POPULARITY
Larry Summers is a prominent American economist who has held significant roles, including U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama, and President of Harvard University from 2001 to 2006. He is currently the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard, where he continues to teach. Known for his influential, though often controversial, economic policy views, Summers has remained an active public voice until recently, serving on various boards including OpenAI, and as a paid columnist for Bloomberg NewsThe newest controversy stems from a trove of emails and text messages released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, which revealed the depth of his continued communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 2017 until just one day before Epstein's July 2019 arrest. The messages show Summers confided in Epstein, seeking his advice on pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a "mentee" and sharing sexist remarks and jokes with Epstein, who described himself in one message as Summers' "wing man" in the pursuit. In response to the backlash, Summers stated he is "deeply ashamed" of his "misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein" and is "stepping back from public commitments". He has ended his fellowship at the Center for American Progress (CAP) and stepped down from the Yale Budget Lab advisory board but will continue his teaching duties at Harvard.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
Larry Summers is a prominent American economist who has held significant roles, including U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama, and President of Harvard University from 2001 to 2006. He is currently the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard, where he continues to teach. Known for his influential, though often controversial, economic policy views, Summers has remained an active public voice until recently, serving on various boards including OpenAI, and as a paid columnist for Bloomberg NewsThe newest controversy stems from a trove of emails and text messages released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, which revealed the depth of his continued communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 2017 until just one day before Epstein's July 2019 arrest. The messages show Summers confided in Epstein, seeking his advice on pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a "mentee" and sharing sexist remarks and jokes with Epstein, who described himself in one message as Summers' "wing man" in the pursuit. In response to the backlash, Summers stated he is "deeply ashamed" of his "misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein" and is "stepping back from public commitments". He has ended his fellowship at the Center for American Progress (CAP) and stepped down from the Yale Budget Lab advisory board but will continue his teaching duties at Harvard.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
Larry Summers is a prominent American economist who has held significant roles, including U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama, and President of Harvard University from 2001 to 2006. He is currently the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard, where he continues to teach. Known for his influential, though often controversial, economic policy views, Summers has remained an active public voice until recently, serving on various boards including OpenAI, and as a paid columnist for Bloomberg NewsThe newest controversy stems from a trove of emails and text messages released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, which revealed the depth of his continued communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 2017 until just one day before Epstein's July 2019 arrest. The messages show Summers confided in Epstein, seeking his advice on pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a "mentee" and sharing sexist remarks and jokes with Epstein, who described himself in one message as Summers' "wing man" in the pursuit. In response to the backlash, Summers stated he is "deeply ashamed" of his "misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein" and is "stepping back from public commitments". He has ended his fellowship at the Center for American Progress (CAP) and stepped down from the Yale Budget Lab advisory board but will continue his teaching duties at Harvard.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.
Was the Butler shooting another case of violent transgender radicalism? The show reacts to long-overdue revelations from the life of Thomas Crooks and the growing issue of leftist violence. National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett makes the case for America turning the corner on inflation, as the Trump administration continues to pursue a second blue-collar boom. Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Was the Butler shooting another case of violent transgender radicalism? The show reacts to long-overdue revelations from the life of Thomas Crooks and the growing issue of leftist violence. National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett makes the case for America turning the corner on inflation, as the Trump administration continues to pursue a second blue-collar boom. Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Honorable Kevin A. Hassett, PhD, Director, National Economic Council spoke with David M. Rubenstein, Chairman of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C.Their conversation, among other things, touched upon the economic issues shaping our future, from the Federal Reserve to inflation to tariffs and the transformative impact of aritificial intelligence.
The US Government is business as usual after the longest shutdown in US history – but only till January. US President Donald Trump's signed a bill to end the shutdown and fund the government, while providing back-pay to federal workers. It's caused a divide among Democrats, as it doesn't ensure access to Affordable Care subsidies. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking the shutdown costs are estimated to be around NZ$24.6 billion per week, or as much as 1.5% of the GDP. He says the National Economic Council is estimating that 60,000 non-federal workers lost their jobs during the period. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cynthia Honcharenko, Director of Fixed Income Portfolio Management, joins the podcast to deliver a report on this week's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting; be sure to read her companion piece, “The Gentle Cut: Easing Without Euphoria” on our Weekly Investment Brief feed. Our discussion tracks how the equity and bond markets behaved leading up to, and following, the meeting, and what to expect going forward. We also touch on this week's earnings reports from several big tech companies, and what positive trade talks between the United States and China might mean for the future. Speakers:Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment StrategyCynthia Honcharenko, Director of Fixed Income Portfolio ManagementRajeev Sharma, Head of Fixed IncomeStephen Hoedt, Head of Equities 01:30 – Expected reports on initial unemployment claims, GDP, and inflation were not published this week due to the ongoing government shutdown, which is on track to be the longest in history once it surpasses the 2018 record of 34 days.03:20 – Coverage of this week's FOMC meeting, including the 25 basis point cut to the federal funds rate, two diametric dissents, the themes and opinions driving that decision, and Chair Powell's warning that another rate cut in December is far from guaranteed as we see signs of a weakening labor market, elevated inflation, and a lack of data to make informed decisions due to the government shutdown.05:43 – In reaction to the FOMC meeting and Powell's assertion that a December rate cut is less likely than previously expected, the markets experienced a bit of a reversal of recent gains that were driven by that expectation.07:43 – We discuss the five candidates that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed this week. They include three current and former Fed Governors, the current Director of the National Economic Council, and a BlackRock executive.10:03 – Q3 earnings reports continue to send the stock market higher. The reports from this week's big companies were Amazon and Alphabet, which were both positive, Apple, which underwhelming but not bad, and Meta and Microsoft, which were both somewhat negative. 12:25 – Positive news from trade talks between the United States and China might reduce the elevated sentiment of geopolitical risk that hit the markets in the first few months of the year on tariff threats, and which has been a question mark ever since.14:58 – The fixed income market has seen some widening in credit spreads following the FOMC meeting, but generally positive credit conditions and future corporate bond issuance herald a robust November. Additional ResourcesRead: The Gentle Cut: Easing Without Euphoria – 10/29/2025 FOMC UpdateAsk: Key Questions: Active ETFs or Mutual Funds: Which Belongs in Your Portfolio? Key QuestionsSubscribe to our Key Wealth Insights newsletterWeekly Investment BriefFollow us on LinkedIn
Send us a textVaccines save lives, misinformation spreads fast, and ice cream, believe it or not, might actually be good for you.In this episode of CareTalk, Dr. Zeke Emanuel joins John Driscoll to discuss vaccine myths, public health confusion, and how the healthcare system can communicate science more effectively.
Keith Hennessey, the Bush Institute's David Rubenstein Fellow, Kristen Silverberg, Business Roundtable President and COO, and Marc Sumerlin, former Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, joined Director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative Cullum Clark for a thought-provoking and timely conversation on the condition of the U.S. economy, the role of the Federal Reserve, the relationship between the U.S. government and private businesses, the impact of tariffs, the state of international trade, technology's impact on the economy, and more.Related: Watch the NexPoint Lecture: America's Economic RealignmentRead the "America the Exceptional" series
October 23, 2025 - Join us for a scene setter that explores the stakes and the storylines for The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) 2025 summit, held in Gyeongju, South Korea from October 31 to November 1, 2025. This discussion, held one week prior to the summit, unpacks the most significant agenda items including trade, investment, and geopolitics, with special emphasis on the US, Korea, and the US-Korea relationship. The discussion features senior experts with firsthand experience, including: Ambassador (Ret.) Philip Goldberg, former US Ambassador to the Republic of Korea 2022-2025, and Kate Kalutkiewicz, Senior Managing Director of the Trade Practice at McLarty Associates and former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Trade at the National Economic Council. The moderator is Tom Byrne, President and CEO of The Korea Society, adjunct professor at Columbia University's SIPA, and former Senior Vice President for Moody's Investor Services. The priorities for this year's forum are: "Connect, Innovate, Prosper." In a preparatory meeting, senior officials from APEC members discussed "strategies for digital economy integration, public health cooperation, and strengthening APEC's role as an incubator of practical, consensus-driven solutions." As host nation, Korea's initiatives include: "addressing demographic change and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology." APEC originated as a ministerial meeting of 12 Asian Pacific countries in 1989. The idea for the forum was proposed by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke during a trip to Seoul in January 1989. A leaders' summit was introduced in 1993 and a series of expansions increased the number of members to 21. South Korea previously hosted the ministerial meeting in Seoul 1991 and the leaders' meeting in Busan 2005. APEC's mission is to "support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region." This program is made possible by the generous support of our individual and corporate Members, Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute, and the Korea Foundation. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/2051-what-to-expect-the-2025-apec-summit-in-south-korea
Die Kurse steigen, die Stimmung hellt sich auf. Der Dow Jones gewinnt rund 200 Punkte, der S&P 500 legt 0,6 %, der Nasdaq sogar 0,8 % zu. Anleger hoffen auf starke Quartalszahlen – und darauf, dass der Shutdown der US-Regierung bald endet. Laut Kevin Hassett vom National Economic Council könnte noch diese Woche eine Einigung kommen – ein Signal, das die Märkte beflügelt. Auch die Earnings-Season läuft stark an: 76 % der bisherigen S&P-500-Unternehmen haben ihre Erwartungen übertroffen – mehr als im letzten Quartal. Diese Woche stehen Schwergewichte wie Netflix, Tesla, Coca-Cola und Intel an. Besonders gefragt: Apple. Die Aktie steigt um zwei Prozent, nachdem Analysten wegen starker iPhone-Nachfrage auf „Kaufen“ hochgestuft haben. Die Sorgen um faulen Kredite bei Regionalbanken wie Zions oder Western Alliance lassen langsam nach – beide Aktien erholen sich leicht. Und trotz geopolitischer Spannungen mit China überwiegt zum Wochenstart die Zuversicht. Viele Ökonomen sehen zwar ein kurzfristiges Risiko fürs Wachstum, aber auch das Potenzial für eine schnelle Erholung – falls Washington bald wieder handlungsfähig ist. Abonniere den Podcast, um keine Folge zu verpassen! ____ Folge uns, um auf dem Laufenden zu bleiben: • X: http://fal.cn/SQtwitter • LinkedIn: http://fal.cn/SQlinkedin • Instagram: http://fal.cn/SQInstagram
On CNN's State of the Union, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joins Jake Tapper to respond to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Chicago and plans to deploy National Guard troops there against his will. Then, top Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett joins Jake to discuss Trump's handling of the shutdown and his threats to fire federal workers and slash funding for Democratic states. Next, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego sits down with Jake to discuss his party's shutdown strategy and whether they're any closer to a deal to reopen the government. Finally, Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Republican Congressman Buddy Carter join CNN Political Commentators Shermichael Singleton and Xochitl Hinojosa to discuss the shutdown blame game, as well as the right-wing backlash to Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl halftime show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Kevin Hassett is the director of the National Economic Council and arguably the economist closest to President Donald Trump. Right now, he's also one of the top advisers tasked with explaining the economic fallout of the government shutdown and forging a path forward. Hassett joins POLITICO's Dasha Burns for this week's episode of The Conversation, where he talks about the shutdown standoff on Capitol Hill, when Americans should start feeling the benefits of Trump's big tax bill and how the trade wars may affect the midterms. “The really striking thing is that the place where the tariff policy effects should be the worst is the time right now where we have almost 4 percent growth and low inflation,” Hassett says. “We're very, very optimistic about how this policy is working and what it's gonna look like.” And, Hassett digs into the buzz surrounding whether or not he will be Trump's pick to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Plus, Shark Tank judge and investor Kevin O'Leary comes on the show to explain why he's bullish on the TikTok deal news, bearish on the federal government's investment in Intel and how he's grading Trump 2.0's economic performance so far.
Kevin Hassett is the director of the National Economic Council and arguably the economist closest to President Donald Trump. Right now, he's also one of the top advisers tasked with explaining the economic fallout of the government shutdown and forging a path forward. Hassett joins POLITICO's Dasha Burns for this week's episode of The Conversation, where he talks about the shutdown standoff on Capitol Hill, when Americans should start feeling the benefits of Trump's big tax bill and how the trade wars may affect the midterms. “The really striking thing is that the place where the tariff policy effects should be the worst is the time right now where we have almost 4 percent growth and low inflation,” Hassett says. “We're very, very optimistic about how this policy is working and what it's gonna look like.” And, Hassett digs into the buzz surrounding whether or not he will be Trump's pick to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Plus, Shark Tank judge and investor Kevin O'Leary comes on the show to explain why he's bullish on the TikTok deal news, bearish on the federal government's investment in Intel and how he's grading Trump 2.0's economic performance so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on Face the Nation, a not so hot jobs report leads to more uncertainty about the strength of the economy. Can the independent agencies at the forefront, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve, maintain their independence in light of political pressure? We ask Kevin Hassett and get his take on the state of the economy. Plus, as the circle of critics grows when it comes to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s handling of vaccines and management of the CDC, we talk to Republican Senator Roger Marshall and the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence committee, Mark Warner, joins us to weigh in on the news of the week. Also, as President Trump renames the Defense Department the Department of War and continues to warn the city of Chicago he'll soon send in federal forces, we talk to Illinois Democrat Senator Tammy Duckworth. Finally, CBS News Executive Director of Elections and Surveys Anthony Salvanto breaks down new polling numbers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with AFPC Senior Fellow Alexander Gray about China's growing activities and interest in the Arctic region - and their implications for American security. BIO:Alexander Gray is a Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council, where his work focuses on U.S. security and defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific, U.S.-China competition globally, and U.S. defense strategy and modernization. He is also the CEO of American Global Strategies LLC, an international strategic advisory firm he co-founded with former National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien. Alex previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the White House National Security Council (NSC), overseeing daily operations, budget, personnel, and security. He was also Special Assistant to the President for the Defense Industrial Base at the National Economic Council and the first Director for Oceania and Indo-Pacific Security at the NSC.
With mounting concerns about AI leading to job losses, policymakers are grappling with how to prepare workers for major changes ahead — and the disruption that has already begun. Bharat Ramamurti was the deputy director of the National Economic Council under President Joe Biden and, in a recent opinion piece, he called AI-driven unemployment “the biggest economic issue no one is talking about.” On POLITICO Tech, Ramamurti joins host Steven Overly to delve into the AI-driven economic fears that could dominate the next election cycle. Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of politics and technology. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech. Kara Tabor is an audio producer for POLITICO. Music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Intro: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/fAomeYxofK/ Outro: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/ctxDXxrE1W/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kristina Partsinevelos breaks down the day's market theme before Rick Santelli covers bond market moves following a lighter-than-expected CPI report. Daniel Hornung, former Deputy Director for the National Economic Council, shares his economic take, while earnings coverage includes CoreWeave and Cava.Jim Paulsen of Paulsen Perspectives and Sam Stovall of CFRA Research weigh in on market trends, and Nick Del Deo of MoffettNathanson reacts to CoreWeave's results. Tanaya Macheel discusses bullish IPO pricing expectations, and c3.ai CEO Tom Siebel addresses a major revenue miss.
-- On the Show: -- Dan Koh, host of The People's Cabinet, fills in for David. Subscribe to Dan's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/@ThePeoplesCabinet -- Kevin Hassett, Trump's Director of the National Economic Council, falsely claims the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) "rigged" jobs numbers for Obama -- Trump launched a racist tirade during a CNBC interview, using coded language like “inner cities” to refer to Black communities -- A new UMass Amherst poll shows Trump's approval ratings are plummeting, with 58% of Americans disapproving of his job performance -- Trump is bleeding support from men, especially younger and independent voters -- Trump claims he had no idea about Ghislaine Maxwell being moved to a different prison -- New progressive messaging from voices like Zohran Mamdani and Elizabeth Warren is finally breaking through -- A bombshell Washington Post report reveals FEMA staff are being redirected to help with ICE deportation efforts -- On the Bonus Show: Trump's erratic Truth Social posts, Alina Habba's nonsense exposed, RFK Jr. goes after vaccines, and much more... ☕ Trade Coffee: Code PAKMAN10 saves you $10 at https://drinktrade.com/pakman
Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture Trump is in the process of shutting down solar and wind green new scam programs. The latest is a wind farm. Trump has cancelled EV subsidies, EV companies have been losing money.There are two economic systems running at the same time. The people feel the pain from the [CB], the feel relief from Trump new system. The fake news only reports on the [CB] failing economy. The [DS] criminal syndicate is coming to an end, the people are being educated on who the real enemy is. More crimes are going to be released to build upon the Russia hoax, this will allow people to understand that this was not just a one off occurrence. When a republic is corrupted there is only one path, it must be destroyed.A corrupt system can not be remedied, a band-aid fix will not work. Trump is in the process of bringing down the entire corrupt system down on the [DS] players. Economy https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1953096256063947004 crusade against wind power. https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1952901098559197522 https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/1953055955219832941 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1952819368854774265 comes as Trump is reportedly planning an EXECUTIVE ORDER going after banks for this conduct. Lay down the hammer, 47. It has to stop. https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1952869476455616938 outpaced inflation. Since 2000, hospital services, college tuition, and housing prices have surged by 271%, 194%, and 108%, respectively. By comparison, overall inflation has risen 90%. Essential expenses are eating up more income than ever. https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1953068614250004927 +$27 billion, to $1.21 trillion, just shy of an all-time high. Student and auto loans climbed +$7 billion and +$13 billion, to $1.64 trillion and $1.66 trillion, respectively, both hitting records. Americans are piling on debt. https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1953114624468930903 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Trump Warns Europe 35% Tariff Looms If They Fail to Keep Their Word on Investments U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning that Europe would be subjected to a punitive trade tariff if it attempted to welch on its promise to invest in the American economy. The European Union will “pay tariffs of 35 per cent” if it breaks the conditions of the massive Europe-U.S. trade deal agreed last month, President Trump said. The warning, which was solicited by a question about what safeguards are built into his trade deal with the European Union from CNBC in their interview with the President on Tuesday morning, also saw Trump lay out some of the basics of the agreement Source: breitbart.com https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1952836839964065873 The two Kevins Trump referred to in his CNBC interview are Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, and Kevin Hassett, who currently serves as director of the National Economic Council. Based on reporting about his shortlist of four finalists, the other two contenders are Christopher Waller, a current Fed governor, and Judy Shelton, a former Trump economic advisor. Trump confirmed that Treasury Secretary Scott Be...
Plus: Shopify, Disney, Uber and Siemens Energy report strong second-quarter earnings. And Apple may soon announce an investment in the U.S., according to National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett. Ariana Aspuru hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The state of the U.S. economy will come into full view this week as a wave of crucial economic data is set for release, including the jobs report, inflation, consumer confidence and corporate earnings. Where is the U.S. in terms of the global economic order? And how did we get to this point? Aya Ibrahim served as senior advisor on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff in the Biden-Harris administration, led President Biden's Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and Digital Assets Executive Order. She is also a former senior policy advisor at the National Economic Council. Ibrahim joins WITHpod to talk about her view on what Democrats need to do now, the United States' standing in terms of technology, finance and more.
Lael Brainard, former director of the National Economic Council under President Biden, former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve and distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy discusses President Trump's continued pressure on Fed chair Jerome Powell following the President's visit to the Federal Reserve to tour renovations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Brad Setser is the Whitney Shepardson senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. His expertise includes global trade and capital flows, financial vulnerability analysis, and sovereign debt restructuring. He regularly blogs at Follow the Money. Brad served as a senior advisor to the United States Trade Representative from 2021 to 2022, where he worked on the resolution of several trade disputes. He had previously served as the deputy assistant secretary for international economic analysis in the US Treasury from 2011 to 2015 and as a director for international economics on the staff of the National Economic Council and the National Security Council. This podcast covers US tariffs and their implementation, economic impact: recession or not, disrupting global system or not, and much more. Follow us here for more amazing insights: https://macrohive.com/home-prime/ https://twitter.com/Macro_Hive https://www.linkedin.com/company/macro-hive
In Episode 264 of The Cardone Zone, Grant Cardone speaks with two high-impact guests who bring unique styles and different approaches to the table. Charlie Kirk, Founder of Turning Point USA, Gary Cohn, Seasoned business leader and former Director of the U.S. National Economic Council. This episode explores how different backgrounds, mindsets, and methods can all lead to success when backed by conviction, strategy, and relentless execution. Only on the Cardone Zone Charlie Kirk's high-energy, mission-driven mindset Gary Cohn's polished, analytical business perspective Grant's take on how to learn from anyone—as long as you stay focused on the target Two very different styles. One shared goal: Success at scale. Follow @GrantCardone across all social platforms Dive deeper at GrantCardone.com Grab your copy of The Wealth Creation Formula and start building real wealth.
0:00 - Wealthy white liberals strike again! 13:35 - Democrats wishing to lose the ‘26 midterms should promote a 33 year-old socialist devoid of executive experience for mayor of America’s largest city and impeach a president who ended a tyrannical regime’s nuclear threat while achieving a ceasefire days later 33:23 - Who’s YOUR DADDY? 52:44 - Anita Padilla, former anchor at FOX 32, now News Director Florida’s Voice, looks ahead to Florida's gubernatorial primary - which may not get ugly but will definitely be complicated. Follow Anita at Florida’s Voice flvoicenews.com 01:11:05 - Dustin Grage, columnist at Townhall.com, shares a bizarre twist in the relationship between Minnesota's governor Walz and the alleged Minnesota assassin. Keep up with Dustin on X @GrageDustin 01:32:28 - Robert Mark, veteran pilot and Jetwhine.com publisher, unpacks the latest on this month’s Air India crash. Follow Rob on X @jetwhine 01:51:13 - Carol Roth, entrepreneur and author of You Will Own Nothing: Your War with a New Financial World Order and How to Fight Back, looks at why young folks are embracing socialism. Check out Carol’s free economic newsletter carolroth.com/NEWS 02:10:57 - Larry Kudlow, host of Kudlow weekdays 3pm CT on FOX Business & served as Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council under President Trump: Deficits will melt away if the economy is growing - Growth is Everything. Follow Larry on X @larry_kudlowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on Face the Nation, immigration protests in Southern California turn violent as federal authorities ramp up their nationwide effort to round up those who could be in the country illegally. President Trump's mandate to escalate detentions and potentially deportations set the scene for violent protests in Los Angeles this weekend, and he now says he's calling in the National Guard. We speak exclusively with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales also joins the broadcast, and we have new CBS News polling on what Americans think of Mr. Trump's immigration and deportation policies. Then, as President Trump lobbies the Senate to get his Big Beautiful Bill passed, what impact will the Elon Musk factor have on some components of the bill that even Republicans don't like? We talk with White House Economic Advisor Kevin Hassett and Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar. Finally, as efforts from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation continue to unravel, what humanitarian aid can get to the hundreds of thousands suffering? We talk with the head of Save the Children U.S., Janti Soeripto. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today we're delighted to welcome back Mike Sommers, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute (API). Mike has led the API since 2018 and previously spent two decades in senior leadership roles in the U.S. House of Representatives and the White House, including as Chief of Staff to Speaker of the House John A. Boehner and as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush on the National Economic Council. The API represents 600 members across the full spectrum of the U.S. petroleum industry, with roots dating back to World War I, when Congress and the domestic oil and gas sector joined forces to support the war effort. We first hosted Mike on COBT in September 2021 (episode linked here), and with all the changes in energy and Washington since then, we had plenty to catch up on. We were thrilled to visit with Mike to hear his latest insights. As you will hear, there is almost no energy topic Mike can't help us think through. In our discussion, we explore evolving attitudes in Washington toward natural gas, from being viewed as a waste product to a “bridge fuel” during the Obama era, and now as a “forever fuel” due to its growing importance in meeting rising energy demand. We examine the increased engagement between tech companies and the energy industry, the urgent need for a more durable, streamlined, and predictable permitting system to support the expansion of energy infrastructure, referencing the Supreme Court's recent decision that narrows NEPA's scope and increases deference to agency decisions, potentially reducing project delays. We discuss the ongoing debate and uncertainty regarding the IRA, which incentives may survive in reconciliation, and the potential impact of legislative changes on clean energy investment. Mike shares his perspective on the recent House Bill, which removed renewable tax credits, and the expectation of reconciliation in the Senate. We cover the new National Energy Dominance Council and its role in coordinating energy policy across federal agencies, the evolving balance between federal and state authority in energy regulation, and advocacy for consumer choice in vehicle technology, specifically the recent repeal of the California EV mandate. We explore Alaska's resource potential, including the opportunity to build an LNG terminal to utilize natural gas currently being reinjected, and the broader significance for U.S. energy security and exports to Asia, the strategic importance of domestic oil and gas, the role of judicial review in permitting, and much more. It was a fantastic conversation and we greatly appreciate Mike for joining. Mike Bradley kicked off the discussion by noting that while remnants of “Trumpatility” have mostly faded, with S&P 500 volatility now low, broader markets remain sensitive to Trump's policies, as highlighted this week by the doubling of aluminum and steel import tariffs. He pointed out that oil prices have surprised traders to the upside so far this week, rising more than $2/bbl despite OPEC+ signaling a July production increase of >400kbpd. Mike also discussed EOG Resource's $5.6 billion deal to acquire Encino Acquisition Partners' Utica asset, noting that the deal adds another large core oil asset play for EOG and could also prove to serve as a backdoor natural gas play, especially if the Northeast finally opens up for energy infrastructure spending. Jeff Tillery added to Mike's comments, noting that despite the day-to-day volatility in oil markets, the long-term outlook still comes down to tight supply and the need for real demand growth. On the gas side, he pointed to strong demand pull but emphasized that the key question is where prices will ultimately settle given the ample supply. Thanks to you all. We hope you enjoy today's discussion as much as we did!
Santi: Hi, this is a special episode of Statecraft. I've got a wonderful guest host with me today. Kyla Scanlon: Hey, I'm Kyla Scanlon! I'm the author of a book called In This Economy and an economic commentator. Santi: Kyla has joined me today for a couple reasons. One, I'm a big fan of her newsletter: it's about economics, among many other things. She had a great piece recently on what we can learn from C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, which is a favorite book of mine.Kyla's also on today because we're interviewing Wally Adeyemo, who was the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Biden administration. We figured we each had questions we wanted answered.Kyla: Yeah, I've had the opportunity to interview Wally a couple times during the Biden administration, and I wanted to see where he thinks things are at now. He played a key role in implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, financial sanctions on Russia, and a whole bunch of other things.Santi: For my part, I'm stuck on Wally's role in setting up the IRS's Direct File program, where you can file your taxes for free directly through the IRS instead of paying TurboTax a hundred bucks to do it. “Good governance types” tend to love Direct File, but the current admin is thinking of killing it. I wanted to understand how the program got rolled out, how Wally would respond to criticisms of the program, and what he learned from building something in government, which now may disappear.Kyla, you've talked to Wally before. How did that conversation go? Kyla: I actually was able to go to his office in D.C., and I talked to a couple of key people in the Biden administration: Jared Bernstein, the former chair of the CEA, and Daniel Hornung, who was at the National Economic Council.We're talking to Wally on the day that the House passed the one big beautiful bill. There's also so much happening financially, like the bond market is totally rebelling against the US government right now. I'm really curious how he thinks things are, as a key player in the last administration.Santi: Wally, you've spent most of your career in Democratic Party institutions. You worked on the Kerry presidential campaign in 2004. You served in the Obama admin. You were the first chief of staff to the CFPB, the president of the Obama Foundation, and, most recently, Deputy Treasury Secretary in the Biden admin.30,000ft question: How do you see the Democratic Party today?My view is that we continue to be the party that cares deeply about working-class people, but we haven't done a good job of communicating that to people, especially when it comes to the things that matter most to them. From my standpoint, it's costs: things in America cost too much for a working-class family.I want to make sure I define working class: I think about people who make under $100,000 a year, many of whom don't own homes on the coast or don't own a significant amount of stocks (which means they haven't seen the asset appreciation that's led to a great deal of wealth creation over the last several decades). When you define it that way, 81% of Americans sit in that category of people. Despite the fact that they've seen their median incomes rise 5-10% over the last five years, they've seen the cost of the things they care about rise even faster.We haven't had a clear-cut agenda focused on the standard of living, which I think is the thing that matters most to Americans today.Santi: There are folks who would say the problem for Democrats wasn't that they couldn't communicate clearly, or that they didn't have a governing agenda, but that they couldn't execute their agenda the way they hoped to in the time available to them. Would you say there's truth to that claim?Most people talk about a communications issue, but I don't think it's a communications issue. There are two issues. One is an implementation issue, and the second is an issue of the actual substance and policy at the Treasury Department. I was the deputy secretary, but I was also the Chief Operating Officer, which meant that I was in charge of execution. The two most significant domestic things I had to execute were the American Rescue Plan, where $1.9 trillion flowed through the Treasury Department, and the Inflation Reduction Act. The challenge with execution in the government is that we don't spend a lot on our systems, on making execution as easy as possible.For example, the Advanced Child Tax Credit was intended to give people money to help with each of their children during the pandemic. What Congress called on us to do was to pay people on a monthly basis. In the IRS system, you pay your taxes mostly on an annual basis, which meant that most of our systems weren't set up to pay a monthly check to Americans. It took us a great deal of work to figure out a way to recreate a system just to do that.We've underinvested in the systems that the IRS works on. The last time we made a significant investment in the IRS's digital infrastructure was the 1960s; before we had an ATM machine, before we sent a man to the moon, before we had a personal computer. So that meant that everything was coded in a language called COBOL.So execution was quite hard in the American Rescue Plan. People were left out and felt that the government wasn't working for them. If you called the IRS, only 13% of your calls were being answered. We got that back up to 85% before we left. Ultimately, I think part of this is an execution challenge. In government we want to spend money coming up with new policies, but we don't want to pay for execution, which then means that when you get the policy passed, implementation isn't great.When Jen Pahlka was on your show, she talked about the need to focus on identifying the enablers to implementation. Direct File was one of the best examples of us taking implementation very seriously.But also, on some policy issues that mattered most to Americans, we weren't advancing the types of strategies that would've helped lower the cost of housing and lowering the cost of medicine. We did some things there, but there's clearly more that we could have done, and more we need to do going forward to demonstrate that we're fighting to bring down those costs. It's everything from permitting reform — not just at the federal level, but what can we do to incentivize it at the state and local level — to thinking about what we can do on drug costs. Why does it cost so much more to get a medicine in America than in Canada? That is something that we can solve. We've just chosen not to at the federal level.At the end of the year, we were going to take action to go after some of the middlemen in the pharmacy industry who were taking out rents and large amounts of money. It dropped out of the bill because of the negotiations between the Republican Congress and then President-elect Trump. But there are a lot of things that we can do both on implementation, which will mean that Americans feel the programs that we're passing in a more effective way, and policy solutions that we need to advance as a party that will help us as well.Kyla: Some people think Americans tend to vote against their own self-interest. How can your party message to people that these sorts of policies are really important for them?Ultimately, what I found is that most people just understand their self-interest differently, and for them, a big part of this was, “Who's fighting for me on the issues that I care most about?”From my standpoint, part of the problem we had with Direct File, which I think was an innovative solution, was that we got to implementing it so late in the administration that we didn't have the ability for it to show the impact. I'm hoping future administrations will think through how to start their implementation journey on things like Direct File sooner in the administration, when you have a great deal of political capital, so people can actually feel the impact over time.To your question, it's not just about the messaging, it's about the messenger. People tend to trust people who look like them, who come from the places they come from. When it came to the Child Tax Credit and also to Direct File, the biggest innovation wasn't the technology: the technology for Direct File has been used by the Australians, the British, and other countries for decades.The biggest innovation was us joining that technology with trusted people in communities who were going out to talk to people about those programs and building those relationships. That was something that the IRS hadn't done a great deal of. We invested a great deal in those community navigators who were helping us get people to trust the things the government was doing again, like the Child Tax Credit, like Direct File, so that they could use it.We often think that Washington is going to be able to give messages to the country that people are going to hear. But we're both in a more complicated media environment, where people are far more skeptical of things that come from people in Washington. So the best people to advocate for and celebrate the things that we're doing are people who are closer to the communities we're trying to reach. In product advertising today, more companies are looking to influencers to advertise things, rather than putting an ad on television, because people trust the people that they follow. The same is true for the things that we do in government.Santi: I've talked to colleagues of yours in the last administration who say things like, “In the White House, we did not have a good enough sense of the shot clock.” They point to various reasons, including COVID, as a reason the admin didn't do a good enough job of prioritization.Do you think that's true, that across the administration, there was a missing sense of the shot clock or a missing sense of prioritization? No, because I'm a Lakers fan. These are professionals. We're professionals. This is not our first rodeo. We know how much time is on the shot clock; we played this game. The challenge wasn't just COVID. For me at Treasury — and I think this is the coolest part of being Deputy Secretary of the Treasury — I had responsibilities domestic and international. As I'm trying to modernize the IRS, to invest all my time in making the system work better for customers and to collect more taxes from the people who owe money, Russia invades Ukraine. I had to turn a bunch of my attention to thinking about what we were going to do there. Then you have Hamas attacking Israel.There was more we should have done on the domestic end, but we have to remember that part of the presidency is: you get to do the things you want to do, but you also have to do the things you have to do. We had a lot of things we had to do that we weren't planning for which required all-of-the-administration responses.I think the most important lesson I've learned about that is that it comes down to both being focused on the things that matter, and being willing to communicate to the American people why your priorities have to change in light of things that happen in the world.But the people I'm sure you've talked to, most of them work on domestic policy alone, and they probably never have been in a National Security Council meeting, where you're thinking about the risks to the country. The president has to do both of those things. So I get how difficult it is to do that, just given where I sat at the Treasury Department.Santi: Looking back from an implementation perspective, are there things you would've done differently during your time at Treasury?The most important thing that I would've done differently was to immediately set up a permanent implementation and delivery unit in the Treasury Department. We always like to pretend like the Treasury Department is just a policy department where we make policy, we collect taxes. But in any crisis the country ever has, a great deal of responsibility — for execution or implementation of whatever the response is — falls to the Treasury Department. Think about the financial crisis, which is clearly something that's in the Treasury's domain. The vast majority of money for COVID flowed through the Treasury Department. You think about the IRA, a climate bill: the vast majority of that money flows through the Treasury Department.And Treasury doesn't have a dedicated staff that's just focused on implementation: How do we do this well? How do we make sure the right people are served? How do we make sure that we communicate this well? We did this to a degree by a team that was focused on the American Rescue Plan. But it was only focused on the American Rescue Plan. If I could start again, I would have said, “I want a permanent implementation structure within the Treasury Department of people who are cross-cutting, who only think about how we execute the policies that we pass through Congress and that we put together through an executive order. How do we do that extremely well?”Kyla: What you're talking about is very people-centric: How do we get an implementation team, and how do we make sure that the right people are doing the right jobs? Now we have DOGE, which is less people-centric. How do you reconcile what Doge is doing relative to what you would've done differently in this role that you had?As you would suspect, I wasn't excited about the fact we had lost the election, but initially I thought DOGE could be helpful with technology. I think marrying technology with people — that's the key to success for the government. We've never really been great at doing technology in the government.Part of the reason for that is a procurement process that is very slow because of how the federal acquisition rules work. What we are trying to do is prevent corruption and also waste, fraud, and abuse. But what that does is, it leads to slowness in our ability to get the technology on board that we need, and in getting the right people.I was hoping DOGE would bring in people who knew a great deal about technology and put us in a position where we could use that to build better products for the American people. I thought they would love Direct File, and that they would find ways to improve Direct File and expand it to more Americans.My view is that any American in the working class or middle class should not have to pay a company to file their taxes. We have the ability in this country, and I think Direct File was proving that. My goal, if we'd had more time, was to expand this to almost any American being able to use it. I thought they'd be able to accelerate that by bringing in the right people, but also the right technology. We were on that path before they took those two things apart.My sense is that you have to reform the way that we hire people because it's too hard to hire the right people. In some cases, you don't need some of the people you have today because technology is going to require different skills to do different things. It's easier to break something, I found, than it is to build something. I think that's what they're finding today as well.Santi: When I talk to left-of-center folks about the DOGE push, they tend to be skeptical about the idea that AI or modern technology can replace existing federal workers. I think some of that is a natural backlash to the extreme partisan coding of DOGE, and the fact that they're firing a lot of people very quickly. But what's your view? After DOGE, what kinds of roles would you like to see automated?Let me say: I disagree with the view that DOGE and technology can't replace some of the things that federal workers do today. My view is that “productivity enhancing” tech — it's not that it is going to make employees who are currently doing the job more productive. It is going to mean you need fewer employees. We have to be honest about that.Go to the IRS, for example. When I got there, we had a huge paper backlog at the IRS because, despite what most people think, millions of people still file their taxes by paper, and they send them to the IRS. And during the pandemic, the commissioner, who was then working for President Trump, decided to shut down the IRS for public health reasons — to make sure employees did not have to risk getting COVID.There were piles of paper backing up, so much so that they had filled cafeterias at the IRS facilities with huge piles of paper. The problem, of course, is that, unlike modern systems, you could not just machine-read those papers and put them into our systems. Much of that required humans to code those papers into the system by hand. There is no need in the 21st century for that to happen, so one of the things that we started to do was introduce this simple thing called scanning, where you would scan the papers — I know it sounds like a novel idea. That would help you get people's tax returns faster into the system, but also get checks out quickly, and allow us to see if people are underpaying their taxes, because we can use that data with a modern system. But over time, what would that mean? We'd need fewer people to enter the data from those forms.When we get money for the IRS from Congress, it is actually seen as revenue-raising because they expect it to bring down the debt and deficit, which is completely true. But the model Congress uses to do that is reliant on the number of full-time employees we hire. One challenge we have with the IRS — and in government systems in general — is that you don't get credit for technology investments that should improve your return on investment.So whenever we did the ROI calculations for the IRS, the Congressional Budget Office would calculate how much revenue we'd bring in, and it was always based on the number of people you had doing enforcement work that would lead to certain dollars coming in. So we got no credit for the technology investments. Which was absolutely the opposite of what we knew would be true: the more you invested in technology, the more likely you were to bring in more revenue, and you would be able to cut the cost of employees.Santi: If the CBO changed the way it scored technology improvements, would more Congresspeople be interested in funding technology?It is just a CBO issue. It's one we've tried to talk to them about over the last several years, but one where they've been unwilling to move. My view is that unlocking this will unlock greater investment in technology in a place like the IRS, because every dollar you invest in technology — I think — would earn back $10 in additional tax revenue we'd be able to collect from people who are skipping out on their taxes today. It's far more valuable to invest in that technology than to grow the number of employees working in enforcement at the IRS. You need both, but you can't say that a person is worth 5x their salary in revenue and that technology is worth 0. That makes no sense.Kyla: When we spoke about Direct File many months ago, people in my comment section were super excited and saying things like, “I just want the government to tell me how much money I owe.” When you think about the implementation of Direct File, what went right, and how do you think it has evolved?The thing that went right was that we proved that we could build something quite easily, and we built it ourselves, unlike many technology projects in government. We didn't go out and hire a bunch of consultants and contractors to do it. We did it with people at the IRS, but also with people from 18F and from GSA who worked in the government. We did it in partnership with a number of stakeholders outside the government who gave us advice, but the build was done by us.The reason that was important — and the reason it's important to build more things internally rather than hiring consulting firms or other people to build it — is that you then have the intellectual capital from building that, and that can be used to build other things. This was one product, but my view is that I want the IRS home page to one day look a lot more like the screen on your iPhone, so that you can click on the app on the IRS homepage that can help you, depending on what you need — if it's a Direct File, or if it's a tax transcript.By building Direct File internally, we were getting closer to that, and the user scores on the effectiveness of the tool and the ability to use it were through the roof. Even for a private sector company, it would've been seen as a great success. In the first year, we launched late in the filing season, mostly just to test the product, but also to build stakeholder support for it. In the limited release, 140,000 people used it. The average user said that before Direct File, it took them about 13 hours to file their taxes, and with Direct File, it took them just over an hour to file their taxes.But you also have to think about how much money the average American spends filing their taxes: about $200. That's $200 that a family making under $100,000 could invest in their kids, in paying some bills, rather than in filing their taxes.Even this year, with no advertising by the Trump administration of Direct File, we had more than 300,000 people use it. The user scores for the product were above 85%. The challenge, of course, is that instead of DOGE investing in improving the product — which was a place where you could have seen real intellectual capital go to work and make something that works for all Americans — they've decided to discontinue Direct File. [NB: There has been widespread reporting that the administration plans to discontinue Direct File. The GOP tax bill passed by the House would end Direct File if it becomes law. At the time of publication, the Direct File has not been discontinued.]The sad part is that when you think about where we are as a country, this is a tool that could both save people money, save people time, improve our ability to collect taxes, and is something that exists in almost every other developed economy. It makes no sense to me why you would end something like this rather than continue to develop it.Santi: People remember the failure of healthcare.gov, which crashed when it was rolled out all at once to everyone in the country. It was an embarrassing episode for the Obama administration, and political actors in that administration learned they had to pilot things and roll them out in phases.Is there a tension between that instinct — to test things slowly, to roll them out to a select group of users, and then to add users in following cycles — Is there a tension between that and trying to implement quickly, so that people see the benefit of the work you're doing?One of my bosses in the Obama administration was Jeff Zients, the person who was brought in to fix healthcare.gov. He relentlessly focused on execution. He always made the point that it's easy to come up with a strategy to some degree: you can figure out what the policy solution is. But the difference between good and great is how you execute against it. I think there is some tension there, but not as much as you would think.Once we were able to show that the pilot was a success, I got invited to states all over the country, like Maryland, to announce that they were joining Direct File the next year. These members of Congress wanted to do Direct File events telling people in their state, “This product that's worked so well elsewhere is coming to us next.” It gave us the ability to celebrate the success.I learned the lesson not just from Zients, but also from then-professor Elizabeth Warren, whom I worked for as chief of staff at the CFPB. One challenge we had at the CFPB was to build a complaint hotline, at that point mostly phone-operated, for people who were suffering. They said it would take us at least a year to build out all the product functions we need. We decided to take a modular approach and say, “How long would it take for us to build the system for one product? Let's try that and see how that works. We'll do a test.”It was successful, and we were able to use that to tell the story about the CFPB and what it would do, not just for mortgages, but for all these other products. We built user interest in the complaint hotline, in a way that we couldn't have if we'd waited to build the whole thing at once. While I think you're right that there is some tension between getting everyone to feel it right away and piloting; if the pilot is successful, it also gives you the opportunity to go out and sell this thing to people and say, “Here's what people who did the pilot are saying about this product.”I remember someone in Texas who was willing to do a direct-to-camera and talk about the ways that Direct File was so easy for them to use. It gets back to my point on message and messenger. Deputy Secretary Adeyemo telling you about this great thing the government did is one thing. But an American who looks like you, who's a nurse, who's a mom of two kids, telling you that this product actually worked for her: That's something that more people identify with.Healthcare.gov taught us the lesson of piloting and doing things in a modular way. This is what companies have been doing for decades. If it's worked for them, I think it can work for the government too.Santi: I'm a fan of Direct File, personally. I don't want this administration to kill it. But I was looking through some of the criticism that Direct File got: for instance, there's criticism about it rivaling the IRS Free File program, which is another IRS program that partners with nonprofits to help some folks file their taxes for free.Then there's this broader philosophical criticism: “I don't want the feds telling me how much I owe them.” The idea is that the government is incentivized to squeeze every last dollar out of you.I'm curious what you make of that, in part because I spoke recently to an American who worked on building e-government systems for Estonia. One of the things that has allowed Estonia to build cutting-edge digital systems in the government is that Estonia is a small and very high-trust society. Everybody's one degree of separation from everybody else.We're a much bigger and more diverse country. How do you think that affects the federal government's ability to build tools like Direct File?I think it affects it a lot, and it gets back to my point: not just the message but the messenger. I saw this not just with Direct File, but with the Advanced Child Tax Credit, which was intended to help kids who were living in poverty, but also families overall. What we found initially in the data was that, among families that didn't have to file taxes because they made too little, many of them were unwilling to take advantage of Direct File and the Advanced Child Tax Credit because they couldn't believe the government was doing something to just help them. I spent a lot of time with priests, pastors, and other community leaders in many of the communities where people were under-filing to try and get them to talk about this program and why it was something that they should apply for.One of the challenges we suffer from right now in America, overall, is a lack of trust in institutions. You have to really go local and try to rebuild that trust.That also speaks to taking a pilot approach that goes slower in some cases. Some of the criticism we got was, “Why don't you just fill out this form for us and then just send it to us, so that Direct File is just me pressing a button so I can pay my taxes?”Part of the challenge for us in doing that is a technology challenge: we are not there technologically. But the other problem is a trust problem. If I were to just fill out your taxes for you and send them to you, I think people, at this stage, would distrust the government and distrust the technology.Direct File had to be on a journey with people, showing people, “If I put in this information, it accurately sends me back my check.” As people develop more trust, we can also add more features to it that I think people will trust. But the key has to be: how do you earn that trust over time?We can't expect that if we put out a product that looks like something the Estonian government or Australia would put out, that people would trust it at this point. We have to realize that we are on a journey to regain the trust of the American people.The government can and will work for them, and Direct File was a part of that. We started to demonstrate that with that product because the people who used it in these communities became the spokespeople for it in a better way than I ever could be, than the Secretary or the President could be.Everyone knows that they need to pay their taxes because it's part of their responsibility living in this country. The things that make people the most upset is the fact that there are people who don't pay their taxes. We committed that we were going to go after them.The second frustration was: “Why do you make it so hard for me to pay my taxes? Why can't I get through to you on the phone line? Why do I have to pay somebody else to do my taxes?” Our goal was to solve those two problems by investing money and going after the people who just decided they weren't going to pay, but also by making it as easy as possible for you to pay your taxes and for most people, to get that tax refund as quickly as possible.But doing that was about going on a journey with people, about regaining their trust in an institution that mattered to them a great deal because 90 something-percent of the money that funds our government comes in through the IRS.Kyla: You have a piece out in Foreign Affairs called “Make Moscow Pay,” and what I found most interesting about that essay is that you said Europe needs to step it up because the United States won't. Talk through the role of Treasury in financial sanctions, and your reasons for writing this piece.People often think about the Treasury Department as doing a few things. One is working with Wall Street; another one is collecting your taxes. Most people don't think about the fact that the Treasury Department is a major part of the National Security Committee, because we have these tools called financial sections.They use the power of the dollar to try and change the behavior of foreign actors who are taking steps that aren't consistent with our national security interests. A great example of this is what we did with regard to Russia — saying that we're going to cut off Russian banks from the US financial system, which means that you can't transact in US dollars.The problem for any bank that can transact in dollars is that the backbone of most of the financial world is built on the US dollar. It increases their cost, it makes it more difficult for them to transact, and makes it harder for them to be part of the global economy, nearly impossible.And that's what we've done in lots of cases when it comes to Russia. We have financial sanction programs that touch all over the world, from Venezuela to Afghanistan. The US government, since 9/11, has used sanctions as one of its primary tools of impacting foreign policy. Some of them have gone well, some of them I think haven't gone as well, and there's a need for us to think through how we use those policies.Santi: What makes sanctions an effective tool? Positions on sanctions don't line up neatly on partisan lines. Sanctions have a mixed track record, and you'll have Republicans who say sanctions have failed, and you'll have Democrats say sanctions have been an effective tool, and vice versa.The way I think about sanctions is that they are intended to bring change, and the only way that they work is that they're part of an overarching foreign policy strategy. That type of behavior change was what we saw when Iran came to the table and wanted to negotiate a way to reduce sanctions in exchange for limits on their nuclear program. That's the type of behavior change we're trying to accomplish with sanctions, but you can't do it with sanctions alone. You need a foreign policy strategy. We didn't do it by the United States confronting Iran; we got our allies and partners to work together with us. When I came into office in 2021, Secretary Yellen asked me to do a review of our sanctions policies — what's worked, what hasn't — because it had been 20 years since the 9/11 attacks.And the most important lesson I learned was that the sanctions programs that were the most effective were the ones we did on a multilateral basis — so we did it with our friends and allies. Part of the reason for this is that while the dollar is the most dominant currency around the world, oftentimes if you can't do something in dollars, you do it in a euro, or you do it in a Japanese yen, or pound sterling.The benefit of having allies all over the world is that the dominant, convertible currencies in the world are controlled by allies and partners. When we acted together with them, we were more effective in curtailing the economic activity of our adversary, and our pressure is more likely to lead to them changing their behavior.We had to be very cautious about collateral damage. You might be targeting an individual, but by targeting that individual, you might make it harder for a company they're affiliated with to continue doing business, or for a country that they're in to get access to banking services. Let's say that you're a huge bank in America, and you're worried about sanctions risk in a small country where you do little business. Why not pull out, rather than having to put in place a huge compliance program? One of the challenges that we have is that the people who make the decisions about whether to extend sanctions don't necessarily spend a lot of time thinking about some of these economic consequences of the sanctions approach.Whenever I was around the table and we were making a decision about using weapons, there was a process that was very elaborate that ended up with something going to the president. You'd often think about kinetic force very seriously, because you were going to have to get the president to make a decision. We didn't always take that kind of rigor when it came to thinking about using our sanctions policy, but the impact on the lives of people in these countries was just as significant for their access to not only money, but to food and to the resources they needed to live.Santi: What do you make of the effectiveness of the initial sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine? I've heard mixed reviews from folks inside and outside the Biden administration.Sanctions, again, to my point, are only a tool. They've had to be part of a larger strategy, and I think those sanctions were quite effective. I think the saving grace for the Russians has been the fact that China has largely been able and willing to give them access to the things they need to continue to perpetuate.There was a choice for Ukraine, but when you think about Russia's economy today vs. Russia's economy before the sanctions were put in place, it's vastly different. Inflation in Russia still runs far higher than inflation anywhere else in the world. If you were a Russian citizen, you would feel the impacts of sanctions.The challenge, of course, is that it hasn't changed Vladimir Putin's behavior or the behavior of the Kremlin, largely because they've had access to the goods and supplies they need from China, Iran, and North Korea. But over time, it means Russia's economy is becoming less competitive. They have less access to resources; they're going to struggle.I think everyone hoped that sanctions would immediately change the calculus of the Kremlin, but we've never seen that to be the case. When sanctions are effective, they take time, because the economic consequences continue to compound over time, and they have to be part of a larger strategy for the behavior of the individual. That's why I wrote the article, because while the Kremlin and Russia are under pressure, their view is that ultimately the West is going to get tired of supporting Ukraine, financially and politically, because the economic consequences for us — while not as significant as for Moscow or for Kiev — have been quite significant, when you think about the cost of living issues in Europe.I think it's important to write this now, when it appears that Russia is stalling on negotiations, because ultimately, US financial support is waning. We just know that the Trump administration is not willing to put more money into Ukraine, so Europe is going to have to do more, at a time when their economic situation is quite complicated as well.They've got a lot to do to build up their economy and their military-industrial base. Asking them to also increase their support for Ukraine at the same time is going to be quite difficult. So using this money that Russia owes to Ukraine — because they owe them compensation at this moment — can be quite influential in helping support the Ukrainians, but also changing Russia's calculus with regard to the ability of Ukraine to sustain itself.Kyla: On CNBC about a month ago, you said if we ever have a recession over the next couple of months or so, it would be a self-inflicted one. Do you still resonate with that idea? To build on the point I was making, the economy has done quite well over the course of the first few months of the year, largely because of the strength of the consumer, where our balance sheets are still quite strong. Companies in America have done well. The biggest headwind the US economy faces has been self-inflicted by the tariffs the president has put on. Part of what I still do is talk to CEOs of companies, big and small. Small businesses feel the impact of this even more than the big businesses. What they tell me is that it's not just the tariffs and the fact that they are making it more expensive for them to get the goods that they need, but it's the uncertainty created by the off-again, on-again, nature of those tariffs that makes it impossible for them to plan for what supplies they're going to get the next quarter. How are they going to fulfill their orders? What employees are they going to need? It's having a real impact on the performance of these companies, but also their ability to hire people and plan for the future.If you go to the grocery store, you're going to start seeing — and you're starting to see already — price increases. The thing that Americans care most about is, the cost of living is just too high. You're at the grocery store, as you're shopping for your kids for the summer, you're going to see costs go up because of a self-imposed tax we've put in place. So I still do think that if we do find ourselves in a recession, it's going to be because of the tariffs we've put in place.Even if we don't enter a technical recession, what we're seeing now is that those tariffs are going to raise the cost for people when they go out to buy things. It's going to raise the cost of building homes, which is going to make it harder for people to get houses, which is ultimately going to have an impact on the economy that isn't what I think the president or anyone wants at this point.Kyla: Is there anything else we haven't asked about? I think the place where we continue, as a country, to struggle is that, given the federal system we have, many of these problems aren't just in Washington — they're in state and local governments as well. When you think about the challenges to building more housing in this country, you can't just solve it by doing things at the federal level. You have to get state and local governments unified in taking a proactive approach. Part of this has to be not just financial or regulatory from the federal government, but we have to do more things that force state and local governments to get out of the way of people being able to build more housing. I think that the conversations that you've had on your show, and the conversations we're having in government, need to move past our regular policy conversations of: “Should we do more on LIHTC? Should we try to fix NEPA?” Those, to me, are table stakes, and we're in the middle of what I'd say is a generational crisis when it comes to housing. We have to be willing to treat it like a crisis, rather than what I think we've done so far, which is take incremental steps at different levels to try and solve this. That's one thing that I wanted to make sure that I said, because I think it's the most important thing that we can do at the moment.Kyla: Absolutely. During your time there, the Treasury was doing so much with zoning reform, with financial incentives. What I really liked about our last conversation was how much you talked about how important it is that workers can live close to work. Are you optimistic that we will be able to address the problem, or do you think we are sinking into quicksand?I'd say a little bit of both, and the thing that I'm doing now is getting hyperlocal. One of the projects I'm working on in my post-administration life is I'm working with 15 churches in D.C., where they have vacant land and want to use it to build affordable housing as quickly as possible.I'm learning that even when you have the land donated for free and you're willing to work as quickly as possible, it's still quite hard because you have regulations and financial issues that often get in the way of building things. Part of what we have to do now is just launch as many natural experiments as possible to see what works.What I've learned already from this lived experience is that even cities that are trying to get out of the way and make it easier to build housing struggle because of what you all know to be true, which is that the local politics of this is quite complicated. Oftentimes, the way that you get them over the line is by creating incentives or disincentives.In the past, I talked a lot about incentives in terms of “giving people money to do things.” I'm now in favor of “not giving money to people who don't do things” — if you don't take steps to fix your zoning, some of the federal money that you regularly get is not coming to your jurisdiction. I'm going to reallocate that money to places that are doing this activity. I think we have to take those types of radical steps.It's similar to what we did with the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, where if you didn't spend your money, we could take your money back and reallocate it to people who were giving away emergency rental assistance money.That motivates people a lot — when they feel like something's going to be taken away from them. I'm of the view that we have to find more radical things that we can do to get housing built. If we don't, costs will continue to rise faster than people's incomes.Santi: Wally, I have to ask after that point you just made: did you read the paper by my colleague Chris Elmendorf on using LIHTC funds? The idea is to re-allocate those federal funds away from big, expensive cities and into other places in a state, if the cities don't commit to basic zoning reforms.I completely agree with him, and I think I would go even further than just LIHTC money. I would reallocate non-housing money as well, because from my standpoint, if you think about the most important issue for a family, it's being able to find housing that is affordable near their place of work and where their kids go to school. I said that on purpose. I didn't say “affordable housing.” I said “housing that is affordable,” because affordable housing is, in lots of ways, targeted towards a population of people who need it the most. But for even people who are middle income in this country, it crowds out their ability to pay for other things when housing costs continue to creep higher.The only way we solve that problem is if you get rid of restrictive zoning covenants and fix permitting. The natural thing that every city and state is thinking about right now is throwing more money at the problem. There's going to need to be money here, just in light of some of the headwinds, but it's going to be more costly and less effective if we don't fix the underlying issues that are making it hard to build housing where we want it.Right now in California, we're having a huge debate over what we do with infill housing in urban areas. A simple solution — you don't have to do another environmental review if one was already done in this area— is taking months to work through the California legislature, which demonstrates that we're going too slow. California's seeing an exodus of people. I just talked to a CEO who said, “I'm moving my business because the people who work for me can't afford to live in California anymore.” This is the kind of problem that you can solve. State legislatures, Congress, and executives have to get together and take some radical steps to make it easier to build housing.I appreciate what you said about what we were doing at Treasury, but from my standpoint, I wish we had done more earlier to focus on this issue. We had a lot going on, but fundamentally, the most important thing on housing is taking a step to try and build housing today, which is going to have an impact on the economy 10, 20, 30 years from now. We just have to start doing that as soon as possible.Thanks to Emma Hilbert for her transcript and audio edits. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.statecraft.pub
Director of the National Economic Council of the United States Kevin Hassett joins the show to talk about the tariffs and more. Visit the Howie Carr Radio Network website to access columns, podcasts, and other exclusive content.
Meet my friends, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton! If you love Verdict, the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show might also be in your audio wheelhouse. Politics, news analysis, and some pop culture and comedy thrown in too. Here’s a sample episode recapping four takeaways. Give the guys a listen and then follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: ihr.fm/3InlkL8 Is The Big Beautiful Bill Bloated? The hour kicks off with a detailed discussion of what President Donald Trump has dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping piece of legislation currently under debate on Capitol Hill. President Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, and other GOP leaders are rallying behind the bill, which includes major tax cuts, regulatory rollbacks, and incentives aimed at boosting the U.S. economy. The hosts predict the bill will pass, likening the political theatrics to previous debt ceiling and speaker vote showdowns. Key highlights of the bill include: Permanent extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts Elimination of taxes on tips Adjustments to SALT (state and local tax) deductions Phased elimination of EV and green energy tax credits Increased funding for defense and immigration enforcement Tightening of SNAP (food stamp) eligibility A $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling Buck Sexton shares insights from a recent interview with the head of the National Economic Council, emphasizing that the bill could result in $7,000–$12,000 in annual savings for the average American household. However, both hosts acknowledge conservative criticism over the bill’s lack of deeper spending cuts and its continuation of certain green energy subsidies. Democrats Don't Believe Illegal Immigration is a Crime Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show dive deep into the explosive political and legal controversy surrounding Congresswoman LaMonica McIver’s arrest for allegedly obstructing ICE agents during a detention center visit. Hosts Clay and Buck analyze the implications of her actions, highlighting the irony of her past “no one is above the law” rhetoric—previously aimed at Donald Trump—now being turned against her. They explore the broader theme of political hypocrisy and the consequences of “lawfare,” emphasizing how Democrats are now facing the same legal tactics they once championed. The hour also features a sharp critique of the Democratic Party’s stance on illegal immigration. Clay and Buck argue that Democrats no longer view illegal immigration as a crime, citing McIver’s confrontation with ICE as emblematic of a broader ideological shift. They question why Democratic leaders prioritize the rights of non-citizens over the needs of underserved American communities, particularly Black constituents in urban districts like McIver’s New Jersey 10th, which is nearly 50% Black. The hosts suggest that this disconnect may be driving more minority voters toward the GOP, referencing recent political shifts in cities like New York and Chicago. Tom Homan, former acting ICE director, is featured in a clip reinforcing the legal boundaries McIver allegedly crossed, underscoring the seriousness of interfering with federal law enforcement. The discussion then pivots to the racial and ideological motivations behind Democratic immigration policies, with Buck asserting that modern leftist movements have replaced class solidarity with race-based solidarity, often to the detriment of their own constituents. This is a Crazy Story Clay and Buck dive into the intersection of sports, culture, and politics, delivering a compelling mix of commentary and breaking news. This hour kicks off with a heated discussion surrounding the viral WNBA incident involving Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, which sparked a broader cultural debate. The hosts analyze the fallout from ESPN personalities Robert Griffin III and Ryan Clark, highlighting the racial and personal tensions that erupted over a simple foul in a women’s basketball game. The segment underscores how Clark’s rising stardom is reshaping the WNBA and exposing underlying resentments within the league. The conversation transitions into a broader cultural critique, with Clay and Buck exploring how race, media narratives, and sports collide in today’s polarized environment. They draw parallels to historical moments in tennis and golf, emphasizing how stars like Serena Williams and Tiger Woods were embraced across racial lines—contrasting that with the current backlash against Clark. James Blair, WH Deputy Chief of Staff, on Clean Up in Aisle Biden The hosts welcome White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, who provides exclusive insights into the forthcoming “Big Beautiful Bill.” Blair outlines the bill’s key components, including historic middle-class tax cuts, increased border security funding, military modernization, and aggressive fiscal reforms aimed at reducing the national deficit. He also teases the potential announcement of the “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, likened to Israel’s Iron Dome, as part of President Trump’s broader national security strategy. Make sure you never miss a second of the show by subscribing to the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton show podcast wherever you get your podcasts! ihr.fm/3InlkL8 For the latest updates from Clay and Buck: https://www.clayandbuck.com/ Connect with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on Social Media: X - https://x.com/clayandbuck FB - https://www.facebook.com/ClayandBuck/ IG - https://www.instagram.com/clayandbuck/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/ClayandBuck TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@clayandbuck YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 20, 2025 ~ The upcoming Memorial Day weekend signals increased travel and spending, raising questions about rising costs. Daniel Hornung, former deputy director of the National Economic Council, talks with Lloyd, Jamie, and Chris about when consumers can expect to experience the cost of tariffs.
Democrats continue their town hall tour through Republican districts. Senator Chris Murphy and Rep. Maxwell Frost join The Weekend to discuss their own recent tours, how Democrats should counter Trump's extreme agenda. Plus, their thoughts on the looming budget cuts as House Republicans scramble to get their budget bill across the finish line. And, former director of the National Economic Council, Gene Sperling and former Congressman Charlie Dent share their thoughts on Trump's chaotic economic policies and the recent trade talks with China.
Bharat Ramamurti, former deputy director of President Joe Biden's National Economic Council, joins the show to talk about a possible “Trumpcession” and the drastic cuts congressional Republicans want to make to programs that help Americans meet their basic needs. Daniella and Colin also talk about President Donald Trump's trade wars and speak with Andrew Miller, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
It's been a month since Donald Trump celebrated his “Liberation Day,” announcing a wide range of what he called reciprocal tariffs on a number of countries, with China facing the steepest. Since then matters have been on a roller coaster ride as the President first fiercely defended the plan and then paused it for most countries except China. While fears about the impact on the U.S. and the world have escalated, the economy seems to be toddling along. But great uncertainty remains - not just on tariffs but on the scope and scale of Republican tax plans and the budget. On this episode of Free Expression, Director of the National Economic Council of the United States Kevin Hassett discusses the latest job numbers to come out, how the tariffs began as a place of negotiation, and how the tax plan is progressing through Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump might be beginning to realize that all of that business acumen he thinks he has, might not really exist. He's starting to soften his tariff stance as the markets quake. Former deputy director of the National Economic Council, Bharat Ramamurti, discusses. Plus, John McCarthy, President Biden's former senior adviser for political engagement who would meet with Pope Francis, discusses the Pope's legacy and how he influenced the political world.
What is "disparate impact?" You may not have heard of it, but this concept massively changed America for the worst over the past fifty years. Charlie explains what disparate impact is and why Trump's new EO to get rid of it is so crucial. Kevin Hassett of the National Economic Council offers promising updates on Trump tariffs and the American economy. Become a member at members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is "disparate impact?" You may not have heard of it, but this concept massively changed America for the worst over the past fifty years. Charlie explains what disparate impact is and why Trump's new EO to get rid of it is so crucial. Kevin Hassett of the National Economic Council offers promising updates on Trump tariffs and the American economy. Become a member at members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stigall was invited to the White House as they celebrate their first 100 days in office. You'll hear conversations with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as well as the Director of the National Economic Council of the United States Kevin Hassett. Great perspective on the markets, the border, men in women's sports, the courts, the interaction between the President and members of his team and much more! Plus, Erin Maguire - one of the nation's best Republican strategists and commentators joins Stigall in his D.C. studio for analysis of the bonkers Democrat messaging and where does she see this Republican Congress headed on on big, beautiful bill and their prospects of maintaining control next fall. And will SCOTUS side with parents who want to opt out of their public school's mandatory LGBTQ reading programs? Landmark Legal's Michael O'Neill weighs in on this as well as what to do about the lawfare coming from Democrat district judges from around the country. -For more info visit the official website: https://chrisstigall.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisstigallshow/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisStigallFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.stigall/Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/StigallPodListen on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/StigallShow -Help protect your wealth with real, physical gold and silver. Texas Bullion Exchange helps everyday Americans diversify with tailored portfolios, IRA rollovers, and expert support every step of the way.
What does “abundance” actually mean—and who is it really for? In this episode, Goldy and Paul welcome back economic policy expert Mike Konczal to unpack the big new idea dominating political discourse: abundance. They dive into the buzz around Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's book “Abundance,” and Konczal's sharp critique of its deregulatory leanings, missed opportunities, and neoliberal undertones. From housing policy to green energy to the myth that deregulation alone can fix America's problems, this episode challenges the idea that more is always better, and asks what it would really take to build a future that's abundant for everyone—not just the rich. Mike Konczal is the Senior Director of Policy and Research at the Economic Security Project, where he oversees policy development, research, and strategic analysis to advance its ideas. Previously, he served as a Special Assistant to President Biden for Economic Policy and Chief Economist for the National Economic Council. Social Media: @mtkonczal.bsky.social @mtkonczal Further reading: Democracy Journal - The Abundance Doctrine Abundance By Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and How to Bring It Back By Marc Dunkelman NBER Working Paper - Supply constraints do not explain house price and quantity growth across U.S. cities Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer, @civicaction YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Substack: The Pitch
I hope you all had a blessed Easter weekend, celebrating with family and friends. I have 2 special guests on today's show that give us expert insight into the economy, global trade, tariffs and U.S. manufacturing. First I talk to Kevin Hassett, the Director of the National Economic Council, to walk us through recent developments within the Trump administration. As country after country lined-up to make a deal with President Trump, the president put a pause on all tariffs except China. President Trump has now raised the tariffs to 145% in relation to China. Essentially isolating China with the most extreme tariffs set the stage for other countries to decide how they wanted to respond. Hassett says 15 countries or more will come away with a good deal in the coming days and weeks. Hassett walks us down Main St. for American consumers and small business owner as to what they can expect to pay for goods. With 2 outstanding jobs reports and a reduction in inflation, the only question yet to be answered is will China come to the table? After that, Mick Mulvaney, the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget as well as the former White House Chief of Staff gives us his insight into global trade and the budget. Are the tariffs more effective as a negotiating tool or a real source of income for the United States? Can domestic industries that have been squandered be brought back to life? The Senate only cut $4 Billion in spending, showing they aren't interested in saving money as the GOP is making a push to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. Stick around to the end for a tour of the White House press briefing room! Featuring: Kevin Hassett Director of the National Economic Council https://www.hoover.org/profiles/kevin-hassett Mick Mulvaney Former Director of Office of Management and Budget Former White House Chief of Staff Former Congressman | South Carolina, District 5 https://actumllc.com/people/mick-mulvaney/ Today's show is brought to you by these great sponsors: Ramp Want $250?? Is your finance team bogged down with tedious work like tracking down receipts or dealing with invoices? Guess what... Ramp handles everything—receipt matching, categorization, approvals, the works. Ramp has easy-to-use cards, spend limits, approval flows, vendor payments, and more. Ramp makes all your spending smarter with seamless integration! Join Ramp now and get $250 upon sign-up. Just go to https://ramp.com/SPICER Wired 2 Fish Coffee Do you want to drink coffee from the finest coffee beans in the world? Wired 2 Fish sources directly from Mexico and Guatemala to bring you the freshest arabica coffee beans in the world. Wired 2 Fish cares so much about the earth that they give back 25% of their net profits to faith-based organizations and clean water initiatives. If you're a coffee lover and want to support a great company doing great work head to https://www.wired2fishcoffee.com/ use code: WECARE for 15% off your first order. TAX Network USA Talk with a strategist at Tax Network USA... it's FREE. Stop the threatening letters. Stop looking over your shoulder and put your IRS troubles behind you, once and for all. Whether you owe $10,000 or $10 million, Tax Network USA can help you! Reach out to them today at 1-800-245-6000 or visit https://tnusa.com/SEANSPICER ------------------------------------------------------------- 1️⃣ Subscribe and ring the bell for new videos: https://youtube.com/seanmspicer?sub_confirmation=1 2️⃣ Become a part of The Sean Spicer Show community: https://www.seanspicer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yascha Mounk and Larry Summers also discuss the administration's tariffs. Lawrence H. Summers is the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard University. He served as the 71st Secretary of the Treasury for President Clinton and the Director of the National Economic Council for President Obama. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Larry Summers discuss why tariffs are so concerning, how Harvard should react to the Trump administration cutting its funding, and whether the Democratic Party can become a credible opposition. Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google X: @Yascha_Mounk & @JoinPersuasion YouTube: Yascha Mounk, Persuasion LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Timothy Massad is currently a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown Law School and a consultant on financial regulatory and fintech issues. Massad served as Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission from 2014-2017. Under his leadership, the agency implemented the Dodd Frank reforms of the over-the-counter swaps market and harmonized many aspects of cross-border regulation, including reaching a landmark agreement with the European Union on clearinghouse oversight. The agency also declared virtual currencies to be commodities, introduced reforms to address automated trading and strengthened cybersecurity protections. Previously, Mr. Massad served as the Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In that capacity, he oversaw the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the principal U.S. governmental response to the 2008 financial crisis. Massad was a partner in the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, LLP. His practice included corporate finance, derivatives and advising boards of directors. Massad was also one of a small group of lawyers who drafted the original ISDA standard agreements for swaps.Howell Jackson is the James S. Reid, Jr., Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. His research interests include financial regulation, consumer financial protection, securities regulation, and federal budget policy. He has served as a consultant to the United States Treasury Department, the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. He frequently consults with government agencies and congressional committees on issues related to financial regulation. From 2023 to 2024, he was a Senior Adviser to the National Economic Council. Since 2005, Professor Jackson has been a trustee of College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF). He has also served as a director of Commonwealth, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening financial opportunities for low and moderate-income consumers. At Harvard University, Professor Jackson has served as Senior Adviser to the President and Acting Dean of Harvard Law School. Before joining the Harvard Law School faculty in 1989, Professor Jackson was a law clerk for Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall and practiced law in Washington, D.C. Professor Jackson received his J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Harvard University in 1982 and a B.A. from Brown University in 1976.Ralph Ranalli of the HKS Office of Communications and Public Affairs is the host, producer, and editor of HKS PolicyCast. A former journalist, public television producer, and entrepreneur, he holds an BA in political science from UCLA and a master's in journalism from Columbia University.Scheduling and logistical support for PolicyCast is provided by Lilian Wainaina.Design and graphics support is provided by Laura King. Web design and social media promotion support is provided by Catherine Santrock and Natalie Montaner. Editorial support is provided by Nora Delaney and Robert O'Neill .
Kevin Hassett is the Director of the National Economic Council, on today's show he walks us through everything that happened this week with respect to tariffs and the U.S. economy. As country after country lined-up to make a deal with President Trump, the president put a pause on all tariffs except China. President Trump has now raised the tariffs to 145% in relation to China. Essentially isolating China with the most extreme tariffs set the stage for other countries to decide how they wanted to respond. Hassett says 15 countries or more will come away with a good deal in the coming days and weeks. The turmoil in the bond market settled as the president called for the pause and new treasury bonds were very successfully auctioned off. Hassett walks us down Main St. for American consumers and small business owner as to what they can expect to pay for goods. With 2 outstanding jobs reports and a reduction in inflation, the only question yet to be answered is will China come to the table? After that our all-star panel gives their take on all the movement this week within the Trump administration. We have heard from a few different cabinet members this week, whose messaging is landing the most with Americans? Is President Trump isolating China a perfect execution of the Art of the Deal? Our panel weighs in... Featuring: Kevin Hassett Director of the National Economic Council Panel: Larry O'Connor Host | O'Connor & Co. https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ Jenn Pellegrino Senior Director of Media Affairs & Chief Spokesperson | AFPI https://americafirstpolicy.com/ Rob Bluey President & Executive Editor | The Daily Signal https://www.dailysignal.com/ Today's show is brought to you by these great sponsors: Ramp Want $250?? Is your finance team bogged down with tedious work like tracking down receipts or dealing with invoices? Guess what... Ramp handles everything—receipt matching, categorization, approvals, the works. Ramp has easy-to-use cards, spend limits, approval flows, vendor payments, and more. Ramp makes all your spending smarter with seamless integration! Join Ramp now and get $250 upon sign-up. Just go to https://ramp.com/SPICER TAX Network USA Talk with a strategist at Tax Network USA... it's FREE. Stop the threatening letters. Stop looking over your shoulder and put your IRS troubles behind you, once and for all. Whether you owe $10,000 or $10 million, Tax Network USA can help you! Reach out to them today at 1-800-245-6000 or visit https://tnusa.com/SEANSPICER ------------------------------------------------------------- 1️⃣ Subscribe and ring the bell for new videos: https://youtube.com/seanmspicer?sub_confirmation=1 2️⃣ Become a part of The Sean Spicer Show community: https://www.seanspicer.com/ 3️⃣ Listen to the full audio show on all platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sean-spicer-show/id1701280578 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/32od2cKHBAjhMBd9XntcUd iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-sean-spicer-show-120471641/ 4️⃣ Stay in touch with Sean on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanmspicer Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicer Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanmspicer/ 5️⃣ Follow The Sean Spicer Show on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanspicershow Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicershow Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanspicershow #politics #news #theseanspicershow #seanspicer #conservativemedia #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Before Kevin Hassett was named director of President Trump's National Economic Council, he sat down with Margaret Hoover last September to discuss Trump's economic record and his second-term agenda.In this new cut of that interview, Hassett assesses the impact of tariffs in Trump's first term and defends his threats to impose new ones, including reciprocal tariffs on goods from countries that tax U.S. imports.Hassett, who previously served as chairman of Trump's White House Council of Economic Advisors, pushes back against Kamala Harris' criticisms of Trump's policies and predicts federal spending cuts if he is elected.He also comments on the importance of an independent Federal Reserve and responds to fellow Republicans who called Trump a threat to democracy after January 6th.Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Peter and Mark Kalikow, Cliff and Laurel Asness, The Meadowlark Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Philip I Kent Foundation, Annie Lamont through The Lamont Family Fund, and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.
This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan", President Trump's national security team takes his MAGA movement to Europe. We talk to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his first Sunday show interview since taking office. Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, joins the show to discuss the economy and inflation. And House Intelligence Committee Republican Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) discusses the annual Munich Security Conference that just finished, particularly around a peace deal for the war in Ukraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Wayne Ting is CEO of Lime. The global leader in micromobility, the first to achieve a fully profitable year (2022). Last year, Lime did over $600M in gross bookings, $90M in EBITDA. Their 4-year top-line CAGR is 30%. Before joining Lime, Wayne spent four years at Uber in various roles, including Chief of Staff to CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, and General Manager of Uber's Northern California business. Wayne previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor on the White House's National Economic Council under President Obama. In Today's Episode with Wayne Ting We Discuss: Is Lime Really a Good Business: How did Wayne turn Lime from losing $3 on every $1 to $90M in EBITDA? What worked? What did not work? What did Lime do that he wishes they had not done? What did they not do that he wishes they had done? The Moments that Changed Everything: COVID: Lime lost 95% of their revenues overnight. What did Wayne and Lime do to save the business in such a short space of time? Uber Deal: How did the Uber deal led by Uber CEO, Dara, save Lime as a business? Battery Innovation: How did an innovation on the transportability of batteries and replacing them change the entire Lime business? The Dangers of VC Funding and Capital Efficiency: Why does Wayne believe that VC hype cycles are so damaging for companies and sectors? How did the heat around micromobility damage Lime? What did Wayne and Lime do to increase their capital efficiency so much? What worked? What did not? AMA with the CEO of Lime: What company did Lime not acquire that Wayne wishes they had? How did having a stroke change the way that Wayne leads? Which competitor does Wayne most respect and admire? What were his biggest lessons from working with Dara @ Uber?
We revisit an episode from 2016 that asks: Has our culture's obsession with innovation led us to neglect the fact that things also need to be taken care of? SOURCES:Martin Casado, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.Ruth Schwartz Cowan, professor emerita of history and sociology of science at University of Pennsylvania.Edward Glaeser, professor of economics at Harvard University.Chris Lacinak, founder and president of AVPreserve.Andrew Russell, provost of SUNY Polytechnic Institute.Lawrence Summers, professor and president emeritus of Harvard University; former Secretary of the Treasury and former director of the National Economic Council.Lee Vinsel, professor of science, technology, and society at Virginia Tech. RESOURCES:“Hail the Maintainers," by Andrew Russell and Lee Vinsel (Aeon, 2016).“A Lesson on Infrastructure From the Anderson Bridge Fiasco,” by Lawrence Summers and Rachel Lipson (The Boston Globe, 2016).Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier, by Edward Glaeser (2008).More Work for Mother: The Ironies of Household Technology from the Open Hearth to the Microwave, by Ruth Schwartz Cowan (1983). EXTRAS:"Freakonomics Radio Takes to the Skies," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Edward Glaeser Explains Why Some Cities Thrive While Others Fade Away," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Why Larry Summers Is the Economist Everyone Hates to Love," by Freakonomics Radio (2017).