Make Me Smart

This year, fake content generated by artificial intelligence hasn’t created the massive election mess that many assumed it would in the United States … at least not yet. At a Senate hearing, tech executives pointed to recent efforts by Russia, China, and Iran to interfere with the upcoming election. And, no, the Teamsters union did not endorse former President Trump. We’ll explain. Plus, we’ll get into the ongoing strike at Boeing and Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan for a cap on childcare costs. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Censorship accusations loom over Big Tech hearing on election threats”“Teamsters union declines to endorse Trump or Harris in presidential race”“Harris wants to limit child care costs to 7% of family income”“Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the economy, potential U.S. port strike and Boeing strike”“Boeing Workers Go on Strike: What to Know”“Boeing Furloughs White-Collar Workers as Strike Worsens Cash Crunch” Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The Federal Reserve today said it’s lowering its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point. The rate cut is bigger than we’d predicted, and bigger than what the Fed normally does, but its effects will take some time to ripple through the economy. We’ll also get into former President Donald Trump’s switch-up on the state and local tax deduction cap and why Sen. Rand Paul wants Congress to reclaim power over tariffs. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Federal Reserve lowers interest rates by 0.50 percentage points in first cut since 2020”“Dr. Rand Paul Celebrates Constitution Day with the No Taxation Without Representation Act”Tweet“Trump signals SALT deduction cap reversal”“Schumer calls out Trump for ‘selective amnesia’ on SALT”“NPR Exclusive: U.S. overdose deaths plummet, saving thousands of lives” We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates this week for the first time in four years. It would be a major milestone in the central bank’s long fight to get inflation under control. The Fed changes interest rates to keep inflation in check. But inflation is a complex phenomenon, and people have different ideas about what drives it. On the show today, Harvard economics professor Stefanie Stantcheva explains what Americans believe about the root causes of inflation and how the government should manage it, how views differ along party lines and the role media play. Then, the narrative around retail theft is changing. And, comedian Rola Z who hosts the “Funny Arabs” show in Washington, D.C., answers the Make Me Smart question. Here’s everything we talked about today: “People’s Understanding of Inflation”“The Fed And Public Opinion”“What actually happens when the Fed cuts interest rates?”“No, Americans Are Not Completely Stupid About Inflation”“The Growing Use of Voting Before Election Day”“America’s stores are winning the war on shoplifting”“Federal Debt Is Soaring. Here’s Why Trump and Harris Aren’t Talking About It.”“How would Project 2025 impact troops and veterans?” We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.

It’s decision week for the Federal Reserve! Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues are expected to reduce interest rates for the first time since 2020. Investors are predicting a half-percentage-point cut, but we’re on Team 25. We’ll explain why. Plus, the origin of the false rumors about Haitian immigrants that reached the presidential debate stage. And why the cost of your Temu and Shein orders may go up. Here’s everything we talked about today: Stock Market Today: Investors Bet on Bigger Fed CutElon Musk Writes, Then Deletes, a Post Musing About Threats to Biden and HarrisBiden Takes Aim at China’s Temu and Shein With Trade CrackdownIt just exploded’: Springfield woman claims she never meant to spark false rumors about HaitiansIn celebration of being a terrible gardener We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Former President Donald Trump has said he wants to get rid of federal taxes on tips and Social Security benefits. Now he’s adding overtime pay to the list. We’ll get into it. And, could online dating be making income inequality worse? Plus, we’ll weigh in on foldable phones and Friday the 13th superstitions in a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Next Up in Trump’s No-Tax Zone: Overtime Pay”“Donald Trump Prepares to Unveil World Liberty Financial, a Cryptocurrency Business”“From Dating to Marriage: Has Online Dating Made a Difference?”“Tech companies commit to fighting harmful AI sexual imagery by curbing nudity from datasets”“How Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris could change the election end game”“United Airlines to offer free Wi-Fi using Starlink from Elon Musk’s SpaceX”“Walmart is leaning into fashion. Will the move work?”“Huawei’s new trifold phone costs more than a 16-inch MacBook Pro”“What is Friday the 13th and why is it considered unlucky? Here’s why some are superstitious” Kimberly Adams is headed to the Mile High City. Join us for a live panel discussion on the singles economy Sept. 23 in Denver. Use promo code “SMART” for a special discount on your ticket. We hope to see you there.

Today, SpaceX’s crew of billionaire Jared Isaacman and three other private astronauts completed the world’s first-ever commercial spacewalk. We’ll get into it. And, Congress is quickly approaching yet another deadline to avoid a government shutdown. What’s holding up lawmakers from voting on a temporary spending bill? Plus, we’ll break down what’s been going on with oil prices this week and the latest in Apple’s foray into the world of artificial intelligence. Here’s everything we talked about today: “SpaceX Polaris Dawn astronauts complete 1st private spacewalk (video)”“Speaker Johnson pulls Wednesday vote on government funding plan amid GOP divisions”“House Speaker Johnson pulls government funding bill”“Oil prices close at lowest level since December 2021 as OPEC cuts forecast”“Apple Intelligence comes to iPhone, iPad, and Mac starting next month” Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Last night’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump kicked off with a question about the economy — often cited as the top issue for voters. But the discussion that followed was notably light on economic policy. So, can the state of the economy swing this election? And, we’ll get into more takeaways from the big debate. Plus, are run clubs and grocery stores the new dating apps for singles? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris-Trump debate takeaways: Clashes on race, abortion, economy”“Fact-checking Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s 1st presidential debate”“Trump “less inclined” to do another debate with Harris”“First it was childless cat ladies. Now it’s eating cats. How the topic led to ‘ALF’ memes”“Love on Aisle 9? A TikTok Fad Fills Grocery Stores With Singles.”“Run clubs in NYC have just become another oversaturated dating market, singles say” Kimberly Adams is headed to the Mile High City. Join us for a live panel discussion on the singles economy Sept. 23. in Denver. Use promo code “SMART” for a special discount on your ticket. We hope to see you there.

The Joe Biden administration announced a final rule aimed at making sure insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders is on par with traditional medical benefits. We’ll explain why the Supreme Court’s Chevron decision poses a threat to the rule. Plus, the Supreme Court’s emergency docket is filling up with challenges to Environmental Protection Agency standards. And, we’ll talk about a Paralympic marathoner who opted to help out her stumbling guide, even if it cost her a medal. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Supreme Court Is Swamped With Emergency Appeals, Led by Challenges to EPA”“Biden administration finalizes rule to strengthen mental health parity law”“Supreme Court’s Chevron Decision Threatens Decades of Progress in Access to Mental Health Care”“New Mental Health Rule Introduces Employer Benefit Parity Test”“Paralympic Marathoner Loses Medal After Helping Her Guide Yards From Finish” We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The IRS and U.S. Treasury Department announced today the recovery of $1.3 billion from high-income tax dodgers since last fall, citing funding from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act as the catalyst for increased collection enforcement efforts. And we hear about the a new investigation into airline rewards programs. Plus, we discuss the value of musical-turned-movie remakes during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! And, a little PSA about 401(k)s. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Treasury recovers $1.3 billion in unpaid taxes from high-wealth tax dodgers” from The Associated Press “Saturn’s majestic rings will vanish in just six months from now” from Earth.com “Private equity suits up to own some of the NFL. What could go wrong?” from The Washington Post “Airlines such as American, United, Delta, face DOT investigation over rewards programs” from Fox Business “Dancing With the Stars reveals cast for season 33: ’90s icons, reality stars, Olympians, and a fake heiress” from Entertainment Weekly “Say Goodbye to Daily Hotel Room Cleaning” from The New York Times “Adults are cashing in on lemonade stands” from Marketplace “Movie musicals — yes, including the ‘Joker’ sequel — you could fall for” from The Washington Post Kick off your weekend with our “Tunes on Tap” Spotify playlist featuring some of our favorite summer jams! Get the playlist here.

The Harris campaign is proposing a bump in the capital gains tax that’s well below the rate President Biden had put forward. We’ll get into why remixing Biden’s tax plan scored her some points with corporate supporters. And, we’ll explain the fight between Disney and DirecTV that’s causing channel outages for subscribers. Plus, why Medicaid patients are struggling to access GLP-1 weight loss drugs and what the vibes are in the restaurant industry right now. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Harris Tells the Business Community: I’m Friendlier Than Biden”“DirecTV chief content officer on ESPN blackout: Disney is still mandating minimum penetration”“TV viewers get screwed again as Disney channels are blacked out on DirecTV”“Disney networks go dark on DirecTV amid carriage dispute”“DirecTV is compensating customers affected by the Disney outage. But they have to take action to get it”“Who’s able to get weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy?”“Restaurant industry still struggles with staffing, consultant says” Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic is launching a new product targeted at businesses. It’s a step above the company’s consumer-facing products, like its popular chatbot Claude. We’ll explain what it could mean for human jobs. And, we’ll get into the White House efforts to combat Russian-backed attempts to influence the November presidential election. Plus, we’ll smile about 385 million-year-old fish fossils and an unsung hero who’s made coal mining a safer job. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Amazon-backed Anthropic rolls out Claude AI for big business”“Biden administration announces major actions to tackle Russian efforts to influence 2024 election”“Opinion | The Canary” (gift link)“Fossils of 385 million-year-old fish found in pavement” We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

This year alone, cryptocurrency companies have spent over $119 million on pro-crypto candidates in federal races across the country. That’s almost half of all corporate money spent on this year’s election. But can all this crypto money really sway elections? Lee Reiners, crypto policy expert at the Duke Financial Economics Center, explains what the crypto industry is hoping to accomplish with its election spending, the myth behind the “crypto-vote” and why former President Donald Trump is vying to become the “crypto-president.” Then, we’ll get into the U.S. government’s big penny problem. And, Boeing’s history in the spaceflight sector, and more to celebrate as the Paralympics continue. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Crypto firms have spent more than $119 million on 2024 elections”“Crypto’s ‘huge moment’ scrambling US politics”“Why Republicans are embracing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies”“How Crypto Money Is Poised to Influence the Election”“Harris triggers crypto tug-of-war between Democrats”“America Must Free Itself from the Tyranny of the Penny”“This Once Hot Real-Estate Type Is Now Being Offered as Office Space” We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.

President Joe Biden has forgiven $167.3 billion in student loan debt since taking office. But his administration’s wins are often overshadowed by obstacles to its most ambitious debt relief programs. We’ll get into what this could mean for Biden’s economic legacy. And, we’ll explain why the 30-year mortgage rate can tell us what the markets think about the Federal Reserve’s next move. Plus, we’ll play a very demure, very mindful round of This or That! Here’s everything we talked about today: “30-Year Mortgage Rate Falls Again, Now at 6.35%”“$167.3 billion in student loan forgiveness”“Very demure, mindful and viral: the TikTok trend explained” Kick off your Labor Day holiday weekend with our “Tunes on Tap” Spotify playlist featuring some of our favorite summer jams! Get the playlist here: marketplace.org/playlist.

The CEO of Klarna, the by now, pay later service, said the company plans to cut its workforce dramatically by opting not to replace workers when they quit and instead use artificial intelligence to fill in the gaps. We’ll get into it. And, Nvidia’s earnings that beat analysts’ expectations didn’t impress everybody. Plus, we’ll unpack the Justice Department’s new lawsuit against a rent-setting software company, and celebrate a win for the American wheelchair rugby team. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Klarna: AI lets us cut thousands of jobs – but pay more”“Nvidia reports 122% revenue growth on surging demand for data center chips”“How one company transformed the apartment rental market”“Chuck Aoki dominates, Sarah Adam makes history as USA Wheelchair Rugby holds off Canada | NBC Sports”“Paralympic wheelchair rugby or ‘murderball’ isn’t for the faint of heart” Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Home improvement retailer Lowe’s is the latest in a string of American companies to publicly abandon diversity, equity and inclusion efforts after facing pushback from conservative groups. We’ll get into it. Then, two signs that the global economy may be in trouble. Plus, we’re hype about the Paris Paralympics opening ceremony! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Lowe’s becomes latest company to dial back DEI efforts aimed at LGBTQ groups”“Lowe’s followed Tractor Supply, Harley Davidson and John Deere in backing off DEI initiatives”“Africa’s Debt Crisis Has ‘Catastrophic Implications’ for the World”“A Time Bomb Is Threatening Economies Across Asia”“How to watch the 2024 Paris Paralympics: TV and stream info, schedule, start time, top athletes, preview, team news” Join Kimberly Adams for a live Marketplace event on Sept. 23 in Denver about living single in today’s economy. You can find details about it here. Hope to see you there!

In case you haven’t heard, the Summer Olympics aren’t over! This year’s Paralympics kick off in Paris on Aug. 28. It’s the first time all 22 Paralympic events will be aired live, and total broadcast revenues are up by more than 20% from the delayed 2020 Paralympics. Chuck Aoki, an American Paralympic wheelchair rugby player, said content creators like himself are also bringing eyes to the event. On the show today, Aoki breaks down the basics of wheelchair rugby (aka “murderball”), the system that classifies para athletes based on their disability, and why this year’s Paralympics are getting more buzz than ever. Then, we’ll get into how pharmaceutical companies’ new direct-to-consumer programs could impact drug prices. And, listeners tell us about the trafficless 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and a lesson in credit cards learned the hard, heartbreaking way. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Passion And Guts: Chuck Aoki’s World of Wheelchair Rugby” from Team USA“Paralympic Games in Paris set to reach largest audience after broadcast deals” from The Guardian“What sports are in the Paralympics and how does the classification system work?” from AP News“How to Watch the 2024 Summer Paralympics: Streaming Schedule, Free Options” from Wired“Pfizer Follows Lilly With Website Selling Directly to Patients” from Bloomberg“Eli Lilly lowering weight loss drug prices” from The Hill“Health Insurance Costs Will Rise Steeply if Premium Tax Credit Improvements Expire” from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities“How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2025” from KFF“Pfizer launches new website for migraine, respiratory offerings” from Reuters“Panama Canal Eases Limits That Caused Global Shipping Bottleneck” from Bloomberg We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The trial weighing the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two grocery titans, begins today. We’ll explain what the biggest supermarket merger in U.S. history could mean for everyday shoppers and why the federal government wants to put a stop to it. Plus, we’ll get into the latest of Boeing’s woes: its Starliner spacecraft. Can the company’s failures teach us something about the business of spaceflight? And, SpaceX is ready to launch a mission for the first-ever commercial spacewalk. Here’s everything we talked about today: “What Kroger-Albertsons merger trial with FTC means for your grocery store”“New Boeing CEO Faces Hard Choices After NASA Snubs Starliner for SpaceX”“Flight attendants speak out about low pay, debt and homelessness”“IUD insertion pain is complicated. Doctors say the new CDC guidelines are only a start.”“Here’s What the CDC’s New IUD Pain Management Recommendations Mean in Practice”“SpaceX to Launch Billionaire on First-Ever Private Spacewalk” We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The Democratic National Convention this week featured a wide range of speakers, from those who railed against the billionaire class to billionaires themselves. We’ll unpack the Democratic Party’s mixed messaging on the ultrawealthy. On the other hand, the world’s central banks seem to be on the same page when it comes to interest rates. We’ll get into it. Plus, how much would you pay for a full row of economy seats on an airplane? We’ll find out during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Major Central Banks Now Aligned as Powell Signals Fed Cuts Ahead”“At the DNC, Kamala Harris has a billionaire problem on her hands”“On the Convention Stage, Democrats Courted the Middle Class. After Hours, They Partied Like the 1%.”“Hanif Abdurraqib on what it means to “make it'”“What it’s like to be a content creator at the DNC”“No Joke: The Onion Thinks Print Is the Future of Media”“Does lipstick still have economic staying power?”“All the Airlines Offering ‘Couch’ Seats for More Space to Spread Out”“Starbucks fall drinks 2024: Pumpkin Spice Latte, fall menu launch Thursday” Kick off your weekend with our our “Tunes on Tap” Spotify playlist featuring some of our favorite summer jams! Get the playlist here: marketplace.org/playlist.

Since Vice President Harris proposed a federal ban on price gouging in the food and grocery industries, her campaign has offered up few details about what the policy would actually look like. That’s left room for wild speculation. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll debunk former President Trump’s claims that the Biden administration manipulated job data to influence the election. Plus, the future of V2X technology on our roadways and the National Women’s Soccer League’s historic move to do away with drafts. Here’s everything we talked about today: “And today Trump and his allies are being dishonest about jobs data”“US job totals will likely be revised down by 818,000 as Trump cries fraud”“Commerce Sec. Raimondo on VP Harris: She’s pro-business, pro-worker, and opposed to price-fixing”“FTC to investigate high grocery prices”“Harris’s Price-Gouging Ban: Price Controls or No Quick Effect?”“DOT plans to implement V2X technology raise privacy concerns”“The U.S. Sports League That Just Scrapped the Draft—and Made Everyone a Free Agent”“National Women’s Soccer League and its players agree to a new contract deal” Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.