The antitrust trial involving Apple and Epic Games has provided a rare look into some of the tech giant’s business practices. The case wraps up soon, and it’s going out with a … slightly boring whimper. Apple CEO Tim Cook took the witness stand today. We talk about the importance of what he said, and didn’t say. Plus, how vaccines are making singles more attractive and a round of our favorite game, Half Full/Half Empty.
Here’s everything we talked about on the show today:

“Apple’s Tim Cook Faces Pointed Questions From Judge on App Store Competition” from The Wall Street Journal
“Leaked Emails Show Crime App Citizen Is Testing On-Demand Security Force” from Vice
WeWork reports over $2 billion quarterly loss
And our Half Full/Half Empty topics: The new child tax credit, the Olympics, Internet Explorer, marathon season and oat milk.

Cheers to making it through this year! Donate today to get our new Mason jar mug and “Stonktails” recipe book: marketplace.org/givesmart

Tim Cook’s (not so) Epic testimony

Each weekday, Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams make today make sense. Along with our supersmart listeners, we break down happenings in tech, the economy and culture. Every Tuesday we bring on a guest to dive deeper into one important topic. Because none of us is as smart as all of us.

Business

Investing

Careers

Management & Marketing

Business News

Shopping

News


Increasingly popular buy now, pay later services allow shoppers to split their purchases into smaller, recurring payments. We’ll get into why these loans are blurring economists’ understanding of today’s consumer debt landscape. We’ll also discuss President Joe Biden’s climate and infrastructure spending spree, and the knock-on effects of parents dying from drug overdoses. Plus, singer Tyla’s sandy Met Gala look, and forgotten 100-year-old love letters make us smile.
 
Here’s everything we talked about today:
 



“More than 320000 U.S. children lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011-2021” from Axios



 



“Playbook: Biden’s race to Trump-proof his legacy” from Politico



 



“Biden’s biggest challenge: How do you even spend $1.6 trillion?” from Politico



 



“‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Has Americans Racking Up Phantom Debt” from Bloomberg



 



“Video: See moment Tyla is carried up Met Gala steps” from CNN



 



“Tyla’s sand-covered Met Gala 2024 gown was chopped in half after the red carpet” from Page Six



 



“When to use buy now, pay later services” from Marketplace



 



“Hidden love letters spark historical mystery in Baltimore” from The Baltimore Banner




 
We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.


A phantom debt menace

College endowment funds are at the center of student protester’s calls for their schools to divest from Israel. Charlie Eaton, a sociology professor at the University of California, Merced, and author of “Bankers in the Ivory Tower,” said the size of these funds have created a moral dilemma for the wealthiest universities. On the show today, Eaton explains how college endowments work, why most universities don’t disclose how those funds are invested, and how colleges could manage their endowments to better align with their values.
 
Then, we’ll check-in on the youths. And, Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop, the puppet, answer the Make Me Smart question. Plus, a tribute to Jasper.
 

Here’s everything we talked about today:
 



“University endowments show few signs of direct Israel, defense holdings” from The Washington Post



 



“If the divestment movement succeeds, will it have an economic impact?” from Marketplace



 



“Gaza protests: Divestment from Israel becomes focus of student demands” from The Washington Post



 



“Students protest Gaza war: The history of divestment protests” from Marketplace



 



“Top companies are on students’ divest list. But does it really work?” from NPR



 



“Gen Z Sinks Deeper Into Debt” from The Wall Street Journal



 



“Abortion bans drive away up to half of young talent, new CNBC/Generation Lab youth survey finds” from CNBC



 



“Businesses are speaking out against anti-LGBTQ laws” from Marketplace




Want more “Make Me Smart” in your life? Sign up for our newsletter at marketplace.org/smarter.

The power of college endowments

Private equity plays a major role in lots of sectors across the U.S. economy, and now it’s getting into the veterinary business. Today, Kimberly discusses the rise of these big outside investors in pet care and the financial and emotional decisions we make in caring for our beloved pets. Plus, we bid Jasper goodbye. But first, Amy breaks down a pair of cases involving the popular housing site Redfin and what they mean for how homes are bought and sold.
Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Redfin to pay $9.25M to settle commission lawsuits” from Inman
“Redfin settles commission lawsuits for $9.25 million” from HousingWire
“When Buying a Home Is Treated as a National Security Threat” from The New York Times
“Vets fret as private equity snaps up clinics, pet care companies” from Stateline
“Why Your Vet Bill Is So High” from The Atlantic
“Workday Has Become the Most-Hated Workplace, Business Software” from Business Insider

We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Private equity is coming for pet care


Southern European economies, including Greece, are growing faster than some of Europe’s longtime powerhouses, like Germany. We’ll get into how Greece pulled off an economic turnaround after the devastating 2012 financial crisis. And, Halle Berry’s shouts from the steps of the Capitol are calling attention to the need for more menopause research. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty!
 
Here’s everything we talked about today:
 



“Europe’s Economic Laggards Have Become Its Leaders” from The New York Times



 



“Halle Berry shouts from the Capitol, ‘I’m in menopause’ as she seeks to end a stigma and win funding” from AP News



 



“Dave & Buster’s to let adult customers bet on arcade games” from Marketplace



 



“As work communication migrates to mobile devices, desk phones hang up for good” from Marketplace



 



“Pop-up coworking events are uniting lonely workers” from Marketplace



 



“The conspiracy theory behind Florida’s lab-grown meat ban” from The Verge



 



“Unfrosted Review: Jerry Seinfeld’s Pop-Tarts Comedy Is Painfully Stale” from IndieWire




 
Want more “Make Me Smart” in your life? Sign up for our newsletter at marketplace.org/smarter.


Europe’s new economic engines



“Spotting tech-driven disinformation isn’t getting easier” from Marketplace

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 and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty.
It’s time to rewind and revisit some of the big business stories of the week. First up, stagflation. Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell isn’t seeing signs of it, and neither is Kai Ryssdal. We’ll explain why. Plus, what Walmart’s decision to shut down all of its health clinics says about the U.S. health care system. Also, we’ll break down the latest efforts to restructure the American economy through the CHIPS Act. And, a singer’s plea to protect artists from AI-generated deepfakes.
Here’s everything we talked about today:




“Fed Holds Rates Steady, Noting Lack of Progress on Inflation” from The New York Times



 



“GDP growth slowed to a 1.6% rate in the first quarter, well below expectations” from CNBC



 



“Walmart to close its 51 health centers and virtual care service” from Associated Press



 



“Walmart shuttering health units, including telehealth and 51 clinics” from Yahoo Finance



 



“Walmart Health Is Closing” from Walmart



 



“Breaking Ground: A visit to the “Silicon Desert” from Marketplace



 



”Senate Hearing on Digital Replicas and Artificial Intelligence Concerns” from C-SPAN



 



“FKA Twigs Reveals She Developed Her Own Deepfake in Congressional Testimony on AI Regulation With Warner Music CEO” from Variety



 

“Spotting tech-driven disinformation isn’t getting easier” from Marketplace

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 and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty.


Tim Cook’s (not so) Epic testimony

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