If Not A Recession, Why Does It Feel Like One?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: What A Day

Episode: "If Not A Recession, Why Does It Feel Like One?"

Host: Todd Zwillick (in for Jane Coaston)
Guest: Stacy Vanek Smith (Bloomberg Businessweek & Everybody’s Business)
Date: November 7, 2025

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Overview:

This episode explores the disconnect between positive economic indicators and the widespread feeling among Americans that they’re stuck in a recession. Host Todd Zwillick and guest Stacy Vanek Smith break down why, despite strong jobs numbers and stock markets, so many people are struggling with affordability and uncertainty. They examine the “K-shaped” recovery, the impact of AI, wage stagnation, political messaging, and the complex, emotional "vibes" fueling public sentiment about the economy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Political (and Personal) Fixation on Affordability

• Both parties are now talking non-stop about affordability: from the cost of groceries and healthcare, to Thanksgiving turkeys.
• President Trump is especially vocal about lower prices, though Zwillick points out that some of his claims are misleading.
  • Quote:

    "Only problem with these incredible Thanksgiving savings is, you guessed it, they're false."
    — Todd Zwillick (01:53)

• Trump claims a Thanksgiving meal this year will cost 25% less than the previous year's under Biden, referencing Walmart data—but the reality (per Purdue University) is that prices, especially for turkey, are up significantly.

2. The “K-Shaped” Economy: Multiple Realities

• Vanek Smith explains the current economic divergence:

  • Some Americans (investors, tech workers) are thriving as AI and the markets soar.

  • Many others are struggling with rising costs, job precarity, and stagnant wages.

  • Quote:

    “We are not living in one economy right now. I think there are several economies kind of going parallel. And depending on who you are … your experience is just vastly different.”
    — Stacy Vanek Smith (04:29)

• The top 10% of Americans now drive half of all national spending.

• Lower-income workers saw gains during the pandemic, but wage growth has stagnated and inflation has overtaken any progress.

  • Quote:

    "That has completely reversed course now. Those workers tend to be a little more vulnerable … their wages are not keeping up with inflation."
    — Stacy Vanek Smith (06:17)

3. AI: Driver and Disruptor

• AI fuels market optimism and upper-tier wealth, but also puts jobs at risk—especially for those in the “lower arm” of the K.

• Uncertainty looms over which jobs will be automated and whether the AI bubble will burst.

  • Quote:

    "We don't really know what AI is going to do. … And if [the market] corrects itself, that could be a really, really dark stretch."
    — Stacy Vanek Smith (07:44)

4. The Politics of Economic “Vibes”

• Both parties have experienced a disconnect between positive data and Americans’ lived experiences.

  • Under Biden, officials touted job growth; under Trump, he claims victory on affordability.

• The reality: price increases outpace wage growth, making people feel left behind.

  • Example: Even a 10% wage raise can’t offset tripled egg prices.

  • Quote:

    "Eggs are tripling in price and that's the cheapest form of protein ... a 10% raise isn't going to make up for the amount that we're seeing prices rise across the board."
    — Stacy Vanek Smith (09:56)

• Affordability is "the only language Democrats know how to speak," but its electoral power may be overstated.

  • Quote:

    "I think the Democrats need to be a little careful not to spike the football too much because prices are going to do what prices are going to do."
    — Stacy Vanek Smith (11:26)

• Economic grievances serve as shorthand for a broader set of vibes—anxieties, insecurities, and fears about the country's direction.

  • Quote:

    "There is something that's not entirely tangible about why our feelings shift. It's like just a vibe. The country's going in a certain direction and it doesn't feel good."
    — Stacy Vanek Smith (12:35)

5. What Comes Next?

• The Federal Reserve is prioritizing jobs over fighting inflation, but layoffs are mounting ("almost a million layoffs" recently, per Smith).

• Cutting interest rates may worsen inflation and affordability.

• Price controls or rent freezes sound appealing but have historically failed.

  • Quote:

    "Some of the forces in our economy are pushing prices up and are going to continue to do that."
    — Stacy Vanek Smith (14:14)

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Memorable Quotes

• Todd Zwillick:

  "Caring about affordability hits harder when you care about it. From a $300 million gold-plated ballroom." (00:03)

• Donald Trump (quoted by Zwillick):

  "Our Thanksgiving this year coming up will cost 25% less than sleepy Joe Biden's." (01:30)

• Stacy Vanek Smith:

  "We're not living in one economy right now." (04:29) "10% of the population in the country is now fueling half of all the spending." (05:51) "Eggs have gotten more expensive. But I think sometimes these are ... symbolic of other things we're feeling." (11:59) "These are important love languages. Right. We all care about acts of service, eggs, and healthcare." (12:19)

• Todd Zwillick:

  "Politics, like love, is way deeper than the one thing you want to talk about." (12:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:25 — Political obsession with prices and affordability: Trump claims, turkey inflation myth-busting.
• 03:54–07:05 — Stacy Vanek Smith explains why it feels like a recession and the “K-shaped” recovery.
• 07:05–08:39 — The AI boom and its uncertain impact on the economy.
• 08:39–12:30 — Political messaging: Data vs. lived experience, and the symbolic weight of affordability.
• 12:35–14:14 — “Vibe session,” public sentiment, and the limits of price controls.
• 14:24–14:54 — Closing: Looking ahead in the economy.

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Additional Headlines Segment (17:00–18:32)

• FAA flight cancellations amid a government shutdown, pressure on air traffic controllers.
• Federal judge orders full SNAP (food stamp) benefits for November, opposing Trump's administration withholding attempts.

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Notable Moments

• Todd’s irreverent takes (“caring about affordability ... from a $300 million gold-plated ballroom”), a running theme of skeptical humor.
• Stacy’s breakdown of the “K-shaped” recovery gives listeners a visual metaphor for today’s highly unequal economy.
• Direct calling out of politicians: both Trump and Biden face criticism for touting “good numbers” disconnected from people’s realities.
• The idea of “affordability” as a political “love language”—eggs, health care, and rent as political markers.
• The recognition that “it’s just a vibe”—economic anxiety isn’t entirely rational, nor directly tied to any single stat.

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Conclusion

This episode gives a nuanced look at why so many Americans feel they’re in a recession—even as headlines and politicians claim otherwise. The conversation cuts through partisan spin and mathematical abstraction, focusing on real people’s experiences and the deep, murky “vibe” influencing how we perceive the economy.
If you want clarity on why affordability remains sensitive and why so many don’t believe the good economic news, this episode is essential listening.

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Transcript

[Todd Zwillick]

It's Friday, November 7th. I'm Todd Zwillick in for Jane Coston and this is what a day. The show that knows caring about affordability hits harder when you care about it. From a $300 million gold plated ballroom. On today's show, the Federal Aviation Administration cancels flights across the US and they say to ease the strain on air traffic controllers during the record long government shutdown. And the jury in the case of a man who slung 12 inches of vigilante justice at a federal officer on multigrain no less, has reached its verdict. But let's start with the cost of things. Everyone seems to have gotten the message on affordability after Democrats, Republicans, even the crypto king president. For Dems, it's a no brainer. The cost of healthcare, the cost of eggs, they pivot to it all the time. So if they can interpret every last vote as being about affordability, even without evidence, they're gonna okay. But what about President Trump? Can a man fixing to fly a $400 million jet gifted from Qatar or trade off of $2 billion in Emirati crypto really know about the price of a Thanksgiving turkey? You betcha. On Thursday, Trump talked about some new data he likes from his favorite donors, Walmart.

[Donald Trump]

They just came out with a very powerful statement. They've done it for many years that under the Biden administration, Thanksgiving meal, a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings cost 25% more. In other words, our Thanksgiving this year coming up will cost 25% less than sleepy Joe Biden's.

[Todd Zwillick]

As you can see, Trump super cares about prices now. Only problem with these incredible Thanksgiving savings is, you guessed it, they're false. Wholesale turkey prices are up 75% from a year ago, according to an analysis from Purdue University. In the store, Purdue predicts the average price of a bird this month will be 25% higher than last year. That's not Trump's fault. Things like bird flu have affected prices. The point is he's lying. I know, I know. But hey, know what else is expensive? Blockbuster weight loss drugs. Trump went in on affordability Thursday by announcing a deal with drug makers to cut prices on Ozempic and other meds by next year. One reporter asked about mergers and acquisitions by the very drug companies cutting deals with Trump. That means they also have billions in business pending. Before the Trump administration, Trump had some advice for the CEO of Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk on how to keep prices affordable.

[Dan Pashman]

Novo Nordisk is in the middle of a 10 billion potential $10 billion acquisition for a smaller obesity biotech.

[Todd Zwillick]

They might need your and the FTC's Help to See that through.

[Dan Pashman]

Do you have any issues with that? Or Eli Lilly buying a smaller obesity biotech from an anti competitive.

[Donald Trump]

Well, I don't know. Do you want, do you want to talk about that? I'd like to hear. Maybe you should us a piece of the company like I've been asking for. So I give the United States a nice big chunk of the company.

[Todd Zwillick]

So no, no one, that's how you keep business affordable in the Trump era. Give him a piece and pass the gravy. Trump's appetites aside, getting by in this economy has been hard for a while. To talk more about the disconnect between what the administration is saying and how Americans are feeling, I spoke with Stacy Vanek Smith, reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and co host of their podcast Everybody's Business. Stacey, welcome to what a day.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

Thanks. Thank you, Todd. I'm glad to be here.

[Todd Zwillick]

Even though no one is officially saying it, it feels like we're in a recession. Layoffs keep coming. We'll talk about it. Tariffs jacked up everywhere. Prices are up. People have been feeling the effects of inflation for years now. And there's no question that affordability is a massive, urgent issue on people's minds. I know there's a dictionary definition of recession to quarters of negative growth. I get that. But why aren't we saying recession when across the real economy it. It really seems like it?

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

That is a great question. I think that's the question that people ask me the most right now is like, we're in a recession, right? Because like you say, it feels like a recession right now. The job market feels bad. And then there is such a strange disconnect when this data comes out and says, you know, oh, the unemployment rate's the lowest it's been in decades. Or yeah, hiring is really low. But layoffs are also at the lowest level they've been in decades. Like, it feels incongruent with what we're experiencing. My personal theory is that we are not living in one economy right now. I think there are several economies kind of going parallel. And depending on who you are and where you are in the economy, your experience is just vastly different. I think that's always true to some extent, but I think it's especially true now.

[Todd Zwillick]

So one model that helps explain this, or even one letter, maybe if we were on Sesame street, is the letter K. Yes, it stands for the K shaped economy. Can you explain what that means and how it applies to the different economies that you're talking about.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

So if you just think of the letter K, there's the upper arm that goes up and the lower part that goes down. So that is essentially what people say is happening to the economy. One part of our economy is going gangbusters and that part is AI. AI now accounts for up to a third of market value. Like these companies are just making money hand over fist. And the markets have been rising, rising, rising. So people who have a lot of investments in the stock market who are part of these companies, they are having a great experience in the economy. 10% of the population in the country is now fueling half of all the spending. Now if you are not in that upper part of the economy, your experience of this economy is totally different. So the bottom part of the K shaped economy, lower income Americans, lower income workers were doing pretty well during the pandemic. There was a big shortage of workers. So companies were fighting to hire people. Wages started rising and they were rising especially fast for some of the workers who earned the lowest wages. It was one of the first times we'd seen that in a long time. It was really exciting. That is completely reversed course now. Those workers tend to be a little more vulnerable when the job market is not great like it is right now. Their wages are not keeping up with inflation like you mentioned, inflation is the cost of everything is going up. At the same time, they are not necessarily seeing the benefits of the part of the economy that's expanding.

[Todd Zwillick]

It feels like there might be sort of a doom loop scenario to what you're describing. I mean, AI is booming. At the same time, AI is also driving some of the layoffs that we've seen lately. Amazon comes to mind and we're told the promise of AI for the future is automation. Like a lot of the jobs on the lower part of the K are gonna be the ones that go. Frankly, maybe some of the jobs on the upper part of the K too for lawyers and you know, content creators, I guess. But the thing that's driving the economy and keeping it's like just neck above water might be the thing that drags it down in the medium and long term.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

Well, this is the big unknown. And this is the thing that I think could push the economy into a really deep trouble, which is we don't really know what AI is going to do. We don't really know which jobs it's ultimately going to replace. I think we're starting to see some of that happen. But most companies don't really know how to use AI yet or not to its full potential. So we're seeing AI kind of start to affect the economy. But a lot of this is speculation. A lot of these companies, there's worry that they could be way overvalued. And if that corrects itself, that could be a really, really dark stretch for us as a country. But, yeah, you're right. And while AI does seem to be coming more for white collar jobs, as they call them, like the knowledge economy, people who are higher earners, they tend to just have more flexibility and more options.

[Todd Zwillick]

So I want to talk a little bit about the politics of all this. We're hearing so much about affordability, and those concerns are real. But in the last sort of third of the Biden presidency, there was this phenomenon where a lot of the country was straining under high inflation. Everybody knew they were doing poorly. And here was the Biden administration and the President himself saying, what do you mean? Look at the employment numbers, look at the numbers on this spreadsheet I have. Everything's great. And nobody bought it because they weren't feeling it in their lives. And they, they really said so at election time. In a lot of ways. Then this very week, the exact same questions for Donald Trump just lost an off year election and he is absolutely certain that he has saved the economy and just the rest of us don't get it. Is it happening again?

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

I mean, I feel like President Trump does this all the time. Like he sort of tries to speak things into, into reality. But you make the really smart point that the Biden administration was doing the same thing where they were saying, no, no, no, look at the data, look at the data. It's true that workers were getting wages. It's true that the job part of the economy was pretty hot during the later part of the pandemic. It was also true that prices seem to be rising faster than wages. So even if we were getting raises, they didn't feel like raises because it bought less and less. And you know, when eggs are tripling in price and that's the cheapest form of protein and you're trying to feed your family, you know, a 10% raise isn't going to make up for the amount that we're seeing prices rise across the board. I think we're seeing exactly the same thing. I mean, President Trump largely campaigned. Well, one of the things he campaigned on was groceries. We're going to make groceries affordable, but the economy isn't really cooperating. Groceries are less affordable than they were. Tariffs obviously aren't helping that situation. But A lot of other forces are working, too. So we're seeing inflation rise, and people, I think, are increasingly feeling like they're getting left behind by this economy. And the upper part of the K feels like it's getting smaller and smaller.

[Todd Zwillick]

Well, if you ask Democrats this week, after winning the election, they might say that the K shaped economy, the KIDS stands for kick Trump's ass. In other words, this is why we won these states. Right. This is why we shifted blue in every county, because of affordability. I want to test that theory. Look, there's no question that affordability is super important to Americans, but it's also kind of the only language Democrats really know how to speak. And it makes me wonder if there's not kind of a confirmation bias here, that Democrats really love talking about the price of turkeys and the price of health care. Therefore, affordability is why we won.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

I think you're right. I think the Democrats need to be a little careful not to spike the football too much because prices are going to do what prices are going to do. And while politicians can have some effect on that, ultimately it's not an elected politician, Even a president that has a ton of control over something like inflation, that's more like the Federal Reserve's territory, which is part of why Trump is obsessed with controlling the Federal Reserve. And I feel like the economy is one of the easier things to talk about. It's tangible, there are numbers with it, like, eggs have gotten more expensive. But I think sometimes these are. These become kind of symbolic of other things we're feeling. It's like the way that we can express it or the thing we can pinpoint that helps us kind of articulate what we're feeling.

[Todd Zwillick]

And if affordability, egg prices and healthcare premiums are your love language, well, that's the one you're gonna speak, right?

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

Yes. And they are the. You know, these are important love languages. Right. We all care about, you know, we all care about acts of service, eggs, and healthcare.

[Todd Zwillick]

But politics, like love, is way deeper than the one thing you wanna talk about.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

Yes. Yes. I think what's so interesting and why I do like the term vibe session, is that there is something that's not entirely tangible about why our feelings shift. It's like just a vibe. The country's going in a certain direction and it doesn't feel good. And there are different reasons as to why. And I think you're right. It's easy to point to one thing, but I don't think it's one thing. I don't think the victory of Mamdani in New York, where I am from, is is because of entirely affordability or rent or any of that. I think it's a mix of things.

[Todd Zwillick]

What do you think happens next? We don't know where prices are going to go. But what do you expect to see next?

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

I mean, as far as prices, I think the Federal Reserve is in a tricky situation because generally if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, which would keep prices in check, it's bad for the economy. That has sort of this domino effect in the economy that tends to slow things down. The Federal Reserve's not going to do that. It's made it pretty clear it's prioritizing jobs for right now and jobs are not looking great. I think it's the highest rate in years and years of layoffs, almost a million layoffs. I think according to Challenger Grain, Christmas this year so far, which is just a lot. And if the Federal Reserve decides to address that and cuts interest rates, that's going to mean prices rise as the tariffs continue to kick in also, that's going to mean prices rise. So I think affordability is not going to improve anytime soon, unfortunately. I mean, in New York, Mom, Dani's, you know, saying he's going to freeze rent and things like that and the government can do things like that. But price controls historically have not been a great idea. They have not worked out very well. And I just think some of the forces in our economy are pushing prices up and are going to continue to do that.

[Todd Zwillick]

Stacy, thanks for joining us.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

Thank you, Todd. It was a pleasure.

[Todd Zwillick]

That was my conversation with Stacy Vanek Smith, reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and co host of their podcast and Everybody's Business. We'll get to more news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads.

[Americans United for Separation of Church and State Representative]

What a Day is brought to you by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. We're almost a year into the new administration and it's getting harder to read the news and see continued attacks on our First Amendment freedoms daily. Now is the time to look for the helpers, those who are strategically fighting day in and day out to preserve our constitutional freedoms. One of the organizations fighting the good fight is Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Their mission is to protect everyone's right to live as they choose, so long as they don't harm others. Au is fighting back and has filed 10 lawsuits so far to defend freedom from and freedom of religion in every aspect of our lives. Whether you're a supporter of public education, passionate about LGBTQ and reproductive rights, or some combination of all of it, AU relies on the help of its supporters to do this important work. You're also a what a day? Listener. So you get it. A threat against the rights of one American is a threat to all of us. If you're looking for something more to do to fight back against the growing authoritarianism in our country, consider joining Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Learn more by joining AU.org Crooked because church, state separation protects us all.

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[Stacy Vanek Smith]

Hey, welcome into Walgreens. Hi there.

[Todd Zwillick]

Hey. All right, hon.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

I'll grab the gift wrap cards and, oh, those stuffed animals the girls want.

[Americans United for Separation of Church and State Representative]

Great.

[Todd Zwillick]

And I'll grab the string lights and some. How about I grab some cough drops? This is not just a quick trip to Walgreens.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

I'm fine, honey.

[Todd Zwillick]

Well, just in case. You know what they say, tis the season. This is help staying healthy through the holidays. Walgreens. Here's what else we're following today.

[Stacy Vanek Smith]

Headlines.

[Sean Duffy]

People have asked me, why don't you find money for air traffic controllers? Like that's the purpose of a shutdown. I don't have access to money. I can't find dollars to pay them because the Congress said there is no money. And so we can't break the law. And so I can't. I can't pay them. I'd love to, but I can't.

[Todd Zwillick]

Transportation secretary and former Real World Boston star Sean Duffy joined Fox and Friends on Thursday to lament the longest ever government shutdown. And with good reason. Hundreds of flights across the country have been canceled because of the FAA's order to reduce air traffic at the country's busiest airports. Major hubs, including those in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, are Among those facing 10% reductions in air traffic. The cuts are meant to take pressure off of air traffic controllers who've gone without pay during the shutdown. The administration is also increasing pain on Americans, hoping it will put pressure on Democrats to reopen the government. Duffy says some have even started working outside jobs to make sure they can still put food on the table the shutdown has already led to a ton of flight delays. So what does this mean for holiday.

[Sean Duffy]

Travel as we come into Thanksgiving, if we're still in the shutdown posture? It's going to be rough out there, really rough, and we'll mitigate the safety side. But will you fly on time? Will your flight actually go that? That is yet to be seen, but there'll be more disruption.

[Todd Zwillick]

As for Congress, according to two people who spoke with Politico on condition of anonymity, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Republicans in a private lunch that he plans to hold a vote today that could pave the way to end the shutdown. And there is some good news. Kinda A federal judge in Rhode island on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to fully fund benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or snap, for November. The administration has been trying to hold back some of that money. Of course, they appealed the decision immediately.

[Etsy Holiday Ad Voice]

I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I've always honored the song of St. Francis. Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace, the anthem of our city. That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know I will not be seeking reelection to Congress.

[Todd Zwillick]

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is bringing her storied career to a close. Pelosi, who's represented San Francisco for nearly 40 years, announced in a video on Thursday that she won't seek reelection to the U.S. house. Pelosi was the first woman in the speaker's office and at 85, remains a political force. She wields influence and power like few politicians in Washington. Pelosi was an architect of the Affordable Care act during the Obama administration and was largely responsible behind the scenes in maneuvering a stubborn Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. Her decision comes as a seasoned generation of political leaders is stepping aside ahead of next year's midterm elections. So what's next for the people of San Francisco? California Attorney General Rob Bonta was quick to tell Politico that he'll endorse California State Senator Scott Wiener. Weiner spoke to Whataday's Matt Berg on Thursday about what he would do if he were elected. The state senator said in addition to, quote, saving the country from the psychopath in the White House, he would focus on what matters most, which is the cost of living around, you know, housing and health care and transportation and energy and issues that I've worked intensively on in the legislature and delivered on. And we take that national, weiner said back in October that he would run for the seat. He's among several Democrats vying to succeed Pelosi. The Supreme Court handed President Trump a win on Thursday. It allowed his administration to enforce, for now a policy that blocks transgender and non binary Americans from selecting passport sex markers that match their gender identity. The unsigned order from the court's conservative majority pauses a lower court ruling that required the State Department to keep issuing passports with male, female or ex options while the lawsuit plays out. In its opinion, the majority said that listing someone's sex at birth, quote, no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth. The three liberal justices dissented, warning that the policy could expose trans people to, quote, increased violence, harassment and discrimination. The decision marks the Trump administration's latest victory on the court's emergency docket and follows a similar ruling upholding his ban on transgender military service. John Davidson, senior counsel for the ACLU's LGBTQ NHIV project, said the ruling is, quote, fuel on the fire. The Trump administration is stoking against transgender people and their constitutional rights.

[Sean Charles Dunn]

And I am so happy that justice prevails in spite of everything happening.

[Todd Zwillick]

A man who threw a sandwich at a federal agent during President Trump's law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C. has been found not guilty of assault. The viral video of the sandwich toss back in August made Sean Charles Dunn a symbol of the resistance. Here he is speaking to reporters Thursday after being acquitted.

[Sean Charles Dunn]

And that night I believe that I was protecting the rights of immigrants. And let us not forget that the Great Seal of the United States says e pluribus unum. That means from many one, every life matters. No matter where you came from, no matter how you got here, no matter how you identify, you have the right to live a life that is free.

[Americans United for Separation of Church and State Representative]

Thank you, Sean.

[Donald Trump]

What does that have to do with.

[Sean Duffy]

Throwing a sandwich, though?

[Todd Zwillick]

While there was no question of whether Dunn threw a Subway sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent, his lawyers argued the act of protest was a, quote, harmless gesture protected by the First Amendment. Dunn had also chanted, quote, shame toward the agents who were in front of a club hosting a Latin night. And according to police, he said, quote, why are you here? I don't want you in my city. The Justice Department initially sought a felony assault indictment against Dunn, but the grand jury refused to sign off. The office of U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro then charged him with a misdemeanor. Dunn's acquittal on Thursday is just another setback for prosecutors. And that's the news. Before we go on this week's Runaway Country Alex Wagner hears from people directly impacted by the fallout of the longest government shutdown in US History, from spiking healthcare premiums to missing food stamps. Plus, Chris Hayes joins to break down the week's big wins for Democrats. Listen on the Runaway country feed or watch on the Runaway Country YouTube channel. That's all for today. If you like this show, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and be mindful of your topping choices when assembling your next advocacy projectile. And tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how the federal agent that Sean Dunn targeted with a 12 inch sub testified in federal court, how the impact filled his nose with the aroma of onions and mustard and the sandwich quote exploded all over his chest. Like me. What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Todd Zwillick reminding you to eat fresh. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Emily Foer and Chris Allport. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Joanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Kaitlin Plummer and Ethan Oberman. Our senior news producer is Erica Morrison and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adrienne Hill. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka and our production staff is proudly unionized with Writers Guild of America East.

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[Todd Zwillick]

Woo hoo.

[Etsy Holiday Ad Voice]

Now that's special. Want to hear it again? Get original and affordable gifts from small shops on Etsy. For gifts that say I get you shop Etsy.

[Dan Pashman]

What is the secret to making great toast?

[Todd Zwillick]

Oh, you're just gonna go in with the hard hitting questions.

[Dan Pashman]

I'm Dan Pashman from the Sporkful. We like to say it's not for foodies, it's for eaters. We use food to learn about culture, history and science. There was the time we looked into allegations of discrimination at Bon Appetit or when I spent three years inventing a new pasta shape.

[Todd Zwillick]

It's a complex noodle that you've put.

[Dan Pashman]

Together every episode of the Sporkful. You're going to learn something, feel something and laugh. The Sporkful. Get it wherever you get your podcasts.