Category: Series

BRICS is an economic alliance of countries that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and several other nations. They met earlier this month to discuss everything from international law to global health. President Trump, however, is not a fan of BRICS and threatened members with increased tariffs.

So why has this alliance generated so much animosity from the President? Today on the show, we talk to the economist who coined the term "BRICs" about the origins of the group and why the international economic organizations have been western dominated for so long.

Related episodes:
China's trade war perspective
Is the US pushing countries towards China?

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Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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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

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 Cooper Katz McKim. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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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