Make Me Smart

Today’s news comes with a side of pawpaws. Kimberly is joined by Laura Blessing, senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, to break down the moves President Trump is making to exert more control over government spending. As Congress faces the possibility of another shutdown head on, it’s souring the mood. Plus, we’ll play a new game! Can you guess which headline...

In the wake of yesterday’s assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, Regina Bateson, a political science professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, joins Kimberly to unpack the rise of targeted political violence in the United States and what it means for the health of our democracy. Then, one of our listeners shares how digitizing her great grandmother’s WWII diaries helped...

On today’s show, host of APM Reports’ “Sold a Story” podcast Emily Hanford joins Kimberly to make us smarter about the science of reading movement. It’s gained a foothold over the past few years (thanks in part to “Sold a Story”). But the Trump administration’s cuts to the Department of Education could slow the momentum of reading research and the effort to share it with educators.Here’s...

Hey Smarties! Today we’re sharing an episode from the latest season of “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast. Host Amy Scott and the team have been digging into the rise and fall of environmental, social and governance-based investing, or ESG. In this episode, ESG comes back to life in new forms of climate-conscious investing.

Hey Smarties! Today we’re passing the mic to our friends over at “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast. Their latest season digs into the rise and fall of environmental, social and governance-based investing, or ESG. In this episode, host Amy Scott and the team dig into how one Texas law spurred a right-wing movement against ESG.

Hey Smarties! “Make Me Smart” will be back with new episodes Sept. 9. In the meantime, we’re sharing an episode from the latest season of “Million Bazillion.” Hosts Bridget and Ryan dive into why organic food tends to cost more than non-organic with the help of Marketplace reporter Stephanie Hughes. Whether you’re a kid or grown-up, if you’re curious about the prices we pay at the grocery store,...

These are tumultuous times in the economy. Inflation is still happening, the job market is weakening, and there's uncertainty over tariffs and other federal policies. But the headlines don’t capture the real costs of everything happening right now. Today, Kai Ryssdal is popping into your feed with special coverage and reporting from “Marketplace" to explore the way we measure this economy and...

On the show today, Kimberly joins us from the anime convention AnimeNYC to share more about the economic impact of the anime industry and what cosplayers and business owners are saying about the economy right now. Spoiler alert: Tariffs are top of mind! And, we’ll weigh in on corporate apologies and the spicy food craze during a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Plus, a big thank you to Reema as she...

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, and the federal guidelines for who should get vaccinated are in flux. We’ll unpack how it could impact what insurers are willing to cover this fall. And, as President Trump’s federal takeover of Washington D.C. continues, why is the city so quiet? Kimberly shares her take as a local. Plus, The Onion is proving that print publications can still thrive in the...

Ahead of the central bank’s big meeting in Jackson Hole this week, President Trump is ramping up pressure on the Federal Reserve, calling for Fed governor Lisa Cook to resign over accusations of fraud. We’ll get into it. And, SpaceX got a win in federal court that could have lasting effects on the power of the National Labor Relations Board. Plus, what makes a good life?"Appeals court says NLRB...