Slate Money

This week: The bond vigilantes are being summoned by Trump’s take bill. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the contents of the controversial bill and how the bond markets are reacting. Then, Julian Sanchez of the WatchCats podcast joins to discuss Elon Musk’s announcement that he’s stepping back from the government and break down what he did with DOGE. Then, has the rise of G...

In this special episode of Slate Money,  Felix Salmon  and  Emily Peck  are joined by Slate editor in chief,  Hillary Frey . They talk all things Disneyland, including why Disneyland is better than Disney World, the need to let go of the inevitable costs ahead of your trip, why it makes for a great vacation with teenagers, and more.  Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

This week: The stock market is coming back after its post Liberation Day fall. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what this does, and mostly doesn’t , signal about the economy under Trump. Then, one stock that is not doing well at all is the UnitedHealth Group. The hosts explain the perfect storm the company has found itself in, and examine if that’s actually the reason for i...

In this Money Talks: Redfin’s Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather has a new book, Hate The Game, where she shares the "economic cheat codes” she’s discovered for life, love and work. She joins Emily Peck to discuss topics from the book like how to use game theory when asking for a raise and why Destiny’s Child is such a good parable for knowing your negotiating power. Want to hear that discussion an...

This week: The UK and the US agreed to the framework for a trade deal. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the details of the agreement and what it means that it includes keeping the 10% baseline tariffs staying in place. Then, Bill Gates has announced that he’s winding down the Gates Foundation and doubling the money he’s giving away. The hosts discuss how this is a reaction...

This week: The entire Iberian peninsula lost power for 18 hours. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by energy expert John Kemp to talk about why that might have happened and nerd out on power grids. Then, the GDP is down by 0.3%. But is that really the right metric to care about? Finally, the tech world is bringing back the brutal system of stack ranking management. The ho...

In this Money Talks: Succession may be over but the drama continues for the Roy family’s real world counterparts. Felix Salmon is joined by McKay Coppins to discuss his experience getting up close and personal with the Murdoch family and break down the dynamics behind the battle over the family empire.  Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus...

This week: Trump has reversed his stance on Jay Powell and his extreme tariffs on China. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Trump’s backtrack on his threat to fire the Fed chair as well as his recent concession that his 145% tariffs on China aren’t sustainable. Then, the hosts weigh in on the growing trend of film and television productions moving out of California in search...

This week: Trump isn’t happy with Fed chair Jay Powell’s take on his tariffs. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers and guest host Cardiff Garcia discuss the economic reasoning for why Powell is resisting the president’s demands to lower rates and what would happen if Trump finds a legal way to fire him. Then, the Trump administration is both gutting the IRS and potentially weaponizing it against Harvar...

In this Money Talks: The federal student loan program was meant to help students seeking a route to a better life – so why is it putting so many of them into crippling debt instead? Journalist Jillian Berman , author of Sunk Cost: Who’s to Blame for the Nation’s Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix , joins Emily Peck to unpack the fraught history of the national student debt system and discus...

This week: Trump’s erratic tariff policies are creating a lot of volatility in the markets. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by investments expert Barry Ritholtz to unpack the week’s wild tariff news and this uniquely unpredictable situation where one person’s decisions are having a huge effect on the markets. Then, Barry helps the hosts understand investing in this envi...

This week: Trump unveiled his extensive list of tariffs. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the questionable math that went into calculating these hefty tariffs and the stock market’s extremely negative reaction to the announcement. Then, Trump has picked a fight with the country's biggest law firms, threatening the integrity of the US legal system. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern...

In this Money Talks: Amidst the Trump administration’s continued attacks on the press, David Enrich ’s new book, Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful , feels incredibly timely. He joins Elizabeth Spiers to discuss his reporting on increasing efforts to exploit the legal system to protect the rich and powerful from being held accountable, creati...

This week: A leaked Signal message revealed illegal use of the commercial app by the Defense Department. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers explain how this is a common issue in finance, where employees often defy SEC regulations on secure communication in favor of more convenient ways of communicating. Then, a recent study shows that people are leaving states with anti-abortion laws...

This week: DOGE is taking its chainsaw to the Social Security Administration. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers examine the real reasons behind the Elon Musk led crusade against the SSA. And then, DOGE used extreme tactics against the US Institute of Peace including a physical takeover of the building by force. Meanwhile, the founder of Pirate’s Booty tried a similar tactic to try t...

In this Money Talks: How does America assert its power globally? The short answer is money. For the long answer, Felix Salmon calls in authors Edward Fishman ( Chokepoints ) and Saleha Mohsin ( Paper Soldiers ) who both recently published books on the subject. They’ll discuss how the US dollar managed to become the world’s reserve asset, the ways it’s been weaponized in the past, and what that glo...

This week: The US Stock Market is plummeting during Trump’s second term. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers explain why headlines very rarely affect the movements of the Stock Market–and discuss whether we're currently living one of those exceptions. Then, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the Trump family is in talks to invest in the US arm of crypto giant Binance . If true,...

This week: Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China went into effect – only for him to turn around and suspend many of them. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Trump’s love of tariffs and the political effects of his trade war. Then, Egg Watch gets a whole segment this week as Chenya Roth joins to discuss the economics of egg demand and the question of if eggs even should...

In this Money Talks: Emily Peck is joined by journalist and author Adam Chandler to discuss what he discovered about how Americans think about work while writing his book 99% Perspiration . They’ll get into America's often misguided and misinformed obsession with rugged individualism, the long-term effects of de-emphasizing community, and of course, Emily in Paris .  Want to hear that discussion a...

This week: Trump has proposed a $5 million “gold card” for US citizenship, suggesting that the US could sell 10 million of them to pay off the national debt.  Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the logic behind this considering the similar programs that already exist and the possible pool of candidates. Then, they discuss guest Kyle Chayka ’s recent piece in the New Yorker co...

This week: The US is weakening ties with its biggest ally while embracing an old enemy. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers explain how the Trump administration’s antagonization of Europe – and further alignment with Russia – could mean major economic blowback if it goes far enough. Then, rumor has it that Intel is looking to sell parts of its business off to foreign firms Broadcom an...

In this Money Talks: Lizzie O’Leary , host of What Next: TBD , joins Felix Salmon to discuss her article on why government databases are crucial to our economy , and why it’s so worrisome that this kind of public data is being removed by the Trump administration. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free lis...

This week: Trump has signed an order suspending the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers speculate on his motives and on how likely it actually is that this will shield anyone from the FCPA. Then, Elon Musk has taken $80 million that was sent to New York City by FEMA directly out of the city’s account. The hosts discuss the legality and...

This week: Trump almost started a trade war with our nearest neighbors. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers explain why Trump’s trade war with Canada and Mexico not happening is still newsworthy. Then, Felix breaks down why Trump’s plan for a US sovereign wealth fund makes no sense. And finally, Kalshi seems to have found a loophole by offering event contracts on the Super Bowl even i...

In this Money Talks: Historian Quinn Slobodian’s 2023 book Crack-Up Capitalism: Market Radicals and the Dream of a World Without Democracy explored the dark reality that many extremists seek a purely capitalist society free of democracy. Now, with the Silicon Valley elite playing such a large role in Trump’s second term, Quinn's work is more relevant than ever. In this episode, Quinn joins Felix S...