The ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding for now. But as this conflict has played out, along with other ongoing wars around the world, it got us thinking: What does war even look like in 2025? In Ukraine, it looks like drone and missile attacks side-by-side with everyday life. On the show today, longtime international correspondent Deborah Amos joins us from Kyiv, Ukraine to talk about how modern warfare has changed.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Bank hacks, internet shutdowns and crypto heists: Here’s how the war between Israel and Iran is playing out in cyberspace" from Politico
• "Combat drones: We are in a new era of warfare - here's why" from BBC News
• "FPV drones in Ukraine are changing modern warfare" from Atlantic Council
• "Cyber Operations during the Russo-Ukrainian War" from the Center for Strategic and International Studies 
• “‘Will Trump give up the store?’ Edward Fishman on how US economic warfare works – and doesn’t" from The Guardian

Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Many Americans are enduring a brutal heatwave this week. For those who work outside, the heat can be deadly. On today’s show, we’ll check in on a proposed heat safety law that would require employers to offer more breaks when the temperature rises above a certain threshold. Under the Trump administration, the law’s future is uncertain. And, the housing market can’t seem to break out of its slump. Plus, the lengths some Americans will go to score some Indian mangoes.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings Rulemaking" from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 
• "As U.S. Sizzles, Business Groups Push Back on OSHA's Heat Safety Law" from Inc.
• "Heat Safety Experts behind OSHA Rules Were Laid Off, which Could Make It Easier to Scrap Regulations" from Scientific American
• "Trump’s OSHA Nominee Has a History With Heat and UPS Drivers" from The New York Times
• "U.S. New Home Sales Slump as High Mortgage Rates Persist" from The Wall Street Journal
• '"You'll never be ready to buy a home"' from “This Is Uncomfortable”
• "New York City is using ranked choice voting in its Democratic mayoral primary. Here's how it works" from AP News 
• "What you need to know about ranked choice voting" from “Make Me Smart” 

• "The Perilous Business of Importing Indian Mangoes to the U.S." from The New York Times

  
  

  Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The United States’ entanglement in Iran and Israel’s current conflict has a long, complicated history. Today we’re looking back at how it led up to the U.S. strikes on Iran over the weekend. Two major factors: Iran’s nuclear capabilities and economic sanctions, which the U.S. used to deter Iran’s nuclear program and to incentivize Iran to sign on to the 2015 nuclear deal. Rose Kelanic, director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities, explains some of the history behind tensions between the U.S. and Iran, the role sanctions played in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and how the deal broke down.

Later, one listener’s take on the Trump administration’s threats to the Pell Grant program. And, a gardening blogger was wrong about DIY plant food hacks.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Strike Set Back Iran’s Nuclear Program by Only a Few Months, U.S. Report Says" from The New York Times
• "Trump tries to maintain fragile ceasefire hours after he announced it" from Politico 
• "Iran’s Nuclear Dreams May Survive Even a Devastating American Blow" from The New York Times 
• "History of US-Iran relations: From the 1953 regime change to Trump strikes" from Al Jazeera 
• "Why Israel will resist any US-Iran nuclear deal" from Atlantic Council 

• "Satellites show damage to Iran's nuclear program, but experts say it's not destroyed" from NPR  

  
  

  Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Oil markets went into a state of panic after the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, stoking fears that Iran could retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran’s control over the key oil trade route may not be the economic weapon many think it is. We’ll explain. And, several provisions in the Republicans’ reconciliation bill haven’t made it through the so-called “Byrd Bath” and risk being axed from the legislation. Plus, did you know killer whales aren’t really whales?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Capitol agenda: How Johnson may block an Iran rebuke" from Politico 
• "11 days until July 4: Byrd Bath and policy fights on deck" from Punchbowl News
• "Senate parliamentarian rejects GOP attempt to authorize states to conduct immigration enforcement" from The Hill
• "G.O.P. Can’t Include Limits on Trump Lawsuits in Megabill, Senate Parliamentarian Rules" from The New York Times  
• "Iran Has an Oil Card to Play. So Does the U.S." from The Wall Street Journal  
• "The largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universe" from AP News  
• "Vera C Rubin Observatory first images" from BBC Sky at Night Magazine  
• "Killer whales seen grooming each other with kelp in first for marine tool use" from The Guardian 

Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

This week, we’ve looked at the budget reconciliation bill and its effects on student debt, taxes, health care and social programs. The bill is currently moving through the Senate. Today, we discuss the reconciliation bill and the national deficit. And we dig into other proposals such as AI regulation ban and private foundation taxes. Plus, we play a special budget round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “AI moratorium sparks GOP battle over states’ rights” from The Hill
• “Introduction to Budget “Reconciliation” from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• “One, Big, Beautiful Bill: Impact on Philanthropy” from Council on Foundations
• “Senate Judiciary Unveils Its Own Plan To Curtail Court Orders” from CATO Institute
• “Parliamentarian rulings would kill key climate provisions in GOP megabill” from Politico

Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Every day this week, we’ll take a look at the ripple effects of the budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress that would enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. Today, we focus on the bill’s impact on health care and social programs. We explain how the Senate’s version of the reconciliation bill cuts Medicaid more aggressively than the House of Representatives’ previous version. Then, we hear from a listener about how the bill’s Medicaid cuts could affect the hospitals they work with, particularly in underserved rural areas. Plus, we answer a listener question about how states would absorb the costs of the bill’s federal funding cuts.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Senate Bill Would Make Deep Cuts to Medicaid, Setting Up Fight With House” from The New York Times
• “Hundreds of rural hospitals at risk if Medicaid cuts pass, Democrats say” from Healthcare Dive
• “2025 Budget Impacts: House Bill Would Cut Assistance and Raise Costs for Seniors” from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• “GOP bill would have states picking up more of the tab for programs like Medicaid and SNAP” from Marketplace
• “How Would Potential Federal Budget Cuts Impact State Budgets?” from Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
• “What are the Implications of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill for Hospitals?” from KFF

Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Every day this week, we’re going to take a closer look at the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which aims to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. It proposes a tax cut and increased spending for border security and the military. It also includes cuts to health, nutrition, education and clean energy programs. Today, we explain the rules around what provisions can go into reconciliation bills, and where the bill currently stands in the legislation process now. Plus, we answer questions from listeners on how the bill could affect their student loans and access to higher education.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Senate sidesteps parliamentarian, widens reach of CRA” from Roll Call
• “Republicans face critical week on Trump megabill” from The Hill
• “The Senate is assessing the "Big Beautiful Bill" line by line to eliminate non-budgetary measures” from Marketplace
• “Senate Republican education plan may trigger ‘avalanche of student loan defaults,’ expert says” from CNBC

Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The economic position of the baby boomer generation has long been the envy of younger ones in the United States. But the tides may be turning as the Trump administration seeks deep cuts to social benefits that older Americans rely on. We’ll get into it. And, Kimberly joins the show from the National Press Club in Washington D.C., to make us smarter about how the GOP’s reconciliation bill could impact the richest and poorest Americans. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "GOP tax bill would cost poor Americans, boost highest earners, CBO says" from AP News 
• "Megabill would cost poorest households $1,600 a year, boost richest by $12K, CBO predicts" from Politico 
• "Baby Boomers’ Luck Is Running Out" from The Atlantic
• "Why is everyone so crazy for Labubu toys?" from Marketplace
• "Booming sales of the latest Nintendo Switch bode well for the gaming industry" from Marketplace
• "You’ve Heard of Fine Wine. Now Meet Fine Water" from The New York Times

• "A federal judge ruled AI chatbots don't have free speech protections — for now" from Marketplace 

  
  

  Got a question for the hosts? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

President Trump announced a new trade deal with China after days of negotiations. Here’s the thing: Trump’s tariffs on China will stay the same. So what did the two countries actually agree to? We’ll get into it. And, after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired a panel of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines, doctors and insurance companies are wondering who they should look to for guidance. Plus, a life-sized stuffed moose on Capitol Hill makes us smile.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Trump Hails Progress With China, but Details Are Sketchy"  from The New York Times
• "RFK Jr. just fired the government’s vaccine experts. What do you do now?" from Vox
• "Former CDC director reacts to RFK Jr.’s firing of entire vaccine advisory panel" from PBS News
• "If you move a moose through the Senate" from Roll Call

• "An 84-Year-Old Woman on a Pony Inspires Awe—and Concern—in the U.K." from The Wall Street Journal

  
  

  We want to hear from you. Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

For decades, going to college has been seen as a reliable path to good jobs and economic success in the United States. But a recent Indeed survey reported that over half of Gen Z respondents beg to differ. As tuition prices continue to rise and the Trump administration takes aim at higher education institutions, is the way we view college changing? On the show today, Bryan Alexander, a higher education writer and senior scholar at Georgetown University, explains why college is still a worthy investment for most students, why more people are considering certificate programs and technical schools, and how President Trump’s attacks on elite universities are a risk to higher education as a whole.

Then, Kimberly breaks down the difference between the reconciliation bill and government spending bills in Congress. And, Casey Johnston, author of “A Physical Education,” answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Report: 51% of Gen Z Views Their College Degree as a Waste of Money" from Indeed  
• "Against college for all: the AFT president" from Bryan Alexander 
• "Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That?" from The New York Times
• "Good Jobs Project" from Georgetown University
• "House considers Trump cuts as Senate Republicans work on reconciliation bill" from Roll Call
• "Deal or no deal? Inside reconciliation and gov’t funding" from Punchbowl News
• "A muted backlash to Trump’s new travel ban" from Politico 
• "Have Americans grown numb? Trump’s new travel ban met with muted reaction" from MSNBC

• "Finding Strength in a Bigger Body" from The Cut 

  
  

  
  Got a question about the GOP’s reconciliation bill? Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Hey Smarties! Make Me Smart is taking a short break while Kimberly and Reema cook up something good for you!

In the meantime, we’re bringing you an episode from “Financially Inclined” a podcast from Marketplace that helps families learn more about money. It turns out where you park your money can actually make a difference in the fight agains climate change. Today, host Yanely Espinal speaks with author and financial educator Kara Perez about how you can spend, save and invest your money in a way that aligns with your values, without sacrificing your financial goals. Plus, they share practical tips for how to use your money to make a real impact.

It’s Kai’s last day as a regular co-host of “Make Me Smart” and he’s got a solid rant (and two bleeps). We’ll get into the Trump administration’s push to block international students at Harvard, thretening one of American’s biggest exports: higher education. Plus, we’ll unpack the Supreme Court’s 4-4 split over a separation of church and state case. And, could penguin poop be a tool against global warming?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Supreme Court deadlocks, blocking creation of first religious public school” from The Washington Post
• “Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students” from The New York Times
• “Harvard University Loses Student and Exchange Visitor Program Certification for Pro-Terrorist Conduct” from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• “Stop making cents: US Mint moves forward with plans to kill the penny” from AP News
• “Penguin Poop Could Limit Global Warming’s Impact on Antarctica” from Bloomberg

“Make Me Smart” is going on a break! Kimberly and Reema will be back with new episodes June 9. We’d love to hear from you while we’re away. Email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.