This week we cover whether Americans feel better off than they were four years ago, why we have more billion-dollar natural disasters than we used to, where tomorrow’s strategic minerals will come from, and why we shouldn’t subject new technology to obsolete rules. Our interview is with Thomas Savidge of the American Institute for Economic Research. We talk about public debt, government spending, interest rates, money printing, and the looming fiscal cliff.

Free the Economy is hosted and produced by Richard Morrison. Our co-producer is Destry Edwards, and the show is edited by Bilander Media. Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog.