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What car repos say about this economy

Make Me Smart
Make Me Smart
Episode • Apr 21, 2023 • 15m

Kai Ryssdal shares a story about parking at the movies and brushing up against an unpleasant economic indicator: the repo man. It illustrates how more Americans are falling behind on their car payments, which can have ripple effects throughout the economy. Plus, Tennessee state Rep. Scotty Campbell resigned after an ethics investigation found he’d violated workplace discrimination and harassment policy. Campbell, a Republican, is one of the lawmakers who voted to oust two Black lawmakers from the chamber over their protests against gun violence. And, Kimberly Adams reminisces about cooking on her George Foreman Grill.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

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