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Mostly Economics

Mostly Economics

Center for Economic and Policy Research and Dean Baker 58 episodes Nov 5, 2026

Mostly Economics is a weekly podcast hosted by Dean Baker, a senior economist and co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. The show examines how US economic policies affect everyday life, from household budgets to global trade relationships. New episodes are released every Thursday. The production credits include Lisa N. Burnam, Arturo Valladolid, Madison Belo, and Daniel Stone.

Episodes

Mostly Economics #59: Protectionism Disguised as Free Trade with Lori Wallach
Mostly Economics #59: Protectionism Disguised as Free Trade with Lori Wallach Nov 5, 2026 53:37 Dean Baker sits down with Lori Wallach, Director of Rethink Trade, to discuss what trade agreements really do, including the protectionist provisions often hidden inside them and their impact on public health, innovation, and jobs. Wallach explains how corporate interests hijacked trade policy and what it would take to build a fairer, more balanced global trading system.
Mostly Economics Podcast #58: Is Donald Trump the Picasso of Corruption with Brendan Ballou
Mostly Economics Podcast #58: Is Donald Trump the Picasso of Corruption with Brendan Ballou Oct 29, 2026 41:11 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 Economi
Mostly Economics Podcast #57: What Can Be Done to Stop Local News from Disappearing with Matt Pearce
Mostly Economics Podcast #57: What Can Be Done to Stop Local News from Disappearing with Matt Pearce Oct 22, 2026 47:39 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 t
Mostly Economics Podcast #56: Solve It At the State and Local Level with Joel Rogers
Mostly Economics Podcast #56: Solve It At the State and Local Level with Joel Rogers Oct 15, 2026 42:09 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 Roa
Mostly Economics Podcast #55: Who pays when the AI bubble bursts with Ed Zitron
Mostly Economics Podcast #55: Who pays when the AI bubble bursts with Ed Zitron Oct 8, 2026 44:47 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
Mostly Economics Podcast #54: Can the AI Bubble Wipe Out Your Retirement with Helaine Olen
Mostly Economics Podcast #54: Can the AI Bubble Wipe Out Your Retirement with Helaine Olen Oct 2, 2026 53:36 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._____Foll
Mostly Economics Podcast #53: Get Dark Money Out of American Politics with Tiffany Muller
Mostly Economics Podcast #53: Get Dark Money Out of American Politics with Tiffany Muller Sep 24, 2026 40:44 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
Mostly Economics Podcast #52: Rebuilding Worker Power with Heidi Shierholz
Mostly Economics Podcast #52: Rebuilding Worker Power with Heidi Shierholz Sep 17, 2026 44:22 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 gre
Mostly Economics Podcast #51: Boycott Starbucks with Vicente Martinez
Mostly Economics Podcast #51: Boycott Starbucks with Vicente Martinez Sep 10, 2026 32:12 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 St
Mostly Economics #50: Iran War, the West Bank, and Medicare for All with Ro Khanna
Mostly Economics #50: Iran War, the West Bank, and Medicare for All with Ro Khanna Sep 3, 2026 30:57 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 ht
Mostly Economics Podcast #49: The Economy We Deserve with Gerald Epstein
Mostly Economics Podcast #49: The Economy We Deserve with Gerald Epstein Aug 27, 2026 45:19 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 wo
Mostly Economics Podcast #48: US Control over the International Financial System with Mark Weisbrot
Mostly Economics Podcast #48: US Control over the International Financial System with Mark Weisbrot Aug 20, 2026 40:20 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 S

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