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2. Uncle Sam Owning Private Companies?
29:29||Ep. 2In an unprecedented expansion of its role in the marketplace, the Trump administration has acquired ownership interests in dozens of firms. Cato's Scott Lincicome joins Laura Bondank-Harmon to discuss this radical move from the US government, the seen and unseen costs of intervening in the private sector, and how should Congress act if they want to put a stop to it before it's too late. Read more of Scott's work here:https://www.cato.org/free-society/winter-2026/conspicuous-fist-trumps-state-corporatism Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall Producer: Barbara Galletti Post Production: Sedona LaMarre Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman Original Music: Cecil Sherman Director of Photography: Darren Walker Assistant Producer: Elcid Demonteverde Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields
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1. How Much Would the DSA's Agenda Cost?
21:52||Ep. 1Free health care, housing, college, paid leave, and retirement benefits may sound appealing... but how would we pay for them? Rikki Schlott sits down with Cato’s Adam Michel to unpack the Democratic Socialists of America’s ambitious agenda and the staggering cost of its proposals. If taxing the rich and corporations is not enough to foot the bill, who would be paying next? Access Adam Michel's research here:https://www.cato.org/blog/who-will-pay-democratic-socialisms-200-trillion-cost Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall Producer: Barbara GallettiPost Production: Sedona LaMarreAudio Engineer: Cecil ShermanOriginal Music: Cecil Sherman Director of Photography: Darren WalkerAssistant Producer: Elcid Demonteverde Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields
Coming Soon: The Cato Weekly Podcast
01:13|Every Tuesday on The Cato Weekly Podcast, leading scholars and policymakers from the Cato Institute delve into the big ideas shaping our world: individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Whether unpacking current events, debating civil liberties, exploring technological innovation, or tracing the history of classical liberal thought, we promise insightful analysis grounded in rigorous research and Cato’s signature libertarian perspective.120. How to Spot a Wrong Number
40:15||Ep. 120A number that's precise, dramatic, and politically convenient should raise your suspicion, not lower it. Aaron Brown, author of Wrong Number:How to Extract Truth from a Blizzard of Quantitative Disinformation, joins Cato's Ryan Bourne to break down the warning signs of a bad statistic, from missing context to claims that arrive straight from a press release.119. Heller's Sequel Has a New Weapon
34:51||Ep. 119The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Vermont versus Cook County, its biggest Second Amendment case since Heller. The Cato Institute's Clark Neily, who worked on the original Heller case, joins Rikki Schlott to explain what's at stake for the 20 to 25 million Americans who already own an AR-15 style rifle.118. How Do You Solve A Problem Like Affordability?
30:32||Ep. 118Rep. Kevin Fitzpatrick (R) and Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D) lead one of Washington's only bipartisan caucuses, the Problem Solvers Caucus, and they've teamed up on an affordability agenda that touches housing, energy, health care, and immigration. Ryan Bourne walks through where their plan overlaps with Cato's own affordability handbook, and where free market and interventionist solutions still diverge.117. Can Government Run a Grocery Store?
28:20||Ep. 117New York City Mayor Mamdani wants five city owned grocery stores selling staples 30% below cost, at $70 million to build and $100 million a year to run. Cato's Rikki Schlott talks with Don Boudreaux about why private supermarkets survive on 2% profit margins, and what actually happens when government tries to run a store.