Make Me Smart

On today’s show, we’re preparing for the Oscars by checking in on the state of the film industry. Marketplace’s Amy Scott sits down with Wall Street Journal entertainment reporter Ben Fritz to discuss what slumping ticket sales means for the future of movies, why the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger has Hollywood workers worried, and what it would take for the industry to make a comeback. Plus, movie watchers weigh in: subtitles on or off?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

A look at how the Oscar best picture nominees have fared at the box office from AP News
"Disney’s Surprise Box-Office Champion is ‘Zootopia 2,’ Thanks to China" from The Wall Street Journal 
"The Movie Theater Comeback That Wasn’t: Why 2025 Was Such a Dud for Struggling Cinemas" from Variety 
"Teamsters Call on DOJ to Stop Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger: “We’ve Seen What Happens When Corporations Consolidate Power'" from The Hollywood Reporter
"Paramount Wins, Everybody Loses" from Vulture 
"Hollywood Jobs Are Disappearing" from “The Journal” 
Amy’s documentary film: ”Saving Etting Street”

We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

ICE may have wound down its operations in Minnesota, but the state is still facing the economic consequences of Operation Metro Surge. This has fueled concerns that an eviction crisis could take hold, particularly in the Twin Cities. On today’s show, Kimberly joins MPR News correspondent Dana Ferguson in St. Paul, Minnesota to discuss measures the state legislature is taking to provide economic relief to renters, and what life has been like since she last checked in with us on “Make Me Smart.”

As prices have risen over the past decade, snow sports have gotten farther and farther out of reach for many Americans. And this has big implications not just for the ski-inclined, but also for the workers and local businesses that rely on steady ski area traffic. On today’s show, Kimberly talks with University of Waterloo professor and sustainable tourism expert Daniel Scott about what’s driving up the cost of snow sports and how the effects of climate change are shaping the future of the industry.

This week’s Texas primary elections were heated — and historic in terms of campaign spending. On today’s show, Blaise Gainey, state politics reporter for The Texas Newsroom, joins Kimberly to share his election takeaways and the economic issues that brought voters out to the polls. Plus, what does the Texas Railroad Commissioner have to do with oil and gas? And, we’ll pit Texas icons against each other during a round of This or That.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

"Winners, losers and runoffs: How Texans’ November ballot is shaping up after the primaries" from KUT News 
"Across Texas, early voters share what’s pushing them to the polls for the 2026 party primaries" from KUT News
"Big money moved the needle and down-ballot chaos reigned in Texas' action-packed primaries" from The Texas Tribune
"Bo French, Jim Wright head to runoff for seat on Texas Railroad Commission" from The Texas Tribune
"Big Red Is Texas Barbecue’s Unofficial Signature Soda" from Texas Highways
"Why Topo Chico Is The Fizzy Water With A Loyal Fan Base" from Southern Living

We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

The endangerment finding paved the way for federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from cars, trucks, and power plants. Now that the Environmental Protection Agency has repealed the finding, the future of U.S. climate policy is in limbo. Marketplace’s Amy Scott joins Kimberly to explain what the repeal could mean for the auto industry, American consumers, and the United States’ place in the global transition to clean energy.