Author: Marketplace

Summer is here and like many you might be planning your next vacation. But here’s the thing, a lot of popular destinations are grappling with the pressure of overtourism or mass tourism.

On today’s episode, we dig into the phenonmenon of over tourism, the growing tensions between locals and visitors and the global economic forces at play. Plus, is it possible to be a responsible tourist or have we pushed some destinations too far?

Later, listeners sound off on the power of labor unions and food allergies. Finally, are you team check-in bag or carry-on? This week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question might make you rethink everything!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Destination dupes" offer glam vacation vibes at a fraction of the price from Marketplace
• “Surging travel in Europe spikes concerns over tourism's drawbacks” from AP News
• “Overtourism was the buzzword of 2024. This summer looks to be just as crowded and chaotic” from CNN
• “Affordable travel is to blame for Europe’s overtourism problem, spoiling its most sought-after cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam and Athens” from Fortune
• “Hawaii will tax vacation stays and use money to help counter climate crisis” from The Guardian
• “The Goal: Tourism That Regenerates Hawai‘i, Not Degrades It” from Hawaii Business

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question: What’s something you thought you knew, but you later found out you were wrong about? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART!

Surveys consistently show people want to age in their current home. Yet homeownership is costly for older adults of modest means, especially those still paying off their mortgage and living on fixed incomes. That hardship can be exacerbated, too, by additional medical or disability needs. We'll hear more as part of our Buy Now Pay Later project, produced in partnership with Next Avenue, a nonprofit news platform for older adults produced by Twin Cities PBS. But first: The Senate is coming off an all-nighter, and stocks rebounded remarkably this past quarter.

As part of the rules of reconciliation — which is what's letting the GOP pass its bill without Democratic votes — Senators can offer unlimited amendments. But the debate on each one is around 10 minutes. This gives senators a chance to change components of the bill, but it's also being used as a messaging tool to highlight policies some Senators feel are harmful. Also: a down dollar and a breakthrough in EV batteries.

From the BBC World Service: Political turmoil is brewing in Thailand after the country's prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was suspended by the Constitutional Court. Her party, the Pheu Thai Party, has struggled to launch key economic policies since taking office. We'll hear more. Plus, a dispatch from Robinhood's international crypto event in Cannes and a trek to the Øresund Bridge, which has linked Denmark and Sweden — and impacted businesses there — for 25 years.

An investigation from Tomas Apodaca, at CalMatters and The Markup, found several states were accidentally sharing private health information with tech companies. The tech companies receiving the information never even wanted it. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Apodaca to learn more about the accidental leak.

Several regional Fed offices reported soft or stagnant manufacturing activity this spring. Tariffs, immigration policy and other uncertainties are driving pullbacks across the sector. In this episode, we take a cross-country trip to learn more. Plus: Farms struggle to staff up for harvest season as ICE raid fears persist, young college grads struggle to find work and Zillow changes its listing policy for homes that were already listed privately.

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We’ve been a bit obsessed with the GOP’s budget bill lately. And with a Senate vote expected any day now, we’re keeping a close eye on the debate. We’ll break down how the GOP is playing with the numbers to make the bill look less costly on paper than it actually is. Plus, Gen Z’s not just good at memes and TikTok, they’re better at saving for retirement than millllenials. So how’d they do it? And a mildly terrifying story with a happy ending!

Here’s everything we talked about:

• “What is a vote-a-rama? Senate vote marathon ahead of Trump legislative package” from USA Today

• “Senate Republicans reject Democrats' accounting baseline challenge” from POLITICO

  
  

  “A List of Nearly Everything in the Senate G.O.P. Bill, and How Much It Would Cost or Save” from The New York Times

• “Gen Z, It Turns Out, Is Great at Saving for Retirement” from The New York Times
• “They sing to remember: The power of memory choirs” from National Geographic
• “Child reportedly fell overboard on Disney cruise. Her dad jumped in after her.” from USA Today 
• “Heroic Dad Jumps Off Disney Dream to Rescue Overboard Daughter” from Cruisehive

Questions? Thoughts? Suggestions? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART and we just might feature it on the show!

The GOP bill in Congress could make sweeping changes to Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for 70 million low-income people and people with disabilities. North Carolina recently expanded coverage for an additional 660,000 people. There, it's been a "lifeline" for some rural areas and injected federal dollars into the state’s economy. We’ll hear what’s at stake with federal cuts. But first: the disconnect between "an economy that's slowing down and a stock market that's heating up."

One of the Supreme Court decisions released Friday limits the circumstances under which courts can issue nationwide injunctions. While the case was about the executive order related to birthright citizenship, it has consequences for consumers and businesses alike. We'll unpack how the decision may reshape things like class-action lawsuits. But first: The Supreme Court weighs in on Obamacare (again), and travelers opt for more cost-effective "destination dupes."

From the BBC World Service: Canada has scrapped its planned digital services tax hours before it was due to take effect after President Donald Trump threatened to end trade talks over the issue. The planned tax would have hit major U.S tech companies, including Amazon, Meta and Apple. We'll also hear how a British car manufacturer is responding to U.S. reduced tariffs, and a new sandal design has stirred controversy for Prada