Across the US, McDonald's restaurants serve an underappreciated role: as defacto community centres for people at the margins of society. It's a story chronicled by bond trader-turned-journalist Chris Arnade, who talks to the FT's Cardiff Garcia and Mary Childs about why this happened. They also discuss how access to education shapes modern American society, and whether Wall Street employees have been punished enough for the role played by their industry in the 2008 financial crisis. Visit FT.com/alphachat for show notes and links. Music by Minden.

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