Following Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs, the United States has now struck a trade deal (sorta) with the United Kingdom. We’ll get into it. Plus, childcare costs a lot – and in some places, more than rent. Then, we’ll smile at the unexpected joy of “swole culture.” And what if, instead of sports metaphors, we used makeup lingo at work?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Trump unveils United Kingdom trade deal, first since 'reciprocal' tariff pause” by CNBC
• “U.S., Britain strike first major trade deal of Trump tariff era” by Axios
• “Sending 2 Kids to Daycare Costs More Than Rent in Most Major U.S. Metros” from Redfin
• “Head Start avoids Trump’s cuts, but advocates are ready to defend it: ‘There’s too much good in this’” by The Guardian
• LISTEN: “Will you be my nanny?” from “This Is Uncomfortable” 
• “Life of the Mother” by ProPublica
• “Finding Strength in a Bigger Body” from The Cut
• “How one writer quit dieting and discovered her strength through weightlifting” by NPR

Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

On today’s episode: Marketplace’s Reema Khrais joins Kimberly to discuss two stories from opposite ends of the housing spectrum – cuts to rental assistance programs and the soaring cost of starter homes. Then, Kimberly explains yet another reason why the rest of the world is giving the U.S. major side-eye. And we’ll smile about a slimy substance that might help keep microplastics at bay and parrots connecting over Facetime.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Proposed cuts to housing programs could affect millions, experts warn” from The Washington Post
• “Where starter homes cost at least $1 million” by Axios
• This Is Uncomfortable Season 11 from Marketplace
• “You Have a Message From Taiwan” by The Wall Street Journal
• “Why the Asian currency blowup matters” from Axios
• “Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Other—and the Birds Loved It” from Smithsonian Magazine
• “Okra and fenugreek extracts remove most microplastics from water, finds research” on Phys.org 

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

So far, President Trump’s “drill, baby, drill,” agenda has proven to be a sharp turn from Biden-era climate initiatives, including the landmark spending bill the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 

And thanks to President Trump’s attempts to claw back control over IRA funds, as well as his recent budget proposal which drastically cuts climate spending, the future of America’s fast-growing clean energy economy looks uncertain. 

“The world is switching to electric vehicles, the world is switching to solar and wind,” said Christopher Knittel, economics professor and associate dean for climate and sustainability at the MIT Sloan School of Management. “And the less we do domestically, the less capability we build domestically to provide those clean energy resources, the worse off our industries will be in the future.”

Knittel explains President Trump’s efforts to phase out Biden-era climate initiatives, why some Republicans are reluctant to get rid of the IRA entirely, and why the U.S. getting left behind in a world committed to decarbonization poses a threat. 

Plus, the new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told President Trump that Canada is “not for sale” in a meeting earlier today. And, the REAL ID deadline is coming in hot, though not all states seem equally prepared. 

Then, we’ll hear about how Seattle businesses are showing love for Canadian visitors and a listener share’s her daughter’s frustrations with “shrinkflation.”

Here’s everything we talked about today:

- Trump administration cancels clean energy grants as it prioritizes fossil fuels by AP News

- What Trump's budget cuts could mean for the environment by AP News

- The Race to the Top in Six Charts and Not Too Many Numbers from RMI

- Republicans haggle over green tax credits as battle lines deepen from Politico

- How We Survive from Marketplace

- Trump’s trade war with Canada has backfired on America. Now he has a crucial meeting with Mark Carney from CNN Business

- Trump knocks Canada ahead of Carney meeting by The Hill

- @carlquintanilla.bsky.social‬ on Bluesky

- What you need to know about the REAL ID requirements for air travel from NBC News

- Real ID deadline is weeks away and most states aren't fully compliant yet from CBS News

- Seattle Restaurants Are Offering Canadian Tourists a Discount, and an Apology by Eater Seattle

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

On today’s episode, Kimberly joins "Economics on Tap" from the Toronto airport. We’ll unpack President Trump’s elimination of a tariff loophole known as the de minimus exemption that went into effect today, meaning low-cost shipments will no longer enter the United States tariff-free. Without it, Americans could start to feel some serious tariff pain. And, President Trump is renewing threats to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

-"Trump's tariffs come for fast fashion, and the blowback could be fierce."  from Politico 

-"Harvard President Says Any Move to Revoke Tax-Exempt Status Would Be ‘Highly Illegal’" from The Wall Street Journal 

-"Trump aims to cut $6 billion from NASA budget, shifting $1 billion to Mars-focused missions" from CNBC

-"Visit this store for a free iris scan to ‘prove’ you’re human, not AI" from The Washington Post

-"MoviePass’ Next Big Bet: A Fantasy Box Office App" from The Hollywood Reporter

-"A little retirement, as a treat" from Marketplace

Got a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

This week, President Trump acknowledged his tariffs were resulting in costlier items in the U.S., but maintained his position that China was taking the majority of the heat. If people can’t afford to buy as much, might that be a recipe for recession? We’ll discuss, and answer a listener’s question on what exactly is a recession. Plus, how uncertain economic conditions might make someone reconsider a luxury cheese purchase.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

- Recession defined by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)

- “Trump says US kids may get '2 dolls instead of 30,' but China will suffer more in a trade war” from the Associated Press

- WATCH: “Trump says kids may get '2 dolls instead of 30' because of trade war with China” from the Associated Press

- “Trump, on Tariffs, Says ‘Maybe the Children Will Have 2 Dolls Instead of 30’” from The New York Times

- “Spending by American companies on computers in Q1 grew at the fastest pace since 1983” by Marketplace

- Check out the Canadian cheese shop Kimberly mentions in this episode

Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The Commerce Department reported the U.S. economy contracted by 0.3% in the first quarter of this year. We’ll break down the GDP math formula and dig into what the latest report says about where the US economy may be headed. And, should businesses be transparent about the impact of tariffs on prices? A nixed plan from Amazon serves as a cautionary tale of the political risks. Plus, feeling stressed these days? Cow cuddling and bee therapy might help.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

-"Trump blames Biden after GDP shrinks in first quarter, says growth will 'take a while'" from CNBC 

-"Businesses weigh how much to tell customers about tariffs' impact on price" from Marketplace

-"Trump-Bezos call sets stage for tense earnings report from Amazon" from CNBC

-"Trump vs. Amazon’s Brilliant Tariff Idea" from The Wall Street Journal 

-"The Americans Fled Vietnam 50 Years Ago. I Visited the Buildings They Left Behind."  from The New York Times

"Anxious about the world? Cow cuddling or bee buzzing might help ease your stress" from The Denver Post

Got a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

After declaring victory in yesterday’s Canadian election, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the “old relationship” with the United States is over. Over the past few months, President Donald Trump’s on-and-off tariffs and repeated annexation threats have caused Canadians to reconsider the United States as its leading trading partner and ally. But Patricia Goff, professor of political science at Wilfrid Laurier University, said the idea of disentangling the two economies is unrealistic. On the show today, Goff explains how Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats influenced the Canadian election, how Canadian industries are navigating the trade war, and what this all could mean for the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

Plus, we’ll hear a pitch for a new “Make Me Smart”-themed rear window sticker. And, what one psychologist got wrong about burnout.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

"Trump knows exactly what he just triggered in Canada" from CBC News

"Liberal Bruce Fanjoy topples Pierre Poilievre in Carleton" from CBC News

"Canada-U.S. Relations Continue to Reach Lows Over Tariffs and Annexation Threats" from The New York Times

"Mike Myers Is Ready to Defend Canada" from The New York Times

"Canada says its friendship with the US is ‘over.’ Now what?" From Politico 

"The future of the USMCA" from the Peterson Institute for International Economics

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

On the show today, Kimberly joins us from an Ontario polling station on Canada’s election day. We’ll get into how President Trump’s trade war has shaped the federal election and may boost voter turnout. Plus, what Canadians are saying about boycotting American products and canceling their U.S. vacations.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

"Canadians vote today after fierce campaign shaped by Trump" from CBC News

"Canada votes in an election upended by Trump. Here’s what to know." from The Washington Post 

"Canada’s Political Landscape Upended by Trump, Trudeau and Tariffs" from The New York Times

Got a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Americans expect inflation to rise to 6.5% this year according to the University of Michigan’s latest consumer sentiment survey. That’s the highest outlook since 1981. We’ll explain why those high inflation expectations could be keeping Federal Reserve Chair Powell up at night. And, the deal filmmaker Ryan Coogler made with Warner Bros. to make his latest horror movie “Sinners” is anything but ordinary. Could it shake up the Hollywood studio system?

"Trump administration reverses abrupt terminations of foreign students’ US visa registrations" from Politico

"Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' isn't just scaring audiences. It's scaring Hollywood." from MSNBC

"Inflation expectations remain at highest level since 1981 even after Trump's 90-day tariff pause" 

"Pickle, a Fashion App, Lets Strangers Borrow Your Clothes" from The Cut

"Subtitling Your Life" from The New Yorker

"Is community fact-checking the future of social media moderation?" from Marketplace

"The $20,000 American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, and no touchscreen" from The Verge

Got a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Today, we’re answering questions from our listeners about everything going on in this economy (we know, it’s a lot). Like, whatever happened to that bipartisan bill that would pass authority over tariffs back to Congress? We’ll get into the status of the legislation and how states are jumping into the fight. Plus, we’ll discuss the legality of the Trump administration’s funding freezes and how foreign trade zones are helping some companies avoid sky-high tariffs.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Congress gave presidents power over tariffs. They could aways take it back” from CNN Politics

“12 States Sue Trump Over His Tariffs” by The New York Times

“Trump says he has 'no intention' of firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell” from AP News

“If Trump wants rate cuts, he would likely need to replace the Fed's full board along with Powell” by CNBC

“How Congress — and not the president — controls how taxpayer money is spent” from Marketplace

“Trump tariffs lead to surge of companies parking imports in tax-free 'foreign trade zones’” from CNBC

“How Foreign Trade Zones In The U.S. Came Into Existence” by NPR

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Hey Smarties! Today we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast. This season, host Amy Scott and the team dig into the rise of environmental, social and governance-based investing, or ESG, and the right wing backlash that followed. In this episode, the story of ESG’s start revolves around some unexpected players: rabbis, nuns and other faith-based investors.

Yes — Obamacare is before the Supreme Court, again. This time, the case centers on the legality of an advisory task force. Experts worry it could spell the end of an ACA mandate requiring insurers to cover certain preventative care services at no cost. But first: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is caught up in another Signal group chat scandal. Plus, Paul Revere wasn’t the only midnight rider to warn that the British were coming.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

"‘An amateur person’: GOP Rep. Bacon says Hegseth should go" from Politico

"Obamacare returns to SCOTUS, with preventive care on the line" from Politico

"Court to hear challenge to ACA preventative-care coverage" from Scotus Blog

"Kristi Noem’s Purse, With Security Badge and $3,000, Is Stolen" from The New York Times

"Paul Revere Wasn't the Only Midnight Rider Who Dashed Through the Darkness to Warn the Patriots That the British Were Coming" from Smithsonian Magazine

"April 18, 2025" from Heather Cox Richardson

Got a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.