Podcasts about labor statistics

Patriot games are coming. Larry Ellison in the spotlight. Hi Ho Silver and away! PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - CTP Cup - All systems go! 9 participants! - ELON gets his $$$ - Kids account challenge - Patriot games are coming... Markets - Not much headwinds - EOY approaching - Analysts predicting SP500 for 2026 - 7,500 (12% upside) - More Oracle back and forth - Gold and Silver Elon - Elon Musk's net worth surged to $749 billion late Friday after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Tesla stock options worth $139 billion that were voided last year - He also recently received a $1T pay plan approval - Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jensen Huang combined - His fortune exceeds the GDP of nations like the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland. - He is richer than every country in Africa by GDP - He is projected by some reports to become the world's first trillionaire by 2027 When did Larry Ellison and Oracle become newsworthy? - Every day in the news.... - Larry Ellison NOW Personally Guarantees Paramount Bid for Warner Bros. - The announcement of Mr. Ellison's personal guarantee is meant to address concerns that the Warner Bros. Discovery's board had expressed about Paramount's original offer. - Helping out sonny-boy? More Oracle - Oracle stock slid after a report that Blue Owl Capital won't back a $10 billion data center for OpenAI. (Michigan) - Oracle has $248 billion in lease commitments for data centers and cloud capacity commitments over the next 15 to 19 years. - Oracle later responded to the FT report, saying the project was moving forward and that Blue Owl was not part of equity talks. EVEN MORE! - Multiple media outlets, including the Associated Press, reported that ByteDance has reached an agreement with Oracle ORCL, Silver Lake, and Abu-Dhabi-based MGX to set up a joint venture for TikTok's US operations. Oracle will hold a 15.0% stake in the new entity, while ByteDance will retain a 19.9% stake. - The important thing her is that TikTok stays as a major tenant of OCI as ORCL needs this cash flow... - Of all of the items, this may be why ORCL stock has bounced te last few days. Congressional Ban - A vote on legislation banning members from owning or trading stocks could get a vote in the new year, according to House leadership and Republican members. - President Donald Trump has said he supports a congressional ban but has pushed back on versions that include the executive branch. - Basically this bill would prohibit the ownership of individual stocks by congress Over to Japan - Bank of Japan raises benchmark rates to highest in 30 years, lifting 10-year JGB yield past 2% - Yen still VERY weak - trading at 157/USD - (problematic) - The BOJ said that real interest rates are expected to remain “significantly negative,” adding that accommodative financial conditions will continue to firmly support economic activity. - The yen weakened 0.25% against the USD after the decision - therefore still dovish and stimulative Economic Numbers - Estimates, partial numbers and best guesses. OH, 2-month averaging as well - The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the annual headline inflation rate and core CPI rate for last month were 2.7% and 2.6%, respectively, well below expectations. - Due to government shutdown, BLS to make certain methodological assumptions about the prior month's inflation levels. - Those assumptions in the methodology were not clear to economists and were not fully explained in the release. - Here is a big issue: The price changes in October for the OER (owners equivalent rent) appear to have been “set to zero.”  Sports Prediction Markets - Sports is fueling the growth and is forecasted to make up 44% of volume as prediction markets mature. - According to one expert: the fundamental elements of consumer demand and an array of diverse brands looking to meet that demand are clearly in place - Sportsbooks are getting a bit nervous.... First Dell, then... - Billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates and his wife, Barbara, committed to seed Trump accounts for approximately 300,000 children in Connecticut. - Following the Dells' pledge, the funds will be aimed at kids who live in a Connecticut ZIP code where the median income is less than $150,000. - The Dalio grant will fund $250 per child for approximately 300,000 children in Connecticut. This applies to children who live in a ZIP code where the median income is less than $150,000. About 87% of Connecticut ZIP codes meet that criteria, according to a CNBC analysis of Census Bureau data. - “Ray has joined what we are calling the 50-state challenge,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press conference on Wednesday. - A growing number of companies have announced they would match contributions to Trump accounts for their employees, including BNY and BlackRock. Patriot Games (Hunger Games?) - Trump announced: The Washington Monument will be illuminated with festive lights, a triumphal arc will be constructed and the “Patriot Games” will commence. The games are an “unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes: one young man and one young woman from each state and territory. - Uhhhhhh "And so it was decreed that, each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice. (Hunger Games 2012) - What next - PURGE NIGHT? Fed Pick - Now it seems as if it is a 4 person race... - President Trump says "Nowadays, when there is good news, the market goes down because everybody thinks that interest rates will be immediately lifted"; says "I want my new Fed Chairman to lower interest rates if the market is doing well"; says "Anybody that disagrees with me will never be the Fed Chairman!" San Fran Blackout - Alphabet-owned Waymo resumed its robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay Area Sunday evening after pausing it amid widespread blackouts that had affected their vehicles' behavior. - Waymo said it worked with city officials throughout the blackout and had “proactively” initiated a temporary suspension of its service. - Interesting point there - what happens when grid disruptions for internet with self-driving Angry Shareholders (For a minute) - Tricolor CEO Daniel Chu directed a deputy to send him $6.25 million in bonuses in August, weeks before the company filed for bankruptcy, U.S. prosecutors alleged. - Subprime autofirm that had alleged fraud - This happens all the time - Big issue to keep alert to is the news about "Subprime" WEED - Trump's executive order shifts cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, easing research, banking and tax restrictions and marking the biggest federal cannabis policy change in decades. - Shares of cannabis conglomerates were down following the announcement, likely from worries of new competition from international companies. - NOT legalization - NOT for recreational use... - Banking, Institutional capital ..... OpenAi - Beggars cup continues - OpenAI is in initial discussions to raise at least $10 billion from Amazon.com Inc. and use its chips, a potential win for the online retailer's effort to broaden its AI industry presence and compete with Nvidia Corp. - The deal under discussion could value OpenAI north of $500 billion and see it adopt Amazon's Trainium chip, a person with knowledge of the matter said, asking to remain anonymous to describe private negotiations. - Talks, however, are at a preliminary stage and terms could change, the person added. High Ho Silver and Away! - Silver up 135% YTD - Gold up 70% - Best year since strongest annual performance since 1979 for Gold - 1970's was inflation, USD weakening, Energy crisis. - What is similar/different now? (Big difference is buying up (China, Poland, Turkey, India) Light menu - Darden Restaurants will roll out a new lighter portion entrées menu at all Olive Garden locations in January, the company announced during its quarterly earnings call last Thursday. - Citing affordability: "Olive Garden has seen a double-digit increase in affordability perceptions from guests who order from the lighter portions menu and an increase in frequency among these guests, which should help build traffic over time," Cardenas said. - Sooooo 0 due to high costs, Americans are cutting back on food? - If it were for weight loss, no need for Oliver garden to cut back on portions as most inedible anyway... Copper - Copper prices topped $12,000 a ton for the first time, extending the metal's recent bull run as mine outages add to concerns about supply. - The threat of US import tariffs on the metal has also been an important factor pushing up prices this year, with copper piling up in American warehouses. - Industry analysts have said that much of the richest and most easily accessible mining resources are now exhausted, and experts are warning that the market is on the cusp of a major deficit. Jim Beam - Bourbon maker Jim Beam is halting production at one of its distilleries in Kentucky for at least a year as the whiskey industry navigates tariffs from the Trump administration and slumping demand for a product that needs years of aging before it is ready. - Jim Beam said the decision to pause bourbon making at its Clermont location in 2026 will give the company time to invest in improvements at the distillery. The bottling and warehouse at the site will remain open, along with the James B. Beam Distilling Co. visitors center and restaurant. - The percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup's nearly 90-year trend. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? THE CLOSEST TO THE PIN 2025 Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt! CTP CUP 2025 Participants: Jim Beaver Mike Kazmierczak Joe Metzger Ken Degel David Martin Dean Wormell Neil Larion Mary Lou Schwarzer Eric Harvey (2024 Winner) FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter

Kevin returns to familiar surroundings after attending the Rush Enterprises 20th Anniversary Tech Skills Rodeo (TSR) in Nashville, TN at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Sunday through Tuesday, and covers the following stories: the U.S. Labor Department released the Weekly Jobless Claims Report; Mitch Davisson, Director of Collision Centers, Rush Enterprises, New Braunfels, Texas, stopped by the ATN Booth at the TSR, to discuss the Body and Paint competition; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index.

Kevin returns to familiar surroundings after attending the Rush Enterprises 20th Anniversary Tech Skills Rodeo (TSR) in Nashville, TN at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Sunday through Tuesday, and covers the following stories: the U.S. Labor Department released the Weekly Jobless Claims Report; Mitch Davisson, Director of Collision Centers, Rush Enterprises, New Braunfels, Texas, stopped by the ATN Booth at the TSR, to discuss the Body and Paint competition; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

wanted to do a quick update on the newsletter I wrote last month “A Thanksgiving Primer to Help You Deal With your Fox Loving Relatives.”I had to wait until December 18 to get the updated CPI report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency delayed it eight days due to the government shutdown. It was also based on a partial gathering of data which is problematic for several reasons.This is an updated version of the Thanksgiving primer! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe

AmericaFest 2025 kicks off tonight in Phoenix, Arizona. It's Turning Point USA's first major conference since the assassination of its cofounder Charlie Kirk. NTD Evening News presents a special live broadcast from the conference and will bring viewers coverage throughout the weekend.President Donald Trump addressed the latest November inflation numbers ahead of a Friday rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The Consumer Price Index report released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows inflation slowed to 2.7 percent, down from 3 percent in September. Meanwhile, the Kennedy Center board voted to honor Trump by adding his name to the venue.Lawmakers have left Capitol Hill for the holiday break without reaching agreements on government funding or health care. The House and Senate will return to session on Jan. 5 and 6, respectively. Lawmakers will have until Jan. 31 to pass the remaining nine of the twelve appropriations bills needed to fund the government through fiscal year 2026 and avert another shutdown.

Kevin returns to familiar surroundings after attending the Rush Enterprises 20th Anniversary Tech Skills Rodeo (TSR) in Nashville, TN at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Sunday through Tuesday, and covers the following stories: the U.S. Labor Department released the Weekly Jobless Claims Report; Mitch Davisson, Director of Collision Centers, Rush Enterprises,New Braunfels, Texas, stopped by the ATN Booth at the TSR, to discuss the Body and Paint competition; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index.

In this episode, recorded on December 19, 2025, we examine the latest retail sales, employment, and CPI reports. Retail sales were flat on the month, underscoring a continued pullback in consumer spending as sentiment deteriorates and labor-market momentum slows.The employment report was more troubling than the headline figures suggest. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November, while payrolls fell in October before rebounding modestly in November. A closer inspection, however, reveals a far weaker underlying picture. Year to date, job gains in Health Care and Social Services have exceeded total payroll growth, implying that employment outside those sectors has declined outright. After adjusting for the outsized contribution from health care and the Federal Reserve's estimated 60,000 monthly overstatement, we estimate that non–Health Care payrolls have fallen by more than 500,000 this year.We also discuss the latest CPI report, whose construction raises serious questions. Evidence increasingly suggests that the Bureau of Labor Statistics imputed zero inflation for missing observations, including within the Shelter component, which accounts for roughly one-third of the index. If correct, this would render the headline inflation figures deeply misleading. That said, we also explore the counterfactual: what if the data are, in fact, accurate?We hope you enjoy the episode and thank you for listening.

Advisors on This Week's Show Kyle Tetting Adam Baley Dave Sandstrom (with Max Hoelzl, Joel Dresang, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (Dec. 15-19, 2025) Significant Economic Indicators & Reports Monday No major announcements Tuesday Employers continued to add jobs in November amid signs of a weakening labor market, including the highest unemployment rate in four years. The shutdown-delayed employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed 64,000 more jobs in November after a 105,000-job decline in October, the third drop in five months. Federal jobs led the October fall as total employment stayed flat since April. Temporary help — considered a harbinger of hiring trends — reached its lowest level outside of the pandemic since 2012, amid recovery from the Great Recession. Because of the 43-day government shutdown, household data was not collected in October and had a higher margin of error in November. That data raised the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November, the highest since September 2021. The Commerce Department reported no change in retail sales in October. Eight of 13 major categories had higher sales. Decliners were led by car dealers, home-and-garden centers and bars and restaurants. Sales fell at gas stations because of lower prices. Excluding volatile car and gas sales, retailers generated 0.5 % more revenue than in September. About two-thirds of U.S. economic activity is driven by consumer spending, a majority of which is reflected in retail sales. Wednesday No major announcements Thursday The broadest measure of inflation showed a 2.7% annual pace in November. Because of the shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics skipped its October report, the first miss  since 1948, but showed a lower Consumer Price Index increase for the first time since April, when the year-to-year rate was 2.3%. Inflation stayed above the long-range Federal Reserve target of 2% but was down from a four-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022. According to the incomplete report, gas prices were up 11% from the year before and shelter costs rose 3%. Excluding volatile costs for energy and food, the core CPI rose 2.6% from November 2024. The four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims rose for the second week in a row, the Labor Department reported. The gauge of employers' willingness to release workers was 40% below the long-term average and up 5% from the low just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Total jobless claims rose nearly 16% in the latest week to just below 2 million, up almost 2% from the year before. Friday Existing home sales rose 0.5% in November, a third consecutive increase, the National Association of Realtors reported. The annual sales rate of 4.1 million houses and condos was 1% below the year before; 2024 had the lowest sales in 30 years. An economist for the trade association said housing wealth was at an all-time high, so homeowners are in no hurry to list their properties. Low inventory has helped boost prices, rising to a median price of $409,200 in November, a 1.2% gain from the year before and the 29th consecutive increase. The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index rose marginally in December, though it was 28.5% lower than the year before. Conditions for buying durable goods fell for the fifth month in a row as 63% of consumers surveyed foresaw a continuing rise in unemployment. Inflation expectations fell but remained higher than they were in January. Economists follow consumer sentiment as a leading indicator of consumer spending. Market Closings for the Week Nasdaq – 23286, up 91 points or 0.4% Standard & Poor's 500 – 6837, up 10 points or 0.1% Dow Jones Industrial – 48254, down 204 points or 0.4% 10-year U.S. Treasury Note – 4.15%, down 0.04 point

It's hard to believe we waited two months for that. The Inflation Guy pulls no punches here. Although he is a serious defender of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI team, he did not mince words in talking about today's report. But it's still data, and the IG tells you what it means. NOTES Blog for this month's CPI: “Inflation Guy's CPI Summary (November 2025)” (https://inflationguy.blog/2025/12/18/inflation-guys-cpi-summary-november-2025/ ) Blog on hedonic adjustment “Why Hedonic Adjustment in the CPI Shouldn't Tick You Off”  https://inflationguy.blog/2025/12/10/why-hedonic-adjustment-in-the-cpi-shouldnt-tick-you-off/ To Subscribe to Quarterly Inflation Outlook: https://inflationguy.blog/shop/    To Subscribe for free to the blog: https://inflationguy.blog/ Interested in becoming a customer of Inflation Guy? https://www.EnduringInvestments.com/ An inflation-indexed currency you can now mint from our website: https://usdicoin.com/

New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show Black unemployment has climbed to 8.3%, the highest rate among all racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., even as overall unemployment remains far lower. The figures come as concerns grow about the labor market and the Federal Reserve weighs inflation against employment risks. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed with the latest news from a leading Black-owned & controlled media company:https://aurn.com/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The unemployment rate for tech jobs in the United States rose to four percent in November, according to CompTIA analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics and Lightcast data. Between October and November, the number of technology workers across industries declined by 134,000, with the tech industry itself losing more than 6,800 jobs. Tech job postings dropped by over 31,800 during the same period. Factors contributing to these trends include ongoing layoffs, reduced demand for new technology projects, and economic uncertainty. Business owners and leaders are advised to reassess talent strategies, invest in employee upskilling, and monitor labor market trends to inform workforce planning.Learn more on this news by visiting us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Project 2025 began quietly, as a 900-page manual from the conservative Heritage Foundation called Mandate for Leadership. According to Heritage, its goal is to prepare “the next conservative president” to remake the federal government from day one, with a pre-vetted army of appointees and draft executive orders ready to sign.At its core is a simple but sweeping idea: place almost the entire executive branch under direct presidential control. Heritage authors invoke the “unitary executive” theory, arguing that agencies like the Department of Justice and the FBI should no longer operate with traditional independence. Project documents call DOJ a “bloated bureaucracy” that has “forfeited the trust” of Americans and urge making the FBI director “personally accountable to the president,” reshaping federal law enforcement priorities and civil rights enforcement, as summarized by PBS NewsHour and the Mandate itself.To make that vision real, Project 2025 leans on a hiring category known as Schedule F. The National Federation of Federal Employees explains that the plan would reclassify large numbers of civil servants as at-will employees and replace them with ideological loyalists, eliminating long-standing job protections against political interference. Heritage allies describe this as clearing out the “administrative state”; unions and watchdog groups describe it as opening the door to political purges across the bureaucracy.The scope reaches every corner of government. The Mandate proposes abolishing the Department of Education entirely, shifting its programs to states and to the Department of Health and Human Services, and folding the National Center for Education Statistics into the Census Bureau. It urges dismantling the Department of Homeland Security and replacing it with a streamlined immigration-focused agency combining Customs and Border Protection, ICE, TSA, and parts of Justice and Health and Human Services, as detailed in the Project 2025 chapters on immigration and education.Economic regulators are also targeted. The document calls for eliminating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, abolishing the Federal Trade Commission, shrinking the National Labor Relations Board, and merging the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis into a single, politically directed statistics office, according to the Project 2025 overview compiled by Wikipedia and summaries from public-sector unions.Supporters argue this would cut red tape, boost fossil fuel production by rolling back environmental rules, and, in their words, “destroy the administrative state” that they see as blocking conservative policy. Critics, including the ACLU and Democracy Forward, warn that concentrating so much power in the White House could weaken checks and balances, politicize data, and threaten protections for workers, immigrants, and marginalized groups.The next major milestones hinge on elections and transition planning: whether a future administration formally embraces this blueprint, how much Congress will accept, and how courts respond if sweeping executive orders test the limits of presidential power. Thanks for tuning in, and come back next week for more.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

New federal jobs data confirms the U.S. labor market softened in October and November. After weeks of delays caused by the government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports job losses in October, modest hiring in November, and an unemployment rate rising to 4.6% — the highest level since 2021. In this episode of Real Estate News for Investors, Kathy Fettke breaks down what's driving the slowdown, including sharp cuts in federal employment, slower wage growth, and mixed signals from consumer spending. We also look at which sectors are still adding jobs — like health care and construction — and where losses are mounting, including transportation and leisure and hospitality. Finally, Kathy explains why this cooling labor market matters for real estate investors as we head toward 2026, and what to watch next with inflation data and Federal Reserve policy.

SpaceX IPO coming – huge increase in valuation over past 3 months Happy Hanukah – Eight Crazy Nights Now Kevin AND Kevin PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - Last Chance for CTP Cup 2025 participants - Happy Hanukah - Eight Crazy Nights - Sad News - Rob Reiner - Fed decision is out.... - Overdue eco reports coming this week Markets - Oracle still problematic - SpaceX IPO coming - huge increase in valuation over past 3 months - Another Bankruptcy - cleaning up is not good business - Oh my - Now Kevin AND Kevin - Weight loss game continues - One thing saved for last - a doozie... Tesla -  - All time High - Prospect of Robotaxi - Even though sales hitting multi-year lows Wall Street Never Sleeps? - Nasdaq files to extend trading to 23 hours on weekdays - Banks concerned about investor protections, costs, liquidity, volatility risks of nonstop trading - Proponents argue round-the-clock trading benefits global investors - That may create some additional volatility potential SpaceX - SpaceX aims for a potential $1.5 trillion market cap with an Initial Public Offering in 2026, which could become the largest IPO in history - July 2025 tender valuation was $400B - Dec 14th (4 months later) $800B - Starlink is the primary money winner of this deal - Tesla shares climbing even with nothing behind it - seemingly in sympathy for this IPO ---- TESLA does not have ownership of SpaceX - OH - this could be the reason....U.S. deliveries dropped significantly in November—the lowest since early 2022—but this weakness has been overshadowed by the enthusiasm for autonomy. Rob Reiner - A son of legendary Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, producer Michele Singer Reiner, Nick Reiner, is being held on suspicion of murder following their deaths, according to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell. He's being held on $4 million bail. - Citing law enforcement sources and family friends, ABC News reported on Monday that Nick Reiner had recently returned to live at his parents' South Chadbourne Avenue home. The move was described as a temporary arrangement intended to help him stabilize. - Not going to discuss the Truth Social post about this tragedy HEADLINE ALERT - "Copper could hit ‘stratospheric new highs' as hoarding of the metal in U.S. continues" - Copper has gone from 5.77 to 5.30 (July to today) - 6 Tops at this price since 2011 - Not seeing this as per the headline - seems like a Hunt Brothers special from the 1980s - CORNERING THE MARKET ---1980 - Silver went from $11 to $50 then crashed, bankrupting the Hunt Bros - after COMEX changed rules forcing them to cover positions Bankruptcy - After 35 years, the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum filed for bankruptcy protection late Sunday night. Following warnings issued earlier this year that it was fast running out of options, iRobot says it is entering Chapter 11 protection and will be acquired by its contract manufacturer, China-based Picea Robotics. - The company says it will continue to operate “with no anticipated disruption to its app functionality, customer programs, global partners, supply chain relationships, or ongoing product support.” - Remember that Amazon  - The Amazon buyout of iRobot, maker of Roomba, was announced in 2022 for $1.7 billion but ultimately failed in January 2024 due to significant regulatory pushback, primarily from the EU, over anti-competitive concerns. -- Amazon walked away with a $94 million termination fee Fed Pick - President Donald Trump said Friday that Kevin Warsh has moved to the top of his list as the next Federal Reserve chair, though Kevin Hassett also remains in contention, according to the Wall Street Journal. - Interesting that this comes days after Hassett said that we would not let outside suggestions influence his voting - ---In addition to putting heavier weight on Warsh getting the job, Trump repeated an assertion he has made in the past that the Fed chair ought to consult the president about interest rate decisions. - Also of interest, prediction markets had Hassett at 95% probability - now it moved to 50% - big payday for people in the know. Housing Prices - Average home price is DOWN on  year-over-year basis - First time on national level since 2024 - Active listings in November were nearly 13% higher than November 2024, but new listings were just 1.7% higher --- Houses are on market longer - - Prices in Austin, Texas, are down 10% from last year; in Denver, they're down 5%, according to Parcl Labs. Tampa, Florida, and Houston both saw prices fall 4%, and Atlanta and Phoenix saw price decreases of 3%. More Hosing Related -  Zillow shares plunged more than 9% on Monday on worries that the online real estate platform could have a big new competitor: Google Search. - Google appears to be running tests on putting real estate sale listings into its search results. Overdue Eco  - Black Hole - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday releases its long-awaited combined employment reports for October and November, but a number of key details will be missing after the government shutdown prevented data collection, including October's unemployment rate, resulting in the first-ever gap in that critical data series since inception in 1948. - NICE JOB GANG! - Some of the data will be estimated. - It said it would not publish the headline CPI number or the so-called core CPI, which strips out the volatile food and energy components, for October. "BLS cannot provide specific guidance to data users for navigating the missing October observations," the agency said. Some Updates - Some info coming in are estimates - some delayed - Unemployment at 4.6% - Latest report shows +64,000 added - ISM Manufacturing and Non-manufacturing - both slowed over the last month The Fed - Meanwhile the Fed cuts rates.... - A Federal Reserve split over where its priorities should lie cut its key interest rate Wednesday in a 9-3 vote, but signaled a tougher road ahead for further reductions. - The FOMC's “dot plot” indicated just one more reduction in 2026 and another in 2027, amid considerable disagreement from members about where rates should head. - In addition to the rate decision, the Fed also announced it will resume buying Treasury securities. The central bank will start by buying $40 billion in Treasury bills, beginning Friday. - Markets were all over the place on this as it was a little confusing at first - then it seemed that everyone loved (for one day) - Why is the Fed moving up Treasury purchases to "immediately" from a few months from now? - AND - dissension ! A larger group  that usual of regional Fed bank presidents signaled they opposed the cut, and six policymakers said the benchmark federal funds rate should end 2025 in a range of 3.75% to 4%, suggesting they opposed the move. - Long bonds have not moved at all on this news. Costco Earnings - Costco beat Wall Street's fiscal first-quarter sales and revenue expectations. - Sales rose 8.2% and digital sales jumped 20.5% compared with the year-ago quarter. - Costco surpassed Wall Street's quarterly expectations and posted year-over-year sales growth of 8.2% as the retailer attracted more digital sales and opened new locations. - Earnings per share: $4.50 vs. $4.27 expected - Revenue: $67.31 billion vs. $67.14 billion expected - Costco does not provide year ahead guidance - Shares down from a recent high of $855 Costco Fun Facts - About 4.5 million pies were sold in the three days before Thanksgiving, which is equivalent to roughly 7,000 pies per warehouse. -  These were bakery pies (e.g., pumpkin, apple), - Costco had more than $250 million in non-food online orders on Black Friday, a record for Costco's U.S. e-commerce business. - Approximately 358,000 whole pizzas were served at Costco's U.S. food courts, a 31% jump from last year. (500 pizza's per store) Fat No More - Retatrutide - Eli Lilly said its next-generation obesity drug delivered what appears to be the highest weight loss seen so far in a late-stage trial and reduced knee arthritis pain, clearing the first of several upcoming studies on the weekly injection. - In a 48-week Phase 2 study, participants on the highest dose lost an average of 24% of their body weight. - Recent Phase 3 results showed patients on the highest dose lost an average of 28.7% of their body weight after 68 weeks. - The trials also showed improvements in related health conditions, including knee osteoarthritis pain, blood pressure, and liver fat - This triple action is what makes retatrutide potentially more effective for weight loss than existing medications like Zepbound (tirzepatide), which targets two receptors, or Wegovy (semaglutide), which targets only one. Paypal - PayPal Holdings Inc. applied to become a bank in the US, looking to take advantage of the Trump administration's openness to financial-technology companies entering the banking system. - The payments-focused firm submitted applications to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions to form a Utah-chartered industrial loan company, PayPal said in a statement Monday. - If approved, PayPal Bank would help the firm bolster its small-business lending capabilities, according to the statement, which said the company has provided access to more than $30 billion in loans and capital since 2013. Ford - Management Confused - Instead of planning to make enough electric vehicles to account for 40 percent of global sales by 2030—as it pledged just four years ago—Ford says it will focus on a broader range of hybrids, extended-range electrics, and battery-electric models, which executives now say will account for 50 percent of sales by the end of the decade. - The automaker will make hybrid versions of almost every vehicle in its lineup, the company says. - All in on EVS cost them -  Ford expects to record about $19.5 billion in special items, mostly during the fourth quarter. ---- The charges are related to a restructuring of its business priorities and a pullback in its all-electric vehicle investments. Australia - Australia has implemented a groundbreaking ban preventing children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, effective December 2025, to protect them from harm, with significant fines for companies failing to enforce it, though messaging apps and gaming platforms are currently exempt. - Reddit is suing - Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X (Twitter), YouTube, Reddit, Kick, and Twitch are all banned for kids under 16. - Thoughts on this? Saved For Last - Of all the eye-popping numbers that Oracle Corp. published last week on the costs of its artificial-intelligence data center buildout, the most striking didn't appear until the day after its earnings press release and analyst call. - The more comprehensive 10-Q earnings report that appeared on Thursday detailed $248 billion of lease-payment commitments, “substantially all” related to data centers and cloud capacity arrangements, the business-software firm said. These are due to commence between now and its 2028 financial year but they're not yet included on its balance sheet. - That's almost $150 billion more than was disclosed in the footnotes of September's earnings update. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? The Winner for iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt! CTP CUP 2025 Participants: Jim Beaver Mike Kazmierczak Joe Metzger Ken Degel David Martin Dean Wormell Neil Larion Mary Lou Schwarzer Eric Harvey (2024 Winner) FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its initial estimates for November's job growth. Nationally, employers added a total of 64,000 jobs for the month, but other details in the report pointed towards a weakening labor market as the year ends.The unemployment rate increased to 4.6%, the highest in more than four years. In the last six months, the U.S. has only created a total of 100,000 new jobs. During normal periods of economic growth, the job market would eclipse that total practically every month rather than taking half a year to achieve it.Broadly, the private sector has performed better than the overall total. Through the first 11 months of the year, the private sector added 766,000 jobs while the government lost 156,000 jobs.Within those subsets, health care added 400,000 of the private sector jobs on a year-to-date basis, meaning growth was less than spectacular for most other industries. The federal government lost 268,000 jobs, but it was partially offset by local governments adding 147,000 jobs so far this year.As usual, the report is subject to further revisions, but the softness in the labor market is undeniable at this point. Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently noted that the job numbers reported could be overestimated by 60,000 per month.Explore our webpage for more insights and resources:https://bit.ly/Radix_Website

You're listening to American Ground Radio with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. This is the full show for December 16, 2025. 0:30 A comment on The View is lighting up the airwaves — and not in a good way. We break down Whoopi Goldberg's comment that a dog would do a better job running the FBI than Director Kash Patel. But while the insult makes headlines, the facts tell a very different story. Under Patel’s leadership, the FBI has disrupted terror plots, stopped bomb threats, and arrested top fugitives — results critics conveniently ignore. This isn’t just about a Trump appointee or a TV soundbite. It’s about media figures undermining public trust in federal law enforcement at a moment of real national security threats — and replacing serious debate with cheap insults. 9:30 Plus, we cover the Top 3 Things You Need to Know. According to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs in the United States rose by 64,000 positions last month. President Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC for deceptively editing his speech from January 6, 2021. Judge Hannah Dugan, who allegedly tried to help an illegal alien avoid being arrested and deported by ICE, is on trial herself this week after she was charged with obstruction. 13:00 Phil Mickelson isn’t backing down — and his latest comments on gun control are setting off alarms around the world. After the deadly Bondi Beach attack in Australia, the golf legend pointed out an uncomfortable truth: the terrorists didn’t seem remotely hindered by some of the strictest gun laws on the planet. In countries where law-abiding citizens are disarmed, criminals and extremists know exactly who won’t be shooting back. The conversation cuts through the familiar calls for “more laws” and asks the harder question — why do politicians keep blaming legal gun owners when violent criminals ignore the law entirely? 16:00 We ask the American Mamas what they think about Erika Kirk's meeting with Candace Owens. Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, sat down privately with Candace Owens after claims and speculation threatened to fracture the conservative movement during a moment of national mourning. With no cameras, no microphones, and no social media theatrics, the two women chose conversation over chaos. American Mamas Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson weigh in on why the meeting mattered, how unchecked speculation can poison unity, and why resolving conflict face-to-face may be the only way to stop grief from being weaponized. If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button. 22:30 Cheap gas isn’t just a talking point — it’s a pay raise, especially for working families living paycheck to paycheck. We break down why lower gas prices hit far beyond the pump, driving down grocery costs, transportation expenses, and overall inflation. When fuel gets cheaper, everything gets cheaper — and the people who feel it most are the poorest Americans. With GasBuddy projecting sub-$3 gas prices for Christmas Day, the conversation turns to energy policy, economic relief, and why “drill, baby, drill” is being framed as compassion, not politics. 26:00 Republicans are finally putting a healthcare alternative on the table — 15 years after Obamacare, but better late than never. We Dig Deep into the GOP’s new “Lower Healthcare Premiums for All Americans Act,” what it claims to fix, and why no one should expect a miracle. From soaring premiums and broken Obamacare promises to patient choice, small-business relief, and cutting red tape, the conversation centers on whether this plan can actually move the system in a better direction. It’s a hard look at healthcare reform, government control versus freedom, and why real healthcare isn’t delivered by Washington — it’s delivered between doctors and patients. 32:00 Get TrimROX from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 32:30 A brutal attack in a Savannah public park leaves a woman with third-degree burns — and the mayor’s response is sparking outrage. We react to a shocking chemical assault at Forsyth Park, the victim’s ongoing recovery, and a moment from city leadership that many are calling cold, dismissive, and indefensible. Instead of compassion or accountability, the mayor’s remarks raise serious questions about leadership, public safety, and basic human decency. 35:30 Education freedom is gaining momentum — and it may be one of the real bright spots in the national conversation. We break down what “education freedom” actually means, why it matters to working families, and why support is growing across the country. From open enrollment and school choice to education savings accounts and tax credits, the discussion cuts through the buzzwords and gets to the core issue: parents having real control over how and where their children are educated. 39:30 Buy now, pay later sounds convenient — but is it quietly training Americans to spend money they don’t actually have? We dig into the rise of “split payment” apps and why turning everyday purchases into installment plans may be more dangerous than credit cards. It’s a conversation about debt, discipline, and how removing the “pain of paying” can lead to overspending — exactly as the companies behind it intend. Just because you can break a purchase into payments doesn’t mean you should. 41:30 And we finish off today’s show with a reminder that American resistance didn’t begin in a courtroom — it began in a harbor. On this day in history, the Boston Tea Party marked a turning point in the fight against taxation without representation, as ordinary colonists took an extraordinary stand against government overreach. Disguised, defiant, and determined, the Sons of Liberty sent a clear message to Parliament that freedom would not be negotiated quietly. Follow us: americangroundradio.com Facebook: facebook.com / AmericanGroundRadio Instagram: instagram.com/americangroundradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's News Day Tuesday on the Majority Report On today's program: The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its November data, showing negative job growth in three of the past six months, alongside the lowest unemployment rate since 2021. Keep in mind that Donald Trump fired much of the BLS staff and replaced them with loyalists so the real numbers may be much worse. Jesse Rabinowitz, the communications director for the National Homelessness Law Center joins Sam and Emma to discuss Utah's plan to build an involuntary "treatment center" on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. Abdul El-Sayed joins the program to discuss his U.S. Senate campaign in Michigan, outlining his support for Medicare for All, his views on Gaza, filibuster reform, and the challenges facing everyday Michiganders. In the Fun Half: After several prominent GOP leaders condemned his vile Truth Social post blaming "Trump Derangement Syndrome" for Rob Reiner's murder, Trump doubled down on the rhetoric and the fallout is snowballing. The Megyn Kelly wrap up show is flooded with phone calls of republican voters expressing their anger with Trumps comments on Rob Reiner. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles gives an interview to Vanity Fair in which she unloads on Trump's inner circle, attacking Elon Musk, JD Vance, Pam Bondi, Russ Vought and even Trump himself. Benjamin Netanyahu waited a whole 2 hours to blame the Bondi Beach shooting on Australia's signaling towards recognizing a Palestinian State. Meanwhile Senator Lindsay Graham blames the shooting on Joe Biden and Barack Obama in an intoxicated rant. Joe Rogan shows that he has more in common with the billionaires he pals around with then his audience during a rant against taxation. Dave Rubin is selling t-shirt that read "Moron Zamboni" in a cringe attempt to mock NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani All that and more. The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Check out IceRRT.com Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: DELETEME: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/MAJORITY and use promo code MAJORITY at checkout. TUSHY: Remember to head to ZBiotics.com/MAJORITY and use the code MAJORITY at checkout for 15% off. AURA FRAMES: Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/MAJORITY. Promo Code MAJORITY SUNSET LAKE: Head on over to SunsetLakeCBD.com and use the code WINTER25 to save 35% on their full lineup of CBD Tinctures for people and pets. This sale ends December 21st at 11:59 ᴾᴹ eastern. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com

How many jobs did the U.S. economy gain or lose last month? We'll find out later this morning. The numbers are about a week late, as the folks at the Bureau of Labor Statistics needed a minute to catch up after the government shutdown. Economists' expectations are low. Then, an investigation in New York looks into allegations of systemic fraud big banks are facing over foreclosure auctions. We'll help you understand the story.

How many jobs did the U.S. economy gain or lose last month? We'll find out later this morning. The numbers are about a week late, as the folks at the Bureau of Labor Statistics needed a minute to catch up after the government shutdown. Economists' expectations are low. Then, an investigation in New York looks into allegations of systemic fraud big banks are facing over foreclosure auctions. We'll help you understand the story.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its long-awaited data, showing mixed signals for the US jobs market. The unemployment rate is at a four-year high of 4.6%, up from 4.4%. The European Union is set to soften its planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars, giving carmakers more time to move away from combustion engines. We hear from Wolfgang Weber, CEO of German electro and digital industry association (ZVEI).And the last vehicle will roll off the assembly line at Volkswagen's plant in Dresden today. First time ever the German carmaker closed a manufacturing plant in its home country.You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.Presenter: Leanna Bryne Producer: Victoriya Holland Editor: Justin Bones

Congress continues investigating a September strike that hit a drug boat in the Caribbean. Secretary of war Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others briefed members of the House and the Senate on Tuesday. Hegseth says video of the strike will be shown to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees Wednesday, but the full video will not be released to the public.U.S. economy added 64,000 new jobs last month following a decline of 105,000 in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. November's jobless rate rose to 4.6 percent—the highest since September 2021— from 4.4 percent in September.

The S&P 500 fell for a third session Tuesday as traders digested the delayed release of the November jobs report. The broad market index dropped 0.24% to settle at 6,800.26, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.23% to end at 23,111.46. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 302.30 points, or 0.62%, to close at 48,114.26.U.S. crude oil also came under significant pressure on Tuesday, falling to its lowest level since early 2021.Earlier Tuesday, November's jobs report came in better than expected, showing an increase of 64,000 jobs for the month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones predicted that nonfarm payrolls would grow by 45,000 in the period.However, the BLS reported that October shed 105,000 jobs. The unemployment rate also increased to 4.6%, which was above the Dow Jones forecast for 4.5%, raising concerns about the state of the U.S. economy.SPI down 3 - TWE in focus on US and China downgrade.Want to invest with Marcus Today? Our MT20 portfolio is designed for investors seeking exposure to our strategy while we do the hard work for you. If you're looking for personal financial advice, our friends at Clime Investment Management can help. Their team of licensed advisers operates across most states, offering tailored financial planning services.  Why not sign up for a free trial? Gain access to expert insights, research, and analysis to become a better investor.

Kevin covered the following stories: the U.S. Labor Department reported the Weekly Initial Jobless Claims; some of the various media outlet's coverage were misleading at best; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Employment Cost Index which tracks changes changes in wages and benefits; the U.S. Department of Agricuture released their estimates for 2026 cattle prices; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspectve, offers opinions and insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin covered the following stories: the U.S. Labor Department reported the Weekly Initial Jobless Claims; some of the various media outlet's coverage were misleading at best; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Employment Cost Index which tracks changes changes in wages and benefits; the U.S. Department of Agricuture released their estimates for 2026 cattle prices; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspectve, offers opinions and insights.

You're listening to American Ground Radio with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. This is the full show for December 11, 2025. 0:30 Today we take a look at yet another glaring example of two-tier justice in America — after a federal grand jury in Virginia declined, for the second time, to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud allegations. We walk through how James built her entire political brand on accusing Donald Trump and his family of fraud, running explicitly on the promise to “get Trump.” But when she herself is accused of misrepresenting property information to secure financial benefits, the legal system suddenly hesitates. Standards soften. Intent becomes “unclear.” Evidence is “open to interpretation.” 9:30 Plus, we cover the Top 3 Things You Need to Know. The Bureau of Labor Statistics release a report this week saying that for the fifth straight month, increases in wages have outpaced inflation. The House of Representatives passed the Defense Authorization Act. The court fight over Illegal alien and alleged human trafficker Kilmar Abrego-Garcia continues. 12:30 Get Performlyte from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 13:00 Meta is now claiming its “enforcement mistakes” have dropped by 90% — a number the hosts say tells you everything you need to know about what was really happening before. After scrapping third-party fact checkers and the COVID-era censorship apparatus, Meta suddenly says it’s doing better. But were these simple “mistakes" or intentional acts of censorship, carried out under pressure from the Biden administration, where true information was labeled misinformation and users were silenced on purpose? Call it enforcement if you want — just don’t call it accidental. 15:30 American Mamas Teri Nettervile and Kimberly Burelson tackle a question that hits a cultural nerve: should a woman ever propose to a man — especially if he hasn’t done it himself? Using a viral video of a woman proposing after 14 years of dating as the jumping-off point, the conversation turns blunt, emotional, and unapologetically traditional. Their take is clear: if a man hasn’t proposed after years together, it’s not hesitation — it’s a decision. They argue that public proposals by women often flip natural dynamics, leaving the woman looking desperate and the man embarrassed, and point out that nearly every example online shows visible discomfort rather than romance. If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button. 22:30 AOC brands herself as the champion of the working class — railing against capitalism, wealth, and privilege — but new campaign spending tells a different story. Records show tens of thousands of donor dollars spent in Puerto Rico on luxury venues and high-end accommodations, all framed as “social justice.” 26:00 We break down the strategic showdown unfolding in the Caribbean — and it’s not an invasion, it’s pressure. Despite media speculation about war with Venezuela, Trump is doing the opposite of Iraq-style nation-building, opting instead for maximum force short of boots on the ground. From drug boats being seized and destroyed on the high seas to a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker taken by U.S. forces, this is a deliberate chokehold on Maduro’s funding streams. Drug trafficking, illegal oil shipments, shadow fleets — all of it bankrolls a corrupt regime propped up by repression and bribes. Cut the money, and the regime collapses from the inside. 32:00 Get Prodovite Plus from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 32:30 We revisit a once-dominant figure in late-night television and argue that David Letterman’s legacy has curdled with age. Wewalk through his cultural importance — the post-Carson era, the Letterman-Leno wars, and how an entire generation grew up on his humor — before contrasting that version of Letterman with the man who recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel. 35:30 We zeroe in on Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett’s Senate run in Texas and what we see as a self-inflicted implosion. Wewith her on-air claim that Democrats don’t incite violence — daring anyone to find clips proving otherwise — and argue she dramatically underestimated how easy that challenge would be. Enter the RNC, which responds with a rapid-fire montage of prominent Democrats using explicitly violent rhetoric, from calls for unrest in the streets to threats of physical harm. It's a brutal receipts moment, made worse when the compilation turns back on Crockett herself, highlighting multiple clips of her talking about punching opponents, knocking people out, and “beating you down.” 39:30 Gavin Newsom released an AI-generated video depicting President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and senior White House official Stephen Miller in handcuffs under the caption “It’s cuffing season.” This isn’t satire or clever political mockery — it’s outright disrespect from a sitting governor toward the commander in chief, with no explanation of what crime is supposedly being implied. And we're saying, "Whoa." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Line work is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, with fatality rates in the line trade more than six times those in all other occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To come home safely to their families every night, lineworkers must not only follow safe work practices and wear proper personal protective equipment, but also safeguard their mental health. Oftentimes, lineworkers experience a near-miss themselves or the loss of a coworker, and the toll can be complete self-destruction, said Ken Lulow of Line Worker Solutions. Rather than trying to self-cope and hold it all in, they can reach out for help from their coworkers, company and community mental health professionals. This episode, narrated from the article "Prioritizing the Mental Health of First Responders" in the 2025 T&D World Lineworker Supplement, delves beneath the surface of safety in the line trade to offer six strategies to help lineworkers focus on their mental health and wellness. For more information, stay tuned to Part 2, which will feature an interview with Jenny Lavin, founder of Union Care Solutions and Part 3, which will offer more tips on how to break the silence on mental health struggles and get help. Line Life Podcast listeners in the United States can also dial "988" to be immediately connected to local resources in their community. Thanks for listening and sharing this special episode. 

Kevin covered the following stories: the U.S. Labor Department reported the Weekly Initial Jobless Claims; some of the various media outlet's coverage were misleading at best; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Employment Cost Index which tracks changes changes in wages and benefits; the U.S. Department of Agricuture released their estimates for 2026 cattle prices; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspectve, offers opinions and insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday decided to lower the target range for the federal funds interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.5 to 3.75 percent, marking its third rate cut this year.华盛顿电——美国联邦储备委员会周三决定将联邦基金利率目标区间下调25个基点至3.5%至3.75%，这是美联储今年第三次降息。The latest move was widely anticipated, making it the third rate cut in a row since the Federal Open Market Committee monetary policy meeting in September.此举早有预兆，自联邦公开市场委员会9月货币政策会议以来，这已是连续第三次降息。"Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that downside risks to employment rose in recent months," the Fed said in a statement.美联储在声明中表示：“经济前景的不确定性依然较高。委员会密切关注其双重使命中就业和物价稳定两方面的风险，并判断近几个月就业面临的下行风险有所上升。”The statement also noted moderate economic expansion, a higher unemployment rate, elevated inflation and more recent indicators consistent with those developments.该声明还指出，经济呈现温和扩张态势，失业率上升，通胀率攀升，近期各项指标也印证了这些发展态势。The slowdown in job creation and rise of unemployment rate in recent months prompted the Federal Reserve to resume cutting rates in September, though inflation remained near 1 percentage point higher than the Fed's target of 2 percent.近几个月就业增长放缓和失业率上升，促使美联储于9月重启降息，尽管通胀率仍比美联储2%的目标高出近1个百分点。Data recently issued by Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) showed that US private companies cut 32,000 workers in November, defying economists' expectations for an increase of 40,000 for the month.自动数据处理公司（ADP）最新数据显示，美国私营企业11月裁员3.2万人，与经济学家预期当月将增加4万个就业岗位的预测相悖。Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees lost 120,000 jobs in November, while mid-sized and large establishments continued to add jobs in the period, according to ADP.ADP数据显示，11月员工少于50人的小型企业裁减了12万个岗位，而中型和大型企业在此期间持续增加就业岗位。US policymakers face extraordinary challenges as the 43-day federal government shutdown not only worsened the job markets but also disrupted the collection of macroeconomic data.美国政策制定者正面临前所未有的挑战，因为持续43天的联邦政府停摆不仅加剧了就业市场困境，还导致宏观经济数据收集工作陷入停滞。The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to release the employment data for November on Dec 16, and the unemployment data for October will not be available due to the partial government shutdown in October and early November.美国劳工统计局定于12月16日发布11月就业数据，由于10月至11月初政府部分停摆，10月失业数据将无法公布。

Kevin covered the following stories: Realtor.com reports the October delistings; U.S mortgage rates vs other countries; the National Federation of Independent Business released their Small Business Optimism Index; the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released the October Job Openings and Turnover Survey (JOLTS); Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions along the way.    

Kevin covered the following stories: Realtor.com reports the October delistings; U.S mortgage rates vs other countries; the National Federation of Independent Business released their Small Business Optimism Index; the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released the October Job Openings and Turnover Survey (JOLTS); Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions along the way.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin covered the following stories: Realtor.com reports the October delistings; U.S mortgage rates vs other countries; the National Federation of Independent Business released their Small Business Optimism Index; the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released the October Job Openings and Turnover Survey (JOLTS); Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions along the way.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

//The Wire//2300Z December 8, 2025////ROUTINE////BLUF: WAR REIGNITES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AS BORDER CLASHES FLARE UP BETWEEN THAILAND AND CAMBODIA. MILITARY COUP ATTEMPTED IN BENIN.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Southeast Asia: Over the weekend hostilities recommenced between Thailand and Cambodia. What started the latest round of fighting is not clear, however Thailand has crossed into the disputed zone and occupied the village of Pairachan (also known locally as "Prey Chan" village). The US State Department has upgraded the travel alert for the region, due to the ongoing fighting along the border.Analyst Comment: As usual, both sides have accused the other of reigniting hostilities, and right now it's not clear who actually started what. Nevertheless, Thailand has been bombing Cambodia fairly regularly, and Cambodia has been launching unguided rockets at Thailand in return (even though Cambodia states that they have not retaliated). Sporadic fighting has been reported all along the front throughout the day, with most of the heavy shelling being confined to the border itself. No official word on any casualties yet, but Thai sources claim one of their soldiers was killed, while Cambodian sources claim 4 soldiers killed/wounded on their side.Africa: A brief military coup was attempted in the small nation of Benin over the weekend, which took the form of a low level military commander seizing a TV station and announcing that he had taken control of the government. Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri announced the overthrowing of the government and the deposition of the President on television. Turns out, none of that had actually happened, and the TV station was the only location that rebel forces had actually captured. LTC Tigri and his platoon of soldiers were captured shortly afterwards.-HomeFront-Washington D.C. - This afternoon the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that they will not be publishing the Producer Price Index (PPI) for the month of October, and the PPI report for November will be delayed until January.Analyst Comment: This follows the previous jobs report, the CPI report, and various other reports also not being available for October, reports which usually provide major indicators of how the economic is functioning. The PPI specifically is intended to track the changes in the prices of goods at the producer-level, and is normally used in comparison with the CPI (and other reports) to gauge how major manufacturers and big industry in general is doing. Inferences can be made without this specific dataset, however when a major report is not available this causes problems with data analysis. With the economy, "no news" is usually covering up "bad news", as a rule of thumb. Either way, it's not possible to know what the story is without the data.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comment: For the aspiring warlords of the world, in order for a military coup to be successful, it's generally advised to actually seize control of government before making the announcement of such. Some units loyal to LTC Tigri were successful in closing a few border checkpoints, however no actual key sites were seized by the rebels before making the announcement on TV. Most interestingly, the neighboring nation of Nigeria assisted in providing air support for the government of Benin to help put down the coup attempt. This is part of a long-standing security pact, and mostly took the form of Nigerian aircraft flying over important sites in Benin (such as military bases, checkpoints, etc) to see if anyone on the ground would shoot at them (and thus reveal their allegiance to the rebels). Or at least, that seems to be the theory used during the response. In some cases, Nigerian aircraft were fired upon with small arms, and at least one report exists that alleges Nigerian aircraft dropping a bomb in Benin. Locals in Benin

#666: In this First Friday economic update, we explore the paradox defining our current economy: record-breaking retail numbers alongside plummeting consumer confidence. In this First Friday economic update, we explore the paradox defining our current economy: we're spending more than ever, while feeling worse about money than we have in years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics hasn't released jobs data for two consecutive months. The Federal Reserve must make a critical interest rate decision flying blind. Meanwhile, private sector data reveals troubling trends. Small businesses are hemorrhaging jobs while discount chains like Dollar General see their stock prices soar 44%. Americans are spending differently this holiday season. They're shopping earlier, using AI to find deals, and turning to buy-now-pay-later options. Households are spending less than last year, yet total spending increases because more people are participating. This K-shaped recovery benefits luxury retailers and bargain stores while crushing the middle market. We also cover essential year-end financial moves. From maximizing retirement contributions to tax-loss harvesting strategies, we help you navigate your personal finances amid economic uncertainty. The disconnect between what the numbers say – and how people feel – reveals deeper truths about an economy that's technically growing while leaving many behind. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. (0:00) Spotify Wrapped and podcast listener data (2:05) Jobs report missing, BLS delays (5:01) ADP shows 32,000 job losses (8:00) Youth unemployment over 10% (10:32) Fed meeting without data (12:24) Mortgage rates might drop below 6% (20:06) Holiday spending hits $1 trillion (23:43) Consumers spend less individually (26:36) Discount stores outperform market (28:29) Shopping starts in October now (30:22) AI helps holiday shopping (36:09) Giving Tuesday up 11% (38:28) Year-end money moves (45:00) Charity and gift tax limits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labor market reports released after the government shutdown present a mixed picture for the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision on December 10.On a positive note, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 119,000 new jobs were added in September on a seasonally adjusted basis, more than double what many economists expected, but there was a downward revision of 33,000 jobs combined for July and August.The unemployment rate was 4.4% in September. It remained low by historical standards, but it was higher than any period since late-2017 other than 2020-2021 which was impacted by the pandemic.Another good sign is that initial unemployment insurance claims remained at a normal level through the week ending November 15 despite announcements of layoffs from several prominent companies.Unfortunately, continued claims for unemployment were up by approximately 100,000 from the prior year. As of November 8, the weekly level reached almost 2 million and it was the highest since 2021. The trend suggests those losing their job are having a harder time finding their next role.Explore our webpage for more insights and resources:https://bit.ly/Radix_Website

Kevin covered the following stories: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the September Producer Price Index and Core Producer Price Index; the Census Bureau announced September Retail Sales; the Conference Board released the Consumer Confidence Index; the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller index was released on Tuesday; Kevin has the information, digs into the details, puts the data into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions.

Kevin covered the following stories: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the September Producer Price Index and Core Producer Price Index; the Census Bureau announced September Retail Sales; the Conference Board released the Consumer Confidence Index; the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller index was released on Tuesday; Kevin has the information, digs into the details, puts the data into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin kicks off Turkey Week talking about grocery prices and he and his wife's feast preparation; the University of Michigan released their Monthly Consumer Sentiment Report; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the September Nonfarm payroll numbers, Average Hourly Earnings and Labor Participation Rate; oil and gas prices react to the possibility of another interest rate cut and the prospect of a peace deal in Ukraine; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective and offers his insights and opinions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin kicks off Turkey Week talking about grocery prices and he and his wife's feast preparation; the University of Michigan released their Monthly Consumer Sentiment Report; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the September Nonfarm payroll numbers, Average Hourly Earnings and Labor Participation Rate; oil and gas prices react to the possibility of another interest rate cut and the prospect of a peace deal in Ukraine; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective and offers his insights and opinions.

Congress voted overwhelmingly to authorize the release of the Epstein files. President Donald Trump welcomed the decision, signing the bill on Wednesday.ICE activity in Charlotte, North Carolina, ramped up this week; authorities reportedly made some 250 arrests.The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the economy added 119,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%. It is the only jobs report the BLS will release until December. On Wednesday, the agency canceled the October jobs report for the first time in 77 years.And, in global news, US President Donald Trump said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “knew nothing” about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in direct contradiction of U.S. intelligence. The president welcomed the kingdom's de facto ruler to the Oval Office where they announced military and investment deals between the two nations.In Gaza this week, some of the deadliest Israeli airstrikes since the U.S. brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10. On Monday, the UN Security Council endorsed Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, including the deployment of an international stabilisation force.And the war of words between Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is heating up. However, both sides have indicated they'd be willing to meet face to face.We cover the most important stories from around the world in the News Roundup.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has canceled the October jobs report and delayed the November release until mid-December, creating a rare data blackout just as the Federal Reserve prepares for its next rate decision. In this episode, Kathy Fettke breaks down what the missing labor data means for interest rates, investor confidence, and the broader housing market. JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE https://realwealth.com/join-step-1  FOLLOW OUR PODCASTS Real Wealth Show: Real Estate Investing Podcast https://link.chtbl.com/RWS SOURCE: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/october-jobs-report-canceled-rcna244828 

Kevin covered the following stories: AAA is out with their estimate for Thanksgiving travel; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims; the National Association of Realtors reported October existing home sales; now that the Government shutdown has ended, the House, Senate and transportation leaders can turn their attention to the Highway Bill; a nationwide study from Critical Mass Insights was released indicating the level of support for the "AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act"; Kevin has the details, sifts through the data, puts the information into historical perspective and offers his insights and some opinions along the way.

Nvidia reported earnings yesterday after markets closed, and it did not disappoint. Nvidia makes 90% of all chips used in AI. Tech stocks, including Nvidia, have been carrying a lot of weight in markets, and investors had started getting a little nervous about whether the AI boom was a bubble — but Nvidia's results have been pretty reassuring. Also: stale data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Japan's tensions with China.

Nvidia reported earnings yesterday after markets closed, and it did not disappoint. Nvidia makes 90% of all chips used in AI. Tech stocks, including Nvidia, have been carrying a lot of weight in markets, and investors had started getting a little nervous about whether the AI boom was a bubble — but Nvidia's results have been pretty reassuring. Also: stale data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Japan's tensions with China.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 119,000 nonfarm payroll jobs added in September, far above economists' 50,000 estimate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former President George W. Bush says at the funeral service for his Vice President Dick Cheney that Cheney was "totally devoted to protecting the United States and its interests", while daughter Liz Cheney says her father knew "that bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans"; President Donald Trump in online posts calls for six House & Senate Democrats to be arrested, tried and hanged for "seditious behavior at the highest level" after they urged U.S. military and intelligence community members not follow unlawful orders; Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the September jobs report six weeks late due to the federal government shutdown. It shows 119,000 jobs created and the unemployment rate rising to 4.4%. Vice President JD Vance says that shows “Trump economic policies are actually working”; Rep. Sheila Cherfilus McCormick (D-FL) says the federal charges she is facing for allegedly stealing $5 million in federal disaster aid are unjust, and she looks forward to her day in court. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) is calling for her to be expelled from the U.S. House; President Donald Trump meets at the White House with former hostages held by Hamas; an update from the White House on a new U.S. peace plan presented to Ukraine to end that country's war with Russia; House Foreign Affairs Committee holds a hearing on religious violence in Nigeria. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tomorrow's when we're supposed to learn more about how imports and exports have been faring from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the 43-day government shutdown may still delay that data release. What might those numbers be able to tell us (whenever they do come out) about some of the impacts of the president's tariffs? Plus, China has a glut of EVs, and that oversupply is starting to spill over into the rest of the world.

Tomorrow's when we're supposed to learn more about how imports and exports have been faring from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the 43-day government shutdown may still delay that data release. What might those numbers be able to tell us (whenever they do come out) about some of the impacts of the president's tariffs? Plus, China has a glut of EVs, and that oversupply is starting to spill over into the rest of the world.

On today's wide-ranging program, Ralph welcomes David Dayen of “The American Prospect” to discuss the Democrats caving on the shutdown. Then, Ralph speaks to Dani Noble from Jewish Voice for Peace about their BDS campaigns, efforts to block weapons shipments to Israel, and the state of the ceasefire in Gaza. Finally, Ralph speaks to original Nader's Raider Sam Simon about his new memoir, “Dementia Man: An Existential Journey.”David Dayen is the executive editor of the American Prospect, an independent political magazine that aims to advance liberal and progressive goals through reporting, analysis and debate. His work has appeared in the Intercept, HuffPost, the Washington Post, and more. He is the author of Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street's Great Foreclosure Fraud and Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power.If Congress is saying: We have the power of the purse, and we have the ability to dictate to the President what he is able to do or not do with federal funding, then why not go the whole way? To me, that was the entire purpose of the shutdown— to stop the President from ignoring Congress and initiating his own prerogatives as it relates to government funding. It is really making Congress completely irrelevant in the process which they constitutionally are supposed to dictate.David DayenEvery time Trump has been in power and there's been a national election, he's lost it. He lost the midterm elections in 2018. He lost the presidential election in 2020. He lost the off-year elections in 2017 and 2019. He lost (just last week) the elections in 2025. He is not equipped to have an agenda that appeals to the American people when he's in power. And so I firmly agree that Democrats are likely to do well in the elections next year, as they just did. The one thing that can stop that is: completely punching your base in the face, after you succeed politically in backing Republicans into a corner.David DayenDani Noble is a Strategic Campaigns Organizer at Jewish Voice for Peace.Israel bonds (which very few people know much about) are direct loans to the Israeli military and government. They are unrestricted. They have no guardrails around what those funds can be used for, et cetera. And this is a main way that the Israeli military and government generate an unrestricted slush fund to be able to continue their genocidal assault on Gaza, to continue funding for the atrocities being committed against Palestinians—even as their government and economy suffers and/or operates with a massive deficit.Dani NobleThis bill would essentially block the Trump administration from delivering some of the deadliest weapons to Israel. So it's an essential, essential step in what we need to do fundamentally—which is a full arms embargo to stop arming the Israeli military and government…It's the most supported piece of legislation in support of Palestinian rights that we've ever seen.Dani NobleSam Simon is an author, playwright, and attorney. His new book Dementia Man: An Existential Journey is based on his award-winning play of the same name.There's also a social cost. A sense that everything I've ever built personally—my cars, my homes, my savings—that were all going to be available as a legacy to my family, they have to be spent in my few years of my life just to keep me alive. There needs to be a community response to that—and that's shorthand for the government. It doesn't force people to go broke to stay alive.Sam SimonNews 11/14/25* This week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a new tranche of over 20,000 pages of documents related to infamous financier and sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. These documents include damning emails between Epstein and various high-power individuals like Steve Bannon, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and current U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack. However, the emails that have received the most attention are those regarding President Donald Trump. In these emails, Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls,” and claimed that, “i [i.e. Epstein] am the one able to take him [i.e. Trump] down.” Perhaps most shocking, Epstein claims to have been with Trump during Thanksgiving in 2017, according to NBC. If true, it would directly contradict Trump's repeated insistence that he had no contact with Epstein since their falling out in the mid 2000s, either 2004 or 2007, per PBS.* The newly released Epstein files reinforce another narrative as well: that Epstein was an asset for Israeli intelligence. Drop Site news has done excellent reporting on Epstein helping to “Broker [an] Israeli Security Agreement With Mongolia,” “Build a Backchannel to Russia Amid [the] Syrian Civil War” and “Sell a Surveillance State to Côte d'Ivoire.” Most recently the independent outlet has published an expose on Epstein's relationship with known Mossad spy Yoni Koren. According to this piece, “Epstein's personal calendars reveal that…[Koren] lived at Epstein's Manhattan apartment for multiple stretches between 2013 and 2016.” There is also evidence that Epstein wired money to Koren. However, the reasons behind this transfer, and the details of their relationship, remain murky.* More Epstein information is likely to be released in the coming days. This week, the longest ever government shutdown in American history concluded with capitulation by centrist Democrats in the Senate. However, the conclusion of the shutdown finally broke the logjam over the swearing-in of Adelita Grijalva, the newly elected Democratic Congresswoman from Arizona. Grijalva immediately fulfilled her vow to be the 218th signature on the Discharge Petition forcing a vote on the release of the Epstein files, joining all 213 other House Democrats and four Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace, per the Hill. In her first speech, Grijalva emphatically stated, “Justice cannot wait another day.” House Speaker Johnson has promised to bring the matter to a vote next week and many Republicans who did not sign the petition are expected to vote for it, with sponsors angling for a veto-proof majority. At that point, all eyes will turn to the Senate.* Even still, the Democrats blinking in the government shutdown showdown has infuriated many members of Congress, candidates and Democratic-aligned organizations, who are now calling for Chuck Schumer to step aside as Senate Minority Leader. Journalist Prem Thakker is keeping a running tally of these calls, which so far includes 12 Congressional Democrats – with major names like Pramila Jayapal, Mark Pocan, Rashida Tlaib, and Ro Khanna among them – along with candidates like Seth Moulton, Mallory McMorrow, Saikat Chakrabarti and Graham Platner. Beyond these individuals however, this call has been echoed by groups ranging from Our Revolution to Social Security Works to College Democrats of America, among many others.* Moving to economic matters, one other consequence of the protracted government shutdown is that the Bureau of Labor Statistics was “largely idle,” meaning it did not collect the crucial fiscal information it is responsible for gathering, including October jobs numbers and Consumer Price Index changes. According to POLITICO, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said this information is unlikely to ever be released. She of course blamed that on the opposition in Congress, saying “Democrats may have permanently damaged the federal statistical system.” This is somewhat laughable, as the Trump administration has all but gone to war with the economic data collection functions of the federal government whenever that data has made him look bad.* Another bad sign for the economy in general, and for consumers in particular, is the rise of what are generously called “Flex Loans.” A new investigation by ProPublica in partnership with the Tennessee Lookout, examines the rise of this new strain of ultra-high-interest loan, with annual interest rates as high as 279.5%. This, combined with a lending cap of $4,000 – nine times higher than a traditional payday loan – has led to Advance Financial, the leading lender in Tennessee, suing over 110,000 people across the state since 2015. According to the data, judgments against consumers usually end up in the thousands, and 40% result in garnished wages. Loans of this variety were illegal before 2015, but the Tennessee legislature allowed them through and while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has sought to protect financial services consumers from these types of predatory lending schemes, the Trump administration's attempts to kneecap the agency have rendered it powerless.* Meanwhile, a dearth of consumer protections is yielding horrific consequences in a completely different area: AI. A new CNN report details how ChatGPT encouraged a Texas 23-year-old, Zane Shamblin, to kill himself. In heart-wrenching detail, this story paints a picture of Shamblin on the edge of suicide, and the AI chatbot helping to push him towards death. As Shamblin held a gun to his own head, the bot wrote, “You're not rushing. You're just ready,” later adding, “Rest easy, king…You did good.” According to this piece, the chatbot “repeatedly encouraged [Shamblin] as he discussed ending his life” for months, and “right up to his last moments.” Shamblin's parents are now suing ChatGPT's parent company, OpenAI, alleging the company endangered their son's life by, “tweaking its design last year to be more humanlike and by failing to put enough safeguards on interactions with users in need of emergency help.” The victim's mother, Alicia Shamblin, is quoted saying, “I feel like it's just going to destroy so many lives. It's going to be a family annihilator. It tells you everything you want to hear.”* In more positive consumer protection news, former Biden FTC Chair Lina Khan has hit the ground running in her new role helping to manage the transition for New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. Per Semafor, Khan has been “scouring city and state laws — some overlooked by past mayors and some too new to have been tested yet — for legal footing for Mamdani's priorities.” Apparently, “Khan has privately discussed targeting hospitals that bill patients for painkillers available more cheaply at corner drugstores and sports stadiums charging nosebleed prices for concessions,” and “Other avenues for enforcement include a new state law that requires companies to tell customers when they are using algorithmic pricing. The law took effect this week, forcing Uber and DoorDash to start disclosing, but the incoming Mamdani administration plans to police laggards.” In short, it seems like the incoming Mamdani administration will use any and all legal and administrative means at their disposal to bring down costs for New Yorkers – as he promised again and again during the campaign. And, if there is one consumer regulator who can accomplish this, it is Ms. Khan.* Turning to Hollywood, Variety has published a major new piece on newly-minted Paramount CEO David Ellison's first 100 days. This piece covers everything from his attempts to curry favor with President Trump to the battle to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Buried within this story is an indication that “Paramount maintains a list of talent it will not work with because they are deemed to be ‘overtly antisemitic.'” The criteria for this modern blacklist however is opaque, especially troubling given that Ellison has deputized Bari Weiss – an ardent Zionist and censor of pro-Palestine speech – as the “Editor-in-chief” of CBS News. According to Drop Site, the studio “recently condemned a filmmakers' boycott of Israeli institutions signed by Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, and Olivia Colman, among more than 4,000 others, declaring that Israel is carrying out genocide and apartheid.” Would Ellison blacklist these stars for “overt antisemitism”?* Finally, for some good news, the Economist is out with a stunning article on the success of China's transition to renewable energy. In the much-quoted opening paragraph, this piece reads “The SCALE of the renewables revolution in China is almost too vast for the human mind to grasp. By the end of last year, the country had installed 887 gigawatts of solar-power capacity—close to double Europe's and America's combined total. The 22m tonnes of steel used to build new wind turbines and solar panels in 2024 would have been enough to build a Golden Gate Bridge on every working day of every week that year. China generated 1,826 terawatt-hours of wind and solar electricity in 2024, five times more than the energy contained in all 600 of its nuclear weapons.” If that doesn't demonstrate the horizon of what is possible, given the requisite political will and determination, I don't know what will.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

With the government shutdown officially over, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is back at work after a 43-day hiatus. But all that missed data can't be recreated — and catching up while understaffed will be difficult. In this episode: What reports will BLS prioritize and what'll be left behind? Plus: Solar projects rush to finish before a tax credit deadline, Disney stops reporting its streaming subscriber numbers, and businesses strategize for a world without pennies.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

With the government shutdown officially over, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is back at work after a 43-day hiatus. But all that missed data can't be recreated — and catching up while understaffed will be difficult. In this episode: What reports will BLS prioritize and what'll be left behind? Plus: Solar projects rush to finish before a tax credit deadline, Disney stops reporting its streaming subscriber numbers, and businesses strategize for a world without pennies.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.