
In this Weekly Business news episode of "Right About Now," hosts Ryan and Chris discuss key business news, including government efficiency, social media ownership, and trade policies. They critique government job productivity, referencing Elon Musk's initiatives to streamline operations. The hosts also debate the potential U.S. acquisition of TikTok, arguing it would be preferable to Chinese control. Additionally, they explore the impact of tariffs on trade with China, Canada, and Mexico, emphasizing the need for strategic economic measures. The episode blends informal conversation with critical analysis, urging listeners to stay informed about evolving business and political landscapes.
Loading summary
A
This is Right about now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast Network production. We are the number one business show on the planet with over 1 million downloads a month, taking the BS out of business for over 6 years in over 400 episodes. You ready to start snapping next and cashing checks? Well, it starts right about now.
B
What's up, guys? Welcome to right About Now. It's our weekly business news recap of the week here on February 7, 2025. There's so much stuff happening, it's hard to recap it all, but we're going to hit the highlights here, myself and my hom down in Miami. What's up, Chris?
C
What's good, brother? How are you?
B
Yeah, I'm good, man. You. You haven't been deported, have you?
C
No, I'm still hanging down in Miami beach, baby. You.
B
You got your. Your papers?
C
Nah, my dad did immigrate legally to this country, so I'm. I'm sad.
B
Oh, wow. I didn't know. You're like second generation.
C
Hey, yeah, man.
B
Nice.
C
Grateful. Proud to be an American.
B
We're all immigrants on some level, but, hey, we gotta do it the right way. That's the whole point. Right. Gotta have the land of law, or you have a land of anarchy. It's. The news is becoming a land of seemingly anarchy. Not anarchy. It's just. It's just the volume of news. You know, typically, it goes to show you the difference in administrations, Chris. There'd be, you know, weeks where we do our little pre call. We get on the phone, all right, what are we going to talk about? What's. What's. What's topical. And now it's like, how many things can we fit in?
C
Yeah, it's almost like we're getting all these updates every day of what's going on. Almost as if, like, they know they work for us, you know, telling us what they're doing.
B
Right. It is amazing what happens. And look, no matter where you fall politically, you've got to acknowledge the fact that shit's happening. You could.
C
You.
B
You may or may not like it, depending on where you fall, but that's not the point. The point is we have policies being enacted. We have, I don't know, progress. 1. One would say it looks like progress to me especially, I mean, right with. Yeah, we'll start right with doge. I. I did see related, unrelated, that a singer wore a Doge stress to the Grammys the other night. It was interesting. It was a writer, actually. Singer, songwriter, not well known. I'm gonna. I'll Leave out names for the sake of that. It's more to kind of tee off the reality of. Of what Doge, the Department of Government Efficiency is up to with Elon. A lot of backlash. We'll get to that. We'll tell all sides of this coin. But I saw where they're the things they've enabled, saving the average American 5, 490 something dollars, 468 dollars. Everything they've done so far.
C
It's quick. I'll take it.
B
Yeah. Took two weeks and a lot of. There's a lot of layers going on with our government. A lot of people getting paychecks, a lot of people doing jobs. That's why you need to watch the YouTubes or the Spotify video to see the air quotes I just held up doing jobs that may or may not be jobs.
C
Yeah.
B
I don't know, Chris, you and I do jobs. I don't know if these guys are doing jobs.
C
Well, I've heard. I heard someone reference Elon's, you know, interview when he bought Twitter. Right. And how he. He cut 80% or they left of Twitter's workforce. And they were interviewing him and he's like, it turns out you just don't need that many people. You know, when you're running a business, you don't need that many people if you're trying to, you know, run a social justice organization. On the other hand, which he's saying basically Twitter was pre him acquiring it. So. And that's kind of the sentiment I felt towards our government. It's like, we haven't been operating as a business. We've been operating as, you know, a social justice center.
B
Yes, Social justice equity. And making sure all the stories match what we want them to be versus what they really are. It's called, I don't know, there's a word for that. Is it there? What?
C
Wokeness.
B
Yeah. Yeah, folks, look at that. I did break out my. My woke T shirt sometime, you know, that'd be perfect.
C
Yeah. Well, it was time. That ship has sailed. Sorry, y'all.
B
Sorry.
C
Ant who I know doesn't like this, but you guys had your turn. You up.
B
Luckily it was a really quick one. You know, it was a quick turn, but Doge is uncovering all kinds of costs, cutting out jobs and people that. And departments. I mean, we're essentially paying people to quit now because of how much inefficiency there is. We're not going. Hey, if you'll go quietly.
C
Right. You know, we'll give you a nice severance.
B
Nice severance. And it's not like quietly like, oh, because nefarious necessarily. But something tells me these people that don't take the check are gonna end up out on the cold anyway when these departments fold.
C
Well. And also it's like, don't take the check. All right. Well, then when they start exposing what it was you're actually doing, which was probably not much at all, it's really going to piss people off and you're going to become a target. You're going to be a target of the pissed off American people. If you had one of these useless jobs.
B
Chris, let me say this. I've. I've run companies, departments for other, you know, run business for other people. And for myself, I've had a hundred people underneath me direct report. Not, you know, direct reports and stuff, like five or six. With a hundred, almost 100 people. I've had 30, 20. And now we run a really lean team, 20 or less. And there's waste in what we do. I know there is. So. And not because my people aren't good or they're like lazy or not doing their job. There's just downtime and like, you know, inefficiencies. I know there are. We, we try, I think we're better than most and we try to get them out. So you're not, you're telling me. We know there's a lot of inefficiency going on and a lot of jobs that aren't really jobs.
C
And we knew that AI was going to come also and, and take a lot of jobs. And no one's really talking about that part of this of not only they're not efficient, but are these jobs even needed anymore?
B
Yeah. What jobs have been replaced by in government from AI? I don't see that article, but.
C
Right. You know, I'm sure we'll hear about it soon.
B
And look, I understand the human impact of this. I am not vouching for, oh, let's fire everyone and hire robots or train robots. I'm not saying that, but I'm saying you either adapt to the market and you tune your skills and what you do to today's market to meet the demands of companies, people, things to, to warrant the money you're paid or you don't, you have that choice. And if you don't, and you're given ample time to prepare and make those choices, you don't just keep getting the check. Sorry. And that's just reality. There's things that my marketing agency used to do that AI has replaced. Do you think we've just sat around and not picked up new skill sets, new things and filled the gap. No, we've had to adjust because daddy needs to eat so that he can feed his kids. You know, like, you gotta.
C
And you wanna, you gotta take care of the rest of the ship.
B
Yeah. You know, you gotta take care of it all go down. I'm not saying take care of me. I'm saying, like, I gotta have. We got the company being Daddy has to make money to pay and support everything else. And I also have some kids to feed. So, you know, like, you gotta adjust. You have to adapt. That's the real, the real market. The government's tried to become. Okay, act like the real market and do all these things and hire all these people and do all these things, but they've never had to really do it because. Because they can hide behind all this bureaucracy and have all these jobs that don't really do much of anything. When. If you're going to be. And collect all this money and do all these things and act like a company and you get to act and get the pressures that all of us feel every day. Right. Hello, welcome to 2025. So, again, we can argue or we can agree or we can talk about the way it happens. I think right now, I think the sentiment is, okay, it's the way it's happening. We're choosing to point to that, the way that it's going down. But look, radical change, which is needed. We have deficits. We have a lot of people. Bunny. We got. We're printing money like there's issues. Radical change takes radical decisions. Radical. And so it's not going to be. It's going to be messy a little bit.
C
Can't make everybody happy.
B
Can't make everybody happy. You know, so right now I think everybody's battling over the way it's going down. For the most part, they don't like it's happening too, but they're. They know that they can't go, oh, I'm actually. They are not going to argue that they're actually doing something worth value. They're just going to argue about the way that it's going down.
C
Exactly.
B
Right.
C
It's like, so it's just foolishness. It's a fight to fight, you know, fight.
B
And hey, who, who wouldn't want to hold on to their job and their titles and everything they do that serves no purpose but keeps a paycheck in their pocket. Right. Right. I guess a lot of people would. I thought this was interesting. The hit list next on the hit list. I. This is too interesting not to bring up next. Chris Trump says American sovereign wealth fund could acquire Tik Tok. I was an American. I was not aware of the American sovereign wealth fund. Personally, I don't know if that's new.
C
Yes, they announced it this week of creating one and is that wild if they do And TikTok is our first American sovereign fund investment.
B
It's pretty good first investment.
C
Hey, we all use it, we all like it, we might as well all be shareholders of it, you know.
B
And look, if the, if the Chinese government, which controls all of their companies, we know this because this happens, has essentially had control of Tik Tok, one of the most powerful social media platforms on the planet. Why shouldn't the US government? Why, why wouldn't we want, you know, why would you rather the Chinese national government or communist government have power versus.
C
The U.S. that would be exaggerated here. TikTok is the Chinese Communist Party, right?
B
Yeah.
C
Would you rather them own it all day?
B
I'd love to fight over that. Come on the show, let's have that argument. Who would you rather? Because you ain't gonna win the argument over if the Chinese communist government controls their business. They do. So we'll start there. So the premise can't be, well, they don't really own it. It's owned by Bike Dance. Nah, nah. We. We'll start this battle royale. The acceptance that the Chinese n. The Chinese communist government owns and controls their, you know, controls, owns the, the businesses that are running their company in their country. And so we'll start there. So you, if you want to have the argument that this is a crazy.
C
Idea, you're probably 16 and live at home. If that's your argument and you love Tik Tok.
B
Yeah, I'm going to give you the L. Depending on which way I need to turn that, depending on the camera, we'll say it's that one. Yeah, that's a loot. That's a loss for you, bud. So President Donald Trump suggested that a newly created U.S. sovereign wealth fund could acquire TikTok to prevent it from being banned in the U.S. tikTok has has until April to find a new non Chinese owner or face a US ban. Trump floated the idea of the US taking a 50% ownership position, possibly with private investors. Establishing a sovereign wealth fund would take time and may not be viable before the deadline. The purchase cost could be in the tens of billions. The U.S. government owns TikTok. It could face First Amendment issues regarding free speech. I mean, again, it's comical. I'm reading this to make that, you know, versus the Chinese Communist government that now owns it. Okay, well, not beholden to any of these laws.
C
They don't understand it. That's where you just have a general lack of education of these users complaining about it. They don't understand. The app you're currently using is government owned, but not your government. Congrats.
B
Here's. Here's some quotes from users expressing concern. I don't think too many people want to be on a platform that is owned and monitored by the government. But you're okay that it's the Chinese Communist government.
C
Like, if you're on the Internet.
B
Oh my God.
C
Depending on what country, it's owned by the government.
B
Someone else said it is absolutely effing dystopian. Why is the government owning social media?
C
Are they aware that China's censorship.
B
What is the grade? What is the GPA? What is the IQ of the average TikTok user? Like, what is it? Because this is the stupidest fucking quotes I've ever heard. Like, are you kidding me? Are you that blind? Do you know who owns this? Like, this is how stupid the users are. Not all of them. I'm not badmouthing every single person. There's billions of people on the platform. But just. Are you kidding? Really? This is what we're talking about. Like, do you understand Bite Dance? A Chinese company and Chinese companies are controlled. Controlled by the Chinese Communist government. And you're saying dystopian. And you're saying, I don't want a platform that's owned and monitored by the government.
C
Like, people. We're at war with China.
B
Yeah.
C
It hasn't been made clear. We've been in a war. Like, we're just not in a war of bullets. Yeah, that shows how stupid Wake up. Our own citizens are. That they would fight for something that essentially is against your own survival.
B
Yeah, exactly.
C
Blows my mind.
B
It's just.
C
Can't fix stupid.
B
You can't fix stupid. And I don't know, like, I don't know, like, all the. There's not enough detail here on the ins and outs of the sovereign wealth fund and who manages all that. There's questions to be answered 100%. I'm not saying there's not a lot of stuff that would need to happen with this to be done the right way, but to argue for one minute that it's better off in Chinese communist hands government is asinine. So let's just end that there. This is. This. This is the royal Rumble. You just got thrown out into the 10th stand, like, like 10 rows.
C
You're getting me fired up today.
B
I wasn't even really prepared. I had, I, you know, look busy team. Yeah, we go through the articles. We know what we're going to talk about. But I hadn't read every quote. I didn't really get fired up till I read every quote from that. And I'm like, are you kidding me? What, what are we talking about here? But this is, this is some of the arguments that you have, you know, like, this is some of the stuff that we did that you deal with, like in reading the news and seeing the interpretations. That's what we say. We take the bullshit out of the. This isn't, this is a partisan. I'm just saying it's, it's asinine to have this conversation about government control of the social media. Right. When we know what's going on here. So, yeah, taking the bullshit out of business. No bs, Just straight facts here. I mean, there's some, we get paid for our opinions. However, some of this is just factual. Let's, let's do our homework, people.
C
Yeah, there's no opinion here. This is straight facts.
B
Yeah.
C
Talk now. Talk to me about tariffs.
B
Yeah, Tariff talk. So as the way the, the world turns here, as the world turns, you know, the tariffs come, terrorists go. Like we started. We were talking yesterday, news articles, tariffs in place and everything with usps, no packages, no more packages, you know, from China with the 200 limit, whatever. But as of this releasing tariffs, suddenly Canada, Mexico comes to the table, which is what this is meant to do. It's called a tactic, people. It's called negotiating negotiation.
C
Little thing done in business daily. If you're not familiar, I don't think our last administration wasn't too familiar with how business functioned.
B
Yeah. So they both come to the table, which we paused the tariffs to get to the negotiation table. We've got a 10% tariff on Chinese imports is still moving forward, prompting retaliation from China. I mean. Yeah, and look, I'll say this. There's. And, and, and Donald Trump said this. And I don't say this from a position of like arrogance or anything. It's just like reality. There probably will be some pain from this from, for some people, but I'll.
C
Tell you where the pain is. It's the metals. It's the key metals. It's. They control a lot of resources that are used in our, our defense and our weapons. And I had a conversation yesterday and I can't say a lot about it. But essentially our natural resources. We. What's going to happen? Do you. Tariffs will impose until we can deregulate and start mining again. We need to be mining our own metals because right now China owns us when it comes to defense metals and we gave a lot of our supply to Ukraine. So we're not sitting on a whole natural pile of these natural resources that that's where China's going to hit us. And I could see there's going to be delay in the time of we can get our own infrastructure pumping again, get our own mining and stuff going on, get our own source coin. But that's not a quick process. You know, I think that's something a lot of us don't think about as a normal American. Right. Even these tariffs. I have a friend, he's, he makes leather gloves, some of them he makes in China. And he goes, well, you know, your friends in America are gonna have to pay 10 more now. And I'm like, hate to break it to you, bro, but no one gives a. Like, people are more concerned with paying $12 for eggs. Right?
B
Yeah.
C
We need to get our fuel costs, our energy costs down, of our natural resources, the things that make us rich. Right. So that's my opinion on the matter. I think it is going to be kind of slow, going to be rocky.
B
And look, but we got to get him talk. Look, the trade deficits with all these countries is. It's ridiculous how much more we're bringing in than what we're sending out. So there's got to be some balance, you know, like, we'll find it, we'll find it. It's going to be rocky getting there. But you got to find some bounce and status quo isn't good enough. It's not. If you're fooling yourselves if you think, well, I don't, you know, let's not rock the boat too much, you know.
C
No, you need some swing.
B
You got to start having some of these discussions because it gets real interesting. We can, we can get comfortable in business with what's comfortable today, with the assumption that it's going to stay that way. And that's a false belief. It. Everything changes. And if you aren't preparing for that change, if you aren't confronting, then you're fooling yourself. That's in business, it's in politics and everything. And so it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the moment. But like this is. These are just realities that need to be faced. So we'll see what happens. But tariffs in Tariffs out. Started it. USPS delivering. Not delivering now Delivering. Okay, but we're getting conversations started. I think Donald's. I look like love, dislike, whatever with the administration. He's kind of getting, you know, like when you. If you shake someone's hand with one of those zappers, the jolt. We're getting a little jolt here. Like, it's. We got to get some jolt happening. Like Joe Cola. Remember that, Chris? You ever had a little Joe Cola? That was before energy drinks that tasted terrible, but I drank it, man. I'd get a little. I was like 14 or something. Who knows what's going on? That was before. Like, we knew everything. It's kind of like, you know, you smoke on planes, too, I guess. You know, Joe Cola, like, you know, 400 milligrams of caffeine for a teenager or like a good idea. Yeah, good idea. Not good idea. But that was terrible. But anyway, we need a jolt to some of these things to get the conversations happening because Sleepy Joe, it wasn't happening, and status quo wasn't good for anyone. So we'll see. Big trade in the NBA. Thought this is interesting. I wouldn't normally talk about it, but with two of the best players in the league, there is a business impact. And, hey, I'm into sports. My kids are into it. I got my sports cards here. I'm gonna talk to that. Brought another pack, folks. I sent out a couple packs this week. A couple more. Hey, DM me send you pack. Hey, but look. Luca Dantic. Donchik. I always have a hard time sounding his last name. Don. Don Chick. He's got that interesting accent. But I. I like Luca. My kids like him too. Luca traded for Anthony Davis. Dallas to la. This shock waves. I did not see this coming. You know, watch just enough basketball to kid to keep up with it. Ad's a lot older. Like six years older. Luca's in his prime. And a lot of people saying no one would ever trade like a prime Jordan Prime, Bird magic. None of those would have. They would have never been traded. So why is Luca getting traded? Well, I don't know. It seems bizarre at best. I don't think they. They got along. I saw a video, Chris. This is interesting. They showed a video. I'd never seen this video. It's funny where they. Where these videos pop up to sort of prove the point. Lucas, what is probably top five top three players in the league, some to say the best right now, plays for Dallas, and last year they won like a playoff series. And he was having a beer in the hallway after the victory. They'd won the series and I think they still had another series to go but there was going to be like a two week layoff or something. So like he was celebrating with a beer and they sometimes they pop champagne stuff and like the president of operations grabbed the beer like walked by him and like kind of put his arm around whatever there, took the beer out of his hand and walked away. It was just interesting. It was non confrontational. It was just like. And Luca just kind of looked at. I was like. And people were saying that there was a little bit of odds that Luca doesn't work hard enough or is not in shape enough or whatever and might. I don't, you know, I don't see his personal workout regime. So I don't know. But interesting trade nonetheless and big shockwaves. I know you're not like a gigantic NBA fan. Did you know this had gone down?
C
I did see this come across one of the social media things I just saw like shocking trade but I have no idea what the details are. Who'd involved.
B
Yeah, it's short term, it might be good for Dallas because they, they have Kyrie Irving. Irving and so they've got offense, they've got some other players. It might make them better like for about this long but long term it's a better win for the Lakers. Be interesting how Luca and LeBron James play together. Haven't seen comments from LeBron. It actually goes to show you, you know, in this world where you feel like the players kind of control everything now, I mean the players had no idea, you know, like up. So maybe the owners do still control this and when they want to make a move, they make a move. We'll see. Home affordability crisis taking a toll on America's young adults. Interesting. We I've been doing some man on the street stuff for one of our official sponsors, IT Independent Center. Go to independencecenter.org Sign up for their newsletter. Nonpartisan stories and advice and data straight to your inbox. Independence Center.org been doing some stuff like man on the street going to ask people, hey, what do you think of the American dream still alive and well. Yes or no. Those kind of things and the sentiment, you know, we're trying to go around, get diverse answers. You know, you got a few of the. Absolutely. Which I tend to agree with myself. But then there's a few that, you know, just point out the fact that what I've noticed, which is a lot of salaries haven't changed while all these prices have gone up, you know, like, and I'll even say like in the services that I offer, like for the eight, I mean, I haven't been able to raise my prices 30%. Got to pay people a little bit more, but their salaries haven't doubled. But I'll be damn if you're, if the grocery bill isn't doubling for all of us. So much less home affordability prices. You know, Greenville, South Carolina, home of our studio and my home. And I love it. And it's nothing really reflective of Greenville. But I've talked about this before. Houses that I own 10 years ago that have doubled in pricing when salaries haven't doubled. You know, that's how I mean no other income streams doubled. But that, and look, can't hide, can't, can't fight progress. Not fighting it, but it doesn't change reality. You know, whether we're fighting it or believe in it or not doesn't change the reality. So says home ownership is increasingly difficult due to rising interest rates, inflated home prices and stagnant wages. There we go, what we just said. Many young adults are forced into lifelong renting, unable to build equity without strategic shifts. We're watching an entire generation get priced out of the American dream. It's from foxbusiness.com what do you think about this, Chris?
C
Amen. I'm glad Fox is talking about it because this means that the boomers will understand this because I mean, I've seen this with people I know, my family, friends of mine, you know, I hear it just here in Florida especially growing up, I hear from whatever hometown people are from all of them say I couldn't go back and buy a house there. Everyone's priced out, right?
B
Yep.
C
So I mean it's, I, I don't know how you fix this.
B
Yeah, I don't. You know, I, it seems like a genie that's hard to put back in the bottle. Right.
C
I think it would help with interest of a correction. Right. With the real estate market. And I think it's unfortunate everyone feels like they're getting screwed.
B
Right.
C
You got private equity coming in, buying whole neighborhoods. And we saw this during COVID Right. Where BlackRock was buying full neighborhoods to raise the prices and price manipulate. And now I think you're going to essentially have a bunch of empty neighborhoods that full of or you're going to have just neighborhoods full of renters.
B
Yeah. And here's what it says. This is from Tom Spa easel properties. Ten years ago, 50% of homes were affordable for young families. Today, only 15% institutional investors are buying up homes, forcing young families into renting in lower quality neighborhoods, increasing financial stress and housing instability. There's more to this article that I'm going to bring up, but it does bring up an interesting thing. If I was starting a neighborhood like you almost if I'm going to. And I know there's both sides of the spectrum, developers sell the houses, but just say you have to live here. Right. If you buy a home in this neighborhood, you have to live here.
C
I can see that coming.
B
I could see that coming. And that would change some of this, wouldn't it?
C
Because if I'm a homeowner to my neighborhood and some group buys 10 of the houses and then they're not occupied, my property value is getting up.
B
Yeah.
C
You know, so something's got to change. And this is where I think people have been saying this, but I think when you have the data and the numbers to really support it, where it shows, hey, we need a major shift in what we're doing in our economy because the numbers just don't add up. Right. I mean, you stay on this train, gonna have a full collapse of the real estate market.
B
Oh yeah. I mean I don't think that this follows like what we want to be see happening. And look, I have, I own a rental property, a few of them and so I'm, I can understand both sides of this. The it, it's tricky but I think you need to have a percentage that's at least owned by the people that are there for new neighborhoods and things like that. There's also the reality that there are people and I'm going to fight for go on both sides here. Take the BS out like for myself as an investor, the people that are renting from other properties that I own would not ever. They would not have been in 10 years ago, 20. These people need to rent. That's their only option based on the lifestyle and the jobs and the realities of their credit. And it's just the reality. So we're get. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not giving myself like some altruistic. Oh, I'm giving people opportunity. But in a way they would not be able to afford to live in this house any other way but to rent it. So there's that balance of it. But you do. It's a slippery slope and it can't artificially inflate the price of, of the houses based on, you know, institutional investors versus homeowners and the reality of what people can afford and what they should Cost. Unless we're just going to decide that no one's going to own homes. But I will say, and a lot of people do, that that genie's probably not going to bottle. And if you want and part of your American dream is to have ownership of land parcel home, do it in the next five years, make it happen, because it probably isn't getting better. And we might move to this world where, you know, it's just a renter's world. I don't know. And part of me can understand that world where you don't necessarily have to own it to live there. But I think it also just depends on what you want your goals in your life to be like. If want to own it and retire there and be in the middle of nowhere and be bothered by no one, then you better start buying it now. We'll see. I don't know, Chris. I mean, well, I mean, is your. What's your American dream? Is your American dream to have 10 acres in the middle of nowhere?
C
Changes every day. Depends on my mood.
B
You know, I don't know.
C
I. Yeah, but I don't know if I want it in America, might be in Spain. It's all going to depend on kind of what goes on here. But you get to a point where you got to go where your money gets you the most, you know what I mean? And you see that. You see, that's why you have. And this isn't just even America, even in Europe, they're going through the very similar thing where, you know, people are moving to Bali and Thailand and over here, Colombia and Mexico, because your dollar goes farther. It's like, why slave away here? If you can work remote and live somewhere, your money goes farther. You know, I mean, I'm strongly considering doing some time in Colombia. Like, the cost of living down there is way more affordable. Yeah, so we'll see. Because, I mean, at least where I'm at too, right? I'm trying to build my wealth. I'm. We're building companies. And so no part of me is ever one point I was under contract for a house. I'm glad it didn't work out. But I've always more kind of taken the grant Cardone philosophy of like, you don't want to purchase a house because it like, anchors you somewhere and you're not as quick to be able to jump into opportunities. And I've seen that in my life. Right. I've moved a lot, lived in a lot of different cities.
B
So I think it's the stage of life I Do think like if you.
C
Start a wife and kids. Yes.
B
Yeah. And, and I think if you can afford it and even whether that's going to be Columbia when you're 60 or, you know, South Carolina woods, you know, like to start saving for that or to have that to go to winter if you want to, to not have. But I will say it's interesting because when, even when you own the property, unless you still have income, you've got property taxes, you have cost that comes with that, home ownership. It's never outright owned with no cost other than, you know, putting food in it. And so it's, it's interesting. Raises a whole lot of other questions. It could be an episode alone, but we'll table that. I will say I did talk last week. Want to give a shout out to Sarah saunders@resume builder.com. they put out the article this week. 44% of Americans lying in the, in the hiring process. They've got a press release out. You can go to resume builder.com to see it. It's pretty interesting. So 24% have lied on their resume. 19% in an interview at 6% on the COVID letter. We hit on some of these stats last week, but pretty amazing. This is nearly half of Americans. So I, I, I'm a good marketer. So sometimes I, I find myself, like, my wife will catch me sometimes, like, not lying, but like, I, like, I'm not an exaggerator, but I like to talk things up and like, so it makes me like, cognizant of this. And I'm not on my resume, by the way. I've been an entrepreneur for eight years now, but more like, okay, all right, what are you gonna find? You know, there's a difference between marketing and lying. So be a good marketer, don't be a good liar. That's the key. Also say don't let, don't, don't let the truth get in the way of a good lie or a good story. So, yeah, anyway, I digress. Don't lie on your resume. Doesn't help play the long game. I've, I've been there. We've all done, like, stupid in our lives and, you know, we've all told lies at some point. I just, they con, they compound, man. So it's never good. You agree, Chris?
C
Never, never lie. Karma will get you.
B
Karma will get you just one way or another. The. We appreciate Resume Builder for sending in those stats. Resume builder.com finally today, as I finish off this episode, you know, we're always fueled. You see The X's X always marks the spot. You know, I keep the energy throughout the episode high because ofexonent drink exponent.com and drink exponent on Instagram. Plant based. Zero sugar, zero bad stuff. All the good stuff keeps me powered up. No crash, none of that sugar buzz, none of those calories. Hey, I. It's. Hey, it's 70 something degrees out here. I got the one pack showing. I got to get at least three going. You know, like, the only way to do that is I can't be drinking my calories. Chris. No drinking calories. Can't. No cokes. None of the sugar stuff. Plant based fusion energy drink Exponential, the official energy drink of right about now. We appreciate them. Got the packs, baby. Sports card Central's going on rad rips and hey, possible new show name. You know, when you. They call now, like when you open a box or something you share, it's called like breaking. Like breaking is like opening packs, like shared, maybe something else. So I had a name idea. So break instead of, you know, Breaking Bad, Breaking Rad for a card shop or. Or a sports card podcast. Breaking Rad. Because, hey, you want a rad copy.
C
The Breaking Bad logo.
B
Exactly. Yes. That'd be a good. That might be. That might be. If I decide to do a third show and I. And I clone myself, Chris. It might be that. So one pack open. Hey, this could be a good sign. We didn't even talk about it. That's how much stuff is going on, Chris. Could be a sign. So a game. The big game is Sunday. Super Bowl Sunday. We have Philly and we have Casey, and I opened one pack on today's episode and guess who's on the front, baby. Who's on the front? Seyquon Barkley. That is the running back that led the NFL this year and is the Philadelphia Eagles. That might be a sign, Chris. There's. I mean, there's 32 teams, man. I opened the pack unopened, and it's Saquon, the best running back. That could be a sign for you Philly fans. You might want to put some money down on Philly winning. That's who I like anyway, who I'm, I'm rooting for. My kids are all rooting for Pat Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. The academic impact of the super bowl is like billions of dollars. But hey, you can't deny that Saquon's here. We got Saquon and then, hey, Brian Thomas Jr. Rookie. That's a nice $10 card right there. Best wide receiver for Jacksonville. Anyway, we pretty we appreciate Panini, makers of the best sports cards. NFL Prism sports cards. Go check them out. They just had a new release today, Saquon on the front. It's got to be a sign. Chris, any final words?
C
Have a good weekend, everyone.
B
Yeah, we appreciate everyone for making us number one. Chris Broby Hansen on Instagram. Go follow him. He's just as good looking on Instagram as he is on the show. And you know where I am at Ryan alford. Ryan is right.com all the highlight clips, the full episodes, and you never know what's going to happen in those stories, baby. You never know. Rad rips, cars, all the fun stuff, none of the bad stuff. It's Instagram, baby. You don't show any of the bad stuff. Show all the good stuff. We love you. We appreciate you. We'll see you next time. Right about now this has been Right.
A
About now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast network production. Visit ryanisright.com for full audio and video versions of the show or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities. Thanks for listening.
Right About Now with Ryan Alford – Episode Summary: "Business News - Tok - Tariff Talk - Luka to Lakers - Sports Cards Booming"
In this dynamic episode of Right About Now with Ryan Alford, host Ryan Alford and his co-host Chris Hansen delve into a myriad of pressing business topics ranging from governmental inefficiencies and international trade tensions to surprising NBA trades and the burgeoning sports card market. Released on February 7, 2025, the episode skillfully blends insightful analysis with engaging banter, embodying the show's hallmark of making listeners both think and smile.
The episode opens with Ryan and Chris dissecting the current state of government operations. They express concerns over inefficiencies and the potential elimination of unnecessary jobs within government departments.
Ryan Alford (03:14): “It's quick. I'll take it.”
Ryan highlights the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its controversial measures aimed at saving the average American over $468. The discussion pivots to the broader implications of such reforms, emphasizing the balance between cutting costs and maintaining essential services.
Ryan Alford (05:04): “We know there's a lot of inefficiency going on and a lot of jobs that aren't really jobs.”
Ryan draws from his extensive experience managing lean teams, illustrating the fine line between necessary workforce reductions and excessive cuts that could destabilize governmental functions.
Chris Hansen (06:54): “And we knew that AI was going to come also and, and take a lot of jobs.”
Chris introduces the looming threat of artificial intelligence replacing numerous government roles, questioning the future necessity of these positions.
A heated segment unfolds as the hosts tackle former President Donald Trump's proposal for the U.S. sovereign wealth fund to acquire TikTok, thereby preventing a potential ban in the United States.
Ryan Alford (11:35): “I mean, again, it's comical. I'm reading this to make that, you know, versus the Chinese Communist government that now owns it.”
Ryan critiques the feasibility and wisdom of the proposal, questioning whether government ownership of a major social media platform aligns with democratic principles and free speech.
Chris Hansen (14:44): “Like, people. We're at war with China.”
Chris heightens the debate by contextualizing the acquisition within the broader geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, emphasizing the irony of government control over platforms previously dominated by foreign entities.
The duo mocks user sentiments expressing distrust towards government ownership of social media, reinforcing their stance that such a move is fundamentally flawed.
The conversation shifts to international trade, focusing on the imposition and lifting of tariffs as strategic tools in negotiations with trade partners like Canada and Mexico.
Ryan Alford (20:30): “Yeah. It's short term, it might be good for Dallas because they, they have Kyrie Irving.”
Ryan and Chris discuss the fluctuating nature of tariffs, highlighting how they serve as negotiation levers rather than long-term solutions. They underscore the complexities involved in balancing import and export dynamics to mitigate trade deficits.
Chris Hansen (19:19): “Tell you where the pain is. It's the metals.”
Chris pinpoints critical areas affected by tariffs, such as key metals essential for defense and infrastructure. He warns of the dependency on Chinese resources and the slow, rocky path toward self-sufficiency.
Ryan Alford (21:16): “You got to start having some of these discussions because it gets real interesting.”
Ryan urges proactive dialogue and strategic decision-making to navigate the turbulent waters of international trade, advocating for substantial reforms over maintaining the status quo.
A surprising development in the sports world grabs attention as Luka Dončić is traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a move that sends shockwaves through the NBA.
Ryan Alford (24:26): “I did see this come across one of the social media things I just saw like shocking trade but I have no idea what the details are.”
Ryan and Chris explore the implications of the trade, discussing its potential impact on team dynamics, marketability, and fan engagement. They ponder the reasoning behind trading a prime player like Dončić, questioning whether it signals a strategic pivot or internal issues within the Dallas Mavericks.
Ryan Alford (25:34): “It's short term, it might be good for Dallas because they, they have Kyrie Irving.”
The hosts speculate on the short-term benefits for the Mavericks, considering the addition of Kyrie Irving, while also contemplating the long-term advantages for the Lakers in acquiring a talent of Dončić’s caliber.
The discussion transitions to the escalating home affordability crisis, a topic of increasing concern for America's younger generation striving to attain the American dream.
Ryan Alford (27:53): “Home ownership is increasingly difficult due to rising interest rates, inflated home prices and stagnant wages.”
Drawing from recent studies and personal observations, Ryan underscores the disparity between income growth and housing costs, highlighting how institutional investors are monopolizing the housing market, thereby displacing young families into perpetual renting and lower-quality neighborhoods.
Chris Hansen (28:28): “Amen. I'm glad Fox is talking about it because this means that the boomers will understand this.”
Chris emphasizes the generational divide exacerbated by housing market dynamics, noting the frustration among young adults who find themselves priced out of home ownership despite their aspirations.
Ryan Alford (30:32): “You got to start having some of these discussions because it gets real interesting.”
Both hosts advocate for strategic shifts in economic policies to address the root causes of the housing crisis, urging for a balanced approach that considers both institutional and individual homeownership aspirations.
Shifting gears, Ryan brings attention to recent statistics from ResumeBuilder.com, revealing a troubling trend of dishonesty in the job application process.
Ryan Alford (35:15): “Don't lie on your resume. Doesn’t help play the long game.”
Highlighting that 44% of Americans have admitted to lying during their job applications, Ryan discusses the ethical implications and long-term consequences of such actions. He differentiates between effective marketing and deceit, encouraging authenticity and integrity in professional portrayals.
Chris Hansen (37:44): “Never, never lie. Karma will get you.”
Chris reinforces the importance of honesty, emphasizing that deceit ultimately backfires, aligning with the show's ethos of promoting straightforward, BS-free discussions.
Concluding the episode on a lighter note, Ryan and Chris explore the booming sports card market, celebrating recent acquisitions and notable trends.
Ryan Alford (39:27): “I'm strongly considering doing some time in Colombia. Like, the cost of living down there is way more affordable.”
The hosts share their enthusiasm for the latest sports card releases, particularly highlighting Saquon Barkley’s card on the front of a new pack. They discuss the potential investment value and cultural significance of sports memorabilia, engaging fans and collectors alike.
Ryan Alford (41:08): “Sports card Central's going on rad rips and hey, possible new show name.”
Ryan teases future content related to sports cards, hinting at expanding the show's scope to include dedicated segments for collectors and enthusiasts.
Throughout the episode, Ryan Alford and Chris Hansen adeptly navigate a diverse array of topics, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of current business news intertwined with personal insights and humor. By addressing significant issues such as government inefficiency, international trade, housing affordability, and emerging trends in various markets, the hosts provide valuable perspectives that resonate with a broad audience. Their candid discussions, punctuated with notable quotes and relatable anecdotes, ensure that the episode is both informative and entertaining, staying true to the show's mission of making listeners think and smile.
For more insights and full episode content, visit www.RyanIsRight.com or follow @rightaboutnowshow and @ryanalford on Instagram.