Dean Baker

In this episode, we’re talking inflation — a somewhat slippery topic that has been dominating headlines recently. It’s all caught up in the murky and often misleading narratives floating around on the pandemic economy, things we’ve discussed recently like the quote labor shortage, supply chains, spending bills in Washington. Anyways, the mainstream narratives get a lot wrong. Especially when they’re coming from the more right-wing elements — there’s just a lot of bad analysis and straight up mis- and even dis- information out there. So, we’re gonna take a shot at trying to actually unpack this idea of inflation: what is it? Why are we seeing inflation taking place? Why is the mainstream coverage of it often flawed? We’ve brought on two guests to unpack things for us. Dean Baker is an American macro-economist who co-founded the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Richard Wolff is an economist, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School in New York.  This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Economists Dean Baker, Paul Krugman, and financial journalist Stephanie Ruhle discuss the disconnect between positive economic data and public perception, Trump's economic policies and potential risks, the impact of high bond yields on the economy, the increase in rates and uncertainty, the impact of AI on the economy and society, and AI's effect on education and equality.

In this discussion, economist Dean Baker breaks down how Trump's unpredictable tariffs disrupt the economy and contribute to fears of a recession. Entrepreneur Beth Benike shares her journey as a mompreneur and how tariffs affect her innovative baby products. Richard Oswald gives insight into the struggles farmers face due to economic uncertainty. Together, they highlight the real-world implications of trade policies on small businesses and agriculture, emphasizing resilience and adaptation in challenging times.