The Indicator from Planet Money Government shutdown fallout, price floors, and AI slop against the machine
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Oct 17, 2025 Explore the fallout of frozen federal funding, revealing the partisan impacts on infrastructure projects. Learn about the U.S.-China trade dynamics as officials consider price floors to combat low Chinese prices on critical goods. Dive into the world of music where AI-generated tracks are flooding streaming services, raising alarms for artists over income declines. Reflect on the cultural irony of AI covers of iconic songs and the mixed reactions from the music community. It's a captivating mix of economics and art!
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Partisan Impact Of Funding Cuts
- The government freeze during the shutdown hit Democratic districts far harder than Republican ones, by a wide margin.
- The New York Times found $27 billion affected in Democratic areas versus $740 million in Republican areas, showing partisan impact.
Major Projects Face Termination
- Canceled federal projects include major transportation and energy initiatives like the Second Avenue subway and grid modernization grants.
- The Department of Energy called some projects “not economically viable” when terminating $7.5 billion in grants.
Price Floors As A Trade Tool
- Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's successor suggested using price floors to counter China's low prices in key industries like rare earths.
- The proposal signals possible government price intervention to protect domestic producers from non-market competition.