
The latest survey data from the University of Michigan shows consumer sentiment in the U.S. is at a six-month low. We’ll unpack the numbers and get into what they can and can’t tell us about what’s really going on in the economy. And, a plan to split up U.S. Cellular between T-Mobile and Verizon is in the works. It’s part of a larger fiasco brewing at the Federal Communications Commission. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty!
 
Here’s everything we talked about today:

Consumer Sentiment Index from the University of Michigan

 

“T-Mobile, Verizon in Talks to Carve Up U.S. Cellular” from The Wall Street Journal

 

“A solar storm could produce northern lights in US” from AP News

 

“Apple is revamping Siri with generative AI to catch up with chatbot competitors, report says” from Business Insider

 

“Millions more Americans travel to bird-watch. Texas businesses are cashing in.” from Marketplace

 

“McDonald’s Will Offer a $5 Meal Deal to Lure Customers Back Into Stores” from Yahoo Finance

 

“Bluey Is Back! Disney Announces Collection of New ‘Minisodes’ Are Coming Soon” from People


 
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.
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What grocery aisle gossip can tell us about the economy

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

Red Lobster, the popular seafood chain, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week after closing dozens of locations. We’ll get into the company’s yearslong troubles and why its unlimited shrimp deal isn’t entirely responsible for the chain’s downfall. Then, we’ll discuss the challenges of battling misinformation in today’s fractured media landscape. Plus, WNBA players are slaying designer looks and defying stereotypes of women in sports.
Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Tales From the Trenches of Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp.” from Slate
“Why Red Lobster Filed for Bankruptcy: It Wasn’t the Endless Shrimp” from Eater
“As Red Lobster files for bankruptcy, changing tastes take a toll on its casual-dining competitors” from Marketplace
“Majority of Americans wrongly believe US is in recession – and most blame Biden” from The Guardian
“How Arizona is preparing for AI-powered election misinformation” from Marketplace
“The WNBA Has Teamed Up With High Fashion. It’s a Slam Dunk” from The Daily Beast
“General election latest: Rishi Sunak announces 4 July vote in Downing Street statement” from BBC
Video of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announcing general election from Oz Katerji on X









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, endless shrimp and Red Lobster’s decline


Over the last 50 years, an ideology known as neoliberalism has transformed the American economy — for better or worse. The concept is often associated with Ronald Reagan, free markets and deregulation. But legal scholar Mehrsa Baradaran says there’s a lot we get wrong about the origins of neoliberalism and its true impact on society. On the show today, Baradaran, author of the new book “The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and the Looting of America,” explains what neoliberal ideology promised to do for the American economy, what it actually did and why she believes that looking to the free market might, ironically, be the only way forward.
 
Then, why actress Scarlett Johansson isn’t cool with OpenAI’s new chatbot. And we’ll hear the sounds of cicadas!
 
Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Opinion | The Neoliberal Looting of America” from The New York Times
“What is neoliberalism? A political scientist explains the use and evolution of the term” from The Conversation
“Opinion | Time is up for neoliberals” from The Washington Post
“Learning how to use AI could boost your pay by 25%, study finds” from CNN Business
“Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI chatbot voice ‘eerily similar’ to hers” from Reuters

 
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.


Neoliberalism’s sleight of hand

Today, we’re talking about the different efforts to invest in artificial intelligence. First up, guest host Lily Jamali breaks down Argentina’s endeavor to turn the country into an AI hub. Then, we’ll discuss the use of AI and deepfakes in India’s election in an attempt to reach voters. Later, we’ll smile about America’s first Black astronaut candidate finally taking a trip to space.
Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Argentina’s Milei Plans to Meet With Zuckerberg at End of May” from Bloomberg
 “Indian Voters Are Being Bombarded With Millions of Deepfakes. Political Candidates Approve” from Wired
 Marketplace’s Decoding Democracy election series
“Dirty Dancing, Back to the Future and E.T. Voted Best 80s Films: Poll Reveals Top 40 Movies From Big-Hair Days” from Good News Network
“Ed Dwight Goes to Space 63 Years After Training as 1st Black Astronaut” from The New York Times
“Can life exist on Europa, Jupiter’s moon?” from Marketplace

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.

Getting deep about deepfakes


Prices have been rising for pretty much everything these days. And for some, it’s raising the cost of making friends as more folks turn to paid activities like art classes and happy hours to socialize. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain the latest scandal that’s left the Supreme Court in a bind. Plus, we’ll weigh in on Chuck E. Cheese animatronics and bridesmaid debt during a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:
 









“Supreme Court Justice Alito’s House Displayed a ‘Stop the Steal’ Flag After Jan. 6” from The New York Times



 



“Want to Make a New Friend? How Much Money Have You Got?” from The Wall Street Journal



 



“Watching the NFL This Season? You’ll Need at Least 5 Streaming Services” from How-To Geek



 



“Chuck E. Cheese saying goodbye to animatronic band” from CBS News



 



“The Bridesmaids Going Into Debt for Their Friends’ Weddings” from The Cut



 



“Mindy Kaling Shares Her Simple but Important Advice for The Office Spinoff’s New Cast: ‘I Was Not Professional'” from People



 



“The days of free refills may be over” from Marketplace



 



“It was a classic rap beef. Then Drake revived Tupac with AI and Congress got involved” from NPR









 
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The price tag on friendship

Inflation isn’t going anywhere, and listeners wanna know what’s up with two of the government’s inflation measures. Today, we’re answering some nerdy econ questions about the consumer price index and personal consumption expenditures price index. We’ll also answer questions about how the Supreme Court gets funded and the ins and outs of joint fundraising committees.
Got a question you’d like us to answer? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voice mail at 508-U-B-SMART!
Here’s everything we talked about today:










“How does the government measure inflation?” from Brookings



 



“Why the PCE is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation” from Marketplace



 



“What is the Core PCE price index?” from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis



 



“Courts, Programs, and Other Items Funded by Congressional Appropriations for the Federal Judiciary” from the Congressional Research Service



 



“US judiciary set to receive modest spending boost from Congress” from Reuters



 



“Judicial Compensation” from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts



 



“Inside the Rent Inflation Measure That Economics Nerds Love to Hate” from The New York Times



 



 “A guide to political money: campaigns, PACs, super PACs” from Associated Press



 



“Joint fundraising: A campaign strategy to increase contributions” from Marketplace



 



“Fundraising for Super PACs by federal candidates” from the Federal Election Commission







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.

What grocery aisle gossip can tell us about the economy

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