The standard argument for government services is that only government can build enough roads to meet transportation needs. However, the disconnect between production and consumer choice ensures misallocation of resources under government roads, including traffic congestion.
Untruths sneak into our lives in all kinds of ways. Sometimes they’re outright lies. Blatant misinformation.
But in this episode, we’re going to talk about something else - those sneaky numbers and claims that bounce around our society and that aren’t exactly false, but are leading you down the wrong path.
That’s the subject of a book called May Contain Lies by Alex Edmans, a professor of finance at London Business School.
Tim talks to Alex about the statistical claims that might not be wrong, but aren’t right either – and how to make sure you aren’t fooled by them yourself.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Andrew Garratt
Editor: Richard Vadon
When politicians intervene in the economy, they often do it in the name of mitigating “greed” or “profiteering.” While they can pass laws regulating prices and the like, they cannot repeal economic laws. Instead, they can only make things worse.
John Ondrasik, the superstar pop-rock singer of "Superman" and "100 Years," joins the podcast today to discuss the latest with Iran, his own journey into pro-Israel activism, and the moral framework of American foreign policy and our armed forces. Give a listen.
Carl Hiaasen and John Seabrook are out with new books that draw from their personal experiences in order to tell distinctly American stories. First, many of the scenarios in the novel Fever Beach were inspired by Hiaasen's experience living in Florida. The book satirizes the white nationalist movement, following a ragtag militia that forms when its leader is kicked out of the Proud Boys. In today's episode, Hiaasen speaks with Here & Now's Robin Young about striking a balance between satire and reality. Then, New Jersey's Seabrook Farms was once called the biggest vegetable factory on earth. But the family that ran it – according to John Seabrook – was backstabbing, alcoholic, and ruthless. In The Spinach King, Seabrook tells the true story behind his family's empire. In today's episode, he joins NPR's Ari Shapiro for a conversation about the man behind Seabrook Farms, the violence that underlies large fortunes, and family betrayal.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Caleb O. Brown hosted the Cato Daily Podcast for nearly 18 years, producing well over 4000 episodes. He has gone on to head Kentucky’s Bluegrass Institute. This is one among the best episodes produced in his tenure, selected by the host and listeners.
An engineer and brewer thought he would take up home distilling as a hobby, but he then learned it’s a federal crime. In Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury, he’s fighting back. The Buckeye Institute’s Robert Alt explains.
Kevin Roberts, Kellyanne Conway, Ben Rhodes and I battled it out a few weeks ago on a stage in Toronto.
This was for a Munk Debate on the motion: “Be it resolved, this is America’s Golden Age.” It might not surprise you that I was arguing the negative, alongside Rhodes, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama and the co-host of “Pod Save the World.” Roberts and Conway were on the other side. Roberts is the president of the Heritage Foundation and an architect of Project 2025. Conway was Donald Trump’s senior counselor in his first term.
The Munk Debates organization has kindly let us share the audio of that debate with you.
If you haven’t heard of the Munk Debates, you should really check it out. It’s a Canadian nonprofit that, for more than 15 years, has been hosting discussions on contentious, thought-provoking topics. If you go to its site and become a supporter, you can watch the entire video archive. A classic I recommend: “Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world” with Tony Blair debating Christopher Hitchens.
Note: This recording has not been fact-checked by our team.
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One of the most common types of plants in the world is grass.
Grass is almost everywhere. An enormous part of the landmass on Earth is covered with grass.
Grass isn’t just stuff in a field that cows eat, although that is part of it. Grasses also include some of the most economically important plants in the world.
On many different levels, our civilization would not exist if it weren’t for grass.
Learn more about grass, what it is, and its important role in the world on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.