Trumponomics

(Bloomberg) -- This year has been full of cheaters. From bad boy pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli to the Patriots' Tom Brady to Volkswagen, allegations and incidents of cheating have been front-page news fodder. But is there sometimes an economic case to be made for such duplicitous dealings? Robert Stonebraker, a professor at Winthrop University, joins Benchmark podcast hosts Aki Ito and Tori Stilwell to discuss how the decision to cheat is a rational one, and why it's becoming an easier one to make thanks to globalization.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve finally raised its main interest rate, after years of keeping it near zero to help pull the U.S. out of a severe recession. What does that mean for Americans' everyday lives? Michelle Meyer, deputy head of U.S. economics at Bank of America, joins the hosts to break down why this week's event was so significant for the economy, and how consumers, businesses and the government could all be affected by the central bank's move.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- Many soon-to-be parents worry about the impact that paternal leave will have on their careers. One of them is our very own Dan Moss, who's expecting a baby daughter any day now. Tori and Aki enlist the help of Willem Adema, a senior Paris-based economist with the OECD, to walk Dan through everything economics has to say about his next few weeks, and how nations around the world approach time off for new parents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- Adele's new album, "25," has been flying off the shelves. Was she smart to withhold it from Spotify? Tori and Aki discuss the economics of a brutally transformed recording industry, with the help of Bloomberg entertainment reporter Lucas Shaw, who gives us a peek into how we'll be consuming music in the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- With Black Friday kicking off retailers' most important shopping season of the year, economist Joel Waldfogel shares his advice for buying presents: Don't. Waldfogel, author of the book "Scroogenomics," discusses his notorious theory on the inefficiencies of bad gift-giving, with suggestions for what to do instead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- Americans now owe a record $1.2 trillion in student loans, and a growing chorus is asking why they should even have to go into debt to get a college degree. Other countries provide free higher education. Could the U.S.? Education reporter Janet Lorin joins Tori, Dan and Aki to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- How much money do you need to be rich, ultra rich and out-of-your-mind rich? Tori and Aki discuss, along with what growing income inequality means for the U.S. economy. Executive pay reporter Caleb Melby drops by to recount his exchanges with billionaires, including Donald Trump.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- It's been both a depressing month and decade for U.S. manufacturing. But with the economy transitioning to one driven by services, why do economists continue to pay close attention to factory data? Tori, Dan and Aki discuss the role manufacturing still plays in America, with the help of Tori's mom, who's spent four decades in North Carolina's factories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- It's that time of the year again, when Washington erupts in heated debate over the decision to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. How worried should you really be? Hosts Tori, Dan and Aki discuss with debt historian John Steele Gordon, who also channels his inner Alexander Hamilton to offer advice to contemporary lawmakers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Bloomberg) -- Are social skills the last barrier between you, your job and a robotic replacement? Aki, Tori and Dan, with a little help from Siri, explain which jobs are the most resistant to automation. Meantime, Dan is forced to defend his humanity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.