250 episodes

Each weekday, Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams make today make sense. Along with our supersmart listeners, we break down happenings in tech, the economy and culture. Every Tuesday we bring on a guest to dive deeper into one important topic. Because none of us is as smart as all of us.

Make Me Smart Marketplace

    • Business
    • 4.1 • 18 Ratings

Each weekday, Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams make today make sense. Along with our supersmart listeners, we break down happenings in tech, the economy and culture. Every Tuesday we bring on a guest to dive deeper into one important topic. Because none of us is as smart as all of us.

    How our feelings about the economy are shaping the election

    How our feelings about the economy are shaping the election

    Even though the economy is going strong, many Americans are still pessimistic about it. We’ll get into how feelings and beliefs about the economy are playing into the 2024 presidential election. Plus, guest host Matt Levin joins us to discuss the latest AI news, including a new state law — known as the ELVIS Act — focused on protecting artists’ voices. And he’ll explain why he has the song “Barbie Girl” (Johnny Cash’s version) stuck in his head.

    Here’s everything we talked about today:







    “Bush Campaign Rally” from  C-SPAN








    “The Media’s Role in Forming Voters’ National Economic Evaluations in 1992” from the American Journal of Political Science








    “Should politicians know the price of a pint of milk?” from BBC News








    “The Primary Problem” from Unite America








    “Johnny Cash Covers Aqua Girl’s ‘Barbie Girl’ Using AI” from Business Insider








    “New Tennessee law aims to protect musicians from generative AI” from Marketplace








    “An early look our AI Music experiment” from YouTube Blog








    “First stop on the road to regulating AI? Finding humans to do the job.” from Marketplace








    “Every US federal agency must hire a chief AI officer” from The Verge









    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, a game and more.

    • 22 min
    Boeing and the “glass cliff”

    Boeing and the “glass cliff”

    In corporate America, struggling companies often pull a classic move: They promote women to lead them through a crisis. Boeing did just that. We’ll talk about the new boss at Boeing and how the “glass cliff” phenomenon impacts women and people of color moving up the corporate ladder. Also in this episode, a Kai rant about Truth Social and the greater fool theory, why dogs might be even smarter than we think, and is “bazoodaful” a new Kai word?

    Here’s everything we talked about today:







    Trump’s Truth Social stock from CNN








    The greater fool theory from Investopedia








    “Boeing just pulled a classic corporate America move and promoted a woman to clean up its mess” from Business Insider








    “Dogs can understand the meaning of nouns, new research finds” from The Guardian








    “Dogs can understand words for specific objects” from BBC











    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.

    • 12 min
    The political and economic power of white evangelicals

    The political and economic power of white evangelicals

    Today we’re talking about a key voting bloc in this year’s elections: white evangelical Christian voters. In 2016 and 2020, they helped Donald Trump rise to power. NPR’s Sarah McCammon, author of “Exvangelicals,” discusses why evangelicals continue to back Trump, her personal journey leaving evangelicalism and the economic systems built around the evangelical movement.

    We’ll also talk about the Maryland bridge collapse and the state of U.S. infrastructure. Plus, Neil King Jr., author of the memoir “American Ramble,” answers the Make Me Smart question.



    Here’s everything we talked about today:







    “‘You gotta be tough’: White evangelicals remain enthusiastic about Donald Trump” from NPR








    “How younger voters will impact elections: What is happening to the white evangelical vote?” from Brookings








    “Why White Evangelicals Stuck with Trump” from the University of Chicago Divinity School








    “Latinos Will Determine the Future of American Evangelicalism” from The Atlantic








    “Bridge Collapse in Baltimore Puts an Election Year Spotlight on Infrastructure” from The New York Times








    “Elon Musk’s Starlink Terminals Are Falling Into the Wrong Hands” from Bloomberg







    We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

    • 32 min
    The trickle-down effects of the Dobbs abortion decision

    The trickle-down effects of the Dobbs abortion decision

    This week, the Supreme Court will hear its first major abortion case since the Dobbs decision. We’ll get into how the use of abortion pills has changed post-Roe and the possible revival of a 150-year-old anti-obscenity law. Plus, an update on the efforts to limit judge shopping. And, the story of a woman who completed an extreme running race.

    Here’s everything we talked about today:







    “Biden’s Trustbuster Draws Unlikely Fans: ‘Khanservative’ Republicans” from The Wall Street Journal








    “Showdown in Cowtown” from Politico’s Morning Money








    “Where a Suit Can Proceed: Court Selection and Forum Shopping” from the Congressional Research Service








    “Use of Abortion Pills Has Risen Significantly Post Roe, Research Shows” from The New York Times








    “What is the Comstock Act?” from The 19th








    “Optimist Pollster Finds Americans Are Far More Alike Than Different, With Shared Values Bridging Political Divides” from Good News Network








    “Jasmin Paris Is First Woman to Finish Barkley Marathons” 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.

    • 13 min
    Immigration and U.S. economic growth

    Immigration and U.S. economic growth

    Since the Congressional Budget Office last released its long-term outlook for the federal deficit and strength of the U.S. economy, things have become a teeny bit better. Why? The CBO points to increased immigration and last year’s spending deal struck between Congress and President Joe Biden. And, we’ll get into the looming commercial real-estate reckoning. Plus, we’ll weigh in on tote bags, Free Blockbuster libraries and more in a round of Half Full/Half Empty!



    Here’s everything we talked about today:


    “PRP Pays $323M For Market Square, D.C.’s Largest Sale In 18 Months” from Bisnow




    “Budget Office report credits immigration and spending deals with improved outlook despite huge debt” from AP News




    “The Long-Term Budget Outlook: 2024 to 2054” from the CBO




    “How the tote bag became the hottest fashion accessory around” from Marketplace




    “Tired of Streaming? Free Blockbuster Libraries Offer an Alternative.” from The New York Times




    “Encyclopædia Britannica is eyeing a $1 billion valuation in its IPO, report says” from Quartz




    “I Pizza A | Voodoo Ranger” from Voodoo Ranger




    “Walmart Is Luring Wealthy Shoppers With Blazers and Duck Breast” from Bloomberg





    Help us meet our spring fundraiser goal and get your throwback Marketplace swag today!

    • 24 min
    Government shutdown déjà vu

    Government shutdown déjà vu

    Congress is once again in a race against the clock to pass a gargantuan federal spending bill to keep the government up and running past Saturday. We’ll get into it. And, the Joe Biden administration made a groundbreaking investment in Intel’s chip manufacturing business in an effort to spur the domestic semiconductor industry. Plus, Nvidia’s next generation AI chips and Caitlin Clark’s place in the booming world of women’s sports.



    Here’s everything we talked about today:







    “Nvidia reveals Blackwell B200 GPU, the ‘world’s most powerful chip’ for AI” from The Verge








    “CHIPS Act to give Intel $8.5 billion in direct funding, plus loans” from Marketplace








    “For Women’s Basketball, Caitlin Clark’s Lasting Impact May Be Economic” from The New York Times








    “NCAA women’s basketball success is about more than Caitlin Clark” from Marketplace







    Pledge to give monthly to support our newsroom and your donations will be matched for a full year by the Investors Challenge Fund!

    • 14 min

Customer Reviews

4.1 out of 5
18 Ratings

18 Ratings

Hoai_puma ,

Learn something new every episode

The dynamic between the two hosts is amazing and I enjoy all the guests that were brought onto the show.

2023 AU Apple ID ,

My Answer To The Make Me Smart Question that they do not want you to hear…

I thought the Make Me Smart team were sincere when they constantly say let us know what you think and that the show is some sort of collaboration between the hosts and listeners I later found out that this is just empty words. Let me explain why. I have happily listened to every episode of Make Me Smart since day one and I really enjoy the pod. In episode 895 on April 5, 2023 Kimberley stated that only 15 million US citizens have a passport. As a US citizen living abroad, I have always been interested in this issue as there was a persistent urban myth that only 10% of Americans had a passport. After searching for the truth, I found that according to travel.state.govthere were just shy of 152 million valid passports in circulation in 2022. The bottom line here is that Kimberley made a huge factual error on this episode. Make Me Smart constantly says "None of us as as smart as all of us. Does all of us include the HOSTS? If you do not want to broadcast Kimberley’s mistake on the air that is understandable since that would be embarrassing to your aura of omniscience. However a meaningful mea culpa would have been appropriate. I sent two emails to Make Me Smart and only received the “Thank you for contacting us” perfunctory reply. I even attempted to reach out to Kimberley via Twitter but no joy there either. I realize that Make Me Smart may get too emails but don’t tell us on air that someone reads every message if that is not the case. And don’t pretend that Make Me Smart is some sort of collaboration when you don’t have the decency to reply when a host makes an egregious factual error.

TTLAM54321 ,

Good show

Very good

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