Marketplace

That's what Bruce Bartlett, former adviser to Ronald Reagan and treasury official under George H.W. Bush, tells us on today's show. He also debunks the Republican tax myth, which is the insistence that Reagan's 1981 tax cuts for the rich gave way to vast prosperity, and suggests Republicans take a look at another tax reform model from the '80s. We also check in on how things are going at the Fed, discuss why California is the only state where a 12-cents-a-gallon gas tax could work and talk about who Administrator Scott Pruitt chose for the EPA's science advisory panel. Plus, on this week's Corner Office, we get into antibiotic-free poultry and plant-based protein with Tyson Foods CEO Tom Hayes.

The tax prevents individuals worth $5.5 million or more from passing on their estate untaxed, and Republicans have sworn it will be the first thing to go when tax reform comes. Plus, the story behind the lethal toxin that became Botox, and the company guarding it. And Kai Ryssdal interviews activist investor Bill Ackman, who is vying for control over payroll processing company ADP.

...and paying taxes on things (or not paying taxes on things) always leaves one. That’s probably why special counsel Robert Mueller is starting with indictments of former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and his business associate, Rick Gates, on charges including funneling money through overseas shell companies. And lucky for us, tax evasion and money laundering are the kind of things we talk about every day. While that situation unfolds in the coming weeks, we’re looking to a more immediate date: this Wednesday, which is the first day of health care open enrollment and supposedly when we'll see the Republicans' tax bill. Plus, ever wondered how much money is in the whole, wide world? We take a stab at answering that question on today’s edition of I’ve Always Wondered.

But how did they actually come about — and why? We play a segment from the new season of Marketplace's The Uncertain Hour, a documentary podcast exploring the origin of regulations in America, starting with the story of one fervent homemaker, Ruth Desmond. And as the tax bill countdown begins, we look at how tax cuts will be paid for — likely by getting rid of nearly every deduction. Plus, is Amazon planning a takeover of the prescription drug and business-to-business office supply industries, too?

President Donald Trump announced a 90-day public health emergency to deal with the opioid crisis, but didn’t allot any new funds, so many are wondering if this will even scratch the surface of the problem. Deregulation is a hot topic among Republicans right now, and FCC head Ajit Pai is planning to dismantle rules limiting ownership of multiple media companies in one market. Plus, Kai catches up with the production supervisor for “Hamilton” to talk about what it’s been like taking the show on the road.

That question is illegal in some places, as a new wave of laws in cities and states prohibit employers from asking for a job candidate's salary history in the hiring process. And the Senate struck down a rule that made it easier for consumers to sue banks and credit card companies for financial relief, which also allows banks to keep using mandatory arbitration clauses. We explore what this means for consumers like yourself and the arbitration industry. Plus, on this week's edition of Corner Office, we talk to the CEO of the National Park Foundation, which is tasked with raising private funds for the National Park Service. The NPS needs those funds badly — they released a proposal today that would more than double the entrance fee at some of the most popular parks during peak visits.

Out with the old and in with the new: New York's iconic Lord & Taylor building will become the headquarters of WeWork, a co-working startup that transformed the office leasing business to become the largest leaser of new office space. They're on the up for now, hurtling toward a future as a full-on millenial lifestyle brand with more than 150,000 members worldwide. In other HQ news, we tell a tale of two Dallases, one before and one and after it failed to woo Boeing's corporate headquarters. And there's an uptick in enrollment in historically black colleges and universities. We go to Morgan State University in Baltimore to find out why.

We explore how nondisclosure and nondisparagement agreements isolate victims and protect the reputations of alleged harassers and their companies. Plus, updates on Congress' frantic race toward tax reform, why corn is still king (hint: ethanol lobbyists have been doing their jobs) and the backbone of modern finance: collateralized loan obligation. As it nears its end, we recap one of the most destructive fire seasons in recent history — 9 million acres burned nationwide and $2 billion was spent on firefighting alone. One industry particularly affected in Northern California was marijuana farming, so guest host Adriene Hill tours a decimated weed farm.

Seeking answers on why inflation won't do what everyone expects it to, Kai Ryssdal interviews a former Fed governor. In the world of health care, we investigate why rates of uninsured Americans are up for the first time since 2014 and what type of emergency President Donald Trump will declare the opioid epidemic. Plus, we'll run through this week's steps forward (and backward) in NAFTA renegotiations, tax reform and Trump's impending appointment of the next Fed chair. And we get status updates from Puerto Rico, where power hasn't come back for many residents, and the Florida Keys, where they're busy luring tourists back to the islands.

Kai Ryssdal promised we weren't going to talk about tax reform today, but it kept coming up: Rep. Pat Tiberi's resignation from Congress signals a brain drain of tax code experts in the Ways and Means Committee, which could make tax reform a lot messier. And we checked in with a union leader in Erie, Pennsylvania, who wasn't exactly moved by President Donald Trump's big announcement that tax reform would lead to the rebirth of American industry. But we mostly focused on government regulation of political ads on Facebook and Google, corporate restructuring and how Brexit could trigger a crisis in the U.K. cheese industry.