Audio Mises Wire - Can Econometric Models Fulfill the Role of an Economic Laboratory?

Mainstream economists claim that they can use econometric models to emulate human action and, thus, create an economic laboratory. These models, however, cannot tell us about cause-and-effect, which is vital to understanding praxeology and economic behavior.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/can-econometric-models-fulfill-role-economic-laboratory

The Indicator from Planet Money - What we’re reading on the beach this summer

It's time for our annual beach reading recs. Today we bring you three books, with a little economic learning to boot. Our recs:

Who is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis
El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott
Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language by Adam Aleksic

Related episodes:
Beach reading with a side of economics How to beach on a budget
How to beach on a budget

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Audio Mises Wire - Will Jamaica Become a Republic?

Long a constitutional monarchy with ties to Great Britain, many in Jamaica are looking to end the old relationship and become a republic. But is this movement simply a reaction to anti-colonialism, and what kind of constitution would the new republic create? So far, no answers.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/will-jamaica-become-republic

Consider This from NPR - Deep-sea mining is unregulated. Some want to forge ahead anyway

The Trump administration announced this past week that it has entered talks with the Cook Islands to research and develop seabed mineral resources.

The Polynesian archipelago is one of only a handful of countries worldwide that has begun permitting this type of exploration, called deep-sea mining.

Deep-sea mining is not regulated. There's no blueprint for how to do it safely, or responsibly. Which is why, for the last decade, the UN's International Seabed Authority has worked to draw up regulations.

But President Trump — and one Canadian company — have posed a question: Why wait?

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Pod Save America - Pete Buttigieg Thinks Democrats Can’t Go Back

Pete Buttigieg—former South Bend mayor, 2020 presidential candidate, and Transportation Secretary—sits down with Jon Favreau to discuss how much of the status quo Democrats should aim to restore (if any) if they win in 2026, what the party needs to change to effectively message around Trump’s broken promises, and what Pete thinks of JD Vance’s rapid ascent to power—and the values he’s abandoned along the way. Then, Lovett joins Jon to answer listener questions about building a Democratic Project 2029, our nation’s new gerrymandering war, and whether Barack Obama is right about ketchup’s place on a burger.

Audio Mises Wire - US Travel Restrictions for Cuba Violate the Freedoms of Americans and Cubans

A relic of the Cold War, the US embargo and travel restrictions to Cuba violate American freedoms and they accomplish nothing to end Cuba's communist regime or win freedom for Cubans. Yet, this failed policy has persisted for nearly 65 years with no end in sight.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/us-travel-restrictions-cuba-violate-freedoms-americans-and-cubans

More or Less: Behind the Stats - Why it matters that Trump fired data chief

On Friday 1st August the US Bureau of Labor Statistics put out their job report data for August. It included revisions to their estimates for the jobs created in May and June which stated there were 258,000 fewer jobs than they had previously estimated. This news was not received well by the White House. President Trump fired the head of the bureau, Erika McEntarfer, calling the numbers ‘phony, rigged, a scam’ and spreading conspiracy theories that McEntarfer had fudged the data. We speak to economist Michael Strain from the American Enterprise Institute, to understand why the revisions happened and the potential consequences of throwing doubt on one of the US’s most important statistical agencies. If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Lizzy McNeill Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Production Co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge Sound mix: Neil Churchill Editor: Sam Bonham