Nobel-winning economist Robert Lucas Jr. died on Monday. His revolutionary theories transformed the field of macroeconomics. His influential "Lucas critique" argued economic policy must take into account people's decisions in reaction to the policy itself, and just as importantly, their expectations. Not only is he remembered as a brilliant mind, but a supportive colleague as well. On today's episode, we remember Robert Lucas and his legacy.

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The man who busted the inflation-employment myth

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It's highs and lows in this edition of Indicators of the Week! The surprisingly high amount of electricity needed for artificial intelligence, basketball star Caitlin Clark's surprisingly low base salary, plus a potential crackdown on the ticketing company everyone loves to hate (possibly because of those high fees).

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Ticketmaster's dominance, Caitlin Clark's paycheck, and other indicators

After the financial crisis of 2008, regulators around the world agreed banks should have more of a cushion to weather hard times. Now, U.S. regulators are once again looking to update minimum capital requirements through a set of proposals called Basel III Endgame. Today, on the show, a blow-by-blow account of this battle between bankers and regulators. 

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SVB, now First Republic: How it all started (Apple / Spotify) 

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Inside the epic fight over new banking regulations

When an insurance company can't cover all of its claims, it actually has its own insurance. This is called "reinsurance." How does that work and why do reinsurers look at their risk pool differently than say home or auto insurers? 

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Why is insurance so expensive right now? And more listener questions (Apple / Spotify) 
When insurers can't get insurance (Apple / Spotify)

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Profiting off greater risk: the reinsurance game

Anti-vaccine activists, far-right groups and some religious conservatives convened in Las Vegas this spring to discuss the creation of a parallel economy. These are groups who believe their speech is threatened by big banks and big tech. On today's show, what is a "freedom economy," and how would it work? 

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A Supreme Court case that could reshape social media (Apple / Spotify) 

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What is a 'freedom economy'?

We are back to answer your listener questions. On today's show, we explain reverse mortgages and their risks, why insurance has gotten so expensive, and whether there's a catch to charitable donations at the store. 

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Related episodes:
When insurers can't get insurance (Apple / Spotify) 

Are we counting jobs right? We answer your listener questions (Apple / Spotify) 

When mortgage rates are too low to give up (Apple / Spotify) 

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The man who busted the inflation-employment myth

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