Make Me Smart Marketplace

With the 2024 election only five months away, polls abound. But since 2016, polls have had somewhat of a bad rap, and many Americans have become skeptical of their reliability.

David Dutwin, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at NORC at the University of Chicago, said we’re thinking about polls all wrong. On the show today, Dutwin explains what polls can and can’t tell us, how to spot a high-quality poll and what kind of role polling should play in our understanding of elections. Plus, what’s keeping pollsters up at night.



Then, we’ll talk about how the Joe Biden administration is addressing an issue that’s top of mind, according to a new Gallup survey: immigration. And, a Half Full/Half Empty update on the job market.

Later, one listener’s small-scale solution to the Big Food problem, and a divisive grammar debate. Plus, a listener was wrong about the meaning of “vibecession.”

Here’s everything we talked about today:


“What Can Election 2024 Polls Really Tell Us?” from Scientific American
“Polling in 2024” from Reuters
View the latest national polls from FiveThirtyEight
“Public Opinion Polling Basics” from Pew Research Center
“We still don’t know much about this election — except that the media and pollsters blew it again” from The Washington Post
“US Job Openings Fall to Lowest Since 2021 in Broad Cooldown” from Bloomberg  
“Immigration Named Top U.S. Problem for Third Straight Month” from Gallup
“Biden issues new executive action: Much of southern border to close at midnight” from Politico 
“Biden prepares an order that would shut down asylum requests at US-Mexico border” from The Associated Press
“Kyla Scanlon wants to remind us that ‘people are the economy’” from Marketplace

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.

The results of a new Bloomberg poll indicate that the markets suspect a second Trump presidency would put the Federal Reserve’s independence in jeopardy. We’ll get into what the former president’s advisors have said about his plans for the central bank. And, Republicans are gearing up to challenge upcoming election results while Democrats prepare to counter those lawsuits. Plus, why we want to be Simone Biles when we grow up.

Here’s everything we talked about today:


“Launch of NASA Astronauts in Boeing’s Starliner Is Scrubbed” from The New York Times
“A Trump Win Would Threaten Fed Independence, Move Bonds: Poll” from Bloomberg
“Washington Journal: Stephen Moore on Economic Issues and Campaign 2024” from C-SPAN
“The legal fight over the 2024 election has begun” from Axios
“Congress Just Made It Basically Impossible to Track Taylor Swift’s Private Jet” from Gizmodo
“Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips From GOP Donor” from ProPublica
“Simone Biles cruises to 9th national title and gives Olympic champ Sunisa Lee a boost along the way” from The Associated Press

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.

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 admission fee cannot curb overtourism” from The Economist
“Chobani Yogurt Founder Buys Anchor Brewing Company” from The New York Times
“The End of Merch” from GQ



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.

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 Consumers Can Dispute Charges and Obtain Refunds on Buy Now, Pay Later Loans” from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
“Buy now, pay later debt grows but is hidden from credit bureaus” from Marketplace

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 and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

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

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.

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 problem with growing corporate concentration and power in the global food system” from Nature Food








“Major retailers are offering summer deals to entice inflation-weary shoppers” from AP News








“US Consumer Confidence Rises for First Time in Four Months” from Bloomberg








“Inflation now means high prices, not just rising costs” from Axios








“What do Americans think about inflation?” from The Brookings Institution








“Boeing Prepared to Fly Crewed Space Taxi With Helium Leak” from Bloomberg







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.