Free The Economy

This week we cover Trump’s executive orders, the demographics of the 119th Congress, our nation’s narrowing fiscal space, reforms to ESG investing, and a new White House appointee in the healthcare space. Our interview this week is with Rachel Barkley, director of Able Americans, a program of the National Center for Public Policy Research. We’ll talk about disability accommodations, family formati...

This week we cover the Los Angeles wildfires, reforms to high-skilled immigration, new leadership at the Department of Energy, legal peril for ESG investing, and a new agenda for the 119th Congress. Our interview this week is with Scott Winship, director of the Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility at the American Enterprise Institute. We talk about blue-collar wages, social welfare spending,...

This week we cover fake endangered species, Pennsylvania’s climate policy showdown, a robust defense of property rights in New York, and Biden’s lame-duck attack on offshore energy development. Our interview this week is with journalist, author, and legendary public policy hooligan Jim Bovard. We talk about government reform, freedom of speech, the legacy of the FBI, and whether it makes sense to...

This week we cover how Americans feel about their jobs, the minerals we’ll need to build the future, and lingering inflation fears. Our interview this week is with Hester Peirce, Commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We talk about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, climate-related disclosures, regulatory harmonization with Europe, voluntary vs. mandatory...

This week we cover weaponization of financial regulation, the Kroger-Albertsons merger, and a spirited defense of ultra-processed foods. Our interview this week is with Mark Calabria, former Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and author of the 2023 book Shelter from the Storm: How a COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted. We talk about interest rates, affordability, the Fannie Mae conserv...

This week we cover new climate disclosure rules for public companies, the case against price controls on credit card networks, and why tariffs can’t pay for tax cuts. Our interview is with Erica York of the Tax Foundation. We talk about the big fight over tax cuts and the federal budget brewing in the new 119th Congress. We ask: Will the temporary provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act be extende...

This week we cover new leadership at the SEC, China’s ban on critical mineral exports, conservative fiscal reform ideas, and the health toll of not embracing nuclear power. Our interview is with David Bahnsen of the Capital Record podcast and the Bahnsen Group. We’ll talk about the value of work, whether Americans have gotten lazy, the work from home vs return to the office debate, and why retirem...

This week we cover the DOGE effort to reform government spending, survey results about transportation choices, and a sad loss for the liberty movement. Our interview is with Patrick Hedger of NetChoice. We talk about legal troubles and disputes in the tech world from Google and the Department of Justice to how both red states and blue states have decided to limit your privacy and freedom of expres...

This week we cover student loans, revenue from tariffs, democracy in Hong Kong, and the impact of podcasts on the 2024 election. Our interview is with Jarrett Dieterle of the R Street Institute. We talk about beer, wine, tequila, and all the government policies affecting the price and availability of your favorite drinks. Free the Economy is hosted and produced by Richard Morrison. Our co-producer...

This week we cover the death of ESG investing, next moves on regulatory reform, Wall Street enthusiasm for a new administration, and Saudi Arabia’s new city in the desert. Our interview is with Jack Salmon of Philanthropy Roundtable. We talk about what tax and budget reforms we might expect to see in 2025, from Social Security and Medicare to low-income housing, energy subsidies, and the Earned In...

This week we cover a new vision for the Securities and Exchange Commission, affordable housing in Hong Kong, and how Millennials are killing it financially. Our interview is with Nick Loris of C3 Solutions. We talk about renewables, fossil fuels, transmission lines, and the emerging renaissance of nuclear power in the United States. Free the Economy is hosted and produced by Richard Morrison. Our...

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,...

This week we cover a new ranking of state governors, reforms to emergency powers, new research on working from home, misguided mining policy, and a podcast recommendation for people who like to have fun. Our interview is with Bill Wirtz of the Consumer Choice Center. We talk about farming, climate change, subsides, and international trade. Our co-producer is Destry Edwards, and the show is edited...

This week we cover record-high budget deficits, green trade wars, and what U.S. adults are watching on TikTok. Our interview is with Abundance Institute CEO and co-founder Chris Koopman. We talk about technology, optimism, artificial intelligence, barriers to growth, and the future of abundance. Free the Economy is hosted and produced by Richard Morrison. Our co-producer is Destry Edwards, and the...

This week we cover striking dock workers at U.S. ports, free-market innovation in healthcare, and the changing pattern of federal transfer payments. Our interview this week is with James Broughel, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. We talk about government regulation at the state level, reforms for the permitting process, public sector accountability, and how to create efficien...

This week we cover entrepreneurship in Africa, a lawsuit over affordable luxury handbags, and European deforestation rules. Our interview this week is with Nick Morgan, president of the Investor Choice Advocates Network. We talk about big government, small investors, the burdens of financial regulation, and how to sue the SEC.Free the Economy is hosted and produced by Richard Morrison. Our co-prod...

This week we cover poll results on corporate social responsibility, the plight of California landlords, hard times for cable TV, and the democratic deficit of private-sector unions. Our interview this week is with Gonzalo Schwarz, president of the Archbridge Institute. We talk about economic mobility, state politics, the American Dream, and where to move to improve your life. Free the Economy is p...

This week we cover weaponized financial regulation, poverty policy beyond handouts, and Italy’s call to slow down the electric vehicle revolution. Our interview this week is with Eric Boehm, reporter at Reason magazine and host of the podcast series Why We Can’t Have Nice Things. We talk about journalism, U.S. politics, trade, healthcare, and the government regulations that are currently making ou...

This week we cover social media censorship, automation at U.S. ports, and the property market crash in China. Our interview this week is with Geoffrey Manne, president of the International Center for Law and Economics. We talk about movies, TV shows, writers, actors, competition, and the future of streaming entertainment. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison. Our co-producer...

This week we cover the new book “What Went Wrong with Capitalism?,” the problem with price controls, Gen Z employees calling in sick, and an upcoming conference on financial privacy. Our interview this week is with Jennifer Huddleston, senior fellow in technology policy at the Cato Institute. We talk about consumer privacy, government databases, identity theft, revealed preferences, and legislativ...

This week we report from the State Policy Network’s annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona and some of the great reform proposals being put forward by groups like the Property and Environment Research Center, the Institute for Justice, the Mountain States Policy Center, and Opportunity Arkansas. Our interview this week is with Patrick Carroll, managing editor at the Foundation for Economic Education....

This week we cover corporations playing politics, Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat, and a tale of two high-speed rail projects. Our interview this week is with Eric Peterson, policy director at Satoshi Action Fund. We talk about Bitcoin, banking, civil liberties, due process, and the future of cryptocurrency. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison. Our co-producer is Destry Edw...

This week we cover weaponization of banking rules, the massive cost of federal regulation, and politicized pension fund management. Our interview this week is with Andrew Stuttaford, editor of National Review’s Capital Matters. We talk about macroeconomic trends, subsidies and industrial policy, tax cuts, interest rates, and economic growth. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morri...

This week we cover California’s minimum wage for fast-food workers, overturning the FCC’s universal service fee, and pushing back on rude customers in Japan. Our interview this week is with Marc Scribner, Senior Transportation Policy Analyst at the Reason Foundation. We talk about mass transit, organized labor, construction costs, and whether the U.S. should try to be more like Europe. Free the Ec...

This week we cover state-level regulatory reform, the opinions of Latino voters, Biden’s tax on stock buybacks, and another cool new podcast you should try. Our interview this week is with Sal Amadeo, documentary filmmaker, YouTuber, musician, and proprietor of Quite Studios and the Dead Malls of Discord server. We talk about shopping malls, third places, the retail economy, shady property develop...