How the farm bill became the everything bill

Farm bills are huge, sprawling pieces of legislation that affect all Americans — not just farmers. But as they’ve gotten more expensive, they’ve gotten tougher to pass. And due to the SNAP cuts in Congress’s big budget bill passed last summer, the coalitions that have historically gotten this legislation over the finish line may be fractured beyond repair. Kimberly talks with Chris Neubert, agriculture policy expert at Arizona State University, about what this could mean for this year’s farm bill prospects.

On today’s show, we’re preparing for the Oscars by checking in on the state of the film industry. Marketplace’s Amy Scott sits down with Wall Street Journal entertainment reporter Ben Fritz to discuss what slumping ticket sales means for the future of movies, why the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger has Hollywood workers worried, and what it would take for the industry to make a comeback. Plus, movie watchers weigh in: subtitles on or off?Here’s everything we talked about today:A look at how the Oscar best picture nominees have fared at the box office from AP News"Disney’s Surprise Box-Office Champion is ‘Zootopia 2,’ Thanks to China" from The Wall Street Journal "The Movie Theater Comeback That Wasn’t: Why 2025 Was Such a Dud for Struggling Cinemas" from Variety "Teamsters Call on DOJ to Stop Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger: “We’ve Seen What Happens When Corporations Consolidate Power'" from The Hollywood Reporter"Paramount Wins, Everybody Loses" from Vulture "Hollywood Jobs Are Disappearing" from “The Journal” Amy’s documentary film: ”Saving Etting Street”We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

ICE may have wound down its operations in Minnesota, but the state is still facing the economic consequences of Operation Metro Surge. This has fueled concerns that an eviction crisis could take hold, particularly in the Twin Cities. On today’s show, Kimberly joins MPR News correspondent Dana Ferguson in St. Paul, Minnesota to discuss measures the state legislature is taking to provide economic relief to renters, and what life has been like since she last checked in with us on “Make Me Smart.”

As prices have risen over the past decade, snow sports have gotten farther and farther out of reach for many Americans. And this has big implications not just for the ski-inclined, but also for the workers and local businesses that rely on steady ski area traffic. On today’s show, Kimberly talks with University of Waterloo professor and sustainable tourism expert Daniel Scott about what’s driving up the cost of snow sports and how the effects of climate change are shaping the future of the industry.

This week’s Texas primary elections were heated — and historic in terms of campaign spending. On today’s show, Blaise Gainey, state politics reporter for The Texas Newsroom, joins Kimberly to share his election takeaways and the economic issues that brought voters out to the polls. Plus, what does the Texas Railroad Commissioner have to do with oil and gas? And, we’ll pit Texas icons against each other during a round of This or That.Here’s everything we talked about today:"Winners, losers and runoffs: How Texans’ November ballot is shaping up after the primaries" from KUT News "Across Texas, early voters share what’s pushing them to the polls for the 2026 party primaries" from KUT News"Big money moved the needle and down-ballot chaos reigned in Texas' action-packed primaries" from The Texas Tribune"Bo French, Jim Wright head to runoff for seat on Texas Railroad Commission" from The Texas Tribune"Big Red Is Texas Barbecue’s Unofficial Signature Soda" from Texas Highways"Why Topo Chico Is The Fizzy Water With A Loyal Fan Base" from Southern LivingWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

The endangerment finding paved the way for federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from cars, trucks, and power plants. Now that the Environmental Protection Agency has repealed the finding, the future of U.S. climate policy is in limbo. Marketplace’s Amy Scott joins Kimberly to explain what the repeal could mean for the auto industry, American consumers, and the United States’ place in the global transition to clean energy.

As war in the Middle East widens, it’s become clear that drones now play a fundamental role in global conflict. They’ve changed the way wars are fought—and how much they cost. On today’s show, Kimberly talks with Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute in the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy, about how drone technology has evolved over the years, how the rise of drone warfare has changed the way global conflicts play out, and what that means for civilians.Here’s everything we talked about today:"Iran strike marks first time U.S. used new one-way attack drones in combat" from Task and Purpose "Iran Fires Cheap Drones Into Arab Countries, Wreaking Havoc" from The New York Times"How are Drones Changing War? The Future of the Battlefield" from the Center for European Policy Analysis "America’s Eroding Airpower" from the Center for New American Security Obama’s Final Drone Strike Data from the Council on Foreign Relations  We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

On today’s show, we’re taking a trip to the Green Mountain State for an up close look at one of Vermont’s most pressing economic issues: housing. Kimberly is joined by Carly Berlin, housing reporter for VTDigger and Vermont Public, to talk about the factors driving Vermont’s housing crisis and how solutions, like a catalog of pre-approved home designs, could help fix it. Plus, are you more of a Vermont cheddar or a Ben & Jerry’s type of person?Here’s everything we talked about today:"Vermont Housing Needs Assessment" from the State of Vermont"Vermont is overhauling Act 250. Here’s what the development maps look like so far" from Vermont Public"Vermont develops catalog of prevetted home designs for faster building" from VTDigger"Green Mountain Grub: The Best Things to Eat in Vermont" from Food NetworkWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

Things have felt pretty chaotic in this economy since the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s signature tariffs last week. On today’s show, Kai Ryssdal joins Kimberly to share his takeaways from the decision and the legal questions surrounding Trump’s new global tariff. Plus, how would tariff refunds actually work?

Want more of the Winter Games? We have good news for you: The Winter Paralympics kick off in Milan next week. On today’s show, three-time Paralympic gold medalist Declan Farmer joins Kimberly to break down the basics of para ice hockey and how more eyes on the Paralympics can translate to more opportunities for adaptive athletes. Plus, we’ll get into the financial struggles many Paralympians face.Here’s everything we talked about today:"Milan Cortina Paralympics guide: Winter Games celebrate 50 years and Russian flag returns" from AP News "Para Ice Hockey - About the Sport" from the International Paralympic Committee"Record 15.4 Million Total Viewers Watch Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Across NBCUniversal" from NBCUniversal"It Shouldn’t Be This Expensive to Be a Paralympic Athlete" from Self MagazineWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].