The Biden administration is aiming to triple tariffs on Chinese steel to protect U.S. manufacturers. Sound familiar? We’ll explain who is actually paying the price and what raising tariffs would mean for U.S. workers. We’ll also get into why economic data doesn’t always translate into how voters view the economy, especially in an election year. And, what the buzz over the popular animated series “Bluey” is all about.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• span.org/video/?534991-1/president-biden-remarks-labor-unions-manufacturing-jobs-pittsburgh">“President Biden Gives Remarks on Labor Unions and Manufacturing Jobs in Pittsburgh” from C-SPAN
• “Biden vows to shield US steel industry by blocking Japanese merger and seeking new Chinese tariffs” from The Associated Press
• “Once again: Who pays for tariffs on Chinese steel?” from Marketplace
• “Fed Chair Powell delivers remarks at the Washington Forum on the Canadian economy” from CNBC
• “Fed Chair Jerome Powell Dials Back Expectations on Interest-Rate Cuts” from The Wall Street Journal
• “It’s getting harder to predict the economy’s effect on presidential elections” from Marketplace
• “Caitlin Clark Selected No. 1 Overall by the Indiana Fever” from ESPN
• “Wait, Caitlin Clark Is Only Getting Paid $76,000?” from The Wall Street Journal
• “Hall of Fame college coach Dawn Staley Reflects on the state of women’s basketball.” from NPR
• “Political advertisers worry about reaching sports fans streaming their games” from Marketplace
• Bluey “The Sign” Official Trailer
• the-sign-synopsis-watch-without-kids.html">“The Non-Parents’ Guide to Bluey” from Vulture
• “Is “Bluey” ending? “The Sign” explained — and the show’s future.” from Vox

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap! The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks, and play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

In the 1990s, companies that hoped to change the world using newfangled computer technology took off. Wall Street invested in some of them big time, and their stock market valuations ballooned before they showed evidence of delivering on their promises. Sound familiar? In this episode, a cautionary tale for the era of AI. Plus, film jobs leave L.A. and New York, Netflix doubles down on video game investments and small businesses’ pricing power is kinda lumpy.

Stocks close mixed; housing inventory rises; leading economic indicators index falls; initial jobless claims unchanged.

Doris Tyler has energy well beyond her 80 years. Even after retiring from her career as a music teacher, she remained active in her community — driving to church events, coming up with creative surprises for all her grandchildren. But then one day, she realized her vision was so blurry she couldn’t safely drive. When traditional medical treatment stopped working, Doris’ community came together to help her pay for a brand-new medical technology: stem cell injections. 

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D.R. Horton increased quarterly profit by 27%; TSMC forecasts sales increase of up to 30% on A.I. chip demand; initial jobless claims remain at a low of 212,000; U.S. investigating China’s shipbuilding industry over potential unfair subsidies.

This week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finalized regulations to ensure that most employees around the country are entitled to unpaid time off and other accommodations for a range of pregnancy-related medical needs, from nausea and gestational diabetes to abortion care. We’ll learn more. Also on today’s show: a drumbeat of “higher for longer” from Fed officials, the Biden administration’s show of support for American steel, and gaming furniture that’s all grown up.

When the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was built in the ’70s, it was a chance for workers to prove themselves on a massive construction project. Following its collapse, those workers look back on what many considered to be a monument to their work — and what happens when that monument is gone. Also: foreign aid could be bundled with a forced sale of TikTok, and European Union leaders agree to tighten sanctions on Iran.

From the BBC World Service: The European Commission has given TikTok 24 hours to provide more information on its new app, which pays users to watch videos, as officials raise concerns about potential harms. Then, we’ll hear more about the European Union’s efforts to sanction Iran following its attack on Israel. And later on the show: Why is the Pacific Island of Palau’s tourism sector struggling to recover from the pandemic?

When you think about gin, what tastes comes to mind? Pine? Maybe citrus or coriander? It can vary quite a bit because unlike some spirits, gin is very lightly regulated. Distillers can throw in all kinds of flavors and call the result “gin” as long it has some minimum requirements. In the U.S., gin is gin as long as the flavor is derived from juniper berries and alcohol by volume is at least 40%. In the European Union, the minimum ABV is 37.5%. But researchers in Edinburgh, Scotland, recently identified the exact elements that define gin using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscropy. Think of it as something like an MRI scan that lets scientists create a flavor “fingerprint.” The new technique could have big implications for this very old industry. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Eve Thomas, who wrote about it for Wired, to learn more.

A union election at Volkswagen is testing the power of the United Auto Workers. As voting gets underway this week, guest host Nova Safo explains what unionization could mean for three big automakers and the labor movement in the South. Plus, how a unanimous Supreme Court ruling expands the scope of workplace bias suits. And, why Billy Joel came up at a Pentagon press briefing.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “The South has few unionized auto plants. Workers say this one could be next.” from The Washington Post
• “Supreme Court makes it easier to sue for job discrimination over forced transfers” from The Associated Press
• “Hugh Grant says he took ‘enormous sum’ to settle suit alleging illegal snooping by The Sun tabloid” from The Associated Press
• “Conservative Broadcaster OAN Settles Defamation Claims by Voting-Machine Company Smartmatic” from The Wall Street Journal
• Pentagon press conference moment from Travis Akers on X
• Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Official HD Video) 

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