Make Me Smart

Live near a yoga studio? What about a golf course? Americans may experience the economy differently based on the politics of the neighborhoods they live in. We’ll dig into new data on the relationship between political affiliation and the businesses around us. Then, we’ll talk about a new revelation in the lawsuit against Elon Musk over his controversial $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes. Plus, on this Election Day eve, we’re smiling about early turnout. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Musk PAC tells Philadelphia judge the $1 million sweepstakes winners are not chosen by chance” from The Associated Press “How Red and Blue America Shop, Eat and Live” from The New York Times “4 charts show how early voting is going in the US” from CNN We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Campaigns for both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are trying to get ahead of the curve on election legal battles. According to The Hill, there are already over 200 voting and election cases pending across the country. We’ll get into it. Then, we’ll explain how Trump’s recent battles with CBS and ABC could signal his intention to punish broadcasters if reelected. And, how do you feel about rolling back our clocks as daylight saving time ends? That and more in a round of Half Full/Half Empty. Here’s everything we talked about today: “How Trump could weaponize the FCC against the media in a second term” from The Washington Post “Trump, Harris camps prepare to ‘go to the mattress’ in election legal battles” from The Hill “You Call That An Ad Blackout? Consultants Shrug Off Alphabet’s Post-Election Restrictions” from Campaigns & Elections We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

This Halloween, we’re looking at some new inflation data that’s got the Federal Reserve in good spirits. Its preferred inflation measure shows inflation fell to 2.1% last month, moving ever-so-closer to the Fed’s 2% target. We’ll get into why core inflation complicates the Fed’s good news. And, we’ll unpack why some Meta investors were spooked when CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will amp up its artificial intelligence spending. Plus, Starbucks is getting a brand makeover, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a World Series win. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Meta posts Q3 earnings beat, but stock falls on heavy spending plans” from Yahoo Finance “What Today’s Inflation Data Will Mean for Next Week’s Fed Meeting” from CNBC “Inflation Cooled Further in September, PCE Index Shows” from The New York Times “7 ways Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol plans to change the coffee chain” from NBC Chicago “Los Angeles Dodgers defeat New York Yankees in five games to win World Series” from NBC News Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Tech companies like Google and Meta have been pouring billions into artificial intelligence. But investors have been waiting for those investments to pay off. We’ll get into what the latest earnings report from Google’s parent company signals about AI’s money-making potential. And, American companies are responding to former President Trump’s tariff promises by preparing to raise prices. Plus, guest host Matt Levin makes us smile about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series run. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Companies ready price hikes to offset Trump’s global tariff plans” from The New York Times “More than a quarter of new code at Google is generated by AI” from The Verge “Google’s Cloud Business Powers Accelerating Revenue Growth” from The Wall Street Journal “World Series: Ice Cube performs ‘It Was a Good Day’ ahead of Yankees vs. Dodgers Game 2” from Fox Sports We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Today we’re sharing an excerpt from our live show at WBUR CitySpace in Boston featuring our special guest, historian Heather Cox Richardson. (Check out the first part of our live show here.) Richardson, a professor at Boston College, talked with us about the high stakes of this year’s election, how the economy is woven into political narratives, and what we can do to protect the health of our democracy. Plus, she shares what she had wrong about hummingbirds. Where should “Make Me Smart” go next? Let us know at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

News outlets aren’t mincing words about the offensive and racist remarks featured at former President Donald Trump’s rally in New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday. We’ll talk about the media backlash to the event, which was intended to be a part of Trump’s closing argument against Vice President Kamala Harris. Then, we discuss reports of ballot drop boxes on fire and give tips on how to ride out the last few days before Election Day. Plus, a story that has us waltzing through our emotions. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Hundreds of Ballots Damaged in Drop-Box Fire in Washington State” from Bloomberg “No More Euphemisms: Media Gets Real on Trump’s MSG Hate Rally” from Parker Molloy on Substack Post about the 2024 U.S. presidential election’s impact on Europe from Benjamin Haddad on X “Hear a Chopin Waltz Unearthed After Nearly 200 Years” from The New York Times We can’t do this show without you. Send us your questions, comments or wild suggestions at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART!

Kai and Kimberly host our weekly happy hour episode, “Economics on Tap,” live from the stage of WBUR CitySpace in Boston. We’ll dive into the biggest headlines making waves this week while sipping on our favorite drinks. Plus, Drew joins the stage to host a round of our favorite game, Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “‘Washington Post’ won’t endorse in White House race for first time since 1980s” from NPR “Exclusive: Europe seeks to underpin Russia sanctions, fearing Trump overhaul” from Reuters “German finance minister warns of retaliation if U.S. kicks off trade war” from CNBC “American Airlines Cracks Down on ‘Gate Lice’ With New Boarding System” from The New York Times “Axiom Space, Prada Unveil Spacesuit Design for Moon Return” from Axiom Space “Every Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series matchup in two charts” from CNN “Salem Mayor predicts another record-breaking year of Halloween tourism” from WBUR News Tweet from Tyler Perry at a Harris campaign rally “Last-minute Boston-themed Halloween costumes” from WBUR We can’t do this show without you. Send us your questions, comments or wild suggestions at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART!

Hey Smarties! We’re on the road to Boston for a live taping of “Make Me Smart” with special guest, historian Heather Cox Richardson. So today we’re bringing you an episode from the latest season of “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast. In this episode, Kai Ryssdal and the “How We Survive” team head to the very, very top of Alaska to understand how climate change and national security are converging in the Arctic. Want to join Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams for our live taping of “Make Me Smart” in Boston on Oct. 25? In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still join us virtually. Get your tickets here.

As Election Day looms closer, the emails and texts from campaigns pleading for money continue to flood voters’ inboxes. A CNN investigation found that some of these tactics have misled elderly Americans into giving away millions of dollars. We’ll get into the financial consequences of aggressive campaign fundraising strategies. Then, we’ll discuss how Republican pundits are responding to former President Donald Trump’s shocking statements about military affairs. And, we’ll talk about a payment owed from a defamation case: a luxury New York apartment. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump: ‘I Need the Kind of Generals That Hitler Had’” from The Atlantic “How elderly dementia patients are unwittingly fueling political campaigns” from CNN “Brains and Losses: Aging and Financial Vulnerability to Scams” from Marketplace “Do presidential candidates really need your money at this point in the race?” from Marketplace “Giuliani ordered to surrender apartment, valuables to Georgia election workers” from Reuters Join Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams for a live taping of “Make Me Smart” on Oct. 25 in Boston. In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still join us virtually. Get your tickets here.

In the weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the Southeast, the price to rebuild has become a topic of contention in the home insurance market. For years, home insurers have identified climate change as a threat, cut coverage and increased premiums for properties in disaster-prone areas. But now, home insurers are also using new technologies such as drone footage and artificial intelligence to identify other high-risk areas in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Then, we’ll get into what headline inflation measures leave out of the cost of housing. And, how do we prepare for the upcoming Election Day in the shadow of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol? Later, we’ll hear from listeners on voting from overseas and the origins of trick-or-treating. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Home Insurance is a Really Big Problem” from Kyla Scanlon on Substack “Rising insurance costs are making homeownership even more expensive” from Marketplace “How Higher Property Insurance Premiums Mirror Climate Risk” from Knowledge at Wharton “How the Home Insurance Market Became So Distorted” from The New York Times “The Home Insurance Crunch: See What’s Happening in Your State” from The New York Times “Can lawmakers save the collapsing Florida home insurance market?” from Bankrate “The Very Real Scenario Where Trump Loses and Takes Power Anyway” from Politico “America’s Most Famous Inflation Gauge Is Easing — But Some of Your Biggest Expenses Are Left Out” from Bloomberg Do you have an Election Day tradition? Maybe you like to mail your ballot or treat yourself to coffee after hitting the polls. Let us know what your voting routine looks like at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.