On today’s show, Alaska Public Media reporter Ava White joins Kimberly to make us smarter about Fat Bear Week and the issues that are top of mind for Alaskans right now. Alaska residents receive an annual check funded by the state’s oil royalties. But its purchasing power is lower than ever. We’ll get into it. Plus, we’ll weigh in on AI live translations and a rise in Hamburger Helper sales during a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Meet the superfans going wild for Alaska’s fattest bears" from Alaska Public Media
• "Alaska ignored warning signs of a budget crisis. Now it doesn’t have money to fix crumbling schools" from KYUK
• ”The 2025 Alaska Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,000” from Alaska Public Media
• "North Slope leaders applaud tax breaks for whalers in the GOP megabill” from KNBA
• "Why are restaurant chains opening beverage-focused spinoffs?" from Marketplace
• "AI is taking on live translations. But jobs and meaning are getting lost." from The Washington Post
• "Touchscreens in cars are finally on their way out. Good riddance" from Fast Company
• "Hamburger Helper Sales Rise as Americans Try to Stretch Their Food Dollars" from The New York Times

It’s Half-Priced Hoodie Weekend! Give $10 a month to support our journalism today, and we’ll thank you with a cozy Marketplace zip-up hoodie: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

Today we’re diving into the business of music. Trapital founder Dan Runcie joins Kimberly to explain what Anthropic’s recent copyright settlement with authors could mean for record labels who’ve sued AI companies, the “fair use” debates dominating the music industry, and why even the biggest stars are struggling to create chart-toppers these days. Plus, we’ll celebrate a win from one of our listeners.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "The Generative AI Music Sweepstakes" from Trapital
• "Anthropic Agrees to Pay Authors at Least $1.5 Billion in AI Copyright Settlement" from Wired
• "Labels Claim Suno Pirated Songs From YouTube in Bulked-Up AI Copyright Lawsuit" from Billboard
• "YouTube copyright fight: Rick Beato warns UMG claims over short music clips could end his channel" from TechSpot
• TikTok from Lizzo

• "Kneecap, Faye Webster & 400 Other Artists Remove Their Catalogs From Israel: ‘No Music for Genocide’" from Billboard

  
  

  Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

President Trump is not a fan of the United Nations—he made that clear in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly today. Under Trump, the United States has pulled back from several efforts, including U.N. organizations, that have contributed to the country’s so-called soft power goals. On the show today, Joshua Eisenman, professor of politics in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, joins Kimberly to discuss the changing role of the U.S. in global politics and how China is seizing this moment to gain more influence.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Trump tells UN in speech that it is 'not even coming close to living up' to its potential" from AP News
• "Geopolitics of Trump Tariffs: How U.S. Trade Policy Has Shaken Allies" from Council on Foreign Relations
• "How China Stands to Gain as the U.S. Steps Away From the U.N." from The New York Times

• "The Global South Won't Give Up on China" from Foreign Relations

  
  

  It's Marketplace's Fall Fundraiser! Give now and be one of 2,000 donors in 10 days: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

On today’s show, Kimberly is joined by Marlon Hyde, business and economics reporter for WABE in Atlanta, to unpack the fallout of the massive ICE raid at a Hyundai facility in Georgia in which hundreds of South Korean nationals were arrested. And, we’ll get into what Atlanta small business owners are worried about these days. (Spoiler: it’s tariffs.) Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Immigration raid at Georgia Hyundai factory tests state’s longstanding relationship with South Korea" from WABE
• "Hyundai says it will spend $2.7 billion expanding part of the Georgia complex raided by ICE" from AP News
• "Atlanta develops human rights action plan for 2026 FIFA World Cup" from WABE
• "After another subpar summer of going to the movies, what's next?" from Marketplace
• "Finally, the era of free in-flight WiFi is near" from The Washington Post
• "Costco's New Shopping Hours Are a Sign of Tierification of US Economy" from Business Insider

• "People are boycotting Disney, Hulu, and ESPN after ABC yanked Jimmy Kimmel off the air. Will it work?" from Fast Company

  
  

  We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

This week, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates and made it clear that its attention is turning to the labor market. It’s showing cracks, particularly for Black workers. On the show today, Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins Kimberly to discuss rising Black women’s unemployment in the United States and why she’s calling on the Fed to do something about it. Plus, Kimberly digs through your anime recs. Which ones have you seen?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Pressley urges Fed chair to address Black women's unemployment as the figure rises" from NBC News
• "There are worrying signs buried in the August jobs report" from Marketplace
• "Rising Unemployment Among Black Women Is a Bad Economic Sign" from Time

• "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle slays the U.S. box office with record-breaking debut" from Polygon

  
  

  Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

The latest retail sales data shows U.S. consumers are still spending it up, even in the face of higher tariff costs and a shaky labor market. Wealthier Americans are driving the trend, but a “culture of treats” might also play a role. Marketplace’s Kristin Schwab joins Kimberly to explain her theory. Plus, brands like Gap are pitching themselves to Gen Z by riffing on Y2K fashion. Are you onboard?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Retail sales up 0.6% in August from July even as tariffs hurt jobs and lead to price hikes" from AP News
• "Top 10% of Earners Drive a Growing Share of US Consumer Spending" from Bloomberg
• "For some consumers, luxury is not a treat — it's a lifestyle" from Marketplace
• "Why are millennial brands trying to ride the Y2K trend?" from Marketplace

• "Why Gap’s ‘Better In Denim’ Ad Struck The Right Chord" from Forbes

  
  

  We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Today’s news comes with a side of pawpaws. Kimberly is joined by Laura Blessing, senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, to break down the moves President Trump is making to exert more control over government spending. As Congress faces the possibility of another shutdown head on, it’s souring the mood. Plus, we’ll play a new game! Can you guess which headline is fake?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "What is a pawpaw, and will I ever be able to buy it at the grocery store?" from Marketplace
• "‘Don't even bother dealing with them,’ Trump says of Democrats’ shutdown demands" from Politico
• "What to know about Trump’s ‘pocket rescission’" from The Hill
• "Paris Hilton mini-fridges recalled due to fire, burn hazards" from The Hill
• "Musk got DOGE's mission "backward," Lutnick says" from Axios

• "Trump announces crackdown on pharmaceutical advertising" from Politico

  
  

  We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

In the wake of yesterday’s assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, Regina Bateson, a political science professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, joins Kimberly to unpack the rise of targeted political violence in the United States and what it means for the health of our democracy. Then, one of our listeners shares how digitizing her great grandmother’s WWII diaries helped connect her with her family’s past.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "A new dark normal of political violence still shocks the nation" Politico
• "Tracking Attitudes About Elections and Political Violence Over Time" from States United Democracy Center
• "How Americans Justify Political Violence" from The New York Times Magazine
• "Special Report: Key Political Violence and Resilience Trends From 2024" from the Bridging Divides Initiative
• Check out Beth’s digitized diary project

Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.