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Organized Money

Latest episodes

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Mar 13, 2025 • 1h 3min

The Enshitification of Big Tech: A Conversation with Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow, a renowned author and activist known for his advocacy against monopolies, discusses the alarming trend of 'enshitification' in Big Tech. He unpacks how the initial utopian dreams of Silicon Valley transformed into profit-driven power grabs by giants like Amazon and Google. The conversation delves into the erosion of internet culture, the shift in Google's priorities from user experience to maximizing ad revenue, and the effects of monopolization on creativity in publishing. Doctorow highlights the urgent need for interoperability and competition in tech.
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Mar 6, 2025 • 55min

Actually Bob, Corporate America is MORE Wasteful than the US Government

Rich Ham, CEO of FineTune and procurement expert, joins the discussion to unpack the labyrinth of corporate efficiency and waste. He reveals how companies often squander money through poor purchasing practices, questioning whether drastic budget cuts, like those employed by Elon Musk, genuinely foster savings or lead to costly setbacks. The conversation draws parallels to 'Office Space', shedding light on the struggles faced by procurement teams and the tactics suppliers use to exploit inefficiencies, ultimately emphasizing the need for better strategic decision-making.
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Feb 27, 2025 • 1h 1min

When Government Works: A Conversation with Lina Khan

What does it look like when government actually works for the people? Matt and David explore this question with Lina Khan, whose groundbreaking tenure as FTC Chair rewrote the playbook for federal agencies. Khan details how she transformed an understaffed agency into the spearhead of a governance revolution - confronting corporate giants, championing consumer rights, and proving that government can be a powerful force for positive change. Their conversation offers a window into a transformative moment in American governance, where old assumptions about corporate power are being challenged and new possibilities are emerging.
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Feb 20, 2025 • 51min

The Pocket Picking Machine

When it comes to utilities - why are we paying so much for service that can be so unreliable? In this episode, Matt and David expose how a small group of economists and some untrustworthy models have allowed utility companies to inflate rates and spend on dubious projects. Former utility executive Mark Ellis helps explain the "scam" that has misled regulators and advocates, leading to excessive profits for investor-owned utilities at our expense. They break down utility regulation, how rates are set, and the surprising difference in rate increases between investor-owned and public utilities. Prepare to demand some serious reform!Read Mark's report: Rate of Return Equals Cost of Capital: A Simple, Fair Formula to Stop Investor-Owned Utilities from Overcharging the Public
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Feb 13, 2025 • 58min

The Woman Who Defeated Google

Doha Mekki, the former head of the DOJ Antitrust Division, shares her insights from landmark cases, including the Google search case. She likens antitrust enforcement to 'policing for white collar crime,' all while operating on a budget dwarfed by tech giants. Mekki delves into the complexities of investigating monopolies, emphasizing the role of citizen tips and expert testimony. She discusses the generational shift in attitudes toward antitrust, highlighting a newfound willingness among younger conservatives to support government intervention in the market.
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7 snips
Feb 6, 2025 • 52min

It's Not Just Avian Flu: The Hidden Risks in Our Food System

The recent egg shortages and avian flu outbreaks aren't just hurting our pocketbooks, they reveal how the consolidation of American agriculture has created dangerous vulnerabilities in our food system. David and Matt dive deep into the precarious state of American farming with Jeff Bender, a North Carolina farmer with 40 years of experience. Bender explains how farming has transformed from the diverse "Old MacDonald" model of small family farms to a rigid, industrial system dominated by monocultures and massive operations, where a single disease outbreak could devastate entire sectors of food production. 
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6 snips
Jan 30, 2025 • 55min

Vikings at the Gate: The TikTok Sovereignty Fight

When Congress moved to force TikTok's sale from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, it sparked a complex battle over national security, free speech, and the future of tech regulation. Matt and David bring together unlikely allies Zephyr Teachout, a progressive law professor, and Joel Thayer, a conservative tech policy expert, who co-authored a Supreme Court brief supporting the law. They reveal how TikTok's case could reshape how we regulate Big Tech, exploring thorny questions about algorithmic control, foreign ownership of communications infrastructure, and whether Americans should trust Silicon Valley any more than Beijing. The episode offers a surprisingly hopeful take on a watershed moment in the ongoing struggle to govern digital platforms, suggesting that meaningful tech regulation might finally be possible – if we're willing to try.
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Jan 22, 2025 • 50min

The Last Days of Antitrust Enforcement

Donald Trump is president, but just before he took office, the heads of the agencies that did most of the governing in the Biden era got to work. The Federal Trade Commission, the antitrust division of the Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau got to work, finalizing a flurry of new rules, lawsuits, enforcement actions, and challenges to the most powerful companies in the country. These were actions that these agencies worked on for years, that they put through just under the wire. It really paints a picture of what we've lost—and what we can have again, throughout the executive branch, if people just decide to govern. On this episode, Matt and Dave do a lightning round of actions from these three agencies in the past three weeks, and explain both why we'll miss this work in the future, and why some of it may just endure."Most Americans know their food passes through many hands before reaching their plates, but few realize just how concentrated that chain of production has become. In this final episode of the season, antitrust lawyer Basel Musharbash reveals how roughly three dozen corporations have come to dominate nearly every aspect of America's food system, from farm to table.Read the FTC report mentioned in the episode here: www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/ftc-accomplishments-june-2021-january-2025.pdf
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7 snips
Dec 17, 2024 • 49min

Who Really Controls Your Food?

Basel Musharbash, an antitrust and trade regulation lawyer, discusses the alarming concentration of power in America's food industry. He reveals how just three dozen corporations control nearly all aspects of food production, shaping prices and market dynamics. Musharbash looks at historical turning points, from the New Deal reforms to recent deregulation, which exacerbated challenges for farmers. He also critiques the monopolistic practices in the seed and egg markets, highlighting their detrimental effects on both producers and consumers.
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Dec 10, 2024 • 46min

The most hated man on Wall Street; Rohit Chopra, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Rohit Chopra, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and advocate against antitrust practices, dives into the financial industry's darkest corners. He reveals his battle against 'junk fees' that burden consumers, showcasing efforts to promote transparency. Chopra discusses the critical issue of debanking and its impact on consumer rights, along with his initiatives aimed at tackling the student debt crisis. With a keen focus on empowering consumers, he sheds light on the urgent need for equitable financial practices in today's evolving landscape.

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