Make Me Smart

Hey Smarties! We recorded today’s episode before the House passed a spending package that will end the partial government shutdown. We’re monitoring the situation as it develops.

President Trump has shown no signs of easing his pressure campaign on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. But this could spell trouble for Trump’s pick for Powell’s successor, Kevin Warsh. Marketplace’s Nancy Marshall-Genzer joins Kimberly to...

The Winter Olympics kick off next week in Milan, Italy. On today’s show, Kimberly is joined by Jackie Wong, self-described skate nerd and host of “The Rocker Skating Podcast” to break down the basics of Olympic figure skating and who to watch at the Milan Cortina Games. Despite the sport’s popularity, figure skaters frequently struggle financially off the ice. We’ll get into it. Plus, you pick: real hockey or “Heated Rival...

In line with President Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration, the administration has moved to end the Temporary Protected Status program for certain countries including Venezuela and Haiti. TPS has allowed immigrants from countries with unsafe environments to temporarily live and work legally in the United States for decades. On today’s show, Marketplace’s Elizabeth Trovall joins Kimberly to share her recent reporting o...

The European Union is still reeling after President Trump’s Davos appearance, even after he walked back some of his Greenland threats. A big question remains: How should the EU deal with Trump going forward? Financial Times correspondent Paola Tamma joins Kimberly from Brussels to explain Europe’s shifting approach to Trump and why officials haven’t yet taken more drastic measures to respond to his economic threats. Could ...

Tech companies are pouring billions into developing the infrastructure necessary to meet the demand for artificial intelligence. But what does that infrastructure look like on the ground? Marketplace Tech’s Meghan McCarty Carino joins Kimberly to share her takeaways after visiting a variety of data centers and reporting on the surge in AI investment. Plus, we’ll weigh in on microdramas and AI slop during a round of Half Fu...

President Trump has routinely sought to influence the business dealings of U.S. media companies, including Netflix and Paramount’s fight over the future of Warner Bros. Rodney Benson, author of the book “How Media Ownership Matters,” has argued there’s a word for this trend: media capture. On today’s show, Benson joins Kimberly to explain how the phenomenon works and why he believes it’s playing out in the U.S. Plus, we’ll...

For student loan borrowers, the past few years have felt like whiplash. From the fallout of the Biden-era SAVE plan to policies in the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the federal financial aid system is getting an overhaul this year. On today’s show, founder and president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors Betsy Mayotte joins Kimberly to break down what borrowers need to know about the major chan...

On today’s show, Dana Ferguson, political correspondent for MPR News, joins Kimberly to share how her community has been affected by a recent surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, including the fatal shooting of Renee Macklin Good. We’ll also discuss the impact on small businesses in the Twin Cities and the political fallout from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s decision to end his reelection campaign.

He...

Marketplace’s “This Is Uncomfortable” is back with new episodes about life and how money messes with it. Today, host Reema Khrais joins Kimberly to share some of what she’s learned from conversations on how to survive job hunting in today’s brutal labor market and what it really means to have “enough” money. Plus, how anxiety about money can actually hold you back financially.

Check out new episodes from “This Is Uncom...

Seemingly infinite battles over President Donald Trump’s agenda have been playing out in the courts over the past year. But when all’s said and done, are these legal challenges actually working? Politico legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney joins Kimberly to discuss. Plus, they’ll get into the Supreme Court’s impending decision on Trump’s tariffs and why even some GOP members are breaking rank to speak up about the Justice D...

On today’s show, WNYC reporter Brigid Bergin joins Kimberly to talk about New York City’s brand new Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose campaign on affordability caught nationwide attention. We’ll get into how Mamdani is tackling affordability during his first days in office, how the business community is reacting, and how his administration is navigating an unpredictable White House. Plus, the case for daydreaming more in 2026.

In the wake of U.S. military action in Venezuela, including the capture of the country’s leader Nicolás Maduro, we’re left with questions about what this moment could mean for the future of U.S. foreign policy and the global economy. On the show today, director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center Jason Marczak joins Kimberly to explain why the Trump administration is shifting its focus back toward...

It’s been a year since the Eaton and Palisades fires swept through Southern California, taking 31 lives and destroying over 16,000 structures — including the homes of “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio and his neighbors in Altadena. On the show today, David joins Kimberly to talk about the road to rebuilding the community and the complicated, costly task of rebuilding with fire resistant materials.

Her...

Hey smarties! Happy New Year. We’re taking a short break for the holidays. In the meantime, we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at “This Is Uncomfortable.” Reema Khrais and the team are getting ready to relaunch the show on Jan. 15. Stay tuned for new episodes!

Nikki Massie never had a reason to question her salary. After more than a decade with the same company, she’d earned awards, promotions and the trust...

Hey smarties! Happy New Year. We’re taking a short break for the holidays. In the meantime, we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at “This Is Uncomfortable.” Reema Khrais and the team are getting ready to relaunch the show on Jan. 15. Stay tuned for new episodes!

When newlyweds Chantal and Travis Lisback started searching for their dream home in Seattle, they weren’t entirely on the same page. Chantal was eage...

Hey smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2025. We can’t do this show without you and we still need your support. If you can, donate today to keep independent journalism going strong into 2026 and beyond. Give now to support “Make Me Smart.” Thank you so much for your generosity, happy holidays and we’ll see you in the new year.

The holidays are just around the corner....

Hey smarties! We’re taking a short break for the holidays. In the meantime, enjoy this bonus episode on one of Kimberly’s favorite topics: anime!

Anime had a big year in 2025. The animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” broke Netflix’s record for most-watched movie on the streaming platform. And “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" became the top-grossing international film ever at the North American box office. When “Demon Slay...

Hey smarties! We’re taking a short break for the holidays. So today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from 2025. Enjoy!

Today we’re diving into the business of music. Trapital founder Dan Runcie joins Kimberly to explain what Anthropic’s recent copyright settlement with authors could mean for record labels who’ve sued AI companies, the “fair use” debates dominating the music industry, and why even the bigg...

On today’s show, we’re digging into the mailbag to hear our listeners’ thoughts on the economy in 2025. Spoiler: tariffs came up a lot. And, we’ll hear from some of the reporters who helped us make sense of the news this year about what they’ll be keeping an eye on in 2026. Plus, we’ll celebrate a win!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Trump shook up global trade this year; some uncertainty may persist ...