Make Me Smart

As Kimberly gets ready to step into her new role as the host of “Marketplace Morning Report,” her predecessor David Brancaccio joins her to talk about his years on the morning shift and what he’s looking forward to on his new beat covering future effects for Marketplace. Plus, the two swap summer reading recommendations and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: "Liar's Poker""Number Go Up""Pattern Recognition""The Sum of Us""Public pools used to be everywhere in America. Then racism shut them down.""Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI""Want to make new friends? There's an app for that""Why online courses sold by influencers have become so popular""The Roomba Guy’s Second Act: A Robot You’ll Want to Snuggle""The Spirit Airlines Comeback Story No One Saw Coming" “Make Me Smart” is a public media program. Support “Make Me Smart” with your donation today and keep economic news available to everyone. Donate now: https://bit.ly/mkp_mms_pod

The WNBA’s 30th season tips off tomorrow. This year, things look a lot different for players after the league and players union recently signed a landmark collective bargaining agreement (CBA). On today’s show, The Athletic’s Annie Costabile joins Kimberly to break down how the deal has transformed the way players are paid. Plus, has women’s basketball ever really been given the chance to maximize its earning potential?

The power struggle between the states and federal government is as old as the U.S. itself. But under the second Trump administration, that struggle has become particularly fraught. Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy joins Kimberly to explain how the president is wielding federal funding as a tool to expand his authority, and how states are fighting back.

Hey Smarties! There won’t be a livestream for “Economics on Tap” today. But don’t worry! We’ll be back next week. For now, we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at “This Is Uncomfortable.” Enjoy! What happens to your retirement savings when you leave a job? And if you’ve forgotten about an old 401(k) account, how do you track that money down? That’s the mystery Reema is trying to solve this week, as she confronts her own financial anxiety and goes searching for retirement accounts left behind at previous jobs. Along the way, she talks with retirement expert Geoffrey Sanzenbacher about just how common this is -- only about 15% of people roll their retirement savings over to a new employer's plan! And she asks behavioral economist Katy Milkman why this kind of chore feels so hard. Plus, brain hacks that will help you get through that daunting financial to-do list. Here at Marketplace, we’re celebrating Public Media Giving Days on May 1 and 2. Help us keep the conversations going. Donate now: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

We’re approaching graduation season for this year’s crop of college seniors. But along with all the celebrations, there’s an extra dose of uncertainty hanging in the air around new grads, as they face an extra-tough job market and the rise of AI. On today’s show, Kimberly talks to New York Times labor and workforce reporter Noam Scheiber, whose new book “Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class” digs into the historical context for the environment today’s seniors are graduating into. Here’s everything we talked about today: ”Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class””Young Graduates Face the Grimmest Job Market in Years””The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates””College Graduates Are Struggling to Find Jobs. AI is Partly to Blame.””U.S. Worker Thriving Declines as Job Market Pessimism Grows” We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

In the United States, recidivism rate, or the likelihood that a criminal re-enters the prison system after being released, is among the highest in the world. The state with the highest reincarceration rate (within 3 years) is Delaware at 55.9 percent. While the lowest is Virginia at 17.9 percent. Earlier this month, Make Me Smart host, Kimberly Adams, moderated the 2026 Second Chance Forum at Georgetown University on the importance of second-chance employment programs to lowering recidivism rates in the United States. Adams sat down with two top law enforcement officials from across the aisle: Delaware Attorney General and Democrat, Kathy Jennings and Pennsylvania Attorney General and Republican, Dave Sunday. Today’s podcast is an edited version of their conversation. To listen to the full panel discussion, click the link below: 2026 Second Chance Forum: Barriers to Breakthroughs — How Second Chances Are Driving Success We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Are you team camping or glamping? On today’s show, we’re checking in on the outdoor recreation economy in the Western United States. KUNC’s Mountain West News Bureau reporter Rachel Cohen joins Kimberly to unpack the pressures facing the industry, from climate change to Trump administration policies. Plus, will President Trump’s new $100 foreign tourist fee hurt national parks? Here’s everything we talked about today: "The Mountain West’s outdoor economy continues to grow – but pace may be slowing""Ski resorts gain year-round adaptability in Forest Service rule""Visits to national parks dipped slightly in 2025—after a record-breaking year""Forest Service plans to move D.C. headquarters to Salt Lake City" We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The labor force participation rate in the U.S. has fallen to the lowest level it’s been since 1977 (aside from the during the height of the pandemic). One reason for the decline? President Trump’s immigration crackdown. University of Colorado Boulder economist Chloe East joins Kimberly to break down the unexpected ways restrictive immigration policies affect the labor market, and trends she’s paying attention to during this second Trump administration.

While the United States’ workforce is aging out of its prime, some countries, like Vietnam, are just hitting their stride. On today’s show, Kai joins Kimberly to share his takeaways from reporting in Ho Chi Minh City for the “Marketplace” series “The Age of Work.” We’ll get into how Vietnam’s younger workforce is transforming the country’s economy for the future and the pressures it faces from all around the globe.

Recently, Seattle’s tech workforce has been hit by wave after wave of layoffs. Some company execs say it’s AI’s fault. KUOW’s Monica Nickelsburg joins Kimberly on today’s show to share what she’s hearing from tech workers. And, we’ll get into another side of the AI boom: the push to build more data centers and the pushback from locals. Plus, a round of Seattle trivia! Here’s everything we talked about today: "Booming"Why Seattle tech companies are still laying off workers"From coder to shuttle driver: Where Seattle's laid off tech workforce is now""A small town in Central Washington is Microsoft's answer to the data center backlash""What produce prompted the creation of the Market?""Seattle doesn't have many unicorns. Does it matter?""Scents from a Mall: The Sticky, Untold Story of Cinnabon""Seattle area expected to generate $845 million from FIFA World Cup" We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Will AI take my job? On today’s show, Anthropic’s head of economics Peter McCrory sits down with Kimberly to answer our burning questions about artificial intelligence’s effects on the labor market. We’ll get into what Anthropic’s research shows about how people are using the company’s chatbot Claude and what that could mean for the future of the global economy. Here’s everything we talked about today: "Snap's stock jumps on plans to axe 16% of its workforce citing AI efficiencies""Anthropic Economic Index report: Learning curves""Labor market impacts of AI: A new measure and early evidence""Anthropic Economic Index report: Uneven geographic and enterprise AI adoption""Behind the Curtain: A white-collar bloodbath""Estimating AI productivity gains from Claude conversations""What 81,000 people want from AI" We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

In her book “The Second Estate,” Boston College Law School professor Ray Madoff argues that the tax code in the United States lets billionaires keep their wealth outside of the tax system, leaving the heaviest burden to lower- and middle-income, working Americans. On today’s show, Madoff joins Kimberly to explain the “tax avoidance playbook” and why Congress has let certain loopholes go unclosed for decades. Plus, why a wealth tax may not be the simple solution you think it is.

Nearly 600 Marketplace fans gathered at the Aratani Theatre in downtown Los Angeles to watch Kai Ryssdal present Marketplace Live, in partnership with LAist. Kai was joined onstage by economics author, educator, and content creator Kyla Scanlon to talk about AI, prediction markets, Federal Reserve independence, and the war in Iran. Later, former “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio joined Kai to discuss his experience rebuilding after the LA fire and his new job as Marketplace senior correspondent covering future effects. Note: This show was recorded on March 29, and the situation in Iran has changed since then. Follow our latest coverage here.

A lot of sci-fi is dystopian. Solarpunk flips that on its head. The subgenre imagines a brighter future where humans have fostered a better relationship with technology, the environment, and each other, in spite of climate disaster. On today’s show, writer and academic Phoebe Wagner joins Kimberly to make us smart about solarpunk, its connection to the green energy transition, and why you should check it out if you want to shake off climate doom. Here’s everything we talked about today: "Solarpunk: A Container for More Fertile Futures""Tired of Dystopian Sci-Fi? You Might Like Solarpunk.""Sunshine and Seedlings""Underground"Chobani ad on YouTube We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

A series of suspiciously well-timed Iran war bets placed on Polymarket have revived concerns about insider trading on prediction markets. But enforcement is something of a gray area. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino joins Kimberly to explain the relatively recent history of insider trading laws at the CFTC and what it could mean for prediction market platforms. Plus, the debate over whether insider trading on these markets is actually a good thing.

Doorbell cameras, license plate readers and social media platforms are just a few of the tech products that make up an ever-growing surveillance network in the United States. ICE’s use of surveillance tools as part of its immigration crackdown has brought that into focus. On today’s show, Kimberly talks with investigative journalist and co-founder of 404 Media Joseph Cox about the growth of the American surveillance state and simple steps you can take to protect your privacy. Here’s everything we talked about today: "With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet""Surveillance company Flock generates controversy, and L.A. customers""Ring Ends Deal to Link Neighborhood Cameras After Backlash to Super Bowl Ad""All the Ways Big Tech Fuels ICE and CBP""Inside a Powerful Database ICE Uses to Identify and Deport People" We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

This week’s launch of Artemis II marked the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years. This time around, the spaceflight industry looks pretty different, with private companies playing a more dominant role. On today’s show, Kimberly gets into the future of NASA and the commercial space sector with Ars Technica’s senior space editor Eric Berger. Plus, why are we going back to the moon, anyway? Here’s everything we talked about today: "Artemis II is unlikely to be the cultural touchstone Apollo 8 was, and that's OK""Isaacman aims to reinvigorate NASA’s image, starting with the moon""Trump FY2027 NASA Budget Supports Moon Missions, But Cuts Everything Else""Big Banks Seeking a Piece of SpaceX’s I.P.O. Must Subscribe to Elon Musk’s Grok""SpaceX quietly files for big bang IPO""Artemis II: What's on the Menu?""Astronaut Reid Wiseman was wrong about how rockets get to space" We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Happy first tariff-versary? Despite the fact that many of President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs were recently struck down, small businesses across the country are still dealing with the aftermath. On today’s show, Kimberly talks with two small business owners: Justine Kahn, founder of Botnia Skincare in Sausalito, CA and Will Sissle, owner of Sissle & Daughters Cheesemongers & Grocers in Portland, ME, about how they’ve navigated a year of tariffs.

Last week, at a time when the war with Iran has been roiling global energy markets, executives from energy companies all over the world gathered for CERAWeek, the “Super Bowl” of energy conferences. But as Marketplace’s Elizabeth Trovall tells us, conflict in the Middle East wasn’t the only hot topic there. Trovall joins Kimberly to discuss how the energy sector is confronting a wide range of disruptions, from geopolitics to technology. Here’s everything we talked about today: "At "Super Bowl of the energy industry," war in the Middle East is the hot topic""Gas prices eclipse $4 a gallon in the US, the highest since 2022""How Blocking Oil and Gas From Leaving the Strait of Hormuz Ripples Around the World""Venezuela oil production has reached 1.1 mln bpd in March""Energy demand from AI " Got a question about the Iran war and its impact on the global economy? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

It’s peak bloom in Washington, D.C.! Cherry blossom viewing is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, and it goes hand-in-hand with enjoying Japan’s national beverage: sake. On today’s show, Kimberly is joined by Reiko Hirai, founder of D.C. Sake Co., to talk about the ins and outs of the sake industry and why more breweries are popping up in the United States. Oh, and we’ll taste some sake too! Here’s everything we talked about: "Hanami - Cherry Blossom Festival""Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales""American Sake Is Having a Major Moment""How to Drink Sake, According to Pros" from Wine Enthusiast https://www.instagram.com/p/DI0C02mRKbB/ If you count on this show to bring a little clarity to the chaos, consider pitching in. Donate now: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn