Podcast
Mostly Economics
Hosted by Center for Economic and Policy Research and Dean Baker · EN
Mostly Economics is a weekly show hosted by Center for Economic and Policy Research Senior Economist and co-founder, Dean Baker, about ways US economic policies affect everyday lives—from household budgets to global trade relationships. New episode released every Thursday.
Producer and Art Direction: Lisa N. Burnam
Motion Designer: Arturo Vallalolid
Production Interns: Madison Belo, Daniel Stone
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Mostly Economics Podcast #35: Tax the Worker, Spare the Wealthy with Amy Hanauer
6d ago00:43:26Tap to summarizeThe US tax code is not broken. It is working exactly as the wealthy designed it. Spare the wealthy, tax the worker. Dean Baker sits down with Amy Hanauer, Executive Director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, to expose how loopholes like carried interest were deliberately built to protect fortunes and make working people foot the bill. The result is a rigged system that keeps rewarding wealth and punishing work. -- Follow Dean Baker & CEPR https://x.com/DeanBaker13 https://x.com/ceprdchttps://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc Follow Amy Hanauer https://x.com/amyhanauer https://bsky.app/profile/amyhanauer.bsky.social Follow ITEP https://bsky.app/profile/itep.org
Transcribe →Mostly Economics Podcast #34: Another Lie, Another War with Matt Duss
2w ago00:43:00Tap to summarizeToday's episode is about the US-Israel war on Iran, its legitimacy and the economic impacts on people in the US. Our guest, Matt Duss, is the Executive VP at the Center for International Policy, former foreign policy advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, and co-host of Undiplomatic Podcast. Matt debunks myths about Iran's nuclear ambitions and Middle East conflicts. This discussion challenges mainstream narratives and unpacks the lies that's gotten the US into yet another war. -- Follow Dean Baker https://x.com/DeanBaker13 Follow Mass Duss https://x.com/mattduss Follow Undiplomatic Podcast https://x.com/UnDiplomaticPod
Transcribe →Mostly Economics Podcast #33: Nexstar-Tegna Merger and Media Partisanship with Milo Vassallo
3w ago00:50:23Tap to summarizeRight-wing billionaires are buying up local TV news networks and a federal regulator is helping them do it. In this week's episode, Dean Baker and Milo Vassallo, executive director of the Media and Democracy Project, break down what media consolidation means for communities across. They dig into the Nexstar-Tegna merger, the FCC's role under Brendan Carr, the fall of local journalism, and what a coalition of state attorneys general is doing to fight back. Follow: CEPR on X/TwitterDean Baker, Mostly Economics Host and Senior Economist and CEPR Co-Founder
Transcribe →Mostly Economics Podcast #32: How the War on Iran is Shaping the US Economy with Claudia Sahm
4w ago00:47:07Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Dean Baker and renowned macroeconomist Claudia Sahm discuss the economic shocks from attacking Iran and the Federal Reserve's policy stance amid geopolitical tensions. Gain insights into how global events influence US inflation, energy markets, and monetary policy decisions. Claudia Sahm is the Chief Economist at New Century Advisors and a former Federal Reserve economist.
Transcribe →Season 1 Finale: Your Questions Answered with Jared Bernstein
Nov 2700:49:07Tap to summarizeIn the Season 1 finale, Dean Baker and Jared Bernstein answer listener-submitted questions on the biggest economic issues of the moment: the affordability crisis gripping American families, the surprising Democratic victories in off-year elections, and how the government shutdown is erasing critical economic data. From policy solutions to political implications, Dean and Jared tackle your questions with their wonderful blend of expertise and candor. Thank you for supporting our first season of Mostly Economics. We will return in 2026!
Transcribe →Mostly Economics Podcast #30: What Real Freedom Requires with Joseph Stiglitz
Nov 2100:39:27Tap to summarizeNobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz discusses his book "The Road to Freedom," explaining why real economic freedom means more than just keeping government small. Stiglitz breaks down how access to healthcare and education creates freedom, why drug companies profited from taxpayer-funded vaccines, and how pollution is really about property rights. Despite exploring serious inequality challenges, he shares an optimistic vision for building an economy that works for everyone.
Transcribe →Mostly Economics Podcast #29: The Assault on Federal Workers with Sasha Abramsky
Nov 1400:47:07Tap to summarizeDean talks with Sasha Abramsky, freelance writer for The Nation and author of the forthcoming book "American Carnage," which examines how the Trump administration and Elon Musk's DOGE systematically targeted federal workers in 2025. Abramsky shares stories from CDC employees, IRS workers, and National Park staff who faced mass layoffs through automated quota systems rather than performance reviews, revealing the human cost of dismantling vital government services and the impact on public health, environmental protection, and consumer safety.
Transcribe →Mostly Economics Podcast #28: Fighting the Media Oligarchy with Milo Vassallo
Nov 600:53:12Tap to summarizeThis week Dean speaks to Milo Vassallo, Executive Director of the Media and Democracy Project, about wresting back the free press from media oligarchs. As corporate consolidation has gutted local newsrooms and created vast news deserts, communities can rebuild civic journalism from the ground up.
Transcribe →Mostly Economics Podcast #27: Why America's Wage Gap Keeps Growing with Kim Weeden
Oct 3000:44:22Tap to summarizeThis week Dean speaks to Kim Weeden, Professor of Sociology at Cornell University and Director of the Center for the Study of Inequality, about why America's wage gap keeps growing. While protections for minimum wage workers have weakened over the past 40 years, the rules that protect high earners have only gotten stronger.
Transcribe →Mostly Economics Podcast #26: The ACA and the Shutdown with Sarah Lueck
Oct 2300:40:14Tap to summarizeHealth policy expert Sarah Lueck of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities joins Dean Baker to discuss the Affordable Care Act's future amid a prolonged government shutdown. They unpack how expiring premium tax credits could raise costs for millions, the ACA's major achievements, and why congressional action is urgently needed.
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