The official release date of this episode is Jan. 20, which not coincidentally is Inauguration Day. President Trump will outline his vision for second term, but we already have a sense of what to expect in terms of economic policy. Four of the biggest themes are prioritizing tax cuts, decreasing regulation in several major industries, increasing tariffs on imported goods from trading partners Mexico, Canada and China, and cracking down on illegal immigration. And in fact, podcast host Mason King discussed a few of these in an episode after the election in November with IBJ finance columnist Pete Dunn. What’s interesting is how quickly some of Pete’s predictions have come true in just two months. At the same, some of the market-moving elements of the economy have shifted enough in two months that Pete is open to a second look. And then there’s the event with huge economic implications that few could have predicted: the devastating wildfires that have wiped out parts of Los Angeles and its immediate environs. So Pete is back this week to discuss what we can expect to see in at least the next year or two in a free-wheeling conversation hitting rising inflation, stubbornly high costs for consumer goods, the meandering stock market, mass deportations and what could be the biggest economic story of 2025—the impact of the LA fires on the housing industry.

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