Make Me Smart

Marketplace

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.
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Our Editor's Take

The Make Me Smart podcast does what its title says. It is an easy-to-understand news program. And it tries to make its listeners more knowledgeable. This program comes from the people behind Marketplace. That's the public media show that explains economics in a friendly way. This podcast does a similar thing, but with news and pop culture.

The soothing voice of Marketplace voice Kai Ryssdal joins bubbly cohost Kimberly Adams each weekday on Make Me Smart. Podcast episodes explore what's happening in the news today. If USA Today, The New York Times, or The Washington Post report it, so will Make Me Smart. This podcast helps the world make sense.

The Make Me Smart podcast follows a standard weekday format. Monday and Thursday have segments called the "News Fix." It gives news based on the Marketplace morning report. Topics range from globalization to marketplace tech, climate change, and opioid use. Lighthearted facts break up serious news.

Tuesday's podcasts examine a single topic. Past episodes feature topics like "The Moral Hazard of Solar Geoengineering," for example. Episodes like "How Sci-Fi Can Make Us Smart" explore significant issues. In this case, it's whether the genre can teach people about problem-solving in the real world. Modern thinking meets science fiction in this particular episode.

"What Do You Want to Know Wednesday" is the listener's chance to have their questions answered. Kai and Kimberly cohost, often with the help of industry experts such as Molly Wood. From hybrid workplaces to Republican policies to the war in Ukraine, topics are open. Following prior research, the most suitable experts share their thoughts.

Bringing fun into economics is "Happy Hour Friday," also known as "Economics on Tap." The hosts converse over a drink and discuss the insurance industry, crypto, FTX, the WTO, and what's happening on Wall Street. To make it more personal, they describe what they are drinking that day.

The Make Me Smart podcast talks about big problems and talks to experts about solutions. Listeners can learn more about what's trending in the marketplace. Most episodes are under 30 minutes long.

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Episodes

Gaza’s food crisis
Today
Gaza’s food crisis
Five months into the Israel-Hamas war, the United Nations is warning of “imminent famine” in northern Gaza. Guest host Samantha Fields discusses the challenge of getting food aid delivered to the region. Plus, the nation’s largest employer is considering pay transparency laws. Then, we’ll smile about cherry blossoms and the upcoming solar eclipse. Here’s everything we talked about today: “UN says famine is ‘imminent’ in northern Gaza as Israel launches another raid on main hospital” from The Associated Press “The first ship to use a new sea route delivers aid to Gaza, Israeli military says” from The Associated Press Data on Gaza Strip Acute Food Insecurity from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification “Senators Urge Biden to Stop Arming Israel, Citing Violation of U.S. Aid Law” from The New York Times Acquisition Regulation: Pay Equity and Transparency in Federal Contracting A Snapshot of Government-wide Contracting for FY 2021 from the U.S. Government Accountability Office “What Constituent Correspondence Reveals About Voter Sentiment” from FiscalNote 2024 National Eclipse Maps “Commentary: Eclipsenomics: April’s solar eclipse will be the most profitable 22 minutes in Texas history” from San Antonio Express-News #BloomCam from the Trust for the National Mall Live: Iconic cherry trees begin to blossom in Washington D.C. 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.
Boycotts, buycotts and the rise of consumer activism
1w ago
Boycotts, buycotts and the rise of consumer activism
Boycotts have been making headlines lately, from the movement to boycott Israel over the war in Gaza, which has hit companies like Starbucks and McDonald’s, to a new right-wing boycott of Doritos over the brand’s decision to partner with a trans influencer. Consumer boycott campaigns are frequently tossed around in the news cycle. But do they really make a difference in the long run? On the show today, Brayden King at the Kellogg School of Management explains why boycotts don’t usually affect a company’s bottom line, where boycotts actually do make an impact and how social media has changed the way these campaigns work. Plus, the difference between boycotts and buycotts. Then, a reminder that inflation’s ride down is a bumpy one. And, this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from Jasmine Harris, author of “Black Women, Ivory Tower.” Here’s everything we talked about today: “Shopping has become a political act. Here’s how it happened.” from Vox “How Much Do Boycotts Affect a Company’s Bottom Line?”  from KelloggInsight “What to Know About the Global Boycott Movement Against Israel” from Time “McDonald’s franchises emerge as new flashpoint in Israel-Hamas war” from The Washington Post “Right-Wing Boycotters Have a New Target: Doritos” from Business Insider “Inflation Picks Up to 3.2% in February, Slightly Hotter Than Expected” from The Wall Street Journal “Judge blocks US labor board rule on contract and franchise workers” from Reuters Don’t forget, your gift goes twice as far for Marketplace today only, thanks to a match from the Investors Challenge Fund. Give now! https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn
The global rise of right-wing populism
Mar 6 2024
The global rise of right-wing populism
It’s Super Tuesday, and we’re talking about something that’s on the ballot in many nations around the world: populism. Right-wing populist movements have been gaining popularity in democracies like Hungary, Italy, India and the United States, to name a few. On the show today, sociologist Bart Bonikowski breaks down what populism is, how it shows up on the left and right, why right-wing populism seems to be catching foothold in so many countries and the economic factors at play. Plus, why this year could be a test for global democracy. Then, the reason you may be having trouble getting your prescription drugs lately. And, we’ll hear from our listeners about their favorite anime series. Here’s everything we talked about today: “It’s a major global election year, and populism is on the ballot” from Ipsos “Trump, Brexit, and the Rise of Populism: Economic Have-Nots and Cultural Backlash” from Harvard Kennedy School “Revealed: the rise and rise of populist rhetoric” from The Guardian “Populism is morphing in insidious ways” from The Atlantic “US 2.0: Not at the Dinner Table” from Hidden Brain Media “How a health-care cyberattack may affect your prescription drug access” from The Washington Post “Calls Mount for Government Help as Change Healthcare Hack Freezes Medical Payments” from The Wall Street Journal “China’s New Economic Agenda, a Lot Like the Old One: Takeaways” from The New York Times Subscribe to the “Make Me Smart” newsletter We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
Why anime is everywhere all at once
Feb 28 2024
Why anime is everywhere all at once
Anime seems to be just about everywhere these days: film, music videos, the NFL and big streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. “Anime is colossal. In terms of raw revenue, anime and the NLF are tied at about $20 billion in [annual global] revenue,” said Chris Plante, editor in chief and co-founder of Polygon at Vox Media. “When you think of anime, it can be seen as niche, but the reality is that couldn’t be further from the truth.” On the show today, Plante explains anime economics, what’s behind the rise of anime in the United States and some of the problematic aspects of the medium. Later, we’ll discuss how climate change is impacting cherry blossom season and why the commercial real estate crisis could be a big problem for regional banks. Later, one listener calls in on a landline about landlines. And, this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from a digital illustrator based in Long Beach, California. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Who watches anime? Polygon surveyed more than 4,000 people to find out” from Polygon “Anime Market to Reach USD 62.7 Billion by 2032” from Yahoo Finance “Anime Is Booming. So Why Are Animators Living in Poverty?” from The New York Times “Sony Jacks Up Prices for Crunchyroll and Kills Funimation” from Gizmodo “From Niche To Mainstream: The Unstoppable Global Popularity Of Anime And How It Happened” from BuzzFeed “Streaming and covid-19 have entrenched anime’s global popularity” from The Economist “Naruto Movie in the Works With Destin Daniel Cretton” from The Hollywood Reporter “Cherry blossom forecast: We predict peak bloom in D.C. around March 21” from The Washington Post “Early jacaranda bloom sparks debate about climate change in Mexico” from Reuters “Commercial Real Estate Market Plunge Has Lenders Facing a Brutal Reality” from Bloomberg “Comic: Tienes economic anxiety? Artist Julio Salgado reflects on changes in creative industries” from the Los Angeles Times Are you a fan of anime? Tell us about your favorite anime series! Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
Economic sanctions vs. boycotts
Feb 24 2024
Economic sanctions vs. boycotts
It’s been two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the U.S. is imposing new sanctions on Russia in an attempt to weaken the Kremlin. But sanctions aren’t proving to be all that effective. We’ll get into some research weighing how well government sanctions work compared to consumer-driven boycotts. And, Instagram is a popular news destination, whether the social media operation likes it or not. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Instagram’s Uneasy Rise as a News Site” from The New York Times “2 Years Into Russia-Ukraine War, U.S. Campaign to Isolate Putin Shows Limits” from The New York Times “Biden announces over 500 new sanctions for Russia’s war in Ukraine and Navalny death” from NPR “A Theory of International Boycotts” from economist Abdoulaye Ndiaye “Google tests removing the News tab from search results” from Nieman Journalism Lab “Diners aren’t going to steakhouses just for the steak anymore” from Marketplace “25 leap year activities to celebrate February’s bonus day” from Today “Review: Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender delivers charm and style” from Vox “Amazon Wants You to Pay With Your Palm. It’s a Sneak Attack on Apple and Google.” from The Wall Street Journal “This economy is feeling like the ’90s” 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.
NATO’s place in the global economy
Feb 21 2024
NATO’s place in the global economy
After former President Trump’s recent digs at NATO, officials at a global security conference in Munich over the weekend weighed what European countries would do if Trump were re-elected and abandoned the United States’ treaty commitments. On the show today, Kathleen McInnis, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses the history and future of NATO and why it matters to the global economy. We’ll also share our takeaways from Fani Willis’ testimony. Plus, a former NASA astronaut was wrong about what we (earthlings) gain from going to space. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump said he might ignore NATO’s duty to defend. Here’s what the group does.” from The Washington Post “After Trump’s claims, here’s what to know about NATO member defense spending” from ABC News “NATO’s Article 5 Collective Defense Obligations, Explained” from Brennan Center for Justice “Why Americans Still Need NATO” from Foreign Policy “Trump didn’t quit NATO, but a potential second term alarms allies” from The Washington Post “The life and testimony of Fani Willis’s father, John Floyd III” from The Washington Post “DA Fani Willis testified she paid cash during trips with top prosecutor. One winery host remembers her paying in paper bills” from CNN Politics “How the Freedman’s Bank failure still impacts Black Americans” from Marketplace “Elon Musk’s SpaceX Forges Closer Ties With U.S. Spy and Military Agencies” from The Wall Street Journal We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.