A growing number of young American consumers say they’re opting out of the economy entirely or pulling back from spending at certain stores over their political views. We’ll explain how this trend could collide with other economic shifts, creating the perfect recipe for a recession. Plus, by popular demand, we unpack a recent feat of nature: beavers successfully taking on civil engineering!

Here’s everything we talked about: 

• “Kremlin Message to Trump: There’s Money to Be Made in Russia” from The New York Times

• “A quarter of US shoppers have dumped favorite stores over political stances” by The Guardian

• “NAACP calls for consumers to leverage their purchasing power as some companies pull back from DEI policies” from Marketplace

• “Black faith leaders call for Target boycott over DEI rollback” from The Hill

• “Czech Dam Project Was Stalled by Bureaucracy. Beavers Built Their Own.” from The New York Times

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.