Make Me Smart Marketplace

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

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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.

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 New York City” from Marketplace
“Some younger workers are ‘quiet vacationing’ rather than using PTO” from Marketplace

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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 are trying to chip away” from Marketplace
“US sues to break up Ticketmaster and Live Nation in a groundbreaking monopoly lawsuit” from CNN Business







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/Ha

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 With High Fashion. It’s a Slam Dunk” from The Daily Beast
“General election latest: Rishi Sunak announces 4 July vote in Downing Street statement” from BBC
Video of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announcing general election from Oz Katerji on X












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.

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 term” from The Conversation
“Opinion | Time is up for neoliberals” from The Washington Post
“Learning how to use AI could boost your pay by 25%, study finds” from CNN Business
“Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI chatbot voice ‘eerily similar’ to hers” from Reuters



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.