Make Me Smart

Each weekday, Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams makes today make sense along with her Marketplace colleagues, breaking down happenings in tech, the economy, and culture. Because none of us is as smart as all of us.

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Last Episode : June 30, 2025 5:38pm

Last Scanned : 5.5 hours ago

Episodes

Episodes currently hosted on IPFS.

Let the vote-a-rama begin!
Confirmed 2

We’ve been a bit obsessed with the GOP’s budget bill lately. And with a Senate vote expected any day now, we’re keeping a close eye on the debate. We’ll break down how the GOP is playing with the numbers to make the bill look less costly on paper than it actually is. Plus, Gen Z’s not just good at memes and TikTok, they’re better at saving for retirement than millllenials. So how’d they do it? And a mildly terrifying story with a happy ending!


Here’s everything we talked about:




Questions? Thoughts? Suggestions? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART and we just might feature it on the show!

Expires in 47 hours
Published Monday
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SCOTUS’ nationwide injunction decision and the economy

The Supreme Court today ruled to limit the ability of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions blocking President Trump’s executive orders. The decision will have major implications for how businesses push back against federal policy in the United States. We’ll get into it. And, American consumers aren’t feeling too hot about the economy. How much do those feelings matter? Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!


Here’s everything we talked about today:




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

Published Friday
The new era of warfare
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The ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding for now. But as this conflict has played out, along with other ongoing wars around the world, it got us thinking: What does war even look like in 2025? In Ukraine, it looks like drone and missile attacks side-by-side with everyday life. On the show today, longtime international correspondent Deborah Amos joins us from Kyiv, Ukraine to talk about how modern warfare has changed.


Here’s everything we talked about today:




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

Published Thursday
The fate of federal heat safety rules under Trump
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Many Americans are enduring a brutal heatwave this week. For those who work outside, the heat can be deadly. On today’s show, we’ll check in on a proposed heat safety law that would require employers to offer more breaks when the temperature rises above a certain threshold. Under the Trump administration, the law’s future is uncertain. And, the housing market can’t seem to break out of its slump. Plus, the lengths some Americans will go to score some Indian mangoes.


Here’s everything we talked about today:


Published Wednesday
What happened to the Iran nuclear deal?
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The United States’ entanglement in Iran and Israel’s current conflict has a long, complicated history. Today we’re looking back at how it led up to the U.S. strikes on Iran over the weekend. Two major factors: Iran’s nuclear capabilities and economic sanctions, which the U.S. used to deter Iran’s nuclear program and to incentivize Iran to sign on to the 2015 nuclear deal. Rose Kelanic, director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities, explains some of the history behind tensions between the U.S. and Iran, the role sanctions played in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and how the deal broke down.


Later, one listener’s take on the Trump administration’s threats to the Pell Grant program. And, a gardening blogger was wrong about DIY plant food hacks.


Here’s everything we talked about today:


Published 06/24
How much leverage does Iran really have over oil trade?
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Oil markets went into a state of panic after the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, stoking fears that Iran could retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran’s control over the key oil trade route may not be the economic weapon many think it is. We’ll explain. And, several provisions in the Republicans’ reconciliation bill haven’t made it through the so-called “Byrd Bath” and risk being axed from the legislation. Plus, did you know killer whales aren’t really whales?


Here’s everything we talked about today:




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

Published 06/23
The current reconciliation bill will raise the deficit. Could it pass anyway?
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This week, we’ve looked at the budget reconciliation bill and its effects on student debt, taxes, health care and social programs. The bill is currently moving through the Senate. Today, we discuss the reconciliation bill and the national deficit. And we dig into other proposals such as AI regulation ban and private foundation taxes. Plus, we play a special budget round of Half Full/Half Empty.


Here’s everything we talked about today:




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

Published 06/20
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Health care, social programs on the chopping block

Every day this week, we’ll take a look at the ripple effects of the budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress that would enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. Today, we focus on the bill’s impact on health care and social programs. We explain how the Senate’s version of the reconciliation bill cuts Medicaid more aggressively than the House of Representatives’ previous version. Then, we hear from a listener about how the bill’s Medicaid cuts could affect the hospitals they work with, particularly in underserved rural areas. Plus, we answer a listener question about how states would absorb the costs of the bill’s federal funding cuts.


Here’s everything we talked about today:




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

Published 06/18
How will the reconciliation bill affect student loans?
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Every day this week, we’re going to take a closer look at the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which aims to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. It proposes a tax cut and increased spending for border security and the military. It also includes cuts to health, nutrition, education and clean energy programs. Today, we explain the rules around what provisions can go into reconciliation bills, and where the bill currently stands in the legislation process now. Plus, we answer questions from listeners on how the bill could affect their student loans and access to higher education.


Here’s everything we talked about today:




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

Published 06/16
The disappearing safety net for Baby Boomers
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The economic position of the baby boomer generation has long been the envy of younger ones in the United States. But the tides may be turning as the Trump administration seeks deep cuts to social benefits that older Americans rely on. We’ll get into it. And, Kimberly joins the show from the National Press Club in Washington D.C., to make us smarter about how the GOP’s reconciliation bill could impact the richest and poorest Americans. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!


Here’s everything we talked about today:


Published 06/13
Much ado about a China trade deal
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President Trump announced a new trade deal with China after days of negotiations. Here’s the thing: Trump’s tariffs on China will stay the same. So what did the two countries actually agree to? We’ll get into it. And, after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired a panel of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines, doctors and insurance companies are wondering who they should look to for guidance. Plus, a life-sized stuffed moose on Capitol Hill makes us smile.


Here’s everything we talked about today:


Published 06/11
Is college still worth it?
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For decades, going to college has been seen as a reliable path to good jobs and economic success in the United States. But a recent Indeed survey reported that over half of Gen Z respondents beg to differ. As tuition prices continue to rise and the Trump administration takes aim at higher education institutions, is the way we view college changing? On the show today, Bryan Alexander, a higher education writer and senior scholar at Georgetown University, explains why college is still a worthy investment for most students, why more people are considering certificate programs and technical schools, and how President Trump’s attacks on elite universities are a risk to higher education as a whole.


Then, Kimberly breaks down the difference between the reconciliation bill and government spending bills in Congress. And, Casey Johnston, author of “A Physical Education,” answers the Make Me Smart question.


Here’s everything we talked about today:


Published 06/10