Category: Series

Surveys used to gauge optimism or pessimism about the economy may be interesting to read, but unless they are the product of sound and realistic economic theory, they are not economically useful.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/can-surveys-provide-insight-state-economy

Baby bond fever is catching on. In recent years, states like Connecticut have been experimenting with giving newborns government-seeded accounts that grow tax-free until they are 18. Now, President Trump's signature tax and spending bill will give a thousand dollars to every U.S.-born baby through 2028. On today's show, what are baby bonds and could they help tackle wealth inequality?

Related:
Baby bonds, proportional representation, and no left turns
Could cash payments ease recessions?
Building generational wealth in rural America

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Most people believe that ours is a “free-market” healthcare system, but nothing could be further from the truth. A true market-based system as explained here would be less costly and more oriented to patient care.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/key-elements-market-based-health-system

Europeans are being forced into an energy transition through debt-fueled spending that will lead to permanently higher energy prices and stifle European competitiveness. This won‘t change the climate, but it will make the people poorer.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/energy-transition-tool-fascist-capitalism

Human reason, wrote Ludwig von Mises, is the basis for civilization itself. Western civilization, he said, was built upon economic progress that sprang from reason. However, he also warned that if the West abandoned sound economics, it would trigger its demise.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/human-reason-foundation-civilization

We’re living through boom-times for Artificial Intelligence, with more and more of us using AI assistants like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Grok and Copilot to do basic research and writing tasks.

But what is the environmental impact of these technologies?

Many listeners have got in touch with More or Less to ask us to investigate various claims about the energy and water use of AI.

One claim in particular has caught your attention - the idea that the equivalent of a small bottle of drinking water is consumed by computer processors every time you ask an AI a question, or get it to write a simple email.

So, where does that claim come from, and is it true?

Reporter: Paul Connolly Producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: Donald McDonald Editor: Richard Vadon