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

The Indicator from Planet Money - More for Palantir, less for mRNA, and a disaster database redemption arc

It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.

On today's episode: Palantir crosses a billion dollars in quarterly revenue (what do they actually do again?); mRNA vaccine research gets a big cut in RFK Jr's health department; and a climate disaster database gets a new lease on life.

Related episodes:
How Palantir, the secretive tech company, is rising in the Trump era
An indicator lost: big disaster costs
Moonshot in the arm

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Audio Mises Wire - The Last Day of Barter and Questions for the First Day of Chartalism

In examining the Austrian Regression Theorem of Money, Joshua Mawhorter takes on the Chartalist/MMT claim that government gives money its value. The Chartalist/MMT advocates lack a necessary cause-and-effect mechanism to prove their claims.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/last-day-barter-and-questions-first-day-chartalism