Make Me Smart

4.5 (2)
BUSINESS
UPDATED DAILY

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.

1 HR AGO

Is this a coup?

Is Elon Musk’s control of government offices as an unelected official a coup? Lots of people seem to think so. We’ll explain why. Plus, another potential government shutdown is looming and it may work in Democrats’ favor. And, one surprisingly effective (and protein-rich) way food insecurity in Pennsylvania is being addressed. Here’s everything we talked about today: “What the Black Hawk Pilots Could See, Just Before the Crash” by The New York Times “Shutdown fears grow as Trump battles multiply” by The Hill “‘We would call it a coup’: Watchdogs and Dems attack Elon Musk Treasury Department takeover” from USA Today “The ‘Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly’ of the United States Government” by The Atlantic “Elon Musk’s Power Grab Is Lawless, Dangerous, and—Yes—a Coup” from Slate “The Guardian view on Donald Trump’s power grab: a coup veiled by chaos” by The Guardian “Processing Deer to Eliminate Food Insecurity” by the Daily Yonder Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

12 min
1 DAY AGO

The migrant workforce under Trump

It’s hard to overstate the role immigrant workers play in the U.S. economy. Key industries rely on them — nearly half of meat-processing jobs, for instance, are held by immigrants. And many work in low-wage jobs that are vulnerable to exploitation. Ted Genoways, a reporter with the Food and Environment Reporting Network, said Trump’s promises of mass deportations is creating fear and uncertainty for immigrant workers, both authorized and unauthorized, as well as for the massive food companies that employ them. “If history is any guide, this will probably mean increased food prices, if only for companies trying to hedge against the possibility of something disastrous happening,” said Genoways. On today’s show, Genoways gives us a snapshot of the low-wage immigrant workforce’s role in our economy and unpacks how Trump’s deportation plans could disrupt America’s food supply. Plus, why aren’t food companies held accountable for exploiting their employees? And, we’ll get into what restrictions on the U.S. Agency for International Development could mean for Cuba. Plus, would you trust Kai with the aux? Here’s everything we talked about today: “This Week’s Episode of Reveal: Immigrants on the Line” from Mother Jones Opinion | “How Trump’s Deportation Plans Could Blow Up the Food System and Increase Migrant Labor” from Politico “Brooke Rollins, Trump’s Agriculture Pick, Addresses Tariff and Immigration Impact on Farmers” from The New York Times “How Trump’s plan to deport undocumented immigrants threatens the workforce for U.S. farm workforce” from CBS News “Trump’s Pause of U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America: An ‘America Last’ Policy” from WOLA “US secretly created ‘Cuban Twitter’ to stir unrest and undermine government” from The Guardian “Chappell Roan wins best new artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards” from AP News Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

28 min
2 DAYS AGO

The strategy behind Trump’s executive orders

Kimberly’s back from Cuba just in time to discuss the onslaught of President Donald Trump’s executive actions, from tariffs to his federal funding freeze. Lawsuits are being filed left and right against the administration’s moves, but will the Supreme Court still serve as a check on the executive branch? Plus, Kimberly unpacks lasting reflections on Cuba’s contradictions as a country with strong social services like universal education yet acute wage disparities. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump’s Driving Legal Principle This Time: ‘What Are You Gonna Do About It?’” by Rolling Stone “Trump is using a nearly 50-year-old law to justify new tariffs. It may not be legal.” from Politico “Will the Supreme Court rule that any laws still apply to Donald Trump?” from Vox “Egypt to Cover Tuition Costs for 1,077 Students After Suspension of USAID Scholarship Programs” by Egyptian Streets Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

13 min
5 DAYS AGO

Silicon Valley’s quiet rebellion

This week, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta sent out a memo warning employees against leaking confidential company information … only for that memo to be leaked! Guest host Meghan McCarty Carino explains how it’s connected to the culture wars playing out between tech leaders and rank-and-file workers in Silicon Valley. And, we’ll get into how President Donald Trump is testing the legal limits of his office by firing certain federal officials. Plus, we’ll weigh in on cozy video games and Punxsutawney Phil during a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump’s Firings Could Bring Court Cases That Expand His Power” from The New York Times “Meta warns that it will fire leakers in leaked memo” from The Verge “Mark Zuckerberg whined about leaks at Meta as company promised firings. It took minutes for the threat to leak out” from The Independent “Silicon Valley Tech Workers Quietly Protest Their Bosses’ Embrace of Trump” from The New York Times “New research backs up what gamers have thought for years: cozy video games can be an antidote to stress and anxiety.” from Reuters “What is Groundhog Day?” from The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club “Starbucks reverses its open-door policy, requiring people to make a purchase if they want to stay” from CBS News “Like Any Millennial, Yahoo Wants to Be Seen As Cool Again” from Business Insider “Try ‘Phone Free February’ to reduce screen time, improve your health” from The Washington Post We love to hear from you. Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

31 min
6 DAYS AGO

The Cuban dispatch II

On the show today, we check in with Kimberly to hear more about her adventures in Cuba, a country that’s back in the news thanks to President Donald Trump’s commitment to establish a massive migrant detention facility at Guantánamo Bay. We’ll explain how Trump’s promised crackdown on immigration could affect the Cuban economy. Plus, more on how Cubans have managed to make do under a strict U.S. trade embargo, from dealing with medicine shortages to navigating a pandemic without Zoom. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump Says U.S. Will Hold Migrants at Guantánamo Bay” from The New York Times “Timeline: U.S.-Cuba Relations” from the Council on Foreign Relations “Trump moves to end refugee resettlement and parole for Cubans, Haitians and Venezuelans” from The Miami Herald Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

11 min
30 JAN

What you need to know about DeepSeek and the AI race

Today, we’re diving into a listener’s question about the new artificial intelligence chatbot on the scene. Chinese start-up DeepSeek’s AI model is said to be more cost-effective, less complex, and in some ways, just plain better than OpenAI’s ChatGPT. We’ll explain why the stock market’s freaking out and what it means for the U.S.-China AI race. Plus, we’ll share a story about a historic test flight that’ll have aviation nerds smiling. And the iconic “When Harry Met Sally” diner scene is recreated 35 years later. IYKYK. Here’s everything we talked about today: “How DeepSeek Went From Stock Trader to A.I. Star” from The New York Times “Chevron Wants to Tap Into A.I. Boom by Selling Electricity to Data Centers” from The New York Times “DeepSeek’s AI Model Just Upended the White-Hot US Power Market” from Bloomberg “DOE Releases New Report Evaluating Increase in Electricity Demand from Data Centers” from the Department of Energy “China’s DeepSeek Ends the Party for U.S. Energy Stocks” from Heatmap News “Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan Return as Harry and Sally in Hellmann’s Super Bowl Spot” from The Hollywood Reporter Video: “Boom Supersonic XB-1 jet breaks sound barrier on historic test flight” from Space Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

12 min
28 JAN

From Burning Questions: Is the future insurable?

Today we’re handing the mic over to the team behind “Burning Questions” from Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast “How We Survive” as they survey the devastation on the ground in the Pacific Palisades, and dig into the homeowners insurance crisis. Since the Los Angeles fires broke out, thousands have lost their homes and current estimates say insured losses may exceed $30 billion. The disaster has raised existential questions about the future of the insurance industry and its potential impact on the housing market. Host Amy Scott talks with Carolyn Kousky from the Environmental Defense Fund to find answers.

21 min
28 JAN

The Cuban dispatch

On today’s episode, Kimberly takes us along her trip to Cuba, a country that remains under strict U.S. economic sanctions. She’ll explains some unique aspects of the Cuban economy, from how the currency works to the island’s complicated complicated past as a colonial outpost for sugar plantations. Plus, what makes the Cuban mojito special. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Cuba predicts 1% growth in 2025 after dismal year, economy minister says” from Reuters “How U.S. sanctions and a Communist government caused Cuba’s power crisis” from NPR “Biden’s move to remove Cuba from terror list continues ‘yo-yo’ policy likely to be reversed by Trump” from The Conversation “How Cuba’s sugar industry has been ground into dust” from Al Jazeera Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

11 min

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4.5

out of 5

2 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.