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.

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: We’re in an unprecedented economic moment. But this time really is different. America’s place in the global economy is shifting. And what happens next is going to matter for businesses, consumers and you. Today, Kai Ryssdal’s popping into your feed with special coverage and reporting from Marketplace to help you make sense of the scale and scope of the economic change in real time.

We count on you, our listeners, to help cover the cost of the reporting that you rely on. If you can, please donate to help keep Marketplace programming free and accessible for all.

Undocumented workers aren’t the only immigrants being targeted by the Donald Trump administration. Green card holders are facing deportation threats as well. We’ll discuss the far-reaching implications of Trump’s immigration crackdown, from the labor market to higher education in the United States. Plus, what Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation case could mean for due process. And, we’ll weigh in on crunchy foods and living underwater during a round of Half Full/Half Empty.Here’s everything we talked about today:"Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Expands to Green Card Holders" from The New York TimesTweet from the White House "Colleges Fear Decline in International Student Enrollment" from Inside Higher Ed"A Young Generation Goes to Work for Mom and Dad Inc." from The Wall Street Journal"How crunch took over our taste buds" from Fast Company"The Techno-Utopian Seasteaders Who Want to Colonize the Ocean" from The New York Times"Fox Nation Plans Game Show About Isolated People Guessing What Trump Did In His First 90 Days" from The Hollywood ReporterGot a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

In over a hundred years, no president has ever fired the chair of the Federal Reserve … yet! President Donald Trump says he could show Jerome Powell the door, even though Powell says he’s not going anywhere. We’ll explain why it might all come down to the Supreme Court. Plus: the economic conditions that led to the American Revolution. And, a smile-worthy photo reminds us it's never too late to try new things!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Trump: If I ask Powell to leave, ‘he’ll be out of there’” by The Hill




• Humphrey's Executor v. United States from Oyez




• “Recreating Paul Revere's ride from Boston 250 years later, 2 men prepare for landmark journey” from CBS News Boston




• “A Hall of Fame baseball player picked up photography in retirement. He captured one of the defining shots of the Masters.” by Business Insider

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

Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has ignored court rulings on a range of issues from press access to deportations. Now, a federal judge might hold him in criminal contempt of court. We’ll unpack the Zeno’s paradox of constitutional crises. Plus, where luxury goods actually come from and why you may want to think twice before buying one. And if you’re looking to zone out, turn on the “Great Moose Migration.”

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• @kyledcheney.bsky.social‬ on Bluesky




• “What happens if a president and the federal government fail to follow a judge's orders?” by NBC News




• J.G.G., et al., v. Donald J. Trump, et al. from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia 




• “What to do in case of a constitutional crisis” by CNN




• “How is civil society responding to the US constitutional crisis?” from the Brookings Institution




• “Trump’s China tariffs spark viral TikTok work-arounds” from Fast Company




• “'Chinese Warehouse' TikTok Videos Urge Americans to Buy Directly From Them” from Newsweek




• “Ignore advice to buy direct from Chinese factories with DHGate, others” from The Washington Post




• “The ‘Great Moose Migration’ Livestream Captivates Sweden” from The New York Times

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

Nearly a decade after Brexit, the British economy is still feeling the fallout. Now, President Donald Trump seems to be pulling from a similar playbook — with tariffs that could reshape the U.S. economy in eerily familiar ways. (Shocker, we know!) But first: Trump threatens to send Americans to prisons in El Salvador. The constitutional crisis alarm bells are ringing. Plus, poop in space is a bigger problem than you might think.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Trump again threatens to send Americans to prisons in El Salvador" from Axios




• "Fox Nation Plans Game Show About Isolated People Guessing What Trump Did In His First 90 Days" from The Hollywood Reporter




• "Trump admin shrinks federal Medicaid funding available to states" from Axios




• "HHS Lays Off All Full-Time Cruise Ship Health Inspectors Amid Illness Outbreaks: Report" from The Huffington Post




• "NASA offers $3M in competition to recycle human poop in space" from UPI




• "How Brexit, a Startling Act of Economic Self-Harm, Foreshadowed Trump’s Tariffs" from The New York Times




• "Meet the Comedian Putting Trump Voter Regret to Music" from Rolling Stone

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

Amid this week’s tariff turmoil, U.S. stocks tumbled, U.S. Treasurys sold off, and the U.S. dollar weakened. Kai explains what this triple sell-off could mean for the future of the American economy. And, is the era of cheap stuff in America over? Donald Trump administration officials are arguing it’s a good thing. We’ll get into it. Plus, we’ll weigh in on penguin memes and using public phones during a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Treasury Secretary Bessent says the American dream is not about 'access to cheap goods'" from CNBC




• "Cheap Consumer Goods Are the American Dream, Actually" from Bloomberg




• "The Trump administration says cheap goods aren’t part of the American dream. They’re wrong." from Vox




• "The bond market is acting weird. It spooked Trump" from CNN Business




• "After Trump’s Tariffs, Stocks Plunged but Penguin Memes Ticked Up" from The New York Times




• "More students opt for certificates as undergraduate degree earners decline" from Marketplace




• "A Frenzy at Trader Joe’s: ‘Everyone’s Here for the Tote Bags’" from The New York Times




• "The Masters offers public phones as alternatives to cellphones. Here's what attendees think" from Fast Company

  
  

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

Today, it’s all YOU! We’re diving into the mailbag to play your voicemails, read your comments, and answer your questions after a wild week of tariff insanity. We’ll hear from YOU on how you’ve been riding the economic uncertainty. Plus, is Trump’s tariff pause, really a pause? And a listener shares what it’s been like teaching elementary students about tariffs.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “US-China Trade War Tariffs: An Up-to-Date Chart” from the Peterson Institute for International Economics




• “The Fiscal and Economic Effects of the Revised April 9 Tariffs” from The Budget Lab at Yale




• Million Bazillion by Marketplace

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

The world woke up to a very different economy today. Then, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on some of his tariffs. The news was announced as the official in charge of U.S. trade policy was testifying on Capitol Hill. We’ll break down the trade official’s tense exchange with lawmakers and the real consequences of this week’s market madness. Plus, we’ll laugh so we don’t cry about the economy.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "U.S. Trade Rep. Testifies on Pres. Trump's Trade & Tariff Agenda" from CSPAN




• "Live updates: Trump orders 90-day pause on new tariffs except for China" from CNN




• Bluesky post from Jeva Lange

How are you coping with the tariff whiplash? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.