How middlemen took over the economy

Why is it so hard for America to build things? Bridges take years to construct. Housing costs are soaring. Transit systems are crumbling. And we’re struggling to update our infrastructure to prepare for the climate crisis. Even when there’s broad agreement that something needs to ...  Show more

It’s not always the most wonderful time of the year. Every December, we’re told to be merry and stay positive. But a lot of us don’t feel that way. And when we don’t, the pressure to be happy makes everything worse. Sadness feels like failure. Grief feels like a personal mistake. ...  Show more

Emily Stewart joins Dara and Matt to discuss the prospects for Covid relief and Janet Yellen. Resources: "Janet Yellen's mistake" by Matthew Yglesias, Slowboring.com "Electoral politics on an unfair playing field" by Aaron Strauss, Slowboring.com White paper Hosts: Matt Yglesia ...  Show more

Economist Milton Friedman published an essay in 1970 arguing that the job of a corporation was solely to make money for its shareholders. General Electric CEO Jack Welch pushed that idea about as far as it would go — and broke capitalism. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, ...  Show more

A much-dreaded recession doesn’t actually seem to be materializing. We called up some experts — economics reporters Tracy Alloway and Greg Ip, plus our boss, Vox CEO Jim Bankoff — to figure out what’s going on. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fa ...  Show more

Wealthy companies like Google and Microsoft are announcing unprecedented layoffs — all while the economy is trending in the right direction. Vox’s Emily Stewart explains. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered ...  Show more