Everybody's Business – “The Airport Lines Are Long”

Bloomberg Businessweek | iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Max Chafkin & Stacey Vanek Smith
Featured Guests: Dina Shanker (Bloomberg Reporter), Martha Gimbel (Yale Budget Lab Exec. Director)
Date: March 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this high-energy and incisive episode, Max Chafkin and Stacey Vanek Smith dive into how current global crises—especially the war in Iran and the resulting economic ripple effects—are exposing deep vulnerabilities in American institutions, from air travel to retirement security. The show explores:

• The chaos at airports under the strain of government shutdown and global unrest
• How the high-profile Epstein files are eroding public trust in elites (with reporter Dina Shanker)
• The fragility of America's retirement safety net (with economist Martha Gimbel)
• Their takes on under-the-radar business stories, including the rise and collapse of the Metaverse and the unprecedented attempt to stage Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations as an oratorio

The episode is marked by the hosts’ signature blend of sharp journalistic inquiry, candid humor, and firsthand reporting.

1. Surging Airport Chaos Amid Crisis

[01:19 – 03:15]

• War in Iran: The ongoing conflict is causing soaring oil prices (“Oil has jumped as high as $120 a barrel,” Stacey, 01:19), global inflation, and major supply chain disruptions for products like fertilizer and plastics.
• Air Travel Breakdown: U.S. airports are in turmoil, amplified by a partial government shutdown that’s left TSA agents unpaid and calling in sick—resulting in hours-long security lines. The hosts relay field reporting from JFK:
  • “I'm a little worried about the whole ‘we might start shutting down airports’ thing…” (Max, 02:25)
  • “I feel like they just add an hour every time there’s a crisis... now it’s five hours.” (Max, 03:06)
• Systemic Weaknesses: These airport headaches highlight brittleness in institutions Americans once trusted to run smoothly.

2. Trust Shaken: The Epstein Files and Public Figures

[04:22 – 17:04]

Segment with Dina Shanker starts [06:01]

What the Epstein Files Exposed

• Peter Attia’s Fallout: The celebrity wellness doctor and new CBS contributor is revealed to have a close, favor-trading relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions about integrity at the top.
  • “He met Epstein… in hopes of fundraising… but also because he's starting a concierge medical practice” (Dina, 09:36)
  • “He did some blood work for Epstein... instead of paying me, I'm looking for connections.” (Dina, 09:36)
  • Attia brands himself as ultra-thorough: “One of the things he has built his reputation on is his intensive research... so how could he have not known anything about Epstein?” (Dina, 12:11)
• Elite Complacency: Many prominent people were happy to look the other way after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
  • “This wasn’t unknown to people.” (Max, 11:36)
  • Attia’s correspondence shows he knew of Epstein’s “creep” reputation: “There were a number of things like that where you're like, this guy is quite…” (Dina, 12:57)
• Notable Quote: “Losers… the people that you thought of as the smartest, most responsible, richest… all just acting like school children. They can’t spell. The men seem incapable of meeting women. They’re just losers.” (Max, 13:56)
• Broader Cultural Impact: Dina and Max agree this scandal has torched public faith in once-respected institutions and figures—especially in finance and wellness.
  • “We as a society are going to be living with [this] for a really long time… We’ve just dropped a bomb in our relationship with power that is going to take decades to resolve.” (Max, 14:52)

3. Retirement Under Pressure: Economic Volatility and American Insecurity

[18:19 – 31:09]

Guest: Martha Gimbel (Yale Budget Lab)

Segment begins [19:06]

The Retirement Landscape

• Economic Uncertainty: Tumult in energy markets and labor market anxieties are making Americans nervous about their budgets and futures—even when data (like the low unemployment rate) doesn’t fully back it up.
  • “If you ask them about how likely they are to have a job in six months, they are much more pessimistic than you would expect.” (Martha, 20:00)
• Saving for Retirement: Despite more money in retirement accounts, there’s deep debate on whether Americans are saving “enough”—and a big part of this is how Social Security is counted.
  • “If you account for Social Security, people are doing okay,” but definitions differ. (Martha, 21:06)
• US Vulnerability: America’s reliance on job-tied benefits means economic shocks feel riskier here than in other advanced countries.
  • “We tie a lot of things to work... Our unemployment insurance system is not very generous.” (Martha, 22:27)
  • “The maximum weekly [unemployment insurance] payment in Mississippi is something like $200 a week.” (Martha, 22:59)
• Energy Shocks: The US is more buffered from oil/energy market volatility than Europe but not immune.
  • “A big energy shock is much more disruptive for economies in Europe than it is in the United States. On net, I would still rather be a worker in the United States, but there are pros and cons here.” (Martha, 24:23)
• Social Security Politics: Both Martha and Max are skeptical about the likelihood of major benefit cuts, citing Congressional and political reluctance to go after these programs.
  • “Even Congress is going, yeah, we’re not going to do that.” (Martha, 25:32)
• The “Trump Account”: Discussion of a new savings initiative championed by Michael Dell and others, aiming to seed children’s retirement savings ($1,000 per eligible child). Martha is unimpressed by the system’s ability to address deeper issues:
  • “The Trump accounts don’t provide like a new form of tax-advantaged saving that likely makes a huge difference for families.” (Martha, 27:16)
• Personal Retirement Philosophies:
  • “I’m like super cautious. I would much rather have my money in sort of a safe, steady place than a high earning place… I don’t like risk.” (Stacey, 30:29)
  • “The real thing if you have a 401k is to put money in there and try really hard not to think about it.” (Martha, 30:22)

4. Underrated & Offbeat Business Stories

[32:53 – 40:44]

Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations — The Oratorio

[33:14 – 35:40]

• Stacey attended a new performance by the NY Philharmonic, staging Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations as an oratorio.
  • “I have, like, never felt so seen.” (Stacey, 34:03)
  • The show tackled both the ideals and critiques of capitalism, blending music with text from economic and literary giants.

RIP to the Metaverse: Facebook’s Horizon Worlds Shuts Down

[35:52 – 40:44]

• Max chronicles the massive investment ($80 billion) and ultimate demise of Meta’s VR platform.
  • “The division… has lost to date almost $80 billion.” (Max, 37:13)
  • “There were really smart people… who were absolutely 100% sure this was gonna be a huge thing.” (Max, 37:38)
  • “Many normal people were skeptical from the beginning.” (Max, 38:40)
• Debate over why digital worlds like the Metaverse struggled while others (Roblox, Minecraft) persist, and Second Life confirmed as still operational.

5. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Airport Lines:
  “I feel like they just add an hour every time there’s a crisis... now it’s five hours.”
  — Max Chafkin, [03:06]

• On the Epstein Files:
  “Every time I think that I cannot be horrified anymore… another level of horror emerges.”
  — Stacey Vanek Smith, [05:42]

  “Losers… the people that you thought of as the smartest, most responsible, richest… they're just losers. And I think that is really damaging.”
  — Max Chafkin, [13:56]

• On American Retirement:
  “The maximum weekly [unemployment insurance] payment in Mississippi is something like $200 a week.”
  — Martha Gimbel, [22:59]

  “If you have a 401k, it doesn’t really matter what’s happening in Iran... You’re in this for decades.”
  — Martha Gimbel, [30:22]

• On Facebook’s Metaverse:
  “The division… has lost to date almost $80 billion.”
  — Max Chafkin, [37:13]

6. Timestamps for Important Segments

• Airport Crisis & Systemic Vulnerabilities: [01:19 – 03:32]
• Epstein Files and the Fall of Elites: [04:22 – 17:04]
• Retirement Pressures & American Insecurity (with Martha Gimbel): [19:06 – 31:09]
• Underrated Stories: Wealth of Nations Oratorio & Metaverse Collapse: [32:53 – 40:44]

Tone & Style

Reflecting Max and Stacey’s conversational, sometimes irreverent approach, the episode balances sobering investigations with levity and spontaneous asides. There’s a spirit of skepticism toward institutional trust and a hit of gallows humor, especially as they trace how disruptions in global events trickle down to daily American life.

For Listeners

This episode is a vivid illustration of the interconnectedness of global conflict, economic systems, and public trust. It’s essential listening for anyone interested in how current affairs—from empty airports to exposed scandals—are changing the rules of business and retirement today.