest spend

Today, we’re diving into Bumble’s controversial anti-celibacy ad campaign, what it says about the state of dating apps and why some women are joining the anti-patriarchy movement. It’s time for a Kimberly rant. Plus, more updates on the Baltimore bridge collapse. Later, we’ll get queasy about cicadas and smiley about puppies! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Bumble’s billboard ads sneered at celibacy as an alternative to dating — and the company got stung” from The Associated Press “The Controversy Around Bumble’s Anti-Celibacy Billboards” from The Cut “Singles done with dating apps opt for speed-dating, matchmaking” from Marketplace Apology from Bumble on Instagram “What the 4B movement and boycotting men tells American women about where we are” from USA Today Preliminary Report on Baltimore Bridge Collapse from The National Transportation Safety Board “It’s on (for now): Biden and Trump agree to 2 debates” from Politico “Cicadas Are Here in St. Louis, and Here&#

With the big push to unionize auto workers in the South, it looks like it might be another hot labor summer. And if you and your little ones have questions, this episode is for you! Today, we’re bringing you a special episode from Marketplace’s kids podcast, “Million Bazillion,” all about the history of labor unions, collective bargaining and how unions changed the way we work. Plus, how many hours a day should a person work? Kids have thoughts! The next $50,000 in donations to Marketplace will be matched, thanks to a generous gift from Joe Rush in Florida. Give now and double your impact: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

A “third place” is where people hang out when they’re not at home or work, and they’re becoming increasingly important for building community and connection. Guest host Reema Khrais explains why we’re hearing a lot more about them these days and shares the story behind her own third place. But first, we’ll discuss the knock-on effects of falling birth rates across the globe, why some cities are lowering speed limits, and why we don’t recommend throwing darts at stock listings. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Suddenly There Aren’t Enough Babies. The Whole World Is Alarmed.” from The Wall Street Journal “Why New York City is lowering its speed limit” from Vox “Why accidents aren’t accidental” from The Gray Area with Sean Illing  “The Random Path to Stock-Market Riches” from The Wall Street Journal “If you want to belong, find a third place” from Vox We want to hear about your third place! Tell us about it at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave u

The latest survey data from the University of Michigan shows consumer sentiment in the U.S. is at a six-month low. We’ll unpack the numbers and get into what they can and can’t tell us about what’s really going on in the economy. And, a plan to split up U.S. Cellular between T-Mobile and Verizon is in the works. It’s part of a larger fiasco brewing at the Federal Communications Commission. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: Consumer Sentiment Index from the University of Michigan “T-Mobile, Verizon in Talks to Carve Up U.S. Cellular” from The Wall Street Journal “A solar storm could produce northern lights in US” from AP News “Apple is revamping Siri with generative AI to catch up with chatbot competitors, report says” from Business Insider “Millions more Americans travel to bird-watch. Texas businesses are cashing in.” from Marketplace “Mc

Joint fundraising committees allow aligned political campaigns to raise more money faster. We’ll break down how these operations work and how they’re affecting the cost of elections. Then, guest host Sabri Ben-Achour explains why China’s electric vehicle industry may not be at “overcapacity,” as U.S. and European officials have argued. Plus, artists’ fears summed up in one controversial iPad Pro commercial. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Joint fundraising: A campaign strategy to increase contributions” from Marketplace “U.S., Europe vexed by China’s ‘overcapacity’ of clean-energy goods” from Marketplace “OpenAI’s Brad Lightcap on new content tool, copyright claims and AI outlook” from CNBC “OpenAI says it’s building a tool to let content creators ‘opt out’ of AI training” from TechCrunch “Watch Apple Trash-Compact Human Culture” from T

Increasingly popular buy now, pay later services allow shoppers to split their purchases into smaller, recurring payments. We’ll get into why these loans are blurring economists’ understanding of today’s consumer debt landscape. We’ll also discuss President Joe Biden’s climate and infrastructure spending spree, and the knock-on effects of parents dying from drug overdoses. Plus, singer Tyla’s sandy Met Gala look, and forgotten 100-year-old love letters make us smile. Here’s everything we talked about today: “More than 320000 U.S. children lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011-2021” from Axios “Playbook: Biden’s race to Trump-proof his legacy” from Politico “Biden’s biggest challenge: How do you even spend $1.6 trillion?” from Politico “‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Has Americans Racking Up Phantom Debt” from Bloomberg “Video: See moment Tyla is carried up Met Gala steps

College endowment funds are at the center of student protester’s calls for their schools to divest from Israel. Charlie Eaton, a sociology professor at the University of California, Merced, and author of “Bankers in the Ivory Tower,” said the size of these funds have created a moral dilemma for the wealthiest universities. On the show today, Eaton explains how college endowments work, why most universities don’t disclose how those funds are invested, and how colleges could manage their endowments to better align with their values. Then, we’ll check-in on the youths. And, Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop, the puppet, answer the Make Me Smart question. Plus, a tribute to Jasper. Here’s everything we talked about today: “University endowments show few signs of direct Israel, defense holdings” from The Washington Post “If the divestment movement succeeds, will it have an economic impact?” from Marketplace “Gaza protests: Divest

Private equity plays a major role in lots of sectors across the U.S. economy, and now it’s getting into the veterinary business. Today, Kimberly discusses the rise of these big outside investors in pet care and the financial and emotional decisions we make in caring for our beloved pets. Plus, we bid Jasper goodbye. But first, Amy breaks down a pair of cases involving the popular housing site Redfin and what they mean for how homes are bought and sold. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Redfin to pay $9.25M to settle commission lawsuits” from Inman “Redfin settles commission lawsuits for $9.25 million” from HousingWire “When Buying a Home Is Treated as a National Security Threat” from The New York Times “Vets fret as private equity snaps up clinics, pet care companies” from Stateline “Why Your Vet Bill Is So High” from The Atlantic “Workday Has Become the Most-Hated Workplace, Business Software” from Business Insider We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to make

Southern European economies, including Greece, are growing faster than some of Europe’s longtime powerhouses, like Germany. We’ll get into how Greece pulled off an economic turnaround after the devastating 2012 financial crisis. And, Halle Berry’s shouts from the steps of the Capitol are calling attention to the need for more menopause research. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Europe’s Economic Laggards Have Become Its Leaders” from The New York Times “Halle Berry shouts from the Capitol, ‘I’m in menopause’ as she seeks to end a stigma and win funding” from AP News “Dave & Buster’s to let adult customers bet on arcade games” from Marketplace “As work communication migrates to mobile devices, desk phones hang up for good” from Marketplace “Pop-up coworking events are uniting lonely workers” fro