This week, EconoFact Chats features an abridged version of an Ask Me Anything Webinar held on January 16th, 2026, featuring Heather Long of the Navy Federal Credit Union (formerly at The Washington Post), and John Hilsenrath of Serpa Pinto Advisory (formerly at The Wall Street Journal). The webinar touched on a wide range of issues including the uneven economic recovery since COVID, America's transition from an economy driven by manufacturing and services, to one driven by tech and information, and the effects of tariffs on prices and American manufacturing jobs.

The next EconoFact Ask Me Anything Webinar on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026, at noon Eastern Time, which is open to all, will be with John Cassidy (The New Yorker) who will answer questions on, among other topics, his new book Capitalism and Its Critics. Subsequent monthly AMA webinars, such as the one with Mark Zandi, Chief Economist of Moody’s Analytics, will be exclusively available to Premium Subscribers. You can sign-up for a Premium Subscription at https://secure.touchnet.net/C21525_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=157. The $50 annual fee helps support EconoFact in its efforts to bring timely, accessible, and unbiased analyses on important economic and social policy issues.

Economic policy in the second Trump administration continues to undergo significant change. Many of these changes have been enacted through executive orders. What effect have these policies had on economic growth, scientific research, and on American institutions thus far? How might they impact U.S. leadership over the long-term? Simon Johnson joins EconoFact Chats to discuss these questions, drawing on a new book he co-edited, 'The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration: A Preliminary Assessment.'

Simon is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he heads the Global Economics and Management Group. He served as Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund in 2007–2008 and was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2024.

Homeownership has been part of the traditional American dream. But increases in home prices, borrowing costs, and home insurance are making it harder for many Americans to buy a home. The cost of renting is also rising. These increases have recently been more widespread across the country. What's driving the higher cost of housing? What policies could help alleviate the challenge of housing unaffordability? Jeff Zabel joins EconoFact Chats to discuss these, and other, questions about housing in America.

Jeff is a Professor of Economics at Tufts University. He is co-editor of the Journal of Housing Economics and serves on the editorial boards of Real Estate Economics and the Journal of Regional Science and Urban Economics.

In a recent article, The Economist Magazine noted that “talk about affordability mixes phantom concerns with real ones.” In this episode of EconoFact Chats, Jason Furman argues that “affordability,” which is not well defined, is not necessarily worse now than a year or two ago, or even decades ago. But he notes that there are real concerns as well -- especially with the costs of housing, childcare, and medical care. Jason discusses whether recent policies can address these concerns, and also highlights the scope for government actions to address the rising cost of living.

Jason is the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy at Harvard. He was previously the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

It's been nearly ten years since Britain voted to leave the European Union. The run-up to the referendum was marked by competing claims regarding the consequences of Brexit, with Leave supporters claiming Brexit would restore British sovereignty over economic and social policies, while Remain advocates warned of self-inflicted economic harm. What have the actual consequences of Brexit been? And what lessons does it offer for nations seeking to disengage from the global economy today? Nicholas Bloom joins EconoFact Chats to discuss his recent research on these questions.

Nick is the William D. Eberle Professor in Economics at Stanford. He is also the Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has been the subject of very public attacks by President Trump, and a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice. These are seen as efforts to influence the Fed to lower interest rates for short-run political advantage. But there has been widespread pushback to these efforts. Kenneth Kuttner joins EconoFact Chats to discuss how and why central banks are set up to be insulated from political pressure, and the economic consequences of a failure of central bank independence.

Ken is the Robert F. White Class of 1952 Professor of Economics at Williams College. He has also served as Assistant Vice President in the Research Departments of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

New technologies often result in significant change. Perhaps the most salient effect of automation has been labor displacement. At the beginning of the 20th century, agricultural employment gave way to more productive, and higher paying, manufacturing jobs. The growing middle class generated demand for new products and new industries. But more recent technological changes have shrunk manufacturing jobs with workers moving to lower-paying service employment. Even more recently, Artificial Intelligence may displace workers who are at the higher end of the income distribution. Eduardo Porter joins EconoFact Chats to discuss these issues, as well as cryptocurrencies.

Eduardo is a columnist for The Washington Post where he is also a member of its editorial board. He has formerly written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg.

Note: This podcast was first published on 17th November, 2024.

For many Americans, episodes of stress are often temporary. But for marginalized communities -- especially black people, and those living in poverty, stress is, too often, an ongoing part of life. And this has dire consequences on health and well-being. Our guest on EconoFact Chats this week, Arline Geronimus has done pioneering work in understanding the consequences of chronic stress, especially as it relates to maternal and infant health; contributing, counterintuitively, to poorer birth outcomes for babies born to older black mothers, as compared to those born to younger ones.

Arline is a Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan. She is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academies of Science. Her newest book is “Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society.”

Note: This podcast was first published on 28th May, 2023.

In a new article in Foreign Affairs, 'The New Economic Geography: Who Profits in a Post-American World?,' Adam Posen, the President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, argues that the policies and institutions the US has helped put in place over the past eight decades have not only bolstered its own economic fortunes, but have helped much of the world thrive. Adam joins EconoFact Chats to discuss the article, and point out how the Trump administration's pursuit of an America first policy could render the US, and much of the world, less economically stable. He also discusses who might benefit from America's retreat from global leadership.

Note: This podcast was first published on 5th October, 2025.

Trade restrictions are a common theme on campaign trails, and the general public is often suspicious of the net benefits of trade. Are these suspicions warranted? This week on EconoFact Chats, Michael Klein, and Kadee Russ of the University of California at Davis discuss the current landscape of international trade.

Note: This podcast was first published on 5th October, 2020.