Make Me Smart

From the success of “K-pop Demon Hunters” to the return of BTS, K-pop is having a moment. But the rise of Korean culture was no accident—it has a decades-long backstory of investment by the South Korean government. On “Economics on Tap,” Kimberly talks with Michelle Cho, researcher of East Asian pop cultures at the University of Toronto, about the history behind the spread of Korean culture and how it’s shaped industries from entertainment to beauty. Speaking of K-beauty: sunscreen or sheet masks?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Leads the Wave Back to Korea from Foreign Policy
BTS Is Back With ‘Arirang,’ but the K-Pop Landscape Has Changed from The New York Times
K-everything: the rise and rise of Korean culture from The Guardian 
"Americans Are Learning Korean Because of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’" from The New York Times
"What’s So Special About Korean Sunscreens?" from Vogue
"How K-pop Stars Are Leading Mental Health Conversations for AAPI People and Beyond" from Teen Vogue

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

In line with the Pentagon’s ambitions to build an “AI-first warfighting force,” earlier this year, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded unrestricted use of Anthropic’s Claude model. Anthropic had concerns. Now the two parties are engaged in a legal battle that could shape the future of AI safety. Kimberly talks with Justin Hendrix, CEO and editor of Tech Policy Press, to explain Anthropic’s lawsuit and why this could signal a turning point in the tech industry’s chummy relationship with the Trump administration.

Farm bills are huge, sprawling pieces of legislation that affect all Americans — not just farmers. But as they’ve gotten more expensive, they’ve gotten tougher to pass. And due to the SNAP cuts in Congress’s big budget bill passed last summer, the coalitions that have historically gotten this legislation over the finish line may be fractured beyond repair. Kimberly talks with Chris Neubert, agriculture policy expert at Arizona State University, about what this could mean for this year’s farm bill prospects.

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.”