Make Me Smart

Reiko Hirai, founder of DC Sake Co. and sake educator/retailer, curates Japanese alcoholic beverages and leads tastings to promote sake in the U.S. She talks hanami and sake’s cultural ties. She leads a ginjo tasting and contrasts American craft sake. She explains serving temperatures, ingredients, why U.S. breweries are growing, and how tariffs and demographics shape the industry.

Michael Werz, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who studies food security and climate, explains how disruptions in Gulf shipping are shaking fertilizer supplies. He outlines which regions are most at risk, describes how energy shocks cascade into food-price crises, and argues for diversification, regional coordination, and investment in resilient food systems.

Tim Lim, Democratic strategist and president of Lim Consulting Services, breaks down the flood of super PAC cash shaping 2026 primaries. He explains how outside groups are outspending campaigns, why new bespoke super PACs are emerging, and what a looming Supreme Court decision could mean for party coordination and future spending dynamics.

Michelle Cho, a researcher of East Asian pop cultures at the University of Toronto, explains how decades of strategy and investment turned K-pop and K-culture into global engines. She traces government cultural policy, the trainee system’s hybrid roots, streaming’s role in spreading K-dramas, and how music success reshaped tourism, beauty trends, and global perceptions of Korea.

Justin Hendrix, CEO and editor of Tech Policy Press, a tech policy and AI governance analyst. He breaks down the Anthropic–Pentagon legal clash. Short takes cover how the dispute began, red lines around military use, supply chain risk labeling, industry backlash, and why this fight could reshape public-private AI relations.

Chris Newbert, agriculture policy expert and deputy director at the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, explains how the farm bill became a sprawling, everything law. He walks through what the bill actually covers and how the farm-nutrition coalition expanded it. He discusses why reauthorization is stalled, how SNAP changes complicate tracking hunger, and what current proposals leave out.

Ben Fritz, Wall Street Journal entertainment reporter and author, breaks down box-office winners and why family franchises and nostalgia dominate. He explains studio consolidation worries around the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal and what economic and cultural shifts could spark a theatrical comeback. Short takes on Gen Z movie habits and the subtitles divide add color.

Dana Ferguson, Minnesota political correspondent who covers state politics and community impacts, discusses lingering effects of ICE operations on the Twin Cities. She talks about economic fallout and rent struggles. She outlines state legislative relief proposals and the eviction moratorium debate. She describes community vigilance, mutual aid responses, and how daily life has changed.

Daniel Scott, a University of Waterloo professor who studies sustainable tourism and climate impacts on winter sports, explains why skiing feels pricier. He discusses consolidation and season-pass mechanics. He covers how industry shifts affect local jobs, snow shortages, crowding, and who can still afford winter sports.

Blaise Gainey, a state politics reporter for The Texas Newsroom and KUT in Austin, breaks down this week’s heated Texas primaries. He highlights record campaign spending and how runoffs can flip outcomes. He explains the Railroad Commission’s surprising influence on oil and gas policy. Plus a playful round comparing Texas icons and regional food favorites.