Make Me Smart

• DOGE’s next target: IRS

  Things are getting tense at the Internal Revenue Service. Layoffs are looming smack in the middle of tax season as part of DOGE’s mission to cut the federal workforce. Meanwhile, the commerce secretary says President Donald Trump wants to abolish the agency altogether. Get ready for a Kai rant! Plus, Trump wants to know if there’s still gold at Ft. Knox. No, really! And, finally, we’ll smile about all the good things that have happened to you lately. Here’s everything we talked about: “Joint Chiefs Chairman CQ Brown on list to be possibly removed by Hegseth” by ABC News “Commerce Secretary Lutnick: Trump’s goal is to abolish the IRS” from Axios “I.R.S. to Begin Laying Off Roughly 6,000 Employees on Thursday” from The New York Times Watch: “Trump wants to know if there’s gold in Fort Knox” by AP News Watch: “Fmr. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on U.S. gold reserves at Fort Knox” from CNBC Television “What to know about Fort Knox’s gold depository that Musk wants audited” from Axios “A campus sign said, ‘Tell us something good.’ Students delivered.” by 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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• Is recession risk rising?

  A growing number of young American consumers say they’re opting out of the economy entirely or pulling back from spending at certain stores over their political views. We’ll explain how this trend could collide with other economic shifts, creating the perfect recipe for a recession. Plus, by popular demand, we unpack a recent feat of nature: beavers successfully taking on civil engineering! Here’s everything we talked about: “Kremlin Message to Trump: There’s Money to Be Made in Russia” from The New York Times “A quarter of US shoppers have dumped favorite stores over political stances” by The Guardian “NAACP calls for consumers to leverage their purchasing power as some companies pull back from DEI policies” from Marketplace “Black faith leaders call for Target boycott over DEI rollback” from The Hill “Czech Dam Project Was Stalled by Bureaucracy. Beavers Built Their Own.” 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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• Should we be worried about bird flu?

  Today we’re talking about bird flu. It’s infecting flocks of chickens, causing egg prices to rise across the country, plus herds of dairy cattle and people are getting sick too. And all of this is happening amid sweeping changes at U.S. federal health agencies. The Trump administration has ordered mass firings and limits on public communications at agencies including the Centers for Disease Control, hindering its ability to keep the public informed. On the show today,  Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist and science communicator explains the scale of the current bird flu outbreak, how the response in the United States has been disrupted by chaos in the federal government, and why state health systems may struggle to fill the gaps after years of underfunding. Plus, for one listener, doing something is better than nothing. And, another listener shares how they changed their mind about the value of government work. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Urgent CDC Data and Analyses on Influenza and Bird Flu Go Missing as Outbreaks Escalate” from KFF Health News “Mass firings at HHS: Thousands impacted across federal health agencies including CMS, FDA” from Fierce Healthcare “RFK Jr. confirmed, elevating anti-vaccine activist to nation’s top health post” from The Washington Post “How Trump’s Medical Research Cuts Would Hit Colleges and Hospitals in Every State” from The New York Times “The U.S. and the WHO: An Imperfect but Essential Relationship” from Johns Hopkins What’s something you thought you knew but later found out you were wrong about? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

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• A gulf between the White House and the press

  Associated Press journalists have been blocked from accessing spaces like the Oval Office after the organization opted not to use the term “Gulf of America.” We’ll unpack the conundrum this creates for other news outlets covering the White House. And, while the GOP eyes spending cuts to key social safety net programs, some Republican representatives are feeling pressure from their constituents. We’ll get into it. Plus, a penny for your thoughts on getting rid of the penny. We’ll weigh in during a round of Half Full/Half Empty! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Hagan Scotten, Adams’s Lead Prosecutor, Quits Defiantly” from The New York Times “Republicans rush to soften Trump’s cuts” from Politico “Vulnerable Republican fires warning shot on House budget” from Politico “Seeking a Mar-a-Lago Vibe, Trump Considers Paving Over Grass in Rose Garden” from The New York Times “White House Will Continue to Bar Associated Press in Gulf of Mexico Fight” from The New York Times “Opinion | ‘Gulf of America’ leads to AP removal from Trump White House events” from The Washington Post “This Is How Much the Average Couple Spends on Valentine’s Day” from U.S. News “Apple and Google Restore TikTok to App Stores in the U.S.” from The New York Times “Americans are turning to social media for financial advice” from Marketplace “So, This 2000s Denim Trend Is About to Blow Up for Spring 2025” from InStyle “What Trump’s Plan to Stop Minting Pennies Means for Consumers” from The Wall Street Journal 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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• How to actually tackle government waste

  Elon Musk and his DOGE team have been inside the pipes of the federal government on a mission to cut government spending and root out waste. We know government waste exists. But today, we’ll explain the problem with the way DOGE is going about it. Plus, blue state Republicans and their newfound power! And, stick around for your daily dose of positive news: We’ll hear about some of the good things that have been happening to “Make Me Smart” listeners. (Keep ‘em coming!) Here’s everything we talked about: Watch: Watch live: House DOGE subcommittee holds first hearing on federal spending on YouTube “DOGE fight: New subcommittee holds its first House hearing” by Roll Call “The Government Waste DOGE Should Be Cutting” from The Atlantic Improper Payments and Fraud: How They Are Related but Different from the Government Accountability Office Watch: Happening Now: Powell Testifies Before Senate Banking Committee on YouTube “What does having the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on hold mean for consumers?” from AP News “How blue state Republicans could shape Congressional legislation this year” by Marketplace 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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