Donald Trump won back the White House last year by stoking fears of scarcity. The zero-sum thinking of the right that says there aren’t enough houses or jobs to go around laid the groundwork for the forces of illiberalism currently at play in the federal government. In their new book, Abundance, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue that to combat the politics ... Show More
May 2025
The Myth of the Poverty Trap
In 1981, an estimated 44 percent of the global population lived in extreme poverty. In 2019, that number shrank to just 9 percent. We often think of poverty as a trap, but recent research shows it doesn’t have to be. The economist and co-founder of GiveDirectly, Paul Niehaus, exp ... Show More
55m 10s
Aug 2024
Summer special: ‘Rent is too damn high!’ Europe’s growing housing crisis
On our summer break, we're bringing this episode from January back into your feed by popular demand, looking at a crisis that is affecting many Europeans in most EU countries: skyrocketing rents and house prices, a shortage of flats, long waiting lists for social or affordable ho ... Show More
42m 25s
Oct 2024
Why Albanese’s coastal home is a problem
This week we learned that the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon be a new home owner. He’s bought a multi-million-dollar house, featuring sweeping ocean views, on the New South Wales central coast.Some people think it’s a move from the PM that’s especially tone deaf, given ... Show More
15m 25s
Nov 2023
Leontina Hormel, "Trailer Park America: Reimagining Working-Class Communities" (Rutgers UP, 2023)
In rural northern Idaho in the winter of 2013-2014, Syringa Mobile Home Park’s water system was contaminated by sewage, resulting in residents’ water being shut off for 93 days. By summer 2018 Syringa had closed, forcing residents to relocate or face homelessness. In Trailer Park ... Show More
55m 39s