Mostly Economics

By Center for Economic and Policy Research and Dean BakerSociety & Culture News Government Politics

Mostly Economics episodes

November 05 Mostly Economics #59: Protectionism Disguised as Free Trade with Lori Wallach
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.
54 min
October 29 Mostly Economics Podcast #58: Is Donald Trump the Picasso of Corruption with Brendan Ballou
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.
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42 min
October 22 Mostly Economics Podcast #57: What Can Be Done to Stop Local News from Disappearing with Matt Pearce
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.
48 min
October 15 Mostly Economics Podcast #56: Solve It At the State and Local Level with Joel Rogers
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

43 min
October 08 Mostly Economics Podcast #55: Who pays when the AI bubble bursts with Ed Zitron
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?
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45 min
October 02 Mostly Economics Podcast #54: Can the AI Bubble Wipe Out Your Retirement with Helaine Olen
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._____
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54 min
September 24 Mostly Economics Podcast #53: Get Dark Money Out of American Politics with Tiffany Muller
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.
41 min
September 17 Mostly Economics Podcast #52: Rebuilding Worker Power with Heidi Shierholz
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.

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Read EPI's new report: https://tinyurl.com/ycx4ah68
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45 min
September 10 Mostly Economics Podcast #51: Boycott Starbucks with Vicente Martinez
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. --
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33 min
September 03 Mostly Economics #50: Iran War, the West Bank, and Medicare for All with Ro Khanna
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.
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31 min

About Mostly Economics

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Mostly Economics is a weekly show hosted by Center for Economic and Policy Research Senior Economist and co-founder, Dean Baker, about ways US economic policies affect everyday lives—from household…