The Indicator from Planet Money

Episode: Catching up with a fired federal worker, a shrimper and a fraudster
Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Darren Woods, Waylon Wong, Stephen Basaha

Episode Overview

This “rest of the story” episode revisits three individuals featured in previous economic stories in 2025: a federal worker fired amid government cuts, a Louisiana shrimp fisherman relying on tariffs, and a convicted tech startup fraudster. The hosts check in to see how these real people have weathered the whirlwind changes in government, trade, and legal affairs through a year of dramatic economic news.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catch-Up: Fired Federal Worker / Elizabeth Eniskevich

(Segment begins at 02:26)

• Backdrop: In early 2025, sweeping cuts (“Elon Musk’s chainsaw”) hit government agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
• Elizabeth Eniskevich’s Story:
  • Suddenly fired—learned via a computer lockout while working at the CFPB, an agency protecting consumers in finance.

    “My work phone and computer sort of make a doo doo type of sound and says, oh, you’ve been kicked out, you need to log back in.” (Elizabeth Eniskevich, 02:42)

  • Recruited by a former law school colleague into a law firm specializing in consumer class action against big financial companies.

    “The kinds of interviews that she was doing with media, including the indicator, actually helped her through the recruitment.” (Darren Woods, 03:35)

  • Now leads a team in her new role—a promotion.
  • Emotional aftermath: Sorrow over the rollback of consumer protections as CFPB faces widespread gutting, even possible elimination. The former team remains connected and determined:

    “On group chats, you can smash the bureau, but we’re all going to find each other outside of it. We’re in constant communication about how can we attack this from our new position.” (Elizabeth Eniskevich, 04:29)

2. Update: Shrimper and Tariff Supporter / A.C. Cooper

(Segment begins at 04:40)

• Backdrop: Dramatic rise in tariffs under President Trump, targeting imported goods like shrimp to protect U.S. producers.
• A.C. Cooper’s Experience:
  • Vocal supporter of Trump’s tariffs, hoping they’d rescue domestic shrimpers from foreign competition:

    “Oh, we jumping…we definitely support him 100% on this issue.” (A.C. Cooper, 05:00)

  • Reality: Foreign competitors (e.g., India and Vietnam) “flooded” the U.S. market before tariffs went into effect, tanking domestic shrimp prices.

    “The thing is that they dumped so many in here before the tariffs went into effect…[shrimp prices] went down a good bit.” (A.C. Cooper, 05:40, 05:52)

  • Now: Prices are rebounding, more than a third higher than last year; still optimistic about tariffs, even if they make things like boat repairs pricier.
  • Message to fellow shrimpers and policymakers: Stay patient. Belief that tariffs will work in time, unless blocked by a pending Supreme Court decision.

    “He’s only been in there a year. Give it a little time…we still back him 100% and think that it’s going to turn out for the best.” (A.C. Cooper, 06:21)

3. Update: Tech Startup Fraud / Charlie Javice and Frank

(Segment begins at 06:48)

• Backdrop: In 2021, JP Morgan acquired student-aid startup Frank for $175 million. In 2023, Frank’s founder Charlie Javice was charged with fraud for allegedly inflating customer numbers.
• What’s Happened Since:
  • In 2025, Charlie Javice was convicted and sentenced to 85 months in prison.
  • JP Morgan, due to a contract clause, is compelled to cover not only her but also another executive’s legal fees—costing the bank $128 million (almost as much as the acquisition price).

    “According to Bloomberg, this is costing JP Morgan $128 million, which is almost as much as JP Morgan paid to acquire this startup in the first place.” (Stephen Basaha, 08:16)

  • Some reimbursed “legal” expenses raise eyebrows, including luxury hotel upgrades and “cellulite butter.”

    “According to the Wall Street Journal, JP Morgan’s lawyers say the bank got billed for…expenses that don’t seem like legal fees at all. Like luxury hotel upgrades and something called cellulite butter.” (Stephen Basaha, 08:54)

  • Javice plans to appeal her conviction, while JP Morgan tries to avoid paying future legal bills.
  • Notable moment of levity:

    “My big update is: fraud still illegal? [laughs]” (Stephen Basaha, 06:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Whiplash Economic News:

  “It’s always just tariffs, tariffs, tariffs, tariffs.” (Stephen Basaha, 00:36)
  —The relentless pace and repetition of economics stories in 2025.

• On Bureaucratic Camaraderie After Layoffs:

  “On group chats, you can smash the bureau, but we’re all going to find each other outside of it.” (Elizabeth Eniskevich, 04:29)

• On Shrimpers Coping with Tariff Aftershocks:

  “We don’t mind paying a little more if we make a little more. It’s just part of the nature of the visa.” (A.C. Cooper, 06:13)

• Hosts’ Quick Humor:

  “I mean, he’s a shrimp, he’s used to some waves.” (Waylon Wong, 05:57)
  “I was gonna order cellulite butter.” (Stephen Basaha, 10:02)
  “And I have no food related things in my segment.” (Darren Woods, 10:05)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:26 – Catch-up with Elizabeth Eniskevich: Getting fired from CFPB and her new career path
• 04:40 – Update with shrimper A.C. Cooper: Tariffs’ effect and market turbulence
• 06:48 – Tech fraud follow-up: Charlie Javice’s conviction and JP Morgan’s costly lesson

Summary Takeaway

This “rest of the story” episode illustrates how waves of 2025’s economic policy changes—government cuts, protectionist tariffs, and the aftermath of a high-profile tech fraud—continue to ripple through people’s lives. Job loss doesn’t always mean professional ruin; industries battered by global trade policies experience delayed and unpredictable effects; and even billion-dollar banks can fall victim to fine print and costly legal battles. The hosts weave in their hallmark blend of wit and approachable economic insight, revealing a year where the personal and the macroeconomic remained tightly—sometimes chaotically—linked.