Companies in the United States spend billions in political donations each election cycle with the aim of gaining more influence in government. But all that spending comes with risks. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain why many Americans impacted by recent hurricanes will have to wait for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration and how former President Trump’s plans for mass deportations could send shockwaves through our nation’s food supply chain. Plus, why are tech companies like Amazon and Google investing in nuclear energy?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Why companies spend all that campaign donation money” from Marketplace
• “SBA disaster loan program out of money after hurricanes, Biden says” from Axios
• “Trump’s proposed mass deportations could ‘decimate’ the US food supply” from Grist
• “Trump Faces Tough Questions From Hispanic Voters, but Largely Defends or Dodges” from The New York Times
• “Big Tech has cozied up to nuclear energy” from The Verge
• “Amazon goes nuclear, to invest more than $500 million to develop small modular reactors” from CNBC

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been sitting down with popular podcasts like the “The Breakfast Club,” Call Her Daddy,” and The Howard Stern Show. We’ll get into what the campaign strategy can tell us about voters, our fragmented media environment and the future of news. Plus, lower interest rates mean the end of a golden period for savers. And, the return of panda diplomacy and a new life for a beloved maple tree.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Harris Slams Trump in Interview With Charlamagne Tha God: 5 Takeaways” from The New York Times
• “Former President Barack Obama’s Team Clarifies His Recent Comments Made Toward Black Men” from The Shade Room
• “Savers Bid a Sad Farewell to Higher Yields” from The Wall Street Journal
• “Georgia voters motivated by Harris-Trump contest flock to polls in record numbers on first day” from GPB News
• “D.C.’s new giant pandas arrived at National Zoo: Meet Qing Bao and Bao Li” from The Washington Post
• “A Beloved Maple Tree Had to Come Down, But It Lives On” from The New York Times

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Today we’re talking about a key piece of the global transition to renewable energy: metals. Specifically, metals like copper, lithium and cobalt that we need to build wind turbines, electric vehicles and to improve our energy grid. Vince Beiser, author of the forthcoming book “Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future,” said we’ll need hundreds of millions more tons of these metals. But mining them comes at a cost. On the show today, Beiser explains the environmental and social consequences of mining for these metals, China’s dominance over the supply chain, and ways to make the transition to renewables more fair. Plus, why mining in space is a pipe dream, at least for now.

Then, we’ll get into how the U.S. dairy industry could be upended if former President Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations took place. And, how one listener makes voting a party.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “The Green Economy Is Hungry for Copper—and People Are Stealing, Fighting, and Dying to Feed It” from Wired
• “Mining Critical to Renewable Energy Tied to Hundreds of Alleged Human Rights Abuses” from Inside Climate News
• “How does the environmental impact of mining for clean energy metals compare to mining for coal, oil and gas?” from MIT Climate Portal
• “The Indispensable Industry: Mining’s Role in the Energy Transition and the Americas” from the Center for Strategic and International Studies
• “What a Crackdown on Immigration Could Mean for Cheap Milk” from The New York Times
• “Trump’s economic plans would worsen inflation, experts say” from AP News
• “Boeing to Sell at Least $10 Billion in Shares to Plug Cash Drain” from The Wall Street Journal

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Federal Emergency Management Agency crews working hurricane recovery efforts paused aid in parts of North Carolina over the weekend after threats were made against workers and an armed suspect was arrested. We talk about the rise of misinformation around FEMA’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including falsehoods pushed by former President Donald Trump. And, we discuss an atmosphere of political violence as Trump urges using the military on Election Day. Plus, are we one step closer to commercial space travel?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Trump urges using military to handle ‘radical left lunatics’ on Election Day” from The Washington Post

• “North Carolina authorities arrest armed man after threats against FEMA workers” from The Washington Post

• “Federal personnel are facing threats during hurricane response, DHS chief warns” from Government Executive

• Hurricane Rumor Response from FEMA

• “SpaceX catches giant Starship booster in fifth flight test” from Reuters

• “Why yesterday’s SpaceX launch was such a huge deal for space travel” from Business Insider

• “SpaceX catches Starship rocket booster in historic test launch” from NBC News

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

This week, more than a dozen states came together to sue TikTok over the social media app’s effects on young users. Now, a report by NPR and Kentucky Public Radio shows executives at the company were well aware of the harms to teens. We’ll get into it. Plus, is the cost of rebuilding after a natural disaster becoming a luxury few can afford? And, would you wear pajama pants to school or work? That and more in a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “TikTok executives know about app’s effect on teens, lawsuit documents allege” from NPR
• “No Hurricane Will Make Rich People Leave Florida” from Slate
• “The CIA runs a nonprofit venture capital firm. What’s it investing in?” from Marketplace
• “Trump biopic ‘The Apprentice’ hits theaters amid fury from his campaign” from NBC News
• “Black Friday in October: Here come early holiday deals” from Axios
• “Tim Walz Rally Is Livestreamed on Twitch in Pitch to Young Voters” from The New York Times
• “Get Comfortable With It: Pajama Pants Are for Everywhere” from The Wall Street Journal

Join Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams for a live taping of “Make Me Smart” on Oct. 25 in Boston. In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still join us virtually. Get your tickets here.

Total damages from Hurricane Helene in the United States could cost $250 billion. But only a small fraction of homeowners have flood insurance. As another major hurricane looms, we’ll unpack why coverage is becoming so expensive that many Americans choose to go without. Plus, some news you can use about communicating during an emergency, and how zoo workers and animals ride out big storms.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Kamala Harris Has Raised $1 Billion Since Entering 2024 Presidential Race” from The New York Times
• “CBS ’60 Minutes’ airs two different answers from VP Harris to the same question” from Fox News
• “Most U.S. homeowners hit by Hurricane Helene don’t have flood insurance” from CBS News
• “Hurricane Milton could cost insurers up to $100 billion, analysts say” from Reuters
• “The flood insurance crisis facing Americans” from Axios
• “‘We’ve used hallways, we’ve used bathrooms’: How zoos protect animals when hurricanes hit” from BBC News
• “Tampa zoo and aquarium staff to ride out Milton with the animals” from The Washington Post
• “When Cell Service Is Down, You Can Send iPhone Texts via Satellite” from The Wall Street Journal

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Almost half of adults in the U.S. are single. But so many of our economic policies and financial systems, from homeownership to retirement planning, cater to couples. Today’s episode is an excerpt from a Marketplace live show in Denver, hosted by “Make Me Smart” co-host Kimberly Adams, on the economics of being single. Kimberly is joined by a panel of experts who break down the financial challenges (and perks) of living the single life, and the power of pushing back against the societal pressures to pair up.