Podcasts about senior economist

Stijn Schmitz welcomes back Steve Hanke back to the show. Steve Hanke is a Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University. Hanke highlights the two major wars—the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and the Ukraine war—as critical disruptors of global commodity flows. He notes that the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, with Iran controlling it, and the Houthis threaten the Red Sea chokepoint, severely constricting crude and refined product supplies. Russia's cutoff of diesel exports and domestic fuel shortages compound the strain. Oil markets are in backwardation, with spot prices above futures, signaling dangerously low inventories that have cushioned prices so far but are nearing depletion. Hanke warns that once physical inventories run out, oil prices could spike dramatically, potentially later this summer. He advises going long on oil, especially major producers, as a straightforward trade for most investors. On gold, Hanke maintains a bullish outlook, projecting a peak around $6,000 per ounce based on historical ratios to real disposable income. He attributes recent pullbacks to dollar strength and rising interest rates but sees central bank buying as a fundamental driver. He also discusses the pressure on the Fed to monetize debt, which could fuel inflation and support gold. The conversation shifts to the broader commodity supercycle, fueled by deglobalization, underinvestment, and the need for larger precautionary inventories. Copper and tungsten are identified as clear bullish plays due to supply deficits. Hanke notes that high diesel prices are squeezing mining and agriculture, potentially raising output prices. He also touches on dollarization, recommending developing countries adopt the U.S. dollar to expand its use rather than de-dollarize. The interview concludes with Hanke emphasizing the importance of money supply growth as the key determinant of nominal GDP and inflation. Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:01:05 – Key Developments on Radar 00:04:58 – Oil Predictions vs Reality 00:10:53 – Inventory and Flow Analysis 00:14:40 – Crack Spreads and Refining 00:16:27 – Demand Destruction Dynamics 00:20:51 – Anticipated Oil Price Spike 00:22:32 – Long Oil Opportunity 00:27:37 – Gold Bull Market Outlook 00:29:38 – Central Bank Buying Drivers 00:45:54 – Concluding Thoughts Guest Links: X: https://x.com/steve_hanke Website: https://thegoldsentimentreport.com Amazon Book: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Money-Work-Rewrite-Financial/dp/1394257260 Amazon Book: https://www.amazon.com/Capital-Interest-Waiting-Controversies-Additions/dp/3031633970 E-Mail: mailto:hanke@jhu.edu Steve H. Hanke is a Professor of Applied Economics and Founder & Co-Director of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Troubled Currencies Project at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., a Senior Advisor at the Renmin University of China's International Monetary Research Institute in Beijing, a Special Counselor to the Center for Financial Stability in New York, a contributing editor at Central Banking in London, and a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal's Opinion pages. Prof. Hanke is also a member of the Charter Council of the Society of Economic Measurement and of Euromoney Country Risk's Experts Panel. In the past, Prof. Hanke taught economics at the Colorado School of Mines and at the University of California, Berkeley. He served as a Member of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors in Maryland in 1976-77, as a Senior Economist on President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisors in 1981-82, and as a Senior Advisor to the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress in 1984-88. Prof. Hanke served as a State Counselor to both the Republic of Lithuania in 1994-96 and the Republic of Montenegro in 1999-2003. He was also an Advisor to the Presidents of Bulgaria in 1997- 2002, Venezuela in 1995-96, and Indonesia in 1998. He played an important role in establishing new currency regimes in Argentina, Estonia, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ecuador, Lithuania, and Montenegro. Prof. Hanke has also held senior appointments in the governments of many other countries, including Albania, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yugoslavia. Prof. Hanke has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Universität Liechtenstein, the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, the Free University of Tbilisi, Istanbul Kültür University, Varna Free University, and the D.A. Tsenov Academy of Economics in recognition of his scholarship on exchange-rate regimes. Prof. Hanke and his wife, Liliane, reside in Baltimore and Paris.

The Consumers Price Index (CPI) has increased 4.1% in the 12 months to the June 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. As expected, the increase can be partially contributed to the US-Iran war as the largest upwards contributor to the annual inflation rate was petrol, up 27.5%. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is labelling annual inflation hitting its highest level in more than two years a “Trump spike”. Former Reserve Bank senior economist Michael Reddell told Andrew Dickens that economists don't tend to look at the headline numbers but they will be digging through the numbers to find trends. "It's a bit like the famous line about democracy, you know, it's not a perfect system, it's just better than any of the alternatives that have been tried, and inflation targeting is a bit like that as well. It's definitely not perfect." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Consumers Price Index (CPI) has increased 4.1% in the 12 months to the June 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. As expected, the increase can be partially contributed to the US-Iran war as the largest upwards contributor to the annual inflation rate was petrol, up 27.5%. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is labelling annual inflation hitting its highest level in more than two years a “Trump spike”. Former Reserve Bank senior economist Michael Reddell told Andrew Dickens that economists don't tend to look at the headline numbers but they will be digging through the numbers to find trends. "It's a bit like the famous line about democracy, you know, it's not a perfect system, it's just better than any of the alternatives that have been tried, and inflation targeting is a bit like that as well. It's definitely not perfect." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vertical merger review has long rested on the principle that competitive harm is most likely when a merged firm has both the ability and incentive to foreclose rivals, yet courts and enforcers often struggle to establish that harm empirically. But can potentially anticompetitive vertical integrations be screened in advance using observable market characteristics? Charles Hodgson, Assistant Professor of Economics at Yale University and Faculty Research Fellow at the NBER, and Shilong Sun, Senior Economist at Compass Lexecon, join Anora Wang and Panos Dimitrellos to discuss how evidence from the Chinese film industry sheds light on when vertical foreclosure is likely to emerge, why downstream concentration and upstream product substitutability matter, and how these findings may inform modern merger review across industries ranging from movie theaters to digital platforms. Listen to this episode to learn more about how a practical screening framework for vertical mergers could help identify when foreclosure concerns are most likely to arise and provide enforcers and practitioners with a more evidence-based approach to assessing competitive harm. With special guests: Charles Hodgson, Professor, Yale and Shilong Sun, Dr., Compass Lexecon Related Links: Charles Hodgson bio Shilong Sun bio  Heterogeneity in Vertical Foreclosure: Evidence from the Chinese Film Industry  Hosted by: Panos Dimitrellos, Secretariat Economists and Anora Wang, Arnold & Porter

The AI race is no longer just about who builds the smartest models. It may increasingly be about who gets the world to use them. China is pushing to expand the global reach of its AI models, but what is it really trying to achieve? Lynlee Foo speaks with Gary Ng, Hong Kong-based Senior Economist for Asia Pacific at global financial group Natixis, about why AI has become an economic and geopolitical strategy, how China's approach differs from that of the US, and what it could mean for Singapore and businesses navigating two emerging AI ecosystems.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonjour à toutes et à tous et bienvenue dans votre Trends Talk. L'été sera chaud ! L'Arizona s'apprête à affronter un nouvel effort de 10 milliards d'euros. Comment peut-elle y parvenir, alors que les conditions de la croissance semble se détériorer et qu'il y a un regain de tension au Moyen-Orient. Pour tenter d'y voir plus clair, j'ai le plaisir de recevoir Philippe Ledent, Senior Economist chez ING. Les journalistes vous proposent différents podcasts sur les thèmes qui dominent notre monde et notre société. Sous différents angles et avec un accent clair sur l'économie et les entreprises, sur les affaires, les finances personnelles et les investissements. De manière indépendante, pertinente, toujours constructive et tournée vers l'avenir. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, @Alan Sherlock, External Affairs Manager, sits down with @Gerard Brady, Head of National Policy and Chief Economist and @Hazel Ahern-Flynn, Senior Economist to discuss the key findings from our latest Economic Outlook report [link]. We are currently navigating a period of intense global volatility. From the dramatic "whiplash" trade effects driven by anticipated US tariffs to the staggering rise of AI-enabling goods, our economic landscape is shifting rapidly. Meanwhile, Irish businesses are feeling the pinch of a cooling domestic labour market and rising operational costs. Alan, Ger and Hazel also use this moment to reiterate our call for the deployment of the National Training Fund. Unlocking this fund is essential to support the workforce transition, prepare our people for the future of work, and firmly establish Ireland as a frontrunner in the emerging global economy. Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here.  Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Wednesday's show, we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy about both Federal and state marijuana and drug laws. We visit with American Commitment President Phil Kerpen about Biden administration blunders that make drug price controls even worse. We visit with Landmark Legal Foundation Vice President Michael O'Neill about the life and passing of Lindsey Graham. We also visit with Professor and Author Larry Bell about his musings about what aliens might be learning about us from our music. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh, Michael Cannon from Cato Institute, Senior Economist from the Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Young, and columnist Patrick Carroll. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

U.S. consumers showed remarkable resilience in June, with spending growth reaching its strongest pace in four years. But what's driving the surge, and can it last? In this episode of Global Research Unlocked, T.J. Thornton speaks with David Tinsley, Senior Economist at the Bank of America Institute, about the latest Consumer Checkpoint data. They unpack the factors behind June's spending acceleration, including the impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a rebound in discretionary purchases, and improving momentum among lower-income households. The conversation explores a notable shift in the consumer landscape: the long-running K-shaped spending trend appears to be narrowing. David discusses why wage growth is accelerating for lower-income consumers, how increased job switching and a stronger labor market may be supporting household finances, and whether these improvements are likely to persist into the second half of the year. They also examine spending patterns across World Cup host cities, the return of strength in retail categories, and the risks facing consumers as temporary tailwinds fade and spending continues to outpace wage growth.   "Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

New data shows that business confidence has picked up for in the June quarter, but Middle East tensions and higher fuel prices remain a concern. The latest NZIER survey shows a net 12 percent of business owners are feeling positive - up from just 1 percent in March. Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon says things are changing day-to-day, and it's unclear where things will end up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data shows that business confidence has picked up for in the June quarter, but Middle East tensions and higher fuel prices remain a concern. The latest NZIER survey shows a net 12 percent of business owners are feeling positive - up from just 1 percent in March. Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon says things are changing day-to-day, and it's unclear where things will end up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business confidence has recovered from the shock of the Middle East conflict, but Australia's economy is still losing momentum.Sean Aylmer speaks with Taylor Nugent, Senior Economist at National Australia Bank, about the latest NAB Business Survey and why it's one of the Reserve Bank's favourite economic indicators. Nugent explains why business confidence has rebounded, what capacity utilisation says about inflation pressures, and why conditions on the ground remain weaker than average.Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Economist at realestate.com.au, Anne Flaherty, joins 3AW's Tom Elliott to discuss the downturn in the Melbourne housing market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Robert Kavcic, a Senior Economist from the BMO Economics team, joins me to share his perspective on the state of the Canadian housing market. We go through the various fundamental drivers and discuss whether the market is bottoming after a challenging few years. In addition, we preview next week's Bank of Canada policy announcement. As always, all feedback is welcome.

The Reserve Bank says more OCR hikes are "likely", but it doesn't know how many more will be needed, or when they're likely to happen. The central bank's raised the cash rate to 2.5% – the first hike in more than three years. It wants to get the OCR back to a "neutral" level that doesn't contribute to inflation. ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge they believe the bank will steadily lift interest rates over the rest of the year – bringing the cash rate back to 3.25% by the end of the year. He says there is a chance they'll pause along the way, but having done one, they think it's very likely they'll follow through in September. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Wednesday's show, we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy about both Federal and state marijuana and drug laws. We visit with Collier County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Crystal Kinzel about important agenda items coming up on the Commissioners' meeting. We visit with Landmark Legal Foundation Vice President Michael O'Neill about Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, and we discuss the “shadow” docket of the Supreme Court. We also visit with Professor and Author Larry Bell about world cup visitors celebrating what many Americans seem to take for granted. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh, Michael Cannon from Cato Institute, and Senior Economist from the Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Young. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

For the first time in three years the Reserve Bank has lifted the official cash rate, economists are divided on whether that's the right call, although there's agreement more increases are coming before the end of the year. Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On Episode 921 of The Core Report, financial journalist Govindraj Ethiraj talks to Ajay Bagga, Veteran Market Analyst as well as Radhika Rao, Senior Economist and Executive Director at DBS Bank.SHOW NOTES(00:00) Stories of the Day(00:50) Foreign Portfolio Investors Are Returning To Indian Markets, One Trade At A Time(04:19) Nato Meet Kicks Off In Turkey (04:55) India To Supply Missiles To Indonesia And Partner For A Port(05:48) The Trend Shifts Within Indian Markets As Financial Stocks Lead The Pack(20:26) How Low Oil Prices And Other Positive Macro Signals Could Help The EconomyFor more of our coverage check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thecore.in⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

There's division over whether the Official Cash Rate will be hiked or hold steady at 2.25%. ANZ and BNZ are both picking it will be raised by 25 points. NZIER is expecting the Reserve Bank's board to be split and for Governor Anna Breman to make the captain's call on it. NZIER Senior Economist Ting Huang told Ryan Bridge her own group had mixed views but one prevailed. She says the majority of members thought holding it at 2.25% was the best option. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh off America's historic 250th anniversary celebrations, the battle for the political future of New York and America's global alliances is heating up. Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) joins the Rundown to discuss the shifting landscape as progressive Democratic Socialist (DSA) candidates continue to win primaries and gain ground, while firing back at fellow politician New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani's holiday speech. Plus, the Congresswoman details the urgent bipartisan opposition to selling advanced U.S. military jet engines and F-35s to Turkey ahead of the critical NATO summit in Ankara. With home prices continuing to climb, more young adults are choosing to stay with their parents longer—even if they're employed full-time. New research suggests it's less about a "failure to launch" and more about the realities of today's housing market. Hannah Jones, Senior Economist at Realtor.com, joins the Rundown to explain what's driving the trend and what it could mean for the future of homeownership. PLUS, commentary by David Marcus, columnist for FOX News Digital.  PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh off America's historic 250th anniversary celebrations, the battle for the political future of New York and America's global alliances is heating up. Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) joins the Rundown to discuss the shifting landscape as progressive Democratic Socialist (DSA) candidates continue to win primaries and gain ground, while firing back at fellow politician New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani's holiday speech. Plus, the Congresswoman details the urgent bipartisan opposition to selling advanced U.S. military jet engines and F-35s to Turkey ahead of the critical NATO summit in Ankara. With home prices continuing to climb, more young adults are choosing to stay with their parents longer—even if they're employed full-time. New research suggests it's less about a "failure to launch" and more about the realities of today's housing market. Hannah Jones, Senior Economist at Realtor.com, joins the Rundown to explain what's driving the trend and what it could mean for the future of homeownership. PLUS, commentary by David Marcus, columnist for FOX News Digital.  PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh off America's historic 250th anniversary celebrations, the battle for the political future of New York and America's global alliances is heating up. Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) joins the Rundown to discuss the shifting landscape as progressive Democratic Socialist (DSA) candidates continue to win primaries and gain ground, while firing back at fellow politician New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani's holiday speech. Plus, the Congresswoman details the urgent bipartisan opposition to selling advanced U.S. military jet engines and F-35s to Turkey ahead of the critical NATO summit in Ankara. With home prices continuing to climb, more young adults are choosing to stay with their parents longer—even if they're employed full-time. New research suggests it's less about a "failure to launch" and more about the realities of today's housing market. Hannah Jones, Senior Economist at Realtor.com, joins the Rundown to explain what's driving the trend and what it could mean for the future of homeownership. PLUS, commentary by David Marcus, columnist for FOX News Digital.  PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Wednesday's show, we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy about the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. We visit with The Arlington of Naples Director of Business Development Barbara Ann Heegan about their Senior Health and Wellness Expo on July 15. We visit with Landmark Legal Foundation Vice President Michael O'Neill about the nuances of the Supreme Court's Birthright Citizenship decision. We also visit with Professor and Author Larry Bell about the contribution from artificial intelligence in preparing for travel and occupation on Mars. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh, Michael Cannon from Cato Institute, Senior Economist from the Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Young, and Kent Strang from American for Prosperity. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

How are US consumers feeling as summer begins — and what should business leaders know about the growing economic impact of extreme heat? In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Dana M. Peterson, Chief Economist and Leader of the Economy, Strategy & Finance Center at The Conference Board, is joined by Alex Heil, Senior Economist. They begin by examining the latest US Consumer Confidence Survey, discussing why confidence improved modestly in June, how consumers are thinking about inflation, interest rates, employment, and recession risks, and what those expectations could mean for spending in the months ahead. In the second half of the conversation, the focus shifts to one of the defining business challenges of our time: extreme heat. Alex explains how rising temperatures are affecting workers, productivity, energy systems, supply chains, and business operations around the world, while highlighting practical considerations for executives looking to build resilience.   For more from The Conference Board: US Consumer Confidence Forecast for the US Economy Global Economic Outlook

Ralph speaks to economist Dean Baker about the hypocrisies behind the supposed Social Security shortfall and Republicans' "waste, fraud, and abuse" panic. Then, Ralph talks to journalist and ocean activist David Helvarg about his new book: Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp.Dean Baker is a Senior Economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, where he authors “Beat the Press,” his regular commentary on economic reporting. He has written several books, including Getting Back to Full Employment: A Better Bargain for Working People, The End of Loser Liberalism: Making Markets Progressive, False Profits: Recovering from the Bubble Economy, and The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer.People will hear big numbers. They'll hear “$300 billion” and they'll go “Oh my God, that's a lot of money. That's money out of my pocket. It's causing the government deficit,” whatever. That's because they haven't given it any context…If we could, in any conceivable world, afford to pay $500 billion to increase the military budget, surely we can afford to pay $300 billion to ensure that everyone gets their Social Security benefits. It's just a case of: put it in context. I'm not going to say it's a small number. It isn't. But it's smaller— $300 billion is smaller than $500 billion, and that's really not a disputable point.Dean BakerWhere [DOGE] had the biggest consequences is with foreign aid. [Musk] just got a big kick out of that— USAID, he just shut it down. He boasted about that. He goes, “Last weekend I fed USAID into the wood chipper.” That's almost verbatim what he said. Now, what this meant was that you have people— and you could find waste in that program just like any other program, but this is a program that provided millions of people with medicine, with nutrition, with healthcare. And suddenly they couldn't get it…And Elon Musk was boasting that he killed that program. That's great. But millions of people, I mean, thankfully, I don't think it's millions yet, but if that program doesn't get restarted or funded somewhere else, you're going to see millions of people lose their lives.Dean BakerSo we're saying we have people on Medicaid that are committing fraud? No one gets a check from Medicaid. What would that even mean? Like, you signed up for Medicaid and you weren't eligible, so that would mean that they might be making a payment to a doctor or hospital that they don't actually have to make because you didn't qualify? I'm sure that happens sometimes but it's not like someone's living high on the hog because they were able to get Medicaid to pay for their doctor's visit when it actually shouldn't have.Dean BakerDavid Helvarg is a journalist and ocean activist. He is the founder and executive director of Blue Frontier, an ocean policy and media group, and producer of Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast. He has produced more than 40 documentaries for media outlets, including PBS and the Discovery Channel. And he has written several books, including Blue Frontier, The War Against the Greens, and Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp.I've been pushing with my colleagues in journalism the idea of the “blue beat.” The only resource in the ocean not fully exploited at this point is good investigative reporting and narrative storytelling. Because people don't connect with it, a lot of people think the environment ends at the shoreline. And that's really where 95% of the living space on the planet begins.David HelvargPeople at least know that corals are in trouble and they have some sense of what a coral reef is. People don't know that the planet has this other forest crisis—that kelp forests cover an area larger than the Amazon basin, and they're also being impacted by these marine heat waves that are growing every year. And as you add more heat to the system, it gets more energetic, which is why we have more and more extreme storms. I covered Katrina in 2005. I thought that would be a turning point (we had 1,800 people killed and a million environmental refugees). But the propaganda by the oil and gas industry is such that we keep having these disasters from a warming ocean planet, we see the melting of the Arctic ice, and instead of an alarm bell, it became a dinner bell for all the shipping industries and people who want to exploit the oil and gas in the increasingly open Arctic waters. So we're in this crisis point. I'm more frustrated than despairing because we know what the solutions are. It's creating the political will to enact them.David HelvargWhen I started Blue Frontier 20 years ago, the main threats were overfishing and pollution—oil, chemical, plastic, nutrient pollution. Today, that's being overwhelmed by these marine heat waves.David HelvargNews 6/26/26* Our top story this week comes to us from New York City, where democratic socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani has pulled off a stunning hat trick, with all three candidates for Congress endorsed by the Mayor winning their primaries on Tuesday. The most surprising victory is that of Darializa Avila Chevalier, who ousted the powerful incumbent Congressman Adriano Espaillat, head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in New York's 13th congressional district. This primary had turned ugly, with Espaillat's campaign seeking to weaponize anti-Haitian racism in the Dominican community against Avila Chevalier, per the Haitian Times, despite the fact that she is not in fact Haitian. Impressive in another way is the victory of UAW organizer and New York State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez in New York's 7th district. Much has been made of this race being a proxy battle between Mamdani and his onetime supporter, retiring Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, who backed her protégé, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to succeed her in this seat. Reynoso enjoyed the support of a broad range of New York elected officials – including Velazquez along with New York Attorney General Letitia James, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and a broad range of unions and civil society groups, most notably the Working Families Party – but was absolutely trounced by Valdez, who won by over 20 points with the support of Mamdani and NYC-DSA. Meanwhile, in the 10th district, Brad Lander won by an even greater margin, outrunning incumbent Congressman Dan Goldman by over 30 points while running on a pro-Palestine platform in the most Jewish congressional district in America. These victories send a clear signal to the sclerotic, ossified leadership of the Democratic Party. The only question now is will they listen.* Beyond the congressional races, DSA won a remarkable number of races at the state level. According to Democratic Left, DSA will send as many as seven new legislators to Albany this cycle, for a total of “four state senators and 11 or 12 members of the state assembly.” As the magazine notes, this means that the “2027-2028 socialist bloc in Albany will be the second largest in a state legislature in U.S. history…behind 20 members in Wisconsin in 1919 and ahead of 14 members in Wisconsin in 1911.” Within New York City, DSA endorsed candidates won seven out of eight races for seats in the state legislature, per NYC-DSA. All told, it was a thunderous victory for the left in New York and raises the clout of Zohran and his compatriots to dizzying heights.* Meanwhile, in Washington DC, NOTUS reports the local DSA has exploded in membership, adding nearly 1,000 new members since this time last year. This growing bloc flexed its political muscle in the recent Democratic primaries, electing DSA members Janeese Lewis George for Mayor and Aparna Raj for the Ward 1 seat on the DC Council, as well as Oye Owolewa for an at-large seat. Axios notes that they are already eying, “two more openings — to fill Lewis George's Ward 4 seat and the at-large seat of Congress-bound Robert White.” If these votes go in DSA's favor, Lewis George could assume the mayoralty with a progressive majority of seven out of 13 members on the Council. Since her victory last Tuesday, Lewis George has emphasized her plan to lower utility costs through “expanding government solar,” and “balcony solar” for apartment tenants, optimizing efficiency at local government agencies and maximizing federal housing grants.* In Maryland, the results for DSA and progressives more generally were not quite so decisive but the left notched key victories nonetheless. DSA endorsed candidate McKayla Wilkes won her primary for the Charles County Commission and incumbent State Delegate Gabriel Acevero won reelection to his seat. Senators Dalya Attar and Nancy King, both centrist incumbents, lost to progressive challengers, per Maryland Matters. Will Jawando in Montgomery County won the County Executive position with broad support from the Maryland political establishment and progressives, while Maryland Senate Majority Leader Bill Ferguson fended off his first real challenge in years only after a last minute pledge to reverse his position on Maryland congressional redistricting. However, in the 5th congressional district, Steny Hoyer protégé and “AIPAC-backed” Adrian Boafo won the primary to succeed his mentor in Congress. According to the Jerusalem Post, “AIPAC poured $5.7 million into his campaign through its super PAC.” Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn came in a distant third place, despite scoring the endorsement of Nancy Pelosi. In short, the left has more work to do in order to build a political machine in Maryland as they have in New York and DC.* The next major contest between the factions of the party will occur next week in Colorado, where Melat Kiros, a DSA-backed progressive challenger born in 1997, is taking on Congresswoman Diana DeGette, who first took office that same year, per Zeteo. According to a poll conducted on behalf of the Kiros-aligned Justice Democrats, she leads DeGette by five points and she has now won the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders. Senator and former Governor John Hickenlooper is also facing a progressive primary challenge from State Senator Julie Gonzales and, according to the polls, he holds but a single digit lead, the Coloradan reports. We will be watching both of these races closely.* Meanwhile in Congress, the Senate has passed a new resolution on Iran, this time directing Trump to “remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by Congress, other than to defend America, an ally or partner from ‘imminent attack,'” according to the Wall Street Journal. The Journal notes that while the resolution is nonbinding, it was previously passed by the House, marking “the first time both chambers of Congress have passed the same measure to curb” presidential power to wage war on the Islamic Republic. The resolution passed 50-48, with the support of Republican Senators Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul. Senators Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick were absent, and Senator John Fetterman again broke ranks with the Democrats to vote no.* Turning from the Senate floor to the shop floor, the United Auto Workers (UAW) concluded their 39th Constitutional Convention last week, with a momentous vote to divest the union's investments from Israel bonds. UAW's divestment decision is the latest victory in the campaign to disentangle the finances of American organized labor from the state of Israel, following the United Electrical Workers (UE) in 2015 and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in 2023. UAW members also heard from Abdul El-Sayed, the candidate the union has endorsed in the Michigan Senate race. This contentious campaign will not be over until August, but El-Sayed, occupying the progressive lane, has moved into the lead and appears to be consolidating his lead, winning the endorsement of Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen just this week, per the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Van Hollen himself has recently begun hinting that he may seek higher office, recently telling NOTUS that he is “kicking the tires” on a 2028 presidential bid.* Turning to foreign affairs, this week saw the fall of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer, a centrist who was elected Labour Party leader in 2020 following the ouster of leftist Jeremy Corbyn, has held the post of Prime Minister since 2024 when Labour won an historic landslide. Since then however, his personal approval rating and that of the party has cratered, creating space for the rise of the far-right Reform UK party. The BBC reports Starmer will remain in his post until a new leader is chosen from within the party, with the presumptive successor being MP Andy Burnham who recently beat back a challenge in his own seat by a Reform candidate by a large margin. Starmer is now set to be the shortest serving Labour PM in British history, while Burnham is set to become the UK's seventh Prime Minister in the last ten years, both indications of the precariousness of the post-Brexit British political order.* Our final two stories come to us from Latin America. First, in Bolivia, the country's union confederation has maintained a general strike against the right-wing government of Rodrigo Paz for nearly two months over his administration's initiatives to privatize government services and rescind the land reform program instituted over the last several decades of rule by the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS). On June 19th, journalist Ollie Vargas reported that the government had blinked and signed an agreement to withdraw these plans in exchange for the unions ending the general strike. However, Vargas notes that “most affiliated unions state that they want to maintain strike until [the Paz government] resigns.”* Finally, in Colombia, the right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella emerged victorious from Sunday's runoff presidential election, defeating leftist Ivan Cepeda, the handpicked successor of sitting President Gustavo Petro, by less than one percentage point. In the immediate wake of the election, President Petro “alleged that Israel interfered” in the election, citing “irregularities in the country's vote counting process and calling for a full audit and recount,” per Drop Site News. However, by Wednesday, Cepeda himself formally conceded, framing his decision to do so as “an act of democratic responsibility, to contribute to harmony, peace and dialogue among Colombians,” Al Jazeera reports. As one of his first acts, Abelardo de la Espriella has committed to reestablishing diplomatic relations with Israel, which had been severed under President Petro.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor and Senior Economist at WisdomTree, discusses Alan Greenspan's lasting impact on monetary policy, reflects on the lessons of the 2008 financial crisis, analyzes Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's early leadership, and explains why more forward-looking economic data could shape future interest rate decisions while also revisiting the long-term economic effects of Brexit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor and Senior Economist at WisdomTree, discusses Alan Greenspan's lasting impact on monetary policy, reflects on the lessons of the 2008 financial crisis, analyzes Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's early leadership, and explains why more forward-looking economic data could shape future interest rate decisions while also revisiting the long-term economic effects of Brexit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Hardman, Senior Currency Analyst, and Henry Cook, Senior Economist, discuss what has been driving FX markets recently including UK political risk and diverging monetary policy expectations between Europe and the US. Will the USD continue to strengthen?  

ASB has joined Westpac in predicting the Reserve Bank will keep the Official Cash Rate on hold next month. The outlook has been revised after they previously predicted a hike when it's next reviewed on July 8th. However, ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it'll be another close vote to stay at 2.25%. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Wednesday's show, we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy about parsing the wording and language of the Declaration of Independence. We visit with the President & CEO of the Bradley Foundation Rick Graber about the institutions in America that sustain Exceptionalism. We visit with Landmark Legal Foundation Vice President Michael O'Neill about the big cases to be announced by the Supreme Court, and we discuss the socialist candidates running for Congress in New York City. We also visit with Professor and Author Larry Bell about the contribution from artificial intelligence in preparing for travel and occupation on Mars. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh, Michael Cannon from Cato Institute, and Senior Economist from the Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Young. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

First-time homebuyers may get short windows of relief, but our co-head of Securitized Products Research James Egan and Senior Economist and Strategist in Morgan Stanley's Private Wealth Management Sarah Wolfe say the bigger story is a housing market resetting around a higher bar to entry.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----James Egan: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Jim Egan, Morgan Stanley's U.S. Housing Strategist and Co-Head of Securitized Products Strategy.Sarah Wolfe: And I'm Sarah Wolfe, Senior Economist and Strategist within Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.James Egan: And today, why first-time homebuyers are facing a tougher path to ownership.It's Tuesday, June 23rd at 10am in New York.Buying a first-time home has always been a big step, but for a growing number of first-time buyers today, the goal can really seem insurmountable.Mortgage rates might be down from where they were in the second half of 2023, but they're significantly higher than they were for the several years before that. Monthly payments have roughly doubled for a median-priced home. And my colleague Jay Bacow and I have talked several times on this podcast about how many homeowners feel like they're locked into those lower rates.And they're staying put because they just don't want to give up a two or three-handle mortgage rate for something that has a six in front of it. But Sarah, as we know, this is bigger than just first-time buyers. Now, they often start the housing transaction chain, and when they can't buy, current owners may not be able to sell and trade up.That slows turnover across the market, and it also reduces activity tied to housing – from mortgages and renovations to moving and furniture. And it can keep would-be buyers renting for longer, which adds pressure to rental demand.So, how do you see this situation? Is this just another affordability squeeze, or has the housing market reset to a higher barrier to entry?Sarah Wolfe: I do think that we're on the upper bound of affordability pressures. This is about as bad as it's going to get. But as we discussed in our recent publication of The Economy Explained, unfortunately, we do think that the housing market is resetting at a structurally higher barrier to entry. There's a lot of reasons for that.The first is higher interest rates. Yes, mortgage rates are sitting around 6.5 percent, and they should come down from here, but maybe not better than 5.5 percent, right, in an optimistic scenario. The second is demographic pressures. Remember, we have this tremendous aging population of baby boomers. All of their children are now entering their prime home-buying years, so there's a lot of demand for ownership.The third and fourth ones are land regulation and permitting, which is at the state and local level, really hard to change. And the last one is climate risk. It's just raising insurance pricing and making it much more difficult to buy a home.So overall, we see a world where, yes, mortgage rates come down a bit, improve affordability marginally, but we think neutral and other interest rates at the longer end of the curve are going to be higher than the post-financial crisis period. And what we're going to see is that those forces are going to widen the divide between who can own a home and who cannot. And who gains from that wealth accumulation and who does not.James Egan: Right. So now, you mentioned where mortgage rates are today, above that 6 percent rate. Rates did briefly – in February, we got below 6 percent before they bounced back up here. Why did that short-lived relief matter so much?Sarah Wolfe: I think that short-lived relief showed us that moves in the mortgage rate make a difference, but things are so unaffordable that it didn't make that much of a difference.So, the dip below 6 percent was very exciting. It happened this past February. It was the first time that mortgage rates fell below 6 percent since 2022, and we saw a few things happen. First, it lowered the monthly payment for first-time homebuyers from about two point two thousand dollars a month to one point nine thousand.So makes a bit of a difference. And it lowered the share of income that goes towards monthly mortgage payments from about 26 percent of income to 22 percent, from peak to trough. So, that is a notable improvement. But what we saw in the new home sales data and the existing home sales data, that it did not drive people back into the housing market.I want to turn it back to you though, Jim, because you've actually done a lot of interesting work on this. And how this change in mortgage rates has changed the monthly cost that people have to pay for a median-priced home. Can you tell us a little bit more?James Egan: Sure. So, we talk about the lock-in effect a lot, and it's kind of easy to point to: Well, there are a lot of people with mortgage rates that are around 3 percent or 3.5 percent, and the prevailing rate's at 6 percent, and that's a lot higher, so they're locked in.But when we look at the actual numbers in terms of what we're asking a homeowner to do – to list their home for sale and move to another home today, pay off that existing mortgage, take out a new one. When you take into account how much higher home prices are today…You bought a home in 2016, for instance, right? Let's assume you refinanced in 2020 or 2021 if you still live there, right? Most homeowners did. So, you've actually taken your monthly payment, and it is lower today than it was when you bought your home in 2016. If we assume that your income has risen alongside just median household income over that time period, your monthly payment as a share of your income today is probably sub 8 percent.If you bought over the past three years, your monthly payment is a share of your income. You mentioned some numbers earlier. It's low to mid 20 percent. From a dollar amount perspective, if you were to pay off that 2016 mortgage, as an example, and take out one today, your payment is probably [$]13[00] or $1400 higher. It's like a 200 percent increase. That's very difficult economically for a lot of households, and that's the kind of physical manifestation of that lock-in effect.Now, Sarah, given this significant change in housing math, what does that mean for who is actually able to buy in this market?Sarah Wolfe: It's making who's able to buy into the market a lot more selective. So, what we're seeing is that first-time home buyers today are actually not meaningfully older. They're still about 36 years old, but they are a much more selective group financially. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York put out a great analysis on this recently, and they basically found that the first-time home buyer profile today is taking out a mortgage that's nearly $350,000, compared to $240,000 in 2019 and $200,000, a decade ago. So, significant increase in mortgage balances.At the same time, credit standards have tightened significantly, so that average credit score to get a mortgage has risen quite a bit over the last 5 to 10 years. And what this is doing is it's shifting who can buy and also where they can buy. So, we're seeing higher-quality home buyers moving to lower-income zip codes. So, buying cheaper homes in lower-income metro areas, and so it's wealthier buyers in lower-income areas.And that's the really big shift that we're seeing. It's a demand resorting story. And what we're also seeing, and we hear this a lot when we talk to our financial advisors and their clients, is that family is increasingly helping their other family members put that down payment down; in particular, parents helping their children buy that first home.So, we're seeing that first-time buyers may be feeling this pressure, right, when it comes to rates. How much of this affordability issue, though, is being driven by the locked-in effect specifically?James Egan: So, look, it's clearly playing a role. We just talked about some of the math behind that. But then when you look at what that means on a nationwide basis when it comes to inventory, when it comes to so many other aspects of this, that homeowner who's unwilling to give up that lower mortgage rate, that lower payment, right, their homes are off the market.Existing inventories for sale, they've picked up from historic lows in 2023, but they're still very, very low on a long-run basis. The fewer homes there are for sale, the more upward pressure or the absence of downward pressure that's going to put on home prices, right?We saw affordability plummet in 2022 and 2023 when rates backed up. We saw existing home sales really, really come down as a result. But home prices remained at record highs. They continued to set new record highs. For home prices to actually come down, right, you need people who are willing to sell at lower home prices.Sarah, you just mentioned that lending standards themselves remain tight.Sarah Wolfe: Mm-hmm.James Egan: Those forced sales, those tend to be distressed transactions. We don't see that distress in the market providing the inventory and the motivated inventory to lead to softer home prices. So, it's really that lack of inventory which we think is in large part driven by the lock-in effect that's kept home prices. And as a result, that piece of the affordability equation kind of stuck at these higher levels.Sarah Wolfe: I mean, it's really this vicious cycle, the locked-in effect making it difficult for entry-level buyers to get into the market – and then fewer existing homeowners sell or trade up or relocate. So, on and on it goes.Are there broader implications of this freeze?James Egan: Right. So, we just talked about what that means from an inventory perspective. And then if you think about affordability remaining challenged, lending standards themselves remaining tight, inventory remaining as low as it is, you could argue that we're at one of the more difficult times that we've seen for renters to exit rentership and step into homeownership.Now, there's a lot of different things that drive rent growth, and the fact that you have a stuck renter is just one of them. The other side of that equation can be the supply of rental units, right? So that's just a piece of the equation.But those are some of the externalities that we think about when it comes to how the tightness of the housing market – what the lock-in effect and what affordability is doing there. But outside of the housing market, Sarah, the wider economy, like how do these housing costs play a role there?Sarah Wolfe: Massive effect. Some of the work that we've done shows that housing affordability is the number one driver pushing down fertility rates in America. The number one driver. Above childcare costs, above finding a partner, finding a good job. It's housing affordability. So, you could see how that could pretty significantly ripple through the broader economy.But there's other components, right? So, as we discussed earlier, it's driving migration from unaffordable areas to more affordable regions. That has significant implications. And then putting my consumer economist hat on, as we discussed earlier in the podcast, when people buy a home, they tie themselves to that home. They spend money on couches, on beds, on TVs, right? Durable goods. And if we're going to have more people as renters for longer, that's going to expand the services economy at the expense of the goods economy.All right. Let's take a step back and think about where this is all going. It hasn't been a very optimistic conversation. Jim, what is the outlook for affordability in your view? Do we get anywhere back to the post-financial crisis period or even the pre-financial crisis period?James Egan: When it comes to the outlook for mortgage rates, the outlook for affordability, the outlook for the U.S. housing market – look, we just, throughout Morgan Stanley Research and Strategy, published our 2026 major outlook. From now through the end of 2027, we don't have conventional mortgage rates getting below 6 percent.We do have affordability improving on the margins. We have income growth exceeding home price appreciation that makes it a little bit better, but that doesn't get us back to the post-GFC affordability era, which was very, very affordable. Looking back over the past several decades, it gets us closer to where we were pre-GFC, not all the way back there.But when we think about how that ripples through the housing market and how we think about that evolving from here, look, we do think that the state of mortgage credit availability means there will be a lack of distress. We think that while affordability itself may be challenged and inventories may be low, there is some level of housing activity that has to occur regardless of where mortgage rates are or affordability is.We think we found that level. We think there's support for home sales at these current levels, and that combination of support for home sales, lack of inventory, means that home prices, very little room for them to grow from here. But we think they're going to be pretty supported.So, from a housing market perspective, at a ten-thousand-foot view, we're calling it 1-2 percent growth in sales, in home prices, well-supported. But the affordability outlook that we've outlined throughout this podcast – challenged to see a lot of acceleration.Now, when we pull it back to the first-time home buyer, based on our conversation, it seems that the key question is becoming less about when to buy, more about who can still afford to enter the market.But Sarah, it's really been great talking with you about the housing market today.Sarah Wolfe: It was great speaking with you, Jim.James Egan: And thanks for listening. If you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend or colleague today. ***Sarah Wolfe is a member of Morgan Stanley's Wealth Management Division and is not a member of Morgan Stanley's Research Department. Unless otherwise indicated, her views are her own and may differ from the views of the Morgan Stanley Research Department and from the views of others within Morgan Stanley.

Confidence in the employment market is at an all-time low, with the Iran war still rippling through the economy. A Westpac-McDermott Miller survey for the June quarter reveals confidence fell for public and private sector employees. A net 60 percent of respondents believe it's hard to find a job, up from 46 percent last quarter. Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon says employment confidence has been weak over the past five years, and this data represents another step backwards. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IFPRI-AMIS Seminar Series | IFPRI Policy Seminar Weather, Money, and Shifting Bets: What's Driving Food Commodity Markets? Co-organized by IFPRI and Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) June 23, 2026 Global food commodity markets are entering a new phase in which traditional indicators may no longer provide a clear view of market dynamics. While supply conditions for key crops appear quite promising, a closer look reveals a more complex picture—shaped by climate risks, macroeconomic pressures, and shifting market behavior. Join us for this seminar that will bring together insights from market monitoring, macro analysis, and transportation to examine what is driving food commodity markets today—and where to expect future sources of risk and uncertainty. Presentations will unpack the conditions driving agricultural market behavior, and GEOGLAM will provide updates on crop conditions and the evolving threat from El Niño. The discussion will focus on the growing linkages between commodity markets and energy and transport markets and on renewed investor interest in agricultural commodities, the role of market speculation, and how to interpret these signals in today's markets. Overview of Macroeconomic Prospects John Baffes, Senior Agriculture Economist, Development Economics Prospects Group, World Bank Overview of Crop Conditions and Emergence of El Niño Brian Barker, Principal Faculty Specialist, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland; Co-Lead, GEOGLAM Crop Monitors (AMIS) Panel Discussion Kona Haque, Former Head of Research, ED&F Seth Meyer, Director and Associate Professor, Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, University of Missouri Mads Frank Markussen, Head of Freight Research, CM Navigator Concluding Remarks Joseph Glauber, Research Fellow Emeritus, IFPRI Moderator Monika Tothova, Senior Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) Secretary More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/weather-money-and-shifting-bets-whats-driving-food-commodity-markets/ Subscribe IFPRI Insights newsletter and event announcements at www.ifpri.org/content/newsletter-subscription

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Thursday's show, we visit with the Co-Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh about information available for the upcoming elections in Collier and Lee Counties. Cato Institute Director of Health Policy Studies Michael Cannon and I discuss poor quality of care provided by some long-term care providers and what can be done about it. We also visit Senior Economist with CEI Ryan Young about the economy, yesterday's Fed meeting, employment, and inflation. We have terrific a terrific guest for Friday's show, author and Professor Andrew Joppa. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Wednesday's show, we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy about the wording and language of the Declaration of Independence. We visit with the Executive Director of Naples Pathways Coalition Michelle Avola about safety for pedestrians and cyclists on our streets. We visit with Landmark Legal Foundation Vice President Michael O'Neill about the big cases to be announced by the Supreme Court. We also visit with Professor and Author Larry Bell about the need for proof of citizenship to vote in Federal elections. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh, Michael Cannon from Cato Institute, and Senior Economist from the Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Young. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

The housing market is always changing, but today's frequent shifts are by forces beyond real estate. Oil prices, inflation and broader economic uncertainty are impacting Canadian housing markets and buyer sentiment in real time, with real-world effects for buyers, sellers and communities across the country. In response to these everchanging conditions, CREA adjusted its 2026-2027 forecast earlier this year.On this episode of REAL TIME, CREA's Senior Economist Shaun Cathcart joins host Shaun Majumder to discuss what's been happening in Canadian housing markets over the last year, what we're seeing right now, and what could be coming down the pike.

This episode was recorded Tuesday, June 9th, before the current 'deal' was floated. Given world events, we decided to post this episode immediately as a special release, and deal or not, this conversation is an excellent overview of the issues and stakes of this evolving situation. In a media environment constantly contradicting itself, with every side proclaiming the advantage for themselves, the reality of what's happening in the Middle East gets lost amidst the day-to-day headlines. But for analysts who have been monitoring the underlying trends of the geopolitical gameboard for years, the direction is clear: the conflict over the Strait of Hormuz will likely not fully resolve within the next few months. If we truly accept the consequences of this, how will our global economy – built on interconnected supply chains and cheap energy – adapt to a geopolitical order fracturing before our eyes?  In this episode, Nate is joined by Michael Every, Global Strategist at Rabobank, for an unflinching analysis of the Hormuz crisis and the fundamental principles pointing toward the Strait's closure for several more months. Michael walks through multiple scenarios – a TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out), NATO military action, Chinese intervention behind the scenes – and explains why none of them offer an easy exit. The conversation expands to explore what this crisis means for the future of global energy trade, the emergence of rival production blocs, the collapse of demand-side macroeconomics, and the surprising potential for a more equitable world to emerge from the chaos. If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed or mostly closed into September, which countries hit their breaking point first, and will the order in which they break fundamentally change the balance of geopolitical power? How does everyday life change when price signals stop working and access is defined by availability rather than cost? And if this crisis truly accelerates the fracturing of our hyper-connected, globalized world into polarized blocs of energy and production, how might the disruption, for better or worse, shake up nearly a century of the macroeconomic theory that has shaped every part of our lives?  (Conversation recorded on June 9th, 2026)   About Michael Every: Michael Every is a Global Strategist at Rabobank with over two decades of experience. He analyzes major financial developments and contributes to the bank's various economic research publications. Before Rabobank, he was a Director at Silk Road Associates in Bangkok, Senior Economist and Fixed Income Strategist at the Royal Bank of Canada in both London and Sydney, and an Economist for Dun & Bradstreet in London.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

Stephen Grootes speaks to Luca Moneta, Senior Economist for Emerging Markets at Allianz Trade,about the economic impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and why its multibillion-dollar boost to North America will be significant but ultimately short-lived, with tourism and hospitality sectors emerging as the biggest winners. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  A recent study from Tulane University is taking an honest look at American life. Holly and Greg are joined by Robert Spendlove, Senior Economist at Zions Bank, and Shawn Teigan, President of the Utah Foundation, to break down the results. 

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Thursday's show, we visit with the Co-Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh about the status of Artificial Intelligence legislation in Florida. Cato Institute Director of Health Policy Studies Michael Cannon and I discuss the outbreak if measles and the importance of the measles vaccine. We also visit Senior Economist with CEI Ryan Young about the conflict in Iran, inflation, interest rates, and the prices of precious metals. We also visit with the President of Accuracy in Media Adam Guillette about concerns about the proposed candidate to become the next President of the University of Florida, Stuart Bell. We have terrific a terrific guest for Friday's show, author and Professor Andrew Joppa. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Wednesday's show, we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy about the right to free speech as well as the right to non-discrimination. We visit with Assistant Director of State Shield Action about the significance of Xi's visit to North Korea. We visit with Landmark Legal Foundation Vice President Michael O'Neill about the California elections as well as big cases to be announced by the Supreme Court. We also visit with Professor and Author Larry Bell about the cooling rhetoric about climate change. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh, Michael Cannon from Cato Institute, and Senior Economist from the Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Young. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Public spending is growing faster than the sustainable growth rate of the economy, according to the latest assessment by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. To discuss the assessment findings was Niall Conroy, Senior Economist, IFAC.

The global AI investment boom is gathering pace, with OpenAI signalling its intention to eventually join rivals Anthropic and SpaceX on the US sharemarket, potentially fuelling another wave of capital raising worth hundreds of billions of dollars across the industry. SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Loftus Peak Chief Investment Officer Alex Pollak about what the AI listing race means for investors, while Adam Dawes from Shaw and Partners breaks down a softer day on the ASX after the long weekend. Plus, Matthew Hassan, Senior Economist at Westpac, explains why Australians are turning away from property as the wisest place for savings and what weakening consumer sentiment could mean for the economy.

Neil Dutta is Head of Economic Research at Renaissance Macro Research (renMac). He leads their macroeconomic research efforts, with an emphasis on analysing the US economy, the Federal Reserve, global trends, and cross-market investment themes. He is considered a market economist, looking at the economic data and trying to highlight the risks to the consensus as he sees them.  Prior to RenMac, Neil spent seven years at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch. There, he was a Senior Economist covering both the United States and Canada. In this podcast, we discuss: Neil's Wall Street "Origin Story" The Four Pillars of Economic Analysis The Real Income Squeeze AI, RSUs, and State Tax Revenues Pervasive Optimism and Reflexivity Risk The Fed's "Path of Least Resistance" The Warsh Nomination and Forward Guidance Productivity Boom or Demand Story? AI's Wealth Effect Beyond Accounting The 2027 Fiscal Headwind Substack vs. Institutional Research

Is the U.S. economy heading toward stability, or just navigating a new kind of volatility?In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are joined by Taylor St. Germain, Senior Economist at ITR Economics, to unpack the forces reshaping wholesale distribution and manufacturing. From interest rate uncertainty and tariff refund chaos to AI adoption gaps and “profitless prosperity,” this conversation connects macroeconomic signals directly to distributor margin strategy, capital investment decisions, and long-term growth planning.What You'll Learn:Why the current economy feels like a “tale of two economies”, and how income distribution impacts demand across B2B marketsWhat the Federal Reserve is really watching (core inflation vs. trimmed mean metrics) and how rate decisions could affect CapEx, M&A, and working capitalHow tariff policy, Section 301 and 232 rulings, and refund uncertainty are influencing distributor pricing strategy and customer relationshipsWhat “profitless prosperity” means for 2026 and 2027, and how to protect margins during growth at a higher costWhy most AI initiatives in wholesale distribution are still efficiency plays—and what separates hype from scalable, repeatable AI-driven business processesEpisode Highlights:03:30 – Inside ITR Economics: forecasting accuracy, leading indicators, and preparing for downturns11:45 – May jobs report surprises: what strong hiring means for inflation and rate decisions14:20 – Interest rate outlook: hold, cut, or increase—and why energy prices complicate the Fed's move30:18 – Tariff escalation, Section 301 and 232 policies, and the ripple effect across distributors41:03 – Tariff refunds: unintended consequences for margins, pricing transparency, and customer trust58:26 – AI adoption in wholesale distribution: efficiency gains vs. true strategic transformation1:16:35 – “Growth at a higher cost”: how to navigate labor inflation, electricity costs, reshoring, and fiscal pressureMeet the Guest:Taylor St. Germain is a Senior Economist and Business Consultant at ITR Economics. He delivers economic keynotes nationwide and helps manufacturers and distributors identify leading indicators, forecast demand, and prepare for economic cycles with a 94.7% forecasting accuracy standard.Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned:ITR Economics leading indicator forecasting modelsWeekly GDP tracking vs. lagging government metricsTrimmed mean inflation vs. core CPIEnterprise Growth Platform by LeadSmart TechnologiesAI-driven margin protection and data unification strategiesClosing Insight:“We are very optimistic about growth, but it's growth at a higher cost.”The second half of the decade presents opportunities for wholesale distributors and manufacturers, but only for those who actively manage labor inflation, tariff exposure, electricity costs, and AI investment discipline. Growth is not the question. Margin strategy is.Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.Want even more insight to the stories we discuss each week? Subscribe to the Around The Horn Newsletter.You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Thursday's show, we visit with the Co-Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh about the status of Artificial Intelligence legislation in Florida. Cato Institute Director of Health Policy Studies Michael Cannon and I discuss proposed work requirements for Medicaid in Florida as well as claims of fraud in Obamacare. We also visit Senior Economist with CEI Ryan Young about consumer sentiment, inflation, interest rates, and tariffs. We also visit with Collier County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Crystal Kinzel about expanded courthouse space as well as the proposed roll-back on residential real estate taxes. We have terrific a terrific guest for Friday's show, author and Professor Andrew Joppa. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Wednesday's show, we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy about the right to free speech as well as non-discrimination. We visit with CEO of the Community Pregnancy Clinics Scott Baier about the new web site moms.gov, and we discuss funding for Planned Parenthood. We visit with Landmark Legal Foundation Vice President Michael O'Neill about the California elections as well as the three big cases to be announced by the Supreme Court. We also visit with Professor and Author Larry Bell about China and Taiwan. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Founder and CEO of the Florida Citizens Alliance Keith Flaugh, Michael Cannon from Cato Institute, and Senior Economist from the Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Young. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Thursday's show, we visit with the Leader of GW's Regulatory Studies Center William Yeatman about Congressional legislative priorities and the President's anti-weaponization fund. Cato Institute Director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute Michael Cannon and I discuss current legislative incentives that contribute to the excessive cost of health care and health insurance. We also visit Senior Economist with CEI Ryan Young about consumer sentiment, inflation, interest rates, and the Fed's balance sheet. We also visit with Senior Staff Expert with the James Madison Institute Doug Wheeler about the Special Legislative Sessions in Tallahassee and the proposed roll-back on residential real estate taxes. We have terrific a terrific guest for Friday's show, author and Professor Andrew Joppa. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Lee Hardman, Senior Currency Analyst, and Henry Cook, Senior Economist, discuss the latest Uk economic and political developments. How has it impacted the outlook for UK rates and the pound?

Educator and author Arjun Jayadev joins This Is Hell! to talk about the new book published by The University Of Chicago Press that he co-wrote with J.W. Mason called “Against Money”, which talks about how money has gotten to dominate the lives of humans world wide as it become the most influential human creation. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/A/bo265118979.html Arjun Jayadev is professor of economics and director of the Centre for the Study of the Indian Economy at Azim Premji University in India. He has previously taught at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. He is also a Senior Economist at the Institute for New Economic Thinking. His research combines quantitative and theoretical analysis of Finance, Development, Political Economy and Intellectual Property. He is also a fellow at the Groundwork Collective. https://groundworkcollaborative.org/ We will have new installments of Rotten History and Hangover Cure. We will also be sharing your answers to this week's Question from Hell! from Patreon. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell