On today’s show, Alaska Public Media reporter Ava White joins Kimberly to make us smarter about Fat Bear Week and the issues that are top of mind for Alaskans right now. Alaska residents receive an annual check funded by the state’s oil royalties. But its purchasing power is lower than ever. We’ll get into it. Plus, we’ll weigh in on AI live translations and a rise in Hamburger Helper sales during a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

"Meet the superfans going wild for Alaska’s fattest bears" from Alaska Public Media
"Alaska ignored warning signs of a budget crisis. Now it doesn’t have money to fix crumbling schools" from KYUK
”The 2025 Alaska Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,000” from Alaska Public Media
"North Slope leaders applaud tax breaks for whalers in the GOP megabill” from KNBA
"Why are restaurant chains opening beverage-focused spinoffs?" from Marketplace
"AI is taking on live translations. But jobs and meaning are getting lost." from The Washington Post
"Touchscreens in cars are finally on their way out. Good riddance" from Fast Company
"Hamburger Helper Sales Rise as Americans Try to Stretch Their Food Dollars" from The New York Times

It’s Half-Priced Hoodie Weekend! Give $10 a month to support our journalism today, and we’ll thank you with a cozy Marketplace zip-up hoodie: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

Make Me Smart: Fat Bear Week Edition

Make Me Smart