Make Me Smart

Trump’s purge of federal workers and its historical parallels

Listen Later

President Donald Trump’s recent steps to remove federal employees is drawing comparisons to government purges during the Red Scare of the 1950s. What’s at stake when government workers are pushed out? We’ll break it down. Plus, we’ll explain why a ruling in one of the lawsuits over Trump’s funding freeze is a biggie. Finally, tell us something good that happened to you lately!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

  • “Judge Rules That Trump Administration Defied Order to Unfreeze Billions in Federal Grants” from The New York Times

    • “Trump Eases Enforcement of Law Banning Overseas Bribes” by Bloomberg

      • “What Happened the Last Time a President Purged the Bureaucracy” from Politico

        • “CBS News poll — Trump has positive approval amid ‘energetic’ opening weeks; seen as doing what he promised” by CBS News

          • “Second pig kidney transplant successfully completed at Massachusetts General Hospital” from WCVB Channel 5

            • “Experimental transplants with organs from gene-edited pigs see major steps forward” from CNN

              • “A campus sign said ‘Tell us something good.’ Students delivered.” by The Washington Post

                • Tell us something good that happened to you recently! Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

                ...more
                View all episodesView all episodes
                Download on the App Store
                Make Me SmartBy Marketplace
                • 4.6
                • 4.6
                • 4.6
                • 4.6
                • 4.6

                4.6

                5,356 ratings

                More shows like Make Me Smart

                View all
                Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

                Science Friday

                6,046 Listeners

                Marketplace Tech by Marketplace

                Marketplace Tech

                1,276 Listeners

                Marketplace Morning Report by Marketplace

                Marketplace Morning Report

                869 Listeners

                Marketplace by Marketplace

                Marketplace

                8,500 Listeners

                Planet Money by NPR

                Planet Money

                30,850 Listeners

                Marketplace All-in-One by Marketplace

                Marketplace All-in-One

                1,338 Listeners

                Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

                Freakonomics Radio

                32,121 Listeners

                The Uncertain Hour by Marketplace

                The Uncertain Hour

                2,168 Listeners

                The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR

                The Indicator from Planet Money

                9,520 Listeners

                Throughline by NPR

                Throughline

                15,801 Listeners

                This Is Uncomfortable by Marketplace

                This Is Uncomfortable

                3,505 Listeners

                Short Wave by NPR

                Short Wave

                6,218 Listeners

                Marketplace Minute by Marketplace

                Marketplace Minute

                164 Listeners

                Million Bazillion by Marketplace

                Million Bazillion

                2,562 Listeners

                How We Survive by Marketplace

                How We Survive

                1,307 Listeners

                Financially Inclined by Marketplace

                Financially Inclined

                82 Listeners

                Everybody in the Pool by Molly Wood

                Everybody in the Pool

                211 Listeners