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.

You may be wondering whether the prices of your go-to products, from avocados to smartphones, will be raised by tariffs in the coming weeks. We hear you! On the show today, Martha Gimbel, executive director of the Budget Lab at Yale, gives us a broad view of the tariff landscape, how the prices of certain consumer goods could change, and how Trump’s trade agenda could impact the American economy in the long run. Plus, why a trade deficit isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Then, we’ll smile about the joy of listening to kids learn to talk. And, Carrie Lane, author of “More Than Pretty Boxes: How the Rise of Professional Organizing Shows Us the Way We Work Isn’t Working,” answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Tariffs on China set to rise to at least 104% on Wednesday, White House says" from CNN Business




• "Stock Market Today: Dow, S&P 500 Swing Wildly; Trump Threatens More China Tariffs" from The Wall Street Journal




• "What is the status of the Trump administration's tariffs?" from Marketplace




• "Where We Stand: The Fiscal, Economic, and Distributional Effects of All U.S. Tariffs Enacted in 2025 Through April 2" from The Budget Lab at Yale




• "Trump Tariff Tracker" from the Atlantic Council

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

Keyed to President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement today, Kimberly and Sabri unpack some of the messaging about the impact tariffs had during the president’s first term and explain why many of those claims are overblown. Plus, why we’re smiling about Sen. Cory Booker’s historic speech and how Sabri fell victim to April Fools’ Day shenanigans! (Note: This episode was recorded prior to Trump’s speech.) 

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Trump’s Tariffs Make the Fed’s Interest Rate Decisions Tougher” from The New York Times




• “Tariffs Work — and President Trump’s First Term Proves It” from The White House




• “Economic View: Tariffs Have Strengthened the U.S. Economy” from the Coalition for a Prosperous America




• “Economic Impact of Section 232 and 301 Tariffs on U.S. Industries” from the United States International Trade Commission




• “ITC Study Proves Effectiveness of China Tariffs on Boosting Domestic Production, Reducing Dependence on Imports” from the Coalition for a Prosperous America




• “Home Depot to Charge For Parking to Combat Inflation” by Pro Tool Reviews




• “Booker sets new record for longest Senate floor speech” from Roll Call




• @kimberlyadams.bsky.social‬ via Bluesky

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

President Donald Trump has promised that a fresh wave of tariffs on April 2 will usher in an era of growth in American manufacturing. But does history bear that out? We’ll explain how steel tariffs under President George W. Bush did more harm than good. And, in response to Trump’s trade agenda, the “buy Canadian” movement is gaining steam. American exporters are already feeling it. Plus, we’ll smile about flowers, parties and the unspoken rules of texting.Here’s everything we talked about today:“As ‘Buy Canadian’ grows, more US companies say retailers shunning their products” from Reuters“Republicans scramble to shield their states from Trump’s next wave of tariffs” from Politico“Why steel tariffs failed when Bush was president” from Politico“Are You a Hostile Punctuator???” from Time“‘God’s way of smiling at us’: Iconic DC cherry blossoms create lasting joy, new beginnings” from USA TodayGot a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

In all the talk about senior White House officials discussing military attack plans over the messaging app Signal (and accidentally invited a journalist to the chat), one detail is being overlooked: the impact of the attacks on Yemen. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll unpack the chilling effect the Trump administration is having on U.S. tourism. Plus, nobody remembers that embarrassing time you misspoke in a Zoom meeting, right?Here’s everything we talked about today:“Foreign Travelers Are Rethinking Travel to the U.S.” from The New York Times“Beyond the Signal fiasco, Trump’s Yemen strategy needs more scrutiny” from The Washington Post“Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal” (gift link) from The Atlantic“Living Car-Free in Arizona, on Purpose and Happily” from The New York Times“The Ford Executive Who Kept Score of Colleagues’ Verbal Flubs” from The Wall Street Journal“As Republicans Denounce NPR and PBS, Democrats Mock Hearing” from The New York TimesHelp Marketplace and Make Me Smart plan for an uncertain future. Donate now during our March fundraiser.

The United States and Ukraine are weighing a deal that would give the U.S. a cut of revenues from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. But Gracelin Baskaran, mining economist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said rare earths aren’t all that rare. So why is the Trump administration scrambling to get its hands on these minerals from other countries? On the show today, Baskaran explains what rare earths are, why mining them isn’t always economically attractive, and what the U.S. is doing to try to catch up with China’s rare earth production. Plus, why recycling is only part of the solution.

Then, we’ll get into why Canadians are boycotting American vacations. And, how easy is it to get someone to dream about a tree or supply chain economics?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Opinion | How Trump Can Turn the Ukraine Mineral Deal Into Real Security” from The New York Times




• “US seeks to reopen terms of Ukraine minerals deal” from Financial Times




• “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Takes Immediate Action to Increase American Mineral Production” from the White House




• “Ukraine mineral deal could bolster U.S. supply of key materials” from Marketplace




• “Why does DRC want a Ukraine-like minerals deal with Trump, amid conflict?” from Al Jazeera




• “The Space Station Is Too Clean, and It’s Making Astronauts Sick” from The Wall Street Journal




• “Canadians Are Boycotting American Vacations” from The Wall Street Journal

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