We weren’t planning to talk about Twitter today, but here we are! We’re rereading a story from late last year about the folks who helped Elon Musk buy Twitter and the ways that what’s happened to Twitter since then may align with the desires of those backers. And what will replace Twitter for building the influence of its users … like journalists? We’ll also talk about an alarming story from The Washington Post about a GOP lawyer’s ideas to limit voting in key battleground states like Wisconsin. And we look at indicators that life (and the economy) is returning to a pre-pandemic normal for some. Plus, a round of Half Full / Half Empty featuring ChatGPT’s “Seinfeld.”

Here’s everything we talked about today:




“Top GOP lawyer decries ease of campus voting in private pitch to RNC” from The Washington Post







“Twitter Frees Its Hostages” from New York magazine







“NYC Subway Ridership Hits 4 Million For the First Time Since March 2020” from Bloomberg







“Governor Hochul Announces Subway Ridership Surpasses 4 Million Riders in Single Day” from New York state website







“More movies, more variety, more money: The box office is catching up to pre-Covid levels” from CNBC







“You can pay your taxes in cash — if you’re up for the challenge” from Marketplace







“Reddit to start charging AI companies for data” from Marketplace







“Employers rely on internships as a recruiting tool in tight labor market” from Marketplace







“Rising restaurant prices aren’t stopping Americans from ‘revenge dining'” from Marketplace







“Streaming changed the Hollywood landscape. Now its writers are voting to go on strike” from NPR







Tweet from @EdKrassen on ChatGPT’s “Seinfeld” episode





If you’ve got a question about the economy, business or technology, let us know. We’re at makemesmart@marketplace.org, or leave us a message at 508-U-B-SMART.