It’s hard to get around without a car these days. But in the last couple of years, owning one has become very expensive. We’ll explain the deceptive practices happening in the auto lending market. And, we’ll explain how Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s power in the Democratic Party was demonstrated by a campaign contribution. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty and weigh in on “dumbphones” and adult gap years.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “Ocasio-Cortez Never Steered Money to a Key Arm of Her Party. Until Now.” from The New York Times

  
  
  
  
  

• “The rise of the scammy car loan” from Vox
  
  

• “Decades later, Bonnie Tyler still finds new fans for her hit song every total eclipse” from CBC Radio
  
  

• “Tech is supercharging pre-employment personality tests” from Marketplace
  
  

• “The Dumbphone Boom Is Real” from The New Yorker
  
  

• “Broadband ‘nutrition labels’ help you comparison shop for cable” from Marketplace
  
  

• “Brands in Space: What’s behind the rush to advertise in the final frontier?” from Marketplace
  
  

• “‘Companies are starting to realize burnout is an issue’: Meet the lucky workers taking sabbaticals and ‘adult gap years’ to recharge” from Fortune
  
  

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

Today, we’re discussing the bond market’s big reaction to the latest inflation news and why you shouldn’t worry about it. Plus, a new Boeing whistleblower comes forward, and Beyoncé calls out the home insurance industry.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “Bonds are talking to us after inflation gauge comes in above forecasts” from Marketplace

  
  
  
  
  

• “US consumer prices heat up in March; seen delaying Fed rate cut” from Reuters
  
  

• “$6.6 billion TSMC deal in Arizona the latest in the CHIPS Act’s rollout” from Marketplace
  
  

• “TSMC: Biden to give Taiwanese company $6.6 billion to ramp up US chip production” from CNN
  
  

• “Biden administration bets an old plant can make new chips” from Marketplace
  
  

• “‘Benefit of the doubt running thin with Boeing’: Capt. Dennis Tajer on whistleblower claims” from CNBC
  
  

• “Boeing whistleblower says the Dreamliner 787 could ‘break apart’ because of safety flaws, report says” from NBC
  
  

• Beyoncé’s YA YA (Clean Version)
  
  

• Video breaking down Beyoncé’s “YA YA” from Daryl Fairweather on X
  
  

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. We’ll have news, drink, and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Inflation is coming in hot! Today’s consumer price index shows prices kept rising in March. Kai Ryssdal explains the one thing everybody should be doing right about now in addition to taking a deep breath! Plus, the rising cost of insurance — from homeowners coverage to life insurance — and what companies are doing to dump customers. Also, hear a whale talk to a scientist.

Here’s everything we talk about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “Hot Inflation Report Derails Case for Fed’s June Rate Cut” from The Wall Street Journal

  
  
  
  
  

• “Insurers Are Spying on Your Home From the Sky” from The Wall Street Journal
  
  

• “The Soaring Cost of Homeowners Insurance” from Comstock’s Magazine
  
  

• “MassMutual is rolling out free genetic testing for members, a dicey area for life insurers” from STAT+
  
  

• “The scientists learning to speak whale” from BBC
  
  

• Solar Grazing Resources from the American Solar Grazing Association
  
  

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

There’s a lot of buzz about a slowdown in the electric vehicle market. EV sales, while still growing, are not accelerating at the pace of just a few years ago. At the same time, EV makers from Tesla to General Motors and Ford are pushing back EV plans. So, what gives? On the show today, Robinson Meyer of Heatmap explains what’s really happening with the U.S. EV market, what it’s going to take to rev it back up, competition from China and whether moves by the Biden administration will be enough to help domestic EV producers pull ahead.

Then, can robots make the meatpacking industry safer? Plus, in celebration of Monday’s solar eclipse, a planetary scientist answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “What happened to EVs?” from Business Insider

  
  
  
  
  

• “Opinion | China’s Electric Vehicles Are Going to Hit Detroit Like a Wrecking Ball” from The New York Times
  
  

• “The key to growing EV adoption is cars with lower sticker prices. They may be on their way.” from Marketplace
  
  

• “Here Comes the Flood of Plug-In Hybrids” from Wired
  
  

• “How Americans view electric vehicles” from Pew Research
  
  

• “Tesla’s Sales Drop, a Sign That Its Grip on the E.V. Market Is Slipping” from The New York Times
  
  

• “The U.S. Urgently Needs a Bigger Grid. Here’s a Fast Solution.” from The New York Times
  
  

• “Meet the Robots Slicing Your Barbecue Ribs” from The Wall Street Journal
  
  

• “Dogs can understand the meaning of nouns, new research finds” from The Guardian
  
  

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The Biden administration is in a mad dash to address student debt relief ahead of the presidential election. A new plan could benefit tens of millions of Americans. We’ll explain. Plus, a Kai rant about a CEO who gets too much attention. And, there seems to be a market for everything! We’ll tell you about a new fad involving kids and mini pencils.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “Biden announces new student debt relief plan for millions of borrowers” from The Hill

  
  
  
  
  

• “Biden seeks student debt relief for millions” from NPR
  
  

• “Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Might Face Interest-Rate Spike” from The Wall Street Journal
  
  

• “2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASA” from NASA
  
  

• “Hot Market for Pencils Help Kids Turn Lead Into Gold” from The Wall Street Journal
  
  

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

Today, we’re talking earthquakes! First, our East Coast-based hosts react to the shaking on their side of the country. Then, we’ll examine how earthquake preparedness in Taiwan saved lives and prevented a big problem for the global tech economy. Later, we’ll weigh in on restoring blue check marks on X, New York earthquake memes and solar eclipse tourism in a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness saved a lot of lives — and prevented a catastrophe for the global tech economy” from Vox

  
  
  
  
  

• “It’s not just you. Here’s why pollen allergies are worse than ever” from CNN
  
  

• “FDA to Drop Ban on Sperm Donations From Gay and Bisexual Men” from The Wall Street Journal
  
  

• “America has a Black sperm donor shortage. Black women are paying the price.” from The Washington Post
  
  

• “Elon Musk’s X restores free blue check marks. Here’s what it means.” from The Washington Post
  
  

• “Why demand for jeans persists across the decades” from Marketplace
  
  

• “Why multigenerational households are making a comeback in a big way” from Marketplace
  
  

• “X becomes ‘earthquake Twitter’ as users flood site with memes and jokes” from NBC News
  
  

• “How much are you spending for the eclipse? Here’s what Americans are saying” from Fox 10 Phoenix
  
  

• “Countdown to the total solar eclipse: How it will unfold, play by play” from The Washington Post
  
  

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

Today, we’re picking guest host Amy Scott’s brain about two major news stories: the Baltimore bridge collapse and the recent Realtors settlement. We have lots of questions for the Baltimore resident and senior Marketplace correspondent covering all things housing! Plus, we’ll celebrate an American teen who made figure skating history.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “Key Bridge disaster slows or stops Baltimore port jobs” from Marketplace

  
  
  
  
  

• “Maryland legislators hope to help port workers and others affected by the bridge collapse” from Marketplace
  
  

• “Lina Khan – FTC Chair on Amazon Antitrust Lawsuit & AI Oversight” from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
  
  

• “Jon Stewart claims Apple wouldn’t let him interview FTC chair on his podcast” from Axios
  
  

• “The U.S. sues Apple, saying it abuses its power to monopolize the smartphone market” from NPR
  
  

• “The Realtors settlement could change how agents work with homebuyers” from Marketplace
  
  

• “Teenager Ilia Malinin lands a record SIX quads to capture world figure skating title” from NBC Sports
  
  

• “Ilia Malinin wins first world figure skating title with historic six quadruple jumps” from NBC Sports
  
  

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks, a game and more.

General Electric is breaking up! The megacorporation is splintering off into three separate companies. We’ll get into what that means for one of America’s biggest industrial conglomerates. Also, guest host Amy Scott joins us to discuss the dangers of humanitarian work in times of war. And dynamic pricing is coming for checked luggage. We’ll get smart (and angry!) about airline baggage fees.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “José Andrés: Let People Eat” from The New York Times

  
  
  
  
  

• “Israel-Hamas war: Aid group halts delivery in Gaza after Israeli strike” from The Associated Press
  
  

• “How José Andrés and World Central Kitchen Became Leaders in Disaster Aid” from The New York Times
  
  

• “We Feed People” documentary from National Geographic
  
  

•  “With GE’s split, the last chapter of the Jack Welch era is over” from Axios
  
  

• “JetBlue’s new checked bag fees now depend on the day” from CNN
  
  

• “Why do airlines charge so much for checked bags? This obscure rule helps explain why” from The Conversation
  
  

• “For families that need the most help, child care costs are about to drop” from The 19th
  
  

• “Column: Disneyland is ditching gas cars at Autopia. It’s a great first step for Tomorrowland” from the Los Angeles Times
  
  

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

It’s spring break for a lot of you. So, today we’re taking you on a little road trip (sort of) to the Southwest. Water is running really low there. As part of the latest season of “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast, host Amy Scott traveled across the region to dig into the water tech solutions that are helping communities adapt. So buckle up and get ready to get smart about the water crisis in the West.

Starting today, many fast-food workers in California will be paid $20 an hour under a new minimum-wage law. It’s time for a Kimberly rant! We’ll get into the subsidization of low-wage work, the reals costs behind all the stuff we buy — from burgers to clothes — and who’s picking up the tab. Plus, guest host Reema Khrais reminisces about the early years of Google as the company celebrates 20 years of Gmail.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• 
  
  
  

  1. “Fast fashion retailer Shein doubles profits as it awaits IPO approval” from The Guardian

  
  
  
  
  

• “California’s Fast-Food Workers Just Got a Pay Bump” from The New York Times
  
  

• “California’s Crazy ‘Fast Food’ Minimum Wage Takes Effect” from The Wall Street Journal
  
  

• “Your hair looks gorgeous. It cost … what?!” from The Washington Post
  
  

• “Hey, Gen X, Z and millennials: the great wealth transfer could go to health care, not you” from USA Today
  
  

• “Ancient giant dolphin discovered in the Amazon” from CNN
  
  

• “Gmail revolutionized email 20 years ago. People thought it was Google’s April Fools’ Day joke” from The Associated Press
  
  

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