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• An unbalancing of power

  Congress may have ended the shutdown (finally), but it’s still entangled in a power struggle with the Executive Branch. Kai Ryssdal has thoughts. On the show today, Kai and Kimberly get into what comes next in the shutdown’s wake, how the Trump administration’s tariff arguments went over at the Supreme Court and what the sliding balance of power in the federal government has to do with the health of the U.S. economy.Here’s everything we talked about today:"Court appears dubious of Trump’s tariffs" from SCOTUSblog"Trump floats $2,000 tariff rebate checks: Here's what you need to know" from CNBC"Trump claims tariff loss would force $3 trillion ‘unwind'" from Axios"If SCOTUS strikes down President Trump's current tariffs, he has plenty of other options" from Marketplace"How Congress Gave Up Its Own Power" from Time"Senate sinks measure to block military action against Venezuela" from PoliticoJoin 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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• The rise of the "solo economy"

  It’s Singles Day in China: a retail holiday that runs circles around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. By comparison, single Americans are an untapped market according to Peter McGraw, behavioral economist and host of the podcast “Solo: The Single Person’s Guide to a Remarkable Life.” But as the single population grows in the United States, will that change? We’ll get into it. Plus, the realities of the “singles tax.”Here’s everything we talked about today:"Singles’ Day is a $150B holiday in China. Here’s why I think ‘11/11’ will catch on in the US" from The Conversation "The rise of singlehood is reshaping the world" from The Economist"The rise of the ‘solo economy’ is driving new consumption patterns" from Futures Platform "The ‘singles tax’ means you often pay more for going it alone. Here’s how it works" from The Conversation We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

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• How rising energy costs factored into Virginia's elections

  On today’s edition of Economics on Tap, we’re heading to Virginia! The state held major elections this week, and affordability was top of mind for voters. VPM News reporter Patrick Larsen joins Kimberly to debrief the election results and explain why rising energy costs were a key campaign issue—and what data centers have to do with it. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!Here’s everything we talked about today:"How do data centers figure into Virginia's 2025 elections?" from VPM News"Virginia’s Rural Voters Shift 12 Points Toward Democrats" from The Daily Yonder"Soaring energy prices gave Democrats a winning message" from Semafor"Pumpkinscaping could be coming to a porch near you" from Marketplace"iRobot Is in Trouble, but Roomba Is Already Dead" from Wirecutter"How is this novelty team outselling over half the MLB?" from Marketplace "What Travelers Need to Know About the Shutdown, Flight Reductions and Delays" from The New York Times We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

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• Quantum computing: What's all the hype about?

  Quantum computing is still in an experimental phase, but tech companies say it could eventually have an enormous impact on the global economy. How long is that going to take? On today’s show, science journalist Dan Garisto joins Kimberly to break down the basics of quantum computing and why it could take many years for the technology to move out of the lab and into the real world.Here’s everything we talked about today:"This Year’s Nobel Physics Prize Showed Quantum Mechanics Is a Big Deal—Literally" from Scientific American  "The Next Big Quantum Computer Has Arrived" from The Wall Street Journal "Google Measures ‘Quantum Echoes’ on Willow Quantum Computer Chip" from Scientific American "Futuristic quantum computing stocks take speculators on roller-coaster ride" from Reuters"Here’s How Quantum Computing Could Change the World" from The Wall Street Journal 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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• Friends, foes, and tariffs

  President Donald Trump’s tariffs have rattled the global economy this year. That goes for both allies and adversaries of the United States. But the future of some of these tariffs hinge on the outcome of a Supreme Court case challenging their legality. On today’s show, Asma Khalid, co-host of “The Global Story” podcast from the BBC, joins Kimberly to explain what’s at stake. Plus, how international relationships are shifting in the Trump era.Here’s everything we talked about today:"The Global Story, The Supreme Court battle over Trump’s tariffs" from the BBC World Service"Geopolitics of Trump Tariffs: How U.S. Trade Policy Has Shaken Allies" from Council on Foreign Relations"The president who cried tariffs: will the US supreme court challenge Trump’s trade war?" from The Guardian  "China and India pledge to be 'partners not rivals'" from BBC News "The rise and fall of globalisation: the battle to be top dog" from The ConversationWe love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

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