There are two big events that economists will be tracking closely this week: the release of Consumer Price Index inflation data and the Fed’s rate decision shortly thereafter. We delve into the details with Julia Coronado, founder and president of MacroPolicy Perspectives. Plus, moderators across the social media platform Reddit will shut down select forums to protest the company’s move to charge developers using the website’s code. And finally, we talk with The Uncertain Hour host Krissy Clark about the new welfare work requirements passed in the debt ceiling deal.

If you get a meal from a fast food franchise nowadays, there’s an increasing chance that it’s been prepared by an underaged worker who’s been working too many hours. We look at new Department of Labor data that delves into the surprising rise in child labor law violations in some states, and why it’s been pronounced in the fast food industry. Plus, the failed Credit Suisse has been fully taken over by rival UBS after a Swiss government deal earlier this year. And finally, the BBC’s Leanna Byrne looks into how there’s been a growing wave of food fraud as production costs rise.

From the BBC World Service: Thousands of forums on the social media platform Reddit are being made inaccessible globally for 48 hours, as unpaid moderators around the world are protesting over planned changes; the BBC’s Zoe Kleinman explains. Plus, the BBC’s Paul Adams reports on the death of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. And finally, the BBC’s Leanna Byrne hears why high food prices mean food fraud is on the rise.

Generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT have caught on like wildfire, largely because of their impressive capabilities, but also because they’re free, or nearly free, to use. But just because a service doesn’t charge users doesn’t mean it doesn’t have costs. In reality, sophisticated large language models cost a lot to build and maintain. AI companies will have to recoup that investment eventually, in one way or another. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke about the high costs of AI chatbots with Will Oremus, technology news analysis writer for The Washington Post. Oremus recently delved into how the financial aspect of AI development could influence the course of the technology.

This special edition of Make Me Smart’s weekly happy hour is coming to you live from the stage at Seattle’s Town Hall. We’ll get to all of your “Economics on Tap” favorites: a little news, some drinks, plus an extended round of our Friday game Half Full/Half Empty! Today’s episode includes some adult language.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Feeling Half Full, or maybe Half Empty about something? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or write to [email protected].

Hey Smarties! We’re taping today’s episode of Make Me Smart live from Seattle. We’ll have the show in your feeds soon. But for now, enjoy a rerun of one of our favorite episodes of the year so far.

With all the rage tweets about gas stoves, it may be hard to believe, but climate change wasn’t always so polarizing.

Studies show that public opinion on the topic started to splinter in the 1990s, when governments and corporations had to reckon with the threat of a warming planet.

“Prior to 1997, it was a conversation among a bunch of scientists, but once the Kyoto treaty came, it became an issue that affected powerful political and economic interests,” said Andrew Hoffman, professor of sustainable enterprise at the University of Michigan and author of “How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate.”

On the show today: Hoffman explains how climate change became a partisan issue, the financial and economic interests that got us to where we are today, and what might get us back to some common ground.

In the News Fix, guest host Amy Scott tells us about an ad campaign bringing attention to gender bias in internet search results. Plus, we’ll explain why classified documents in surprising places is more common than you might expect. And stick around for the TL;DR on Elon Musk’s trial over what he said about Tesla on Twitter (the social media platform he now owns).

Later, we’ll hear from a listener who did the math on the cost-effectiveness of fueling up with diesel vs. gas, and a loyal listener makes us smarter about our own theme music!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

It’s a new year, and we’re looking for new answers to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART and your submission may be featured in a future episode.

American consumers have racked up an eye-popping $990 billion in credit card debt, according to Federal Reserve data. That number is climbing alongside interest rates. Why are so many people reaching for plastic right now? We’ll also mull the likelihood of a Fed rate hike skip or pause and learn about the educational hurdles that worsen the nursing shortage.

It’s official: the S&P 500 is officially in “bull market” territory. We get this week’s Low-down on the recent market optimism with Christopher Low, chief economist at FHN Financial. Plus, there are real economic consequences to poor air quality, including higher spending on medical treatment and lower spending on other industries. And finally, Turkey’s recently re-elected president has put together an economic team that looks capable of handling the county’s inflation problem.

The U.S. labor market has looked really good in the past year even as inflation bites in the wider economy. But an old theory that’s recently regained ground says that there are actually two job markets that differ substantially in pay, stability, and social mobility. Plus, the recent indictment of Donald Trump on federal charges over classified documents has turned into a fundraising call for the former president — and his Democratic rivals. And finally, Texas is looking to meet this summer’s projected record-breaking demand for energy with the help of renewable energy.

Update (6/9/23): The story about the federal charges against former President Trump has been corrected to reflect from whom fundraising emails were sent.

From the BBC World Service: As Canada battles hundreds of wildfires, fire departments are struggling to recruit enough volunteers to quickly respond to calls; while cities employ career firefighters, small towns and villages rely on volunteers. Plus, Pride Month is well underway and amidst the parties and celebrations, it can also be a time for self-reflection. We chat with an openly gay UK banking chief who is keen to talk about his own experiences in a traditionally conservative industry.