Make Me Smart

• Unpacking our collective COVID-19 trauma, five years on

  Five years ago, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Since then, there have been lockdowns, a recession, two presidential elections and more than a million American lives lost from the disease. In many ways, life feels like it’s back to normal, but David Wallace-Wells, a writer for The New York Times, argues that the pandemic still has a grip on American life, from our faith in public health institutions to the way consumers feel about the economy. On the show today, Wallace-Wells walks us through how Americans neglected to process the seismic impact of the pandemic in the rush to recover from it, and how it’s left us more self-interested and less empathetic. Plus, how this can help explain disgruntled consumers and a growing appetite for risk-taking in the economy. Then, we’ll get into how responses to public health emergencies have shifted to the realm of the private sector. And, we’ll hear listeners’ reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic, five years on. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Opinion | How Covid Remade Our America, Five Years Later” from The New York Times “30 Charts That Show How Covid Changed Everything in March 2020” from The New York Times “Gyms, pets and takeout: How the pandemic has shifted daily life” from The Washington Post “It’s Not the Economy. It’s the Pandemic.” from The Atlantic “Opinion | Covid’s Deadliest Effect Took Five Years to Appear” from The New York Times “More Universities Are Choosing to Stay Neutral on the Biggest Issues” from The New York Times Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

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• Will climate tax credits stay or go?

  On today’s episode, Kai and Kimberly discuss the future of Biden-era clean energy tax credits under Trump 2.0. A group of GOP lawmakers want them to stay. Meanwhile, the administration is rescinding memos that pushed for climate change-resilient infrastructure. Plus, the hosts weigh in on the arrest of a Palestinian activist and Columbia University student by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Is this the first arrest of “many to come?” Finally, we’ll smile as the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., get closer to full bloom. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump Says Columbia Student Arrest Is First of Many to Come” from The Wall Street Journal “House Republican support grows for keeping clean energy tax breaks” from Politico “Transportation secretary rescinds Biden memos prioritizing infrastructure resilience to climate change” from The Hill “2025 Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Forecasts” from DC Cherry Blossom Watch Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

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• Oh, the irony!

  President Donald Trump’s family business is suing Capital One for closing its bank accounts in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, arguing the bank violated consumer protection laws. Where’s the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau when ya need ’em? Then, Kimberly breaks down two moves by the White House that could have sweeping consequences for law firms who work on cases against the Trump administration. Plus, we’ll weigh in on Trump’s strategic bitcoin reserve and tariff whiplash during a game of Half Full/Half Empty! Oh, and should there be a half-time show at the 2026 World Cup final? Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump Organization Sues Capital One for Closing Its Accounts” from The New York Times “War heroes and military firsts are among 26,000 images flagged for removal in Pentagon’s DEI purge” from AP News “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures the Enforcement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c)” from the White House “Trump directs DOJ to seek security bonds for injunctions” from Law and Crime “Trump targets prominent Democratic-linked law firm” from Politico “Your tariff questions, answered.” from the Marketplace newsletter “Why coffee shops like Dunkin’ are dropping nondairy milk fees” from Marketplace “Fed chair signals patience amid Trump’s tariff whiplash” from The Washington Post “In a first, the 2026 World Cup final will include a halftime show” from NPR “Can an A.I. Travel Bot Plan Your Trip to NYC?” from The New York Times Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

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• Your questions about government economic data answered

  Donald Trump administration officials disbanded two expert committees on economic data this week and suggested altering the way the U.S. calculates gross domestic product. It’s not the first time the administration has hinted at fiddling with important numbers, and a listener wrote in to ask how all this might impact businesses and the market. We’ll break it down. Plus, why is nobody talking about the debt limit? And, congrats to Bill in Ohio on scoring a hat trick! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Trump administration disbands two expert panels on economic data” from Reuters “Can the U.S. delete government spending from GDP?” from Marketplace “Key House Republican Warns May Debt-Ceiling Breach Possible” from Bloomberg “Explainer: Why would the US government shut down?” from Reuters “A campus sign said ‘Tell us something good.’ Students delivered.” from The Washington Post Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

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• What is even happening with the politics of this economy?!

  On today’s episode, we’re discussing a pair of recent rulings about the Trump administration’s efforts to cut foreign aid and fire federal workers, leaving us with a “Through the Looking-Glass” moment, where the nonsensical is reality. Plus, we’ll explain some ways to catch a breath in the midst of uncertain economic times. And, we’ll smile at a math problem solved through the power of anime fans. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Bid to Freeze Foreign Aid” from The New York Times “How to handle the stress of tariff escalation and stock market jitters” from The Washington Post “‘He Finally Shot the Hostage’: Trump’s Trade War Is a Brutal Reality Check” from Politico “OPM retroactively edits probationary firing guidance to note it did not order probationary firings” from Government Executive “How Anime Fans Stumbled upon a Mathematical Proof” from Scientific American “Steve Carell tells students affected by wildfires that prom tickets are paid for” from The Washington Post Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

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