
It’s not that they’re aliens, but they’re not not aliens. A new Pentagon report released Friday can’t account for 143 “unidentified aerial phenomena” seen since 2004, though it has a few ideas. We’ll allow ourselves to speculate, and quote “Contact” a bit on today’s show. That, plus a grab bag of news to round out the week.
 
Here’s everything we talked about on the show today:
 

“U.S. Has No Explanation for Unidentified Objects and Stops Short of Ruling Out Aliens” from The New York Times
You can read the full UFO report here (PDF).
“Chauvin gets 22 1/2 years for George Floyd’s murder” from MPR News
“Justice Dept. sues state of Georgia over new voting restrictions” from The Washington Post
“Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated” from the Associated Press
This video from Imani Barbarin about Britney Spears’ conservatorship trial.
And our other Half Full/Half Empty topics: returning to the movies, Big Tech antitrust bills and Prime Day


Thanks to everyone who joined us live on YouTube today! We go live each Friday at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time/6:30 p.m. Eastern for happy hour! Subscribe to our channel and sign up for notifications so you don’t miss it.

We are (probably) not alone in the universe

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

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.


No “stag” no “flation”

With the presidential election less than six months away, election workers are raising concerns about their safety. We’ll get into the rising threats to election offices and how that might affect staffing ahead of November. Also, how Tesla’s disbanding of its Supercharger team could impact the Biden’s administration push to expand electric vehicle use. Plus, how a pest control professional saved a baseball game from a swarm of bees.
Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Nearly Two-Thirds Of Election Officials Worry Politicians Will Interfere With Their Work: Poll” from HuffPost
“Local Election Officials Survey” from the Brennan Center for Justice
“They staffed the Jan. 6 committee. Threats still follow them” from Roll Call
“Musk Undercuts Tesla Chargers That Biden Lauded as ‘a Big Deal’” from Bloomberg
“Pest control ace clears Dodgers-Diamondbacks bee swarm, throws first pitch” from United Press International

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.

We are (probably) not alone in the universe

Download our free app to listen on your phone