00:00 — Introduction

00:24 — The Fee That Built an Empire

02:34 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- Live Nation settles antitrust case with DOJ, avoids Ticketmaster breakup (NBC News): https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/ticketmaster-live-nation-settles-antitrust-case-rcna262392

- Justice Department, Live Nation reach deal to settle antitrust lawsuit (Washington Post): https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/09/ticketmaster-livenation-doj-settlement/

- Ticketmaster parent Live Nation agrees to DOJ antitrust settlement (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/09/ticketmaster-parent-live-nation-doj-antitrust-settlement.html

- Live Nation settles antitrust lawsuit with Justice Department (CNN): https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/09/business/live-nation-ticketmaster-doj-settlement

- Live Nation, Ticketmaster DOJ settlement: What you'd save on concerts (Axios): https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/live-nation-ticketmaster-doj-settlement

- Live Nation and Justice Department reach settlement in antitrust case (NPR): https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-5742433/live-nation-ticketmaster-doj-antitrust-case

- Ticketmaster and Live Nation Antitrust Settlement Deal, Explained (FindLaw): https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/courtside/ticketmaster-and-live-nation-antitrust-settlement-deal-explained/

- United States v. Live Nation Entertainment (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Live_Nation_Entertainment

- The sneaky economics of Ticketmaster (The Hustle): https://thehustle.co/the-sneaky-economics-of-ticketmaster

- The Truth About Ticket Prices (Ticketmaster Blog): https://blog.ticketmaster.com/the-truth-about-ticket-prices/

- What are all these Ticketmaster fees? (Pops and Hisses): https://popsandhisses.com/2025/03/what-are-all-these-ticketmaster-fees-and-how-do-i-avoid-paying-them/

Full interactive experience at thehigheriq.com — skip between stories, test your recall, and get personalized briefings.

00:00 — Introduction

00:49 — The Cascade

01:01 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- Stock Market Today: Recap for March 9, 2026 (TheStreet): https://www.thestreet.com/latest-news/stock-market-today-march-9-2026

- World shares tumbled as oil spiked near $120 (NPR): https://www.npr.org/sections/business/

- Oil prices ease after Trump says U.S. will insure tankers (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/03/crude-oil-prices-today-iran-war.html

- Passage denied: Oil and gas prices swing wildly as Hormuz crisis drags on (Euronews): https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/03/04/passage-denied-hormuz-shutdown-keeps-oil-prices-on-an-upward-trajectory

- Strait of Hormuz Global Oil, Gas Trade Disrupt Amid Iran War (TIME): https://time.com/7382242/strait-of-hormuz-closure-threat-iran-war-trade-gas-oil-prices/

- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis

- Iran war pushing fertilizer prices higher (WBOI / NPR): https://www.wboi.org/podcast/who-and-what/2026-03-09/who-what-march-9-2026

- $150 Oil Possible if Hormuz Remains Shut, Says Wood Mackenzie (Egypt Oil & Gas): https://egyptoil-gas.com/news/150-oil-possible-if-hormuz-remains-shut-says-wood-mackenzie/

- Oil supertanker rates hit all-time high as insurers drop war risk protection (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/03/middle-east-crisis-iran-us-shipping-oil-tankers-strait-of-hormuz.html

- Shutdown of Hormuz Strait raises fears of soaring oil prices (Al Jazeera): https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/3/shutdown-of-hormuz-strait-raises-fears-of-soaring-oil-prices

Full interactive experience at thehigheriq.com — skip between stories, test your recall, and get personalized briefings.

00:00 — Introduction

00:58 — The Research That Isn't Real

01:05 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- Scientists warn fake research is spreading faster than real science (ScienceDaily): https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260306224235.htm

- Organized scientific fraud is growing at an alarming rate (EurekAlert / Northwestern University): https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1093143

- Fake Science Is Growing Faster Than Legitimate Research, New Study Warns (SciTechDaily): https://scitechdaily.com/fake-science-is-growing-faster-than-legitimate-research-new-study-warns/

- Organized Scientific Fraud Is Growing at Alarming Rate (U.S. News): https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2025-08-05/organized-scientific-fraud-is-growing-at-alarming-rate

- Organized scientific fraud is growing at an alarming rate, study uncovers (Phys.org): https://phys.org/news/2025-08-scientific-fraud-alarming-uncovers.html

- The entities enabling scientific fraud at scale are large, resilient, and growing rapidly (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences): https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2420092122

- Coordinated Scientific Fraud is Rising, Warns Northwestern University Study (SSBCrack News): https://news.ssbcrack.com/coordinated-scientific-fraud-is-rising-warns-northwestern-university-study/

Full interactive experience at thehigheriq.com — skip between stories, test your recall, and get personalized briefings.

00:00 — Introduction

00:05 — The Store That Shops You

00:05 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- Surviving the Sneaky Psychology of Supermarkets (National Geographic): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/surviving-the-sneaky-psychology-of-supermarkets

- The Strategy Behind Grocery Store Layouts and How It Costs You Money (GoodRx): https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/grocery-store-layout

- Why Milk Is Always at the Back in Supermarkets (Medium): https://medium.com/@jodiemshaw/why-milk-is-always-at-the-back-in-supermarkets-96626dfc5424

- Slotting fee (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slotting_fee

- Know your slotting fees (Observa): https://www.observanow.com/know-slotting-fees/

- Quick Guide to Shelf Space Costs (Trax Retail): https://traxretail.com/blog/quick-guide-shelf-space-costs/

- How Grocery Store Floor Layouts Influence Consumer Spending (Martech Zone): https://martech.zone/how-grocery-store-floor-layouts-influence-consumer-spending/

- Supermarket Psychology: How They Use Science to Make Us Spend More (Hustle Escape): https://www.hustleescape.com/supermarket-spending-psychology/

- 8 grocery store layout tricks designed to make you buy things you didn't plan to (Silicon Canals): https://siliconcanals.com/r-bt-8-grocery-store-layout-tricks-designed-to-make-you-buy-things-you-didnt-plan-to/

- 10 Things You Need to Know About Slotting Fees (The Opal Group): https://theopalgroup.com/articles/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-slotting-fees-in-the-u-s-fmcg-market/

- Slotting Fees in Retail: Are They Worth the Investment? (Pantry AI): https://www.pantry.ai/blog/slottingfees

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00:00 — Introduction

00:40 — The Oil Industry Before Oil

00:55 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- Whale oil (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_oil

- Sperm whaling (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_whaling

- How Fossil Fuels Saved the Whales, Twice (The Breakthrough Institute): https://thebreakthrough.org/journal/no-20-spring-2024/how-fossil-fuels-saved-the-whales-twice

- Understanding the Whale Oil Myth and the Rise of Petroleum (Petroleum Service Company): https://petroleumservicecompany.com/blog/the-whale-oil-myth-and-the-rise-of-petroleum/

- Energy transitions: the decline of whale oil and the rise of petroleum (JKempEnergy): https://jkempenergy.com/2024/03/08/energy-transitions-the-decline-of-whaling-and-the-rise-of-petroleum/

- The whale oil myth surfaces again (Environmental History): https://environmentalhistory.org/2022/02/23/thar-she-blows-the-whale-oil-myth-surfaces/

- How the Oil Industry Saved the Whales (SJV Geology): http://www.sjvgeology.org/history/whales.html

- Spermaceti Candles: Business and Trade (Highland Candle Company): https://highlandcandlecompany.com/spermaceti-candles-business-and-trade/

- 91% of New Renewable Projects Now Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels (IRENA): https://www.irena.org/News/pressreleases/2025/Jul/91-Percent-of-New-Renewable-Projects-Now-Cheaper-Than-Fossil-Fuels-Alternatives

- Volatility vs. Affordability: Renewables' Cost Advantage Grew Last Year (RMI): https://rmi.org/affordability-not-volatility-renewables-cost-advantage-grows/

- Why did renewables become so cheap so fast? (Our World in Data): https://ourworldindata.org/cheap-renewables-growth

- Renewable energy is cheaper and healthier - so why isn't it replacing fossil fuels faster? (The Conversation): https://theconversation.com/renewable-energy-is-cheaper-and-healthier-so-why-isnt-it-replacing-fossil-fuels-faster-269685

Full interactive experience at thehigheriq.com — skip between stories, test your recall, and get personalized briefings.

00:00 — Introduction

00:12 — Financing Dinner

00:51 — The Disappearing Middle

00:51 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- How Many Families Take on Debt to Pay for Groceries? (Urban Institute): https://www.urban.org/research/publication/how-many-families-take-debt-pay-groceries

- Survey: The Affordability Crisis Is Here, and It's Hitting the Working Class the Hardest (The Century Foundation): https://tcf.org/content/report/survey-the-affordability-crisis-is-here-and-its-hitting-the-working-class-the-hardest/

- 25% of Americans are now using buy-now, pay-later for groceries (Fortune): https://fortune.com/article/buy-now-pay-later-groceries-economic-concerns-lending-tree-survey/

- More Americans are turning to buy now, pay later loans for groceries (CBS News): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/buy-now-pay-later-bnpl-loans-groceries/

- Americans are going into debt to buy groceries (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/20/americans-are-going-into-debt-to-buy-groceries-research-finds.html

- Groceries, Debt and Doubt: The Financial Mood of U.S. Consumers Heading Into 2026 (Credit One Bank): https://www.creditonebank.com/articles/groceries-debt-and-doubt-the-financial-mood-of-us-consumers-head

- People Are Using Credit Cards Just to Afford Basic Groceries (SavingAdvice): https://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2026/01/04/10712489_people-are-using-credit-cards-just-to-afford-basic-groceries.html

- U.S. consumer spending and budgeting trends in 2026 (YouGov): https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/54197-us-consumer-spending-and-budgeting-trends-in-2026

- The great consumer split: why 2026 will make or break brands (Rwazi): https://blog.rwazi.com/the-great-consumer-split-why-2026-will-make-or-break-brands/

- Why Almost Every Brand Is Moving Upmarket (Business of Fashion / McKinsey): https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/retail/the-state-of-fashion-2026-report-brand-elevation-pricing-strategy-value-mid-market/

- The Great Retail Rift: Why Value and Ultra-Luxury are Winning the 2026 Market (MarketMinute): https://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/article/marketminute-2026-1-13-the-great-retail-rift-why-value-and-ultra-luxury-are-winning-the-2026-market

- The Vanishing Middle Class of Brands (Medium): https://medium.com/@jodiemshaw/the-vanishing-middle-class-of-brands-81a0b2c53552

Full interactive experience at thehigheriq.com — skip between stories, test your recall, and get personalized briefings.

00:00 — Introduction

00:02 — The Three-Kilometer Lifeline

02:39 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis

- Passage denied: Oil and gas prices swing wildly as Hormuz crisis drags on (Euronews): https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/03/04/passage-denied-hormuz-shutdown-keeps-oil-prices-on-an-upward-trajectory

- Oil supertanker rates hit all-time high as insurers drop war risk protection in the Middle East (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/03/middle-east-crisis-iran-us-shipping-oil-tankers-strait-of-hormuz.html

- Oil prices ease after Trump says U.S. will insure tankers transiting Strait of Hormuz (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/03/crude-oil-prices-today-iran-war.html

- $150 Oil Possible if Hormuz Remains Shut, Says Wood Mackenzie (Egypt Oil & Gas): https://egyptoil-gas.com/news/150-oil-possible-if-hormuz-remains-shut-says-wood-mackenzie/

- Strait of Hormuz Global Oil, Gas Trade Disrupt Amid Iran War (TIME): https://time.com/7382242/strait-of-hormuz-closure-threat-iran-war-trade-gas-oil-prices/

- Shutdown of Hormuz Strait raises fears of soaring oil prices (Al Jazeera): https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/3/shutdown-of-hormuz-strait-raises-fears-of-soaring-oil-prices

- What is the Strait of Hormuz? How will its closure impact oil prices? (Al Jazeera): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/1/how-us-israel-attacks-on-iran-threaten-the-strait-of-hormuz-oil-markets

- Iran strikes stall traffic in Strait of Hormuz, rattling world markets (Washington Post): https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/02/oil-prices-strait-hormuz/

- Oil Tankers Idle in Persian Gulf as Hormuz Attacks Disrupt Shipping Routes (Bloomberg): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-02/waiting-for-hormuz-more-oil-tankers-gather-in-the-persian-gulf

Full interactive experience at thehigheriq.com — skip between stories, test your recall, and get personalized briefings.

00:00 — Introduction

00:09 — The Betting Market for Everything

00:09 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- Prediction market trader 'Magamyman' made $553,000 on death of Iran's supreme leader (NPR): https://www.npr.org/2026/03/01/nx-s1-5731568/polymarket-trade-iran-supreme-leader-killing

- Unpacking claims Polymarket bets on Iran strikes point to insider knowledge (Snopes): https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/03/03/polymarket-bets-iran-strikes/

- Some Alleged Polymarket Insiders Made a Fortune on U.S. Strikes on Iran (Gizmodo): https://gizmodo.com/some-alleged-polymarket-insiders-made-a-fortune-on-u-s-strikes-on-iran-2000728196

- Polymarket saw $529M traded on bets tied to bombing of Iran (TechCrunch): https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/01/polymarket-saw-529m-traded-on-bets-tied-to-bombing-of-iran/

- Prediction markets draw scrutiny over Iran bets: 'Insider trading in broad daylight,' senator says (CBS News): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-khamenei-prediction-markets-insider-trading/

- Polymarket user wins $200,000 betting on date of Israeli attack on Iran (Jerusalem Post): https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-888562

- Israeli police investigate Polymarket user who correctly predicted Iran strikes (Middle East Eye): https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israeli-police-investigate-polymarket-user-who-correctly-predicted-iran-strikes

- Polymarket (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymarket

- Kalshi (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalshi

- Giannis Antetokounmpo's partnership with a prediction market is the latest challenge for sports (Fortune): https://fortune.com/2026/03/01/giannis-antetokounmpos-partnership-with-kalshi/

- Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Kalshi as shareholder (ESPN): https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47853309/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-joins-kalshi-shareholder

- 'It's a minuscule investment' - Adam Silver defends Giannis Antetokounmpo joining Kalshi as shareholder (Yahoo Sports): https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/minuscule-investment-adam-silver-defends-093200021.html

- Prediction Markets v. State Gaming Laws: The Kalshi Litigation Gamble (Epstein Becker Green): https://www.commerciallitigationupdate.com/prediction-markets-v-state-gaming-laws-the-kalshi-litigation-gamble

- How Kalshi and prediction markets are disrupting sports betting (ESPN): https://www.espn.com/espn/betting/story/_/id/45377686/kalshi-prediction-markets-disrupt-sports-betting

- Prediction Markets at a Crossroads: The Continued Jurisdictional Battle Over Event Contracts (Holland & Knight): https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2026/02/prediction-markets-at-a-crossroads-the-continued-jurisdictional-battle

Full interactive experience at thehigheriq.com — skip between stories, test your recall, and get personalized briefings.

00:00 — Introduction

00:50 — How a Handheld Game Built a Network

01:19 — The Dual Market That Fuels Compounding

01:24 — How Cardboard Became Capital

01:24 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- Pokémon at 30: Multimillion-dollar cards and spiking demand. Here's why you've still gotta catch 'em all (CNN): https://www.cnn.com/world/pokemon-at-30-multimillion-dollar-cards-trading-spc

- How Pokemon became a source of soft power and among the world's biggest media franchises (CBC Radio): https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9.7074463

- How Pokemon cards became a market-beating investment, and why a bubble is now brewing (Switzer Daily): https://switzer.com.au/the-experts/luke-hopewell/how-pokemon-cards-became-a-market-beating-investment-and-why-a-bubble-is-now-brewing/

- 10.2 Billion Pokémon TCG Cards Printed Worldwide in 2024-25 Fiscal Year (SNKRDUNK Magazine): https://snkrdunk.com/en/magazine/2025/05/26/10-2-billion-pokemon-tcg-cards-printed-worldwide-in-2024-25-fiscal-year/

- POKÉMON GO EXCEEDS 500 MILLION DOWNLOADS WORLDWIDE (Pokemon Press Release): https://press.pokemon.com/en/POKEMON-GO-EXCEEDS-500-MILLION-DOWNLOADS-WORLDWIDE

- Card Games as Investment: A Reflection of Generations in Crisis (Cards Realm): https://mtg.cardsrealm.com/en-us/articles/card-games-as-investment-a-reflection-of-generations-in-crisis

Full interactive experience at thehigheriq.com — skip between stories, test your recall, and get personalized briefings.

00:00 — Introduction

00:19 — The Two Gyms That Explain the Whole Economy

00:19 — Your Body Ages on a Schedule

00:19 — Wrap Up

Sources:

- Planet Fitness, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2025 Results (Planet Fitness Investor Relations): https://investor.planetfitness.com/investors/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/Planet-Fitness-Inc--Announces-Fourth-Quarter-and-Year-End-2025-Results/default.aspx

- Life Time Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results (Life Time Group Holdings): https://ir.lifetime.life/news-events/press-releases/detail/1192/life-time-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-financial-results

- Life Time, Planet Fitness Earnings Show K-Shaped Economy (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/28/life-time-planet-fitness-earnings-show-k-shaped-economy.html

- Consumer Checkpoint: Choppy Start, Solid Finish (Bank of America Institute): https://institute.bankofamerica.com/economic-insights/consumer-checkpoint-january-2026.html

- 2026 Global Fitness Report: Strength and Wellness to Drive Next Wave of Member Growth (Les Mills): https://www.lesmills.com/us/articles/2026-global-fitness-report-strength-and-wellness-to-drive-next-wave-of-member-growth

- Scientists Map How Aging Reshapes Cells Across the Entire Mammalian Body (Rockefeller University): https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/39031-scientists-map-how-aging-reshapes-cells-across-the-entire-mammalian-body/

- Organism-Wide Cellular Dynamics and Epigenomic Remodeling in Mammalian Aging (Science): https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn3949

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