Marketplace All-in-One - The super PAC spending flooding the primaries

Primary season for the 2026 midterm elections is underway. And the money from super PACs is already flowing. But how well is it working? On today’s show, Kimberly talks with democratic strategist Tim Lim about how spending from outside groups is shaping this year’s races so far and why strategists are waiting on the outcome of an under-the-radar Supreme Court case that could loosen the rules on how parties can coordinate with candidates.


Here’s everything we talked about today:




Got a question about the Iran war and its impact on the global economy? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

WSJ Minute Briefing - Insurance Prices Soar for Ships in the Persian Gulf

Apollo shares fall after one of its private-credit funds caps redemptions. And FedEx is launching a new same-day delivery service. Anthony Bansie hosts.


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An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor.

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Newshour - Confusion about talks between Washington and Tehran

As confusion surrounds the prospect of talks between Washington and Tehran over a possible end to the war, could Iran's parliamentary speaker play a role? We learn more about that speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Also in the programme: The AI company Anthropic vs the Pentagon; and rescuing moon bears from captivity in Vietnam.

(Photo: A view of a residential building damaged by a strike, in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Tehran, March 23, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

Focus on Africa - Controversy regarding Nigeria’s Ozoro fertility festival

The Ozoro fertility festival, a long-standing tradition in Delta state, southern Nigeria, has come under scrutiny after several videos online appeared to show men chasing after and sexually harassing women. Local police told local news channels that no formal report of rape had been made in connection with the festival. Witnesses, gender activists and local residents say that women were warned not to go out during the festival, and that those found outside were deliberately targeted. This has raised concerns that sexual violence may have been organised or tolerated under the cover of tradition.

Also, we look at how the conflict in the Middle East is affecting the supply of fertiliser on the African continent. Oliver Kirui, a Research Fellow and Country Program Leader for Nigeria and Ghana at the International Food Policy Research Institute, highlights what this means for food security in Africa.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Chiamaka Dike and Daniel Dadzie Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah Senior Producer: Bella Twine Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

The Commentary Magazine Podcast - Popping Crazy Pills

Today we conduct a brief review of the things that make us feel like we're taking crazy pills: The reactions to Trump deploying ICE to help assist with TSA logjams, Stanley McChrystal's interview on Iran, Mike Mullen's farcical recounting of the Bin Laden raid, the upcoming hagiographical Michael Jackson biopic, Claudine Gay's new teaching career, and Tucker Carlson's praise of Islamic culture and Sharia law.

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Marketplace All-in-One - Investors, Treasury bonds, and war in the Middle East

The Treasury Department is holding several government bond auctions this week. Treasury auctions can tell us a lot about the interest rates investors are demanding to be paid, which in turn can tell us about what investors expect the economy to do in the future. We'll also learn about a ban on foreign-made consumer routers. Plus, from Marketplace's "This Is Uncomfortable," should I turn my hobby into a side hustle?

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - CLASSIC: Did the prison industry push gangster rap?

What makes a genre of music successful? Ideally, the art connects on a personal level with the audience, speaking truth to power, tapping into a universal experience.... but what if that isn't always the case? In 2012, an email from someone claiming to be a former music industry executive alleged that gangster rap was not an organic success. Instead, they claimed, the success of this genre was the result of a secret, high-level meeting in 1991, between members of the music industry's elite and representatives of the private prison industry. Making this music successful, they argued, would ensure the prison system became even more profitable for investors. It's a profoundly disturbing idea -- but could it be true? Tune in to learn more.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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Marketplace All-in-One - The road (or light-rail) to the World Cup

Starting in mid-June, soccer fans will flock to 16 cities across North America for the World Cup. Each match will draw tens of thousands of fans, many of whom will take public transit. That’s spurred transit agencies in host cities to expand service or finish big infrastructure projects. We'll learn more. But first, a quick update on the Middle East and a look at changes to the state and local tax deduction.