Social Security Don’t Miss

Optimist Economy

Ten Years Since Hurricane Katrina | SSA

30:55

A secret field that summons lightning. A massive spiral that disappears into a salt lake. A celestial observatory carved into a volcano. Meet the wild—and sometimes explosive—world of land art, where artists craft masterpieces with dynamite and bulldozers. In our Season 2 premiere, guest Dylan Thuras, cofounder of Atlas Obscura, takes us off road and into the minds of the artists who literally reshaped parts of the Southwest. These works aren’t meant to be easy to reach—or to explain—but they just might change how you see the world. Land art you’ll visit in this episode: - Double Negative and City by Michael Heizer (Garden Valley, Nevada) - Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson (Great Salt Lake, Utah) - Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt (Great Basin Desert, Utah) - Lightning Field by Walter De Maria (Catron County, New Mexico) - Roden Crater by James Turrell (Painted Desert, Arizona) Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.…

about a year ago 52:45

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What’s with the persistent narrative of Social Security's impending doom? Are the baby boomers draining the trust fund? Are Americans living too long? No and no. There are just two of the many misunderstandings people have about what Kathryn will tell you (for hours if you let her) is, truly, the most popular and effective public program in U.S. history. She’s also optimistic that Congress will make necessary reforms just before the trust fund is depleted in 2035. Which is good. Because Robin does want to be able to retire.

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

11 episodes

#News #Government #Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi #Kathryn Anne Edwards #Robin Rauzi

Social Security Don’t Miss

Optimist Economy

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published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Ten Years Since Hurricane Katrina | SSA

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

11 episodes

#News #Government #Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi #Kathryn Anne Edwards #Robin Rauzi

All episodes

1
A Family Bill for a Shrinking U.S. 51:32

4 days ago51:32

51:32

The declining birth rate in the United States is often discussed not only as a major demographic shift, but as a looming economic disaster. The White House recently floated ideas such as giving a $5,000 baby bonus to new parents and (truly) giving medals to women who have a half-dozen babies. But what are the real contours of this supposed crisis? Indeed, if we haven’t done anything to remove the constraints on having kids, can we call it a crisis at all? You can also find Optimist Economy on: TikTok YouTube Instagram Substack Support us by becoming a paid Substack subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy…

1
Progress is a Long Game 51:04

11 days ago51:04

51:04

What sparks progress? The right political conditions? Social pressure? Economic upheaval? In response to two listeners’ questions, we say… both none of those and all of the above. As an example, we talk through just one bit of the New Deal in the 1930s, which was the law to limit child labor. That movement started decades earlier, and continued decades afterward. For those keeping score at home, this a sneaky third installment of Kathryn’s 68-part series on the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. You can also find Optimist Economy on: TikTok YouTube Instagram Substack Support us by becoming a paid Substack subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy…

1
Paid Sick Days for Lady Gaga (and Everyone Else Too) 42:31

18 days ago42:31

42:31

In the category of low-hanging policy fruit, why won’t any politician pluck the ripe, juicy goodness of federally mandated paid sick leave? About 30 million American workers not only don’t get a paid day off when they have the flu, there’s no law on the books to prevent them from being fired if they call in sick. The job-protection aspect alone is worth $2,000 a year to vulnerable working moms. Of course this also keeps communities healthier because who needs to exposed to baristas with bronchitis? You can also find Optimist Economy on: TikTok YouTube Instagram Substack Support us by becoming a paid Substack subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy…

1
AI Suggested Five Horrible Titles for This Episode 45:43

25 days ago45:43

45:43

A recent article in the Washington Post proposed that U.S. labor data has just started to show the bite artificial intelligence is taking out of U.S. jobs – in this case, for computer programmers. Is AI going to cause mass joblessness? Silicon Valley bros seem to think so. Journalists seem to think so. So what’s with Kathryn’s ho-hum reaction? The long view: The United States has seen lots of technological progress over time, but technology has been the most villainized since 1980—also the era of declining worker power. It’s our gutted worker protections that make periods of technological transition so painful. Read More: More than a quarter of computer-programming jobs just vanished. What happened? [The Washington Post] Majority of U.S. adults think AI will eliminate jobs over next two decades, but experts’ views are more mixed [Pew Research Center] You can also find Optimist Economy on: TikTok YouTube Instagram Substack Support us by becoming a paid Substack subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy…

1
Work Rules for the Modern World 38:28

5 weeks ago38:28

38:28

Never heard of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938? It’s why there’s a minimum wage, overtime pay, and 12-year-olds can’t legally have a job. It’s also due for a 21st-century update. What would these “New Work Standards” include? Let’s start with the right to request remote work, part-time schedules, or non-traditional hours. This shift would be a game-changer for folks with disabilities, parents juggling young kids, or anyone going through tough personal times. This is also a way to grow the economy by keeping people attached to the workforce. Consider this part one of – if Kathryn has her way – a 63-part series on how to update the FLSA. Read More: Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 [U.S. Dept of Labor history page] Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau [PDF] The TurboTax Trap [ProPublica] The 988 Lifeline You can also find Optimist Economy on: TikTok YouTube Instagram Substack Support us by becoming a paid Substack newsletter subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy…

1
Robin Loves a Tax Story 33:27

6 weeks ago33:27

33:27

The United States is more than 20 years into a tax experiment – an era of a cumulative $7 trillion in tax cuts. How’s that working out? Well, we have worsening income inequality and public faith in the tax system is cratering. Meanwhile every social policy is conceptualized as some kind of tax cut/credit. The question for our optimistic future is, are you ready for tax fairness if that means you don't get that deduction? You can also find Optimist Economy on: TikTok YouTube Instagram Substack (Coming soon!)…

1
Social Security Don’t Miss 52:45

7 weeks ago52:45

52:45

1
Is This a Recession or Not? 47:20

7 weeks ago47:20

47:20

Wouldn’t it be funny if we launched a podcast called “Optimist Economy” at the very moment the economy started to slide? Nice timing, us! In this bonus episode we dive into the data that has folks spooked. We also talk about if willy-nilly tariff policy (technical economic term there) is to blame, whether a recession is more like a wildfire or a hurricane, and how a recession might affect you. Also, who gets to declare, “Recession on!” Can we squeeze an ounce of optimism out of a recession episode? We try. You be the judge. Some of the stuff we talk about: GDP Now The NBER’s Business Cycle Dating Committee Economic News Releases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics WSJ: The U.S. Economy Depends More Than Ever on Rich People You can also find Optimist Economy on: TikTok YouTube Instagram…

1
An Elegy for the DEI Boogeyman 30:34

8 weeks ago30:34

30:34

Rapidly changed government and corporate policies mean the era of DEI is coming to a screeching halt. But gross racial discrimination in the U.S. labor market persists. Just one example: The black unemployment rate is almost always double the white unemployment rate. In this episode we muddle through what can be said about DEI now at its funeral that wasn’t said during its lifespan.…

1
All We've Tried is Nothing! 18:29

9 weeks ago18:29

18:29

Who are we and what in the world is an “optimist economy?” For our first show, we (Kathryn and Robin) introduce ourselves, explain how we met, and lay out our goals for our new podcast . We want Optimist Economy to empower listeners to understand the economy we have, but also the one we can have so they feel good about the future. The truth is, America’s best economic era is yet to come. It has to be, because there are so many good solutions out there that U.S. policymakers have never tried.…

1
Welcome to Optimist Economy 1:05

9 weeks ago1:05