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The semi-announcement of a Trump-Putin meeting coming as the deadline for punishing sanctions against Russia approaches raises the question of whether the president will go through with those sanctions or delay them. And the tariffs begin, with unknown consequences—but then, the consequences have thus far been surprising. And are we understanding the Democratic bad poll numbers right? Give a listen.
Last week, President Trump ramped up pressure on two favorite targets: elite universities and Fed Chair Jerome Powell. In the “War on Woke U,” the administration landed a $50 million settlement from Brown—the third Ivy to cut a deal—and added Duke and UCLA to the hit list with new civil rights probes and a funding cutoff. Meanwhile, after the Fed held rates steady, Trump escalated his campaign to oust Powell, denouncing him as a “stubborn MORON” on Truth Social.
In this episode, Cato scholars break down the Art of the Forcible Deal. What risks do Trump’s pressure tactics pose for monetary stability? Will they reform broken institutions—or just deepen their politicization? And is Trump’s strongarm approach an aberration, or a preview of the modern presidency’s future?
Featuring Gene Healy, Ryan Bourne, Emily Ekins, and Jeffrey Miron
Show Notes:
David Beckworth, “The Consolidated Government Budget Constraint Does Not Care About Your Fed Independence Feelings,” Substack (July 25, 2025)
Ryan Bourne, “A Case for Federal Deficit Reduction,” Cato Policy Analysis no. 973 (April 18, 2024)
Michael Chapman, “A Win for Liberty: Congress Defunds CPB, NPR, and PBS,” Cato@Liberty (July 23, 2025)
Jeffrey A. Miron and Jacob P. Winter, “Giving Up Federal Funds Would Do Harvard Good,” Harvard Crimson (April 30, 2025)
Norbert Michel and Jai Kedia, “A Check-In on the Fed: Why Politically Motivated Monetary Policy Is Dangerous and Counterproductive,” Cato Video (July 22, 2025)
How did Europe move from a collection of impoverished city states and kingdoms to a prosperous state of affairs? Europeans learned the value of contracts, private property, and the limited power of the state, and in turn, they flourished.
When you think of evil, characters like Hannibal Lecter, the Joker, and Michael Myers probably come to mind.
But what is evil really? Evil can take different forms: sadistic and brutal, but it can also be boring and normalized.
During the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann, political philosopher Hannah Arendt reported on the trial for the New Yorker Magazine. Her journalism became incredibly controversial due to her account of Eichmann, viewing him as “banal,” “normal,” and a “clown.”
Learn about the “banality of evil,” what it means, how it can be used to interpret Nazi Germany, and its controversy on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
There is much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair by just about every leader in the West, especially by an almost apoplectic President Trump, over a so-called “sinister threat” by the BRICS.
President Trump's new round of tariffs took effect today. It will bring in billions of dollars to the government, in part paid for by U.S. importers who can decide whether to pass that cost onto American families. But are these tariffs legal?
Today on the show, the arguments for and against the president's tariffs and what happens to that tariff revenue if Trump loses.
In 1960, a commercial flight was struck by a flock of birds, resulting in a deadly crash. Evidence was sent to the Smithsonian, where a woman named Roxie Laybourne successfully identified the species of bird involved. That case began her career as the first forensic ornithologist – and Laybourne’s work is the subject of Chris Sweeney’s new book, The Feather Detective. In today’s episode, Sweeney joins NPR’s Scott Simon for a conversation about Laybourne’s unique expertise, her influence on aviation safety, and the sexism she faced as a female scientist.
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
One cannot deny that American institutions have been corrupted by leftist thought, which demonstrates the success of Italian communist Antonio Gramsci's call to bring about socialism in the West by eroding the institutional barriers against it.
