Cato Podcast - Shutdowns and Shadow Dockets

The federal government shuts down as the Supreme Court returns. Our panel looks at the Trump team’s plan to use the shutdown for mass layoffs —and previews a new Supreme Court term packed with big fights over tariffs, emergency powers, and the future of “independent” agencies.


Featuring: Ryan Bourne, Gene Healy, Thomas Berry, and Jeffrey Miron



Romina Boccia, "Thoughts About The Impending Government Shutdown," The Debt Dispatch, September 30, 2025.

Jeffrey Miron, "Some Libertarians Cheer When Government Shuts Down: Here's Why They Shouldn't," Vox, January 21, 2018.

Ryan Bourne, "The Libertarian Experiment That Isn't," Cato at Liberty blog, January 11, 2019.

Thomas A. Berry, Brent Skorup, and Charles Brandt, "Learning Resources v. Trump," Cato Amicus Brief, July 30, 2025.




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The Indicator from Planet Money - How close is the US to crony capitalism?

We have seen a blurring of boundaries between government and business under President Trump. It has some political commentators ringing the alarm bell over something called “crony capitalism" — a corrupt system where political power meets big business. Today on the show, is the Trump administration nudging the U.S. further down the road toward crony capitalism? 

Related episodes: 
China’s trade war perspective 

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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Chapo Trap House - PANIC WORLD: The Big Dumb Weather Conspiracy with Chapo Trap House

Like many things, there used to be a bipartisan consensus that in a disaster, you help as many people get through it as quickly and safely as possible. In the past 20+ years, though, we’ve seen a shift in how the right responds to climate catastrophes — including building out a robust selection of conspiracy theories from chemtrails to Flat Earth. Will Menaker from Chapo Trap House joins us to discuss right-wing conspiracy theories about the weather, the climate, and whether we’re living on a discworld. Our guest is Will Menaker, host of Chapo Trap House. Their Movie Mindset series returns in October for spooky season, and you can also buy their new Year Zero comic book here: https://badegg.co/products/year-zero-1. Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our Discord? There’s still a week left to get your first month for just $0.50 by signing up for our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld. Enter “PANICYEAR” at checkout for 90% the first month. And if you want to see this conversation on video, ⁠Panic World is now posting episodes to YouTube!

Consider This from NPR - Trump’s economy is marked by uncertainty. What could more tariffs mean for you?

When President Trump came into office, he promised to fuel an economic boom with a magic bullet: tariffs. They're taxes added to a wide range of imports. And money is coming in, more than $30 billion a month so far. 

Eight months into Trump's second term, it’s unclear what the larger impact of these tariffs will have on the economy. Despite that, the president keeps promising to roll out new ones. NPR's Chief Economic Correspondent Scott Horsley explains.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Erika Ryan, Kathryn Fink and Lauren Hodges. It was edited by Adam Raney, Courtney Dorning and Raphael Nam. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The Commentary Magazine Podcast - The Shutdown Comedy

So the federal government has "shut down," which it really hasn't, actually, and here we go again. Or will this really be a huge showdown, given that three Democrats have already voted against it and show they don't want to play this game (another six and the shutdown ends). Also: what is this ludicrous "scoop" from human dreidel Barak Ravid about how Trump had to yell at Netanyahu to get Bibi to agree to a deal that gives Bibi everything he wants? Give a listen.


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More or Less: Behind the Stats - Has Donald Trump ended seven ‘unendable’ wars?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:

US President Donald Trump claims he has ended seven “unendable” wars. Is that true?

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 for the first six months of 2025. What do you need to know about that stat?

The Daily Mail has described a recent scientific paper as describing a global cancer “explosion”. Is that the whole story?

And why have Oxford and Cambridge dropped down a university league table?

If you’ve seen a number you think we should take a look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Nathan Gower and Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon

The Indicator from Planet Money - Why is everyone buying gold?

Gold is on fire right now with some gold ETFs outperforming the major stock indexes over the past 12 months. Gold is supposed to be boring, an inflation hedge. But right now, it's responding to something else. Today on the show, we talk to a finance professor about what’s behind the current gold rush and if gold’s hot streak is built to last. 

Understanding Gold by Claud B. Erb and Campbell R. Harvey

Related episodes: 

A new-ish gold rush and other indicators

Gold Rush 2.0

A secret weapon to fight inflation

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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Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova - Will Eric Adams’s Exit Change the NYC Mayoral Election?

Eric Adams is out of the NYC mayoral race! Nate and Maria discuss his tenure as mayor, the timing of his announcement, and what this means for the remaining candidates. And — because it can be hard to remember a time before his multiple scandals and single-digit polling — they talk about the enthusiasm that once surrounded Adams, and what that arc says about the Democratic leadership vacuum. (And yes, they talk about Nate’s tweet).

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The Leap from Maria Konnikova

Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver 

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Consider This from NPR - Ukraine’s scrappy wartime innovation

NPR’s National Security Correspondent Greg Myre spent the summer reporting on the war in Ukraine. He saw the devastation of the conflict. But he also saw something else: the country leveraging its resources at home to meet the moment…including in Lviv where they’re racing to make as many of their own weapons as fast as they can.


And at a hospital near the frontlines in central Ukraine where Ukraine's neurosurgeons are conducting state-of-the-art operations with cutting-edge technology.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by David West and Matt Ozug. It was edited by Andrew Sussman. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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