Kimberly's final cheers on "Economics on Tap"
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In her final episode as host of 'Economics on Tap' on Make Me Smart, Kimberly Adams reflects on her transition to becoming the new host of the Marketplace Morning Report, marking the end of an era with a heartfelt farewell. She welcomes her predecessor, David Brancaccio, now a special correspondent for Marketplace, for a nostalgic and forward-looking conversation. The duo explores the central theme of 'short-term thinking' as a meta-issue underlying global challenges, advocating for long-term vision in policy and business. David shares his new beat focused on 'future effects,' inspired by a legendary quote from Kurt Vonnegut about a 'Secretary of the Future,' and teases an upcoming series titled 'Robots Ate My Taxes,' examining AI's disruptive potential on employment and public finances. The episode also features a lively game segment, book recommendations, and a heartfelt call to support public media through donations, underscoring the show’s mission of collective intelligence and civic engagement.
Short-term thinking is a systemic issue undermining long-term solutions to global challenges like climate change and inequality.
David Brancaccio’s new role as a special correspondent will focus on the long-term societal impacts of today’s decisions, especially in the age of AI.
The 'Robots Ate My Taxes' series will explore how AI-driven job displacement could collapse tax revenues and destabilize public budgets.
Books like 'The Sum of Us' by Heather McGee and 'Pattern Recognition' by William Gibson are recommended for reframing economic thinking around shared prosperity and technological foresight.
Public media relies on community support—donations unlock critical funding, especially during times of economic uncertainty.
Kimberly's Final Broadcast and Farewell
“This will be my final Economics on Tap as the host of Make Me Smart. In June, I'm stepping into a new role at Marketplace as the host of the Marketplace Morning Report.”
The Meta-Issue: Short-Term Thinking
“I'm arguing here that a – like a good candidate for the meta issue that underlies all issues that we face is short-term thinking.”
The Secretary of the Future and AI's Long-Term Impact
“I'm working on that because I think it's something we've got to deal with that's about the future, but we've got to be talking about it now.”
Summer Reading List and Mindset Shifts
Kimberly and David share book recommendations to prepare for the future-focused work ahead. They highlight 'The Sum of Us' for its vision of a non-zero-sum economy and 'Pattern Recognition' for its prescient take on digital culture and AI.
Game, Gratitude, and a Call to Support Public Media
The episode concludes with a rapid-fire game on topics like cuddly robots and influencer courses, followed by a passionate appeal for donations to support public media. The hosts express gratitude to the audience and celebrate the community’s resilience.
“This will be my final Economics on Tap as the host of Make Me Smart. In June, I'm stepping into a new role at Marketplace as the host of the Marketplace Morning Report.”
“I'm arguing here that a – like a good candidate for the meta issue that underlies all issues that we face is short-term thinking.”
“The economy does not have to be a zero sum game. It does not have to be that just because one person gets something, someone else has to lose it.”
Hosts
Guest
Kimberly Adams
person
David Brancaccio
person
Make Me Smart
media
Marketplace Morning Report
media
Drew Jostad
person
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
person
Robots Ate My Taxes
media
Heather McGee
person
Zeke Fox
person
The Sum of Us
book
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