Make Me Smart

A group of lawmakers have introduced legislation that would break up health care conglomerates, aiming to rein in the power of pharmacy benefit managers. We’ll explain what PBMs do and why all sides of the health care industry are pointing fingers at one another over high costs. And, we’ll get into how the future of the Trump-era tax cuts could impact the federal deficit and why General Motors is ditching its robotaxi business. Plus, now’s your chance to talk with an AI Santa Claus. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Yellen Talks Russia Sanctions, Tariffs and Deficit” from Bloomberg via YouTube “Yellen says Trump’s tariffs could derail US inflation progress, raise costs” from Reuters “Senators Warren and Hawley introduce a bipartisan bill to break up pharmacy-benefit managers” from CNBC via YouTube “Elizabeth Warren, Josh Hawley Co-Sponsor Bill to Break Up Giant Health Care Conglomerates” from The New York Times “What is a pharmacy benefit manager, anyway?” from Marketplace “GM to stop funding troubled Cruise autonomous vehicle unit, abandoning robotaxis” from CBS San Francisco “GM to Shut Down Its Cruise Robotaxi Project” from The New York Times “OpenAI introduces ‘Santa Mode’ to ChatGPT for ho-ho-ho voice chats” from Ars Technica Tomorrow is our last episode of the year! Join us for our annual holiday party on “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Some states are trying to lure companies seeking to move their headquarters by offering a slew of financial perks. We’ll explain how these big relocations can impact local economies and the businesses themselves. And, the House of Representatives passed a defense bill that would restrict transgender medical care for children covered by the military’s health program. We’ll unpack how federal funding for health care can be used as a powerful political tool. Plus, do you dread winter? We’ll get into some tips for embracing the season. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Transgender Provision Injects Tension Into Defense Vote” from The Wall Street Journal “Will Democrats Let the GOP Gut Trans Health Care?” from Rolling Stone “Brace for a Nationwide Shuffle of Corporate Headquarters” from Bloomberg “9 Ways to Embrace Winter — Even if You Think You Hate It” from Time “New Jersey Politician Fakes Spotify Wrapped to Show All Springsteen Songs” from The New York Times We love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Before this year’s election, Heather Cox Richardson, a historian at Boston College, joined “Make Me Smart” live in Boston to unpack the high stakes for our economy and democracy. Now that the election is over and the transition to a second Donald Trump administration is underway, we’re following up. On the show today, Richardson weighs in on the election aftermath. She explains how the current media environment in the United States played into the election, how economic narratives have influenced American politics throughout history, and what the past can tell us about how President-elect Trump might brand his economic agenda while in office. Then, we’ll get into the bipartisan effort to add federal judges that’s suddenly falling apart. And, author Evan Schwartz was wrong about the inspiration behind L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Here’s everything we talked about today: “December 9, 2024” from “Letters from an American” “What Donald Trump’s Win Means for the Economy” from Time Opinion: “Voters prefer Harris’s agenda to Trump’s — they just don’t realize it. Take our quiz.” from The Washington Post “On Issue After Issue, Trump Promises the Moon. No Word on the Rocket.” from The New York Times “Biden special envoy for hostages is in Beirut in search of Austin Tice” from The Washington Post “House sets up vote on bill to add dozens of new federal judgeships” from Roll Call “Ernst, Under MAGA Pressure, Signals Backing for Hegseth’s Pentagon Bid” from The New York Times Power the show with a donation today and don’t forget to pick up one of our thank you gifts at a discount. Head to marketplace.org/givesmart.

A person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson was arrested today. We’ll get into the public’s reaction to the killing and what it says about our for-profit health system. Plus, we discuss the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in U.S. history, which is projected to take place over the next 25 years. And, Dick Van Dyke has us smiling as he waltzes into his 99th birthday. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Live Updates: Police Identify ‘Strong Person of Interest’ in C.E.O.’s Killing” from The New York Times “Suspect in fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ID’d as Luigi Mangione, an ex-Ivy League student” from New York Post “Manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Killer Meets Unexpected Obstacle: Sympathy for the Gunman” from The Wall Street Journal “A $105 Trillion Inheritance Windfall Is On the Way for US Heirs” from Bloomberg “Dick Van Dyke, Approaching 99, Dances in Coldplay’s Latest Video” from The New York Times “Biden says U.S. government believes Austin Tice is alive in Syria” from Axios We love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.