For many Americans, the government’s monthly jobs number was a pretty dull statistic — until a few days ago, when President Trump angrily fired the person responsible for producing it, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Now, from Washington to Wall Street, many people are wondering whether you can still trust federal statistics if the presi ... Show More
Today
The Bond Market Is Flipping Out. Here’s Why You Should Care.
For the past few months, you’ve probably been hearing about the turbulence in the bond market.Today, Ben Casselman, the chief economics correspondent for The New York Times, explains what has been happening, and why it matters.Guest: Ben Casselman, the chief economics corresponde ... Show More
28m 28s
Yesterday
The A.I. Researcher Whose Rebellion Is Changing Everything
In recent days, Jacob Coxon, a researcher at the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, quit his job and posted warnings about the risks of the technology. That kicked off a crisis that culminated in a call by prominent leaders of the industry to slow down A.I. development.He ... Show More
34m 13s
Sep 13
The Good, the Bad and the Good-Bad (Movie)
When it comes to movies we love, there are the artistic masterpieces and there are the foot-stomping crowd pleasers. But there’s another particular kind of beloved movie, the one that makes our friends groan, but that we rewatch incessantly; the one that we can quote line for lin ... Show More
37m 36s
Aug 2025
What's Really Happening with the US Economy?
While the White House claims the US economy is booming, recent data indicates otherwise, with one report in particular fueling concerns about a weak job market. In response, President Trump fired the person responsible for producing the numbers he claims were "rigged." So what's ... Show More
56m 13s
Aug 2025
What happens when governments cook the books
After President Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, economists and statisticians across the board were horrified. Because the firing raises the spectre of potential manipulation – and it raises the worry that, in the future, the numbers won't be as trustworthy ... Show More
34m 51s
Apr 2025
Fed man walking? Trump v Powell
<p>First, Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, was for the chop; then he was safe. As elsewhere President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/04/23/president-trumps-attacks-on-the-fed-are-not-over?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np ... Show More
23m 18s
Mar 2025
What Happens When US Economic Data Can’t Be Trusted?
With President Donald Trump firing independent regulators and killing off advisory committees, David Wilcox, director of US economic research for Bloomberg Economics, and editor Molly Smith discuss why data on the world's largest economy may be next.See omnystudio.com/listener fo ... Show More
28m 18s