Four years after the Internal Revenue Service created a tax credit to help struggling businesses get through the pandemic, the agency ultimately plans to reject the majority of claims filed under the program. We’ll explain how it became swamped with fraud. And, Major League Baseball legend Reggie Jackson opened up about the racism he and other Black players faced in the ’60s. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll play a round of Half Full / Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“IRS says it will deny most claims of pandemic tax credit for employers” from The Washington Post
“With pardons in Maryland, 2.5 million Americans will have marijuana convictions cleared or forgiven” from The Associated Press
MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson remembers Willie Mays from Gary Parrish on X
“It’s Time to Stop Inviting Plus-Ones to Weddings” from The Atlantic
“First Came ‘Spam.’ Now, With A.I., We’ve Got ‘Slop’” from The New York Times
“Netflix House Will Let You Experience Your Favorite Shows, Movies in Real Life” from Netflix Tudum
“What’s to become of summer Fridays in the age of hybrid work?” from CNN
“Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms” from The New York Times

We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

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The IRS battles a fraud-plagued tax credit