Mostly Economics

Episodes

• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #58: Is Donald Trump the Picasso of Corruption with Brendan Ballou 29.10.2026 41m

  Does the government even care about the rule of law if the president of the United States can sell early access to his announcements for $100K a month? That’s how Trump’s using his Truth Social’s data feed, and it’s just one of several schemes former federal prosecutor and returning guest Brendan Ballou of the Public Integrity Project unpacks with Dean Baker on the latest episode of Mostly Economics.  -- Follow Brendan Ballouhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social https://www.instagram.com/brendanballou/  Follow Dean Baker and CEPRhttps://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #57: What Can Be Done to Stop Local News from Disappearing with Matt Pearce 22.10.2026 47m

  On the latest episode of Mostly Economics, host Dean Baker talks with Matt Pearce, director of policy at Rebuild Local News and former LA Times reporter and guild president, about the Community Newsroom and Sustainability Act. The bill – signed into law by Governor Newsom at the end of September – would be the largest local news investment of its kind in US history, and it's paid for by ending a tax break for excess CEO pay.  This episode was recoded before the bill was signed.
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #56: Solve It At the State and Local Level with Joel Rogers 15.10.2026 42m

  What if most of the problems we blame on Washington could be solved in our own statehouses and city halls? The Right figured out years ago that they could wield considerable power at the local level. On this episode of Mostly Economics, Dean Baker talks with Joel Rogers, the Noam Chomsky Professor of Law, Public Affairs, and Sociology at the University of Wisconsin and the director of the High Road Center, about how progressives can catch up by raising minimum wages, matching small-dollar campaign donations, cutting energy waste, and organizing locally to win.Learn more:High Road Strategy
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #55: Who pays when the AI bubble bursts with Ed Zitron 08.10.2026 44m

  Today, Ed Zitron, renowned AI critic and writer of Where's Your Ed At, returns to Mostly Economics with Dean Baker to follow the money trail of today’s AI ‘revolution.’ They dig into Amazon's strange $8 billion chip deal, Oracle's mounting debt troubles, and the hundreds of billions in computing bills coming due for OpenAI and Anthropic. They warn that Wall Street made the bets and regular people will bear the losses. Why does it always seem to work out this way?  -- www.mostlyeconomics.com --  Follow Ed Zitron:  https://x.com/edzitron  https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com  Follow Dean Baker and CEPR:  https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc  https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #54: Can the AI Bubble Wipe Out Your Retirement with Helaine Olen 02.10.2026 53m

  Today, Dean Baker speaks with Helaine Olen of the American Economic Liberties Project about how regular people can protect their savings when the AI bubble bursts. Which index funds limit your exposure? Should you rebalance? Are bonds really safe? And why should crypto and private equity stay out of your 401(k)? If you have a retirement account (and even if you don’t), you should tune in._____Follow Helaine Olenhttps://x.com/helaineolenhttps://bsky.app/profile/helaineolen.bsky.socialFollow Dean Baker and CEPRhttps://x.com/deanbaker13  https://x.com/ceprdc  https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #53: Get Dark Money Out of American Politics with Tiffany Muller 24.09.2026 40m

  In today's Mostly Economics episode, Dean takes a sobering look at the many levers of corruption shaping US politics with Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United. They discuss the influence of AI and big money on politics, the impact of the Citizens United decision, the consequences of a captured Supreme Court, and potential reforms to restore democracy. Muller also highlights the role of campaign finance, media control, and state-level initiatives in shaping America’s democratic future.
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #52: Rebuilding Worker Power with Heidi Shierholz 17.09.2026 44m

  Dean Baker has a conversation with EPI president Heidi Shierholz about her new report, The Case for Tripling Union Membership. They discuss the economic benefits of boosting unionization rates, why employers can get away with union busting so often, and policy fixes like the PRO Act. This episode paints a clear picture of what is standing between workers joining unions and creating a world of greater economic equality. -- Read EPI's new report: https://tinyurl.com/ycx4ah68 Follow Follow Heidi Shierholz and EPI https://x.com/EconomicPolicy https://bsky.app/profile/epi.org  -- Follow Dean and CEPR  https://x.com/deanbaker13  https://x.com/ceprdc  https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #51: Boycott Starbucks with Vicente Martinez 10.09.2026 32m

  Dean Baker speaks with Vicente Martinez, a Texas-based barista of eight years, about the Starbucks Workers Union new boycott campaign launched after five years of stalled talks with the company. Vicente recounts their own experience with understaffing, fighting to get enough hours to make a living wage and qualify for the basic benefits that Starbucks boasts it provides its workers. -- Support Starbucks Workers Union https://www.boycottstarbucks.net Follow Dean and CEPR https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics #50: Iran War, the West Bank, and Medicare for All with Ro Khanna 03.09.2026 30m

  Rep. Ro Khanna joins Dean Baker to talk about the Iran war and his firsthand account of settler violence in the West Bank. He also makes the case for lowering the Medicare age to 50, calling it the kind of pragmatic, wage-boosting policy that would appeal to working class voters. -- Learn about Representative Ro Khannahttps://khanna.house.gov/https://x.com/RoKhanna Follow Dean Baker and CEPR https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #49: The Economy We Deserve with Gerald Epstein 27.08.2026 45m

  In a recent conversation, Dean Baker welcomed Gerald Epstein, PERI/UMass Professor of Economics, to discuss the innovative collection of policy essays titled Game Changers: Economic Policies for a Working America. This project, comprising contributions from around 40 experts, aims to propose transformative economic policies that could reshape the landscape for working Americans. These are ideas worth sharing with your home state's elected officials. -- Follow Dean Baker and CEPR https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social Read Game Changers https://peri.umass.edu/gamechangers/
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #48: US Control over the International Financial System with Mark Weisbrot 20.08.2026 40m

  Dean Baker speaks with economist and CEPR co-founder and co-director Mark Weisbrot about the rare conditions that prompted the IMF to issue a lifeline to developing countries in the form of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) in 2021, defying the US treasury. Allocating SDRs helped the global south, but it was just as much a rescue mission for the global economy, an action that had the support of Wall Street. Dean and Mark also discuss the US' deadly blockade and widespread sanctions regime that continues to immiserate the people of Cuba, Venezuela, and other sovereign nations opposed to US hegemony. --
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #47: Disposable Workers with Paul Osterman 13.08.2026 39m

  Dean Baker talks with MIT economist Paul Osterman about his new book, Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment. Osterman explains how employers avoid W-2 responsibility for workers through contracting, freelancing, and "marginal" jobs, now affecting roughly 35% of the workforce, and what it means for pay, safety, and job security.--Follow Dean Baker and CEPR https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #46: Tariffs, Trade Deficits, and Vibes with Josh Bivens 06.08.2026 53m

  Is AI spending the only thing keeping US growth alive? Dean Baker and EPI chief economist Josh Bivens dig into that question. They also explain how a financial transactions tax mainly eliminates wasteful Wall Street trading, plus tariff chaos and manufacturing's decline. -- Follow Josh Bivenshttps://bsky.app/profile/joshbivens-econ.bsky.social Follow Dean Baker and CEPR https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #45: Nobody Wins a Trade War with Chad P. Bown 30.07.2026 54m

  Chad Bown, Peterson Institute for International Economics economist, joins Dean Baker to discuss his new book (co-authored with Soumaya Keynes), How to Win a Trade War. They dig into the real gains from trade, why locking in agreements matters more than tariff levels, lessons from 1980s Japanese auto restraints, and why China's chokehold on rare earths and chips is the trade war actually worth fighting. --- Follow Chad P. Bown https://x.com/ChadBown https://bsky.app/profile/chadpbown.com Follow Dean Baker and CEPR https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #44: How Patents Made Our Medicine Cost More with Tahir Amin 23.07.2026 43m

  On this episode of Mostly Economics, Dean Baker talks with Tahir Amin, co-founder and CEO of I-MAK and co-author of Pharma Monopoly, about how drug patents drove up prices and blocked vaccines during the pandemic. Find out how a drug like Humira made $114 billion off patent monopolies and more. -- Follow Tahir Amin https://bsky.app/profile/tahiramin.bsky.social https://x.com/realtahiramin Follow Dean Baker and CEPR: https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #43: Millions Lose Health Insurance with Sabrina Corlette 16.07.2026 41m

  This week on Mostly Economics, Dean Baker talks with Sabrina Corlette, Research Professor at Georgetown University's Center on Healthcare Insurance Reforms, about the ramifications of Trump's one big ugly bill, which gutted Affordable Care Act coverage. People are grappling with expired subsidies as well as new rules that severely harm documented immigrants. Dean and Sabrina also discuss private equity's damage to our health care system. --- Follow Sabrina Corelette, J.D. https://x.com/SabrinaCorlette https://bsky.app/profile/sabrinacorlette.bsky.social Follow Dean Baker and CEPR: https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #42: Hope is not a Plan with Matt Sedlar 09.07.2026 44m

  Dean Baker sits down with CEPR climate analyst Matt Sedlar to unpack how Trump's cuts to FEMA and NOAA are leaving states, especially poorer Republican ones in Appalachia, dangerously exposed. They cover insurance markets pulling out of Florida and California, the fight over community driven relocation, and why real resiliency means building communities back stronger.Follow Matt Sedlar:https://x.com/mattsedlarhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattsedlar.bsky.social Follow Dean Baker and CEPR: https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #41: Race, Jobs, and Justice under Trump with Algernon Austin 02.07.2026 45m

  Algernon Austin, director of Race and Economic Justice at CEPR, joins Dean Baker to examine how the Trump administration is reversing black economic progress through DOGE cuts, military purges, weakened affirmative action, and the Supreme Court's assault on voting rights. They also discuss solutions, including a national jobs guarantee. --- Follow Algernon Austin https://bsky.app/profile/a-austin.bsky.social https://www.twitter.com/algernon_austin Follow Dean Baker and CEPR: https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #40: Greenspan's Legacy and the New Fed Chair with Jared Bernstein 25.06.2026 46m

  On today's episode, Dean Baker and Jared Bernstein reflect on Alan Greenspan's legacy, from his bold full employment experiment in the 1990s to his failure to address financial bubbles. Jared and Dean speculate about what Kevin Warsh's Fed tenure could mean for workers and policy transparency at the Federal Reserve. -- Follow Jared Bernstein: https://econjared.substack.com Follow Dean Baker and CEPR: https://x.com/deanbaker13 https://x.com/ceprdc https://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social
• 
  Mostly Economics Podcast #39: When Companies Run the Courts with Brendan Ballou 18.06.2026 40m

  What if every new service contract you've signed secretly stripped away your right to sue? Senior Economist and CEPR co-founder Dean Baker speaks with Brendan Ballou, former federal prosecutor and founder of the Public Integrity Project, about his new book When Companies Run the Courts. From the McDonald's coffee case to the Supreme Court, forced arbitration is reshaping American justice and our rights. --Follow Brendan Ballou https://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.socialhttps://www.instagram.com/brendanballou/ Follow Dean Baker and CEPR: https://x.com/deanbaker13https://x.com/ceprdchttps://bsky.app/profile/deanbaker13.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/ceprdc.bsky.social