Make Me Smart

Republicans’ freshly passed spending bill sets aside $45 billion just to expand immigration detention centers. And a number of private companies are poised to profit from the surge in funding. On the show today, Deirdre Conlon, co-author of the new book “Immigration Detention Inc" explains how immigration detention became dominated by private companies, how local economies have become entangled wi...

Republicans’ newly passed tax and spending law establishes the first major federal program for shifting public money to private schools. It comes in the form of a wonky tax break. We’ll explain how it will work. And, we’ll get into how massive cuts to Medicaid will impact rural hospitals across the United States. Plus, anime is more popular than ever on Netflix. Here’s everything we talked about t...

Since President Trump began imposing on-and-off tariffs earlier this year, “tariff” has become a buzzword. And you might have a kid in your life who’s asked what the deal with tariffs is all about. So today, we’re sharing an episode from the latest season of Million Bazillion that breaks down how they work. Hosts Bridget and Ryan help out a local fifth-grader whose slime business is facing competi...

The Labor Department today reported the United States added 147,000 jobs in June. The number beat economists expectations, and it sits in stark contrast to yesterday’s ADP report which showed private sector lost 33,000 jobs last month. So what gives? We’ll explain what the two reports can tell us about the labor market right now. And, President Trump’s immigration crackdown could lead to more fede...

On today’s show, we’ll discuss some headlines that might’ve slipped under the radar this week. First, most staff at the U.S. Agency for International Deveopment officially marked their final day with the agency. What might the dismantling of USAID mean for U.S. influence abroad? Plus, school districts are scrambling as federal education dollars are on hold. Then, we’ll smile about Andy Weir’s late...

Summer is here and like many you might be planning your next vacation. But here’s the thing, a lot of popular destinations are grappling with the pressure of overtourism or mass tourism. On today’s episode, we dig into the phenonmenon of over tourism, the growing tensions between locals and visitors and the global economic forces at play. Plus, is it possible to be a responsible tourist or have we...

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...

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...

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 tal...

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....

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...

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...

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. He...

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 h...

Today, we take a deep dive into the provisions affecting small businesses and taxes in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which aims to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May, and the U.S. Senate released its proposed version of the bill on Monday. The Senate’s draft upheld many policies from the House of Representative’s version, including cuts...

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 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 imp...

More than 100 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Oklahoma city’s mayor recently announced a $105 million reparations package to address the Massacre’s lasting impact. Marketplace’s Mitchell Hartman joins us on the show today to explain how we got here, and more from his reporting on economic injustice in Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood. Plus, we’ll get into what the new reparations package co...

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 won...

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 educ...

President Donald Trump deployed California National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Sunday, following demonstrations over the weekend protesting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The decision was made without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval, and the state is now suing the “illegal and immoral” move. We get into all the potential ramifications of the uptick in immigration...

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Hey Smarties! Make Me Smart is taking a short break while Kimberly and Reema cook up something good for you! In the meantime, we’re bringing you an episode from “Financially Inclined” a podcast from Marketplace that helps families learn more about money. It turns out where you park your money can actually make a difference in the fight agains climate change. Today, host Yanely Espinal speaks with...

It’s Kai’s last day as a regular co-host of “Make Me Smart” and he’s got a solid rant (and two bleeps). We’ll get into the Trump administration’s push to block international students at Harvard, thretening one of American’s biggest exports: higher education. Plus, we’ll unpack the Supreme Court’s 4-4 split over a separation of church and state case. And, could penguin poop be a tool against global...

The Senate unexpectedly passed the No Tax on Tips Act, one of President Trump’s many campaign promises. We’ll explain what’s actually in the bill and where it goes from here. Plus, the Trump administration has officially accepted a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One. We’ll get into the grift of it all. Plus, one man’s search for younger looking skin and a manga story to sm...