We’ve got mail! And, lots of questions about inflation from listeners. Today, we’ll explain why interest rates cuts may be on the horizon even amid a booming economy; the relationship between the minimum wage and inflation; and what leap day means for your paycheck. Plus, Kai and Kimberly get a special delivery!

Here’s everything we talked about today:
 



“Why Cut Interest Rates in an Economy This Strong? A Big Question Confronts the Fed” from The New York Times



 



“Personal Income and Outlays, January 2024” from Bureau of Economic Analysis



 



“Fed’s Preferred Inflation Metric Increases by Most in a Year” from Bloomberg



 



“Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2020” from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics



 



“Wage increases haven’t really boosted inflation, new Fed research says” from Marketplace



 



“How does leap year affect your paycheck?” from Marketplace



 



“It’s leap day, an extra workday. Here’s what that means for your paycheck” from CNN




 
Get ready for Economics on Tap and subscribe to our newsletter to get a copy of our new cocktails zine. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.


Whaddya wanna know about inflation?

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


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.

The rising pressure on poll workers


Today we’re talking about the trade deficit at the request of some of our curious listeners. Since the mid-’70s, the U.S. has persistently been importing more goods than it exports. Is that such a bad thing? We’ll hear from Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, about why the U.S. has a trade deficit, whether it’s a good or bad thing, and why a country’s overall trade deficit matters more than deficits with specific countries.
 
Then, we’ll get into how online political donations are fueling election campaigns this year. Plus, the malleable idea of “old age” and the wonders of happy sheep in a solar field.
 
Here’s everything we talked about today:
 



“Trade deficits aren’t good or bad, just weird” from Marketplace



 



“The U.S. Trade Deficit: How Much Does It Matter?” from the Council on Foreign Relations



 



Historical U.S. Trade Deficits from the St. Louis Fed



 



“Chinese Exports Are Threatening Biden’s Industrial Agenda” from The New York Times



 



“Trump promised to rebalance trade in North America. The US trade deficit keeps climbing.” from Politico



 



“How online donations are fueling the election” from Politico



 



Polling in 2024 from Reuters



 



Opinion | “What Departing Lawmakers Think About Congress” from The New York Times



 



“Young US adults reach key milestones later in life than in the past like marriage, full-time job, financial independence” from Pew Research Center




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


The trade-offs of the trade deficit

Nope. It’s not just your imagination. The Biden administration has been on a roll to finalize several regulations — from changes at nursing homes and updates to Title IX to health care protections for transgender people. Kimberly explains what’s really behind the mad dash. Also, Kai is back with a reminder: Don’t sleep on the foreign exchange market, folks! And we’ll smile about the tales of two cats.
Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Biden administration strengthens health care protections for LGBTQ+ Americans” from The 19th News
“Congressional Review Act Threat Looms Over Biden Administration Rulemakings” from Inside Privacy
“A Strong U.S. Dollar Weighs on the World”from The New York Times
“Japan Intervenes After Yen Slides Against the Dollar” from The Wall Street Journal
“Nebraska’s “Capitol Cat” brings paw-sitivity to politics” from USA Today
“Stowaway Cat Gets From Utah to California in Amazon Returns Package” from The New York Times

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.

Whaddya wanna know about inflation?

Download our free app to listen on your phone