Hey smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2024. 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 2025 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.

Today we’re talking about food. Specifically, Big Food. In his book, “Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry,” Austin Frerick, agricultural and antitrust policy fellow at Yale, argues the food system is the most consolidated sector in the United States. On the show today, Frerick explains how the American food system became so concentrated, how that’s inflated prices and eroded quality, and what we should do about it. Plus, Walmart’s role as king of grocery kings.

Then, we’ll get into why Boeing can’t keep up with SpaceX. And, an expert on youth mental health (and former guest on “Make Me Smart”) was wrong about how teens curate their social media feeds.

Here’s everything else we talked about today:

We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Hey Smarties! We’re on a break for the holidays and revisiting some of our top episodes from 2024. 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 2025 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.

If you’ve been feeling hopeless about the news, the election, the economy, the climate crisis and everything else that’s going on, today’s episode is for you. Emily Amick, lawyer and co-author of “Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives,” argues we can all become better participants in our democracy. And we don’t need to have a gazillion dollars to do it. On the show today, Amick explains why we should treat civic engagement as self-care, how to find your civic personality and ways to cultivate a news diet that doesn’t put you in a doom loop. Plus, the moment she realized our democracy was headed in the wrong direction.

Then, we’ll get into how voters in Utah fought to protect the power of citizen-led ballot initiatives and why shoppers hide purchases from their romantic partners. Plus, an anime cosplayer was wrong about what it would take to create her own costume.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

How are you getting involved in civic life? What helps you fend off feelings of hopelessness? Let us know at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

For our final episode of 2024, we’re throwing a holiday party with music, festive hats, drinks and a game. But we can’t forget about the news. The incoming Donald Trump administration is looking into the feasibility of eliminating the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll unpack the public rage over the United States healthcare system that dominated the news this week. Plus, how much do our hosts remember about the biggest business headlines of the year?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We’ll be back with new episodes in 2025! In the meantime, you can email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

A group of lawmakers have introduced legislation that would break up health care conglomerates, aiming to rein in the power of pharmacy benefit managers. We’ll explain what PBMs do and why all sides of the health care industry are pointing fingers at one another over high costs. And, we’ll get into how the future of the Trump-era tax cuts could impact the federal deficit and why General Motors is ditching its robotaxi business. Plus, now’s your chance to talk with an AI Santa Claus.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Tomorrow is our last episode of the year! Join us for our annual holiday party on “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Some states are trying to lure companies seeking to move their headquarters by offering a slew of financial perks. We’ll explain how these big relocations can impact local economies and the businesses themselves. And, the House of Representatives passed a defense bill that would restrict transgender medical care for children covered by the military’s health program. We’ll unpack how federal funding for health care can be used as a powerful political tool. Plus, do you dread winter? We’ll get into some tips for embracing the season.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Before this year’s election, Heather Cox Richardson, a historian at Boston College, joined “Make Me Smart” live in Boston to unpack the high stakes for our economy and democracy. Now that the election is over and the transition to a second Donald Trump administration is underway, we’re following up.

On the show today, Richardson weighs in on the election aftermath. She explains how the current media environment in the United States played into the election, how economic narratives have influenced American politics throughout history, and what the past can tell us about how President-elect Trump might brand his economic agenda while in office.

Then, we’ll get into the bipartisan effort to add federal judges that’s suddenly falling apart. And, author Evan Schwartz was wrong about the inspiration behind L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Power the show with a donation today and don’t forget to pick up one of our thank you gifts at a discount. Head to marketplace.org/givesmart.

A person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson was arrested today. We’ll get into the public’s reaction to the killing and what it says about our for-profit health system. Plus, we discuss the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in U.S. history, which is projected to take place over the next 25 years. And, Dick Van Dyke has us smiling as he waltzes into his 99th birthday.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

NASA is pushing back its highly anticipated Artemis 2 mission from September 2025 to April 2026. It will be the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972. We’ll unpack NASA’s setbacks. Plus, momentum is building for a TikTok ban. And the hosts share their thoughts on the word of the year in a round of Half Full / Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

This year, Spotify’s popular Wrapped feature includes a podcast generated by artificial intelligence that tells users all about their individual listening habits from 2024. But it’s not perfect — at least not yet. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain how Amazon is getting into the AI chip game and what Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell anticipates from a second Trump administration. Plus, why talks for a global treaty to manage plastic pollution were a bust.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

President Joe Biden today announced an additional $600 million investment in a rail project that will connect multiple African countries. It will expand U.S. access to important minerals like cobalt and copper. But will it be enough to counter China’s dominance over the critical minerals supply chain? We’ll get into it. Plus, why President-elect Donald Trump’s trade adviser pick is giving us serious deja vu. And, Dylan Bachelet, the “Jack Sparrow” of “The Great British Baking Show,” is making us smile.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

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