Cato Podcast - The Shutdown That Solved Nothing

Romina Boccia, Michael F. Cannon, and Adam Michel break down the 43-day government shutdown driven by demands to extend temporary Obamacare subsidies for upper-income households earning well into six figures. The trio examines how the stalemate exposed deeper structural problems: runaway entitlement growth, perverse state incentives, a fragile food stamp and air-traffic control system, and a federal budget process unable to handle partisan deadlock.

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What A Day - The U.S. Takes Aim At Venezuela

This week, President Donald Trump told reporters that he would be willing to hold talks with Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. His statements came as the Navy’s largest aircraft carrier arrived in the Caribbean Sea. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has conducted weeks of attacks on alleged drug boats off the coast of the South American country. But these drug trafficking allegations might just be a distraction from the real focus of Trump’s Venezuela ire. Over the weekend, Politico published a piece alleging that White House officials have begun planning for a “post-Maduro” Venezuela, including different options for countries to exile him to. To talk more about Venezuela, regime change, and the perils of war in South America, we spoke with Juan Sebastian Gonzalez, former National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere under President Joe Biden.

And in headlines, President Trump is meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince at the White House, the United Nations Security Council approves Trump’s plan for the future of Gaza, and the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey may be faltering.

Show Notes:


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The Indicator from Planet Money - How to make switching jobs not terrifying

The U.S. labor market is stagnant right now, with little hiring and lots of people holding onto their jobs for dear life. In Denmark, there’s a different kind of labor system where it’s easy for employers to hire and fire, but at the same time people have a strong safety net in-between jobs. Today on the show, we learn how “flexicurity” works through the story of a Danish woman who left her job, and we ask how the model could work in the U.S. 

Related episodes:
Why do we live in unusually innovative times?
How Marxism went from philosophy to cudgel
Ozempic's biggest side effect: Turning Denmark into a 'pharmastate'? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Translation from Jasmine Lolila. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Have the Epstein Files Broken MAGA?

You can’t really blame Donald Trump for thinking he could just handwave away the Epstein Files. But for the first time in what feels like forever, his base, the GOP, and his own desires don’t quite align. 

Guest: Will Sommer, senior reporter at the Bulwark. 

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.


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What A Day - Were There Any Winners In The Government Shutdown?

The longest government shutdown in American history ended last week, thanks to 8 Senate Democrats giving up the fight to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. The infighting between Democrats hasn't stopped since. But what if Democrats' caving was actually a good thing? Tim Miller of the Bulwark joins the show to discuss how the Democrats may be in a prime strategic position as Republicans deal with scandals, skyrocketing costs of living and healthcare, and several MAGA faithful turning on Trump.

And in headlines: President Trump sends federal agents to Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of his ongoing immigration crackdown, Marjorie Taylor Greene continues feuding with Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announces a new gas deal with Greece.

Show Notes:


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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - The National Guard Is Asking Questions

Trump can’t seem to decide if the National Guard is needed in American cities to stop violent crime, or to assist ICE deportations, or something else entirely. And the lack of a clear and present crisis is starting to make some Guard members uncomfortable. 

Guest: Kat Lonsdorf, news reporter for National Public Radio.

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The Indicator from Planet Money - The winner’s curse

Ever put in the winning bid for something on an auction site only to realize you significantly overpaid? Yeah, there’s a phrase for that. On today’s show: the winner’s curse.

Richard Thaler’s new book with Alex O. Imas is The Winner’s Curse: Behavioral Economics Anomalies, Then and Now.

Read Planet Money’s newsletter on the winner’s curse

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | How Meta Profits Off Fraud

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, doesn’t (just) have a scam problem—with 10 percent of its revenue coming from scam ads, and a third of all successful scams in America using a Meta platform at some point, it’s more an interdependence with scammers.

Guest: Jeff Horwitz, tech reporter for Reuters.

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